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

3 Tips for Choosing A Protein Bar

Zone, ThinkThin, Cliff, Larabar, Quest, ProMax, MetRx, oh my! Where do you start when choosing a  protein bar? What is the difference? How do you know what to eat? Have you ever caught yourself standing in the protein bar section of a grocery store or GNC wondering where do I start? This article is for you! I wanted to break down eating a protein bar to the simplest three toos to helping you choose one that is right for you! With the following three tools: the Metabolic Effect number, the ingredient list, and the serving size, choosing a bar is easy. 

1.     Metabolic Effect Number:

This is one of the most valuable tools I have learned since working with the Metabolic Effect Team. From the world of fitness, one knows there are a million protein bars, energy bars, and whatever-else-kind-of bars out there! It’s pretty overwhelming. And whether you’re an elite athlete or a mom trying to select a convenient option for herself or family, it can be pretty confusing! This quick formula helps to simplify your decision by deciphering the net carbohydrates in the product.  To do this you can:

●      Subtract the total grams of fiber and protein from the total grams of carbohydrates

●      The remaining number should be: 10 or less

●      The fat content should be less than 15 grams

Do not worry if the remaining number is 11 or higher. The idea behind this tool is that if the total number of net carbohydrates is low, it will have less of an impact on your blood sugar, and in turn your insulin response. All of these reactions play a role in how your body regulates sugar, and in turn fat. So if you do select a food with a higher net carbohydrate just know that essentially you are eating more sugar, which increases the insulin response. I usually suggest these foods for athletes before a workout or someone about to engage in an endurance event.

2.     Ingredient List:

Have you ever tried to read one of these? Or pronounce some of the names? Kinda scary! In my past life I was a protein bar junkie and would have any of them as long as they said protein and were “low carb”. I was pretty clueless about reading the rest of the label. It wasn’t until I started doing contract work with Larabar that I became more aware of “bar” food labels.  I learned that some Larabars only have 2 ingredients. But I was still caught up on the grams of protein there wasn’t enough for me. Well, good things come in time, and this past year Larabar launched their new line of bars, ALT, which contain pea protein!  Finally, a bar that is real food, has a decent amount of protein, and fits the Metabolic Effect Number = WIN!

I completely understand how it is sometimes difficult to have real food. My time spent traveling with Jim makes it challenging to have chicken and broccoli on hand, so I do carry bars.  However, these days I am much more selective on which ones I will eat. Besides who wants to have the gas and bloating that goes along with most of them? I know you know what I am talking about. Believe me, I work the Arnold Classic, and if you want to truly experience the aftermath of some of these bars, walk the expo floor for a few minutes and you’ll catch my drift – pun intended.  What’s the culprit for this bloat and gas? Most of it is due to the sugar alcohols (artificial sweeteners) used to sweeten the bars. So yea, next time you pick a protein bar, after calculating the ME number, read the ingredient list.

3.     Serving Size

I am not a huge person to get caught up in calories. If I want more lean chicken I am going to eat more chicken. But when it comes to convenient foods, I do have my guard up. Many of these bars can be pretty energy dense.  My 5’2 figure does not need a 400-calorie protein bar for a snack (even if I were to eat a 400 calorie snack I wouldn’t choose a protein bar!) Typically most bars are 1 serving size, so you don’t have to be too concerned with rationing your protein bars. However, there are those tasty synthetic treats that are packaged as 2 protein cookies or a protein brownie – yeah check those labels- most of these are multiple servings.

In closing, educate before you eat! Everything we put into our mouth has an impact on our body and it can either bring us closer to or further away from optimal health!

Until tomorrow, read your labels! Tweet me your favorite protein bar @kelleyvargo #proteinbar

XO,

Kel

20 Minute Total Body Blitz

Yesterday we talked about how we choose our time and our mindset. Today, I have set up a sample 20-minute high intensity workout. All you will need for this is yourself, 20 minutes, and a kick butt mindset!

This workout consists of 2 circuits. Complete each circuit 2 times.  It will be tough, but worth it! First and foremost I encourage you to listen to your body, and rest when you need to. The idea is to push and not pace, meaning instead of slowly getting through a segment, its okay to go hard and rest before the time is up. And if you need to rest longer, that is okay too.

A few tips before working out:

• Make sure you are cleared to workout by your physician, especially if you have any health conditions
• Have water close to you, staying hydrated is important
• Prior to working out be sure to stretch and warm up.
• Following the workout stretch and cool down.
• Okay that’s about a wrap…

LET’S GET STARTED!

Circuit 1 – complete 2 times
Exercise	Time	Interval
Squat Jump 15 sec on 5 off x 3	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Pulsing squat   (hold squat at ninety degrees with slight pulsing movement)	1 minute	Steady
Burpees	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Pushups	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Plank 1 minute	1 minute	Steady
Circuit 2- Complete 2 times
Exercise	Time	Interval
Jumping Lunges 15 sec on 5 off	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Lunge hold (hold lunge at 90 degrees)	1 minute	30 seconds each leg
Mountain climbers	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Close grip pushups	1 minute	15 seconds on 5 seconds rest
Bicycle abs 1 minute	1 minute	Steady

The Two Choices For Attaining A Fit Life

The number of choices we make throughout a single day is pretty amazing, I mean think about. Did you hit the snooze button or wake up for your morning workout? Did you pack your lunch or plan on eating out? Did you watch your TV after work or read a good book? So many choices! Between juggling day-to-day commitments and decisions, it can seem daunting to choose when get in a workout, and how to prepare healthy meals.

1. First things first, we have to have the right mindset. We can all choose to spend our time working out, but is this what we want to do? Take for example a dear friend of mine. She works a 9-6 job and has a daily hour and a half commute. She has been trying to lose a few pounds and get more active. Typically when she gets off work she is tired and does not feel like going to the gym.  If it is not too late, she enjoys walking, but sometimes it is not always feasible. In my mind I am like duh, just wake up 45 minutes earlier. But I realize that’s not fair, not everyone is a crazy morning person like me :).

Her and I sat down and started talking about how to work around this. I started probing a bit and found out she enjoyed taking group fitness classes offered at work. So why not start there? She decided on packing her clothes the night before so that way immediately after work she could go to the class.

Switching up her mindset to not make working out seem like a drag helped her get in workouts without dreading it!  Case in point: choose what is best for you! 

2. Choosing how you spend your time. You have the power to choose how you spend your time. And when it comes to exercise, it all adds up. Whether it is 20-40 or 60 minutes, it all counts. We all have 1440 minutes in a day, surely we can spend at least 20 on exercise. For some people 60 minutes of exercise a day seems overwhelming and impossible. I have been through some of the most brutal workouts and they have been done in 20 minutes! Think about it, the time you spend fumbling around in the morning, you could have crushed a 20-minute workout. 

I constantly remind myself that it all counts.  Being a gym rat over the years, I am used to having a minimum 90 minutes (45 for my lift and 45 for my cardio) in the gym. These days, juggling graduate school full time, working, and traveling with my boyfriend, I can spend more time in classrooms and airports than in a gym. There are days where I cannot get to the gym for a solid hour. However, knowing that I can train efficiently in 20 minutes makes fitness on the road and in school doable.

Health comes down to two choices: mind-set and time. What are you going to choose?

Let’s give everyone the tools to a great exercise mindset; tweet me your mindset mantra today @kelleyvargo #kvmindset

Until tomorrow,

Kel

Welcome to 30 Days of Fit Life!

First and foremost I would like to thank you for stopping by my blog! There are tons of blogs out there to read and I appreciate you taking a moment to check this out! This month is going to be super exciting as we cover subjects that fall under the area of exercise, eating, encouragement and interviews by fitness experts! I hope you enjoy what you read and I look forward to hearing from you!

As we start the month of September I want to give you a little introduction as to why I chose the topics for this month. I feel that the following four areas are important aspects to creating our best self and life.

Exercise: Ok so most of us are aware that there are health benefits from exercising and being physically active. We all receive an A+ for knowledge! But the key area, behavior, is where things get tricky. Whether it is not knowing how many repetitions to do, how to start the treadmill or how to find the time, these barriers can prevent us from adopting these behaviors. In these articles I will provide insight on effective and efficient exercise programs as well as ideas to work physical activity into your life.

Eating: Whether you say the “e” word (epidemic) or not, it is pretty clear that obesity is becoming more pronounced in our society. With the changes to the food industry and the built environment, there are many obstacles that make eating real food difficult. Most of us do not have the luxury of having a garden in our backyard but rather are surrounded by fast-food options and convenience foods. I will share with you my tricks and tips for making the food environment work; it is doable!

Encouragement: From life to the classroom, we can learn from it all. In these posts we will discuss mindset, philosophy, and priorities. I am a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to, and we often are our own worst enemy. It is my wish that these posts inspire and empower you on your life journey and help you continue to become your best self.

Experts: I have been fortunate to work, train and learn from some of the best professionals in the industry. Their knowledge is incredible and their passion is contagious. I hope to impart some of what I have learned from them through interviews for you to read. This is going to be one amazing set of articles!

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day Weekend! Talk to you tomorrow!

Xo,

Kel

Ladies: 4 reasons why lifting heavy won't make you look like The Rock!

As a fitness professional, I have heard some crazy things over the years.  There is so much misinformation in the training world, and most people don’t have to research the facts.

Dwayne “The Rock”Johnson lifts heavy!

 While teaching group fitness classes and working with individual clients, I have had to debunk many of these misconceptions. One that paints a vivid picture in my mind, is a few of my female clients being afraid of lifting heavy weights for fear of getting “too big” or “too heavy”. There is a plethora of science to debunk this myth, but for the sake of this post I will keep it simple. These four areas will explain why a woman will not get “big“ from lifting heavy.

1. Hormones: these chemical messengers in our body send signals responding to various stimuli. Two key hormones differentiating the male and female physiques are testosterone and estrogen. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone, meaning it aides in the process of muscle building.  The resting level of testosterone in females 10 to 20 times less than that in males and therefore does not invoke the same degree of muscle growth when performing resistance training (1).

2. Nutrition: There are many amazing physiques out there on the cover of fitness magazines of ripped, lean woman. The reality of it is, to achieve this look, one has to follow a strict diet and exercise regimen, often consisting of weighing out food, monitoring macronutrient consumption, and spending at least a couple hours in the gym per day. Prior to competition or a photo shoot, some cut calories and dehydrate in order to achieve a leaner, vascular appearance. However, if you were to see these amazing woman a few days after, they would appear to look “normal”. The point I am driving home is even those these woman look like they have “HUGE” muscles, the reality of it is they aren’t that big. One of my all time inspirations, Adela Garcia, has an amazing physique and from looking at her photos its hard to believe she is a mere 5’1” 120 lbs! A true testament to sound nutrition and training- and she is far from “HUGE.”

            AdelaGarcia competing on stage and signing autographs! Hardly "huge"!

3. Physiology: Resistance training is a process that taxes the body’s muscle fibers. By choosing a heavy resistance, the muscle fibers tear apart and build back up. Through repetitive taxing of the muscles, they will grow in size, but only to a certain extent.  This is especially important to keep in mind when training upper body. There is a huge physiological difference between the upper body strength and size of a man compared to a woman. Not only do woman have fewer muscle fibers then a man, but they are also smaller in diameter (1). It is important for females to train heavy in order to develop upper body strength. If a strong enough resistance is not selected, there won’t be an opportunity for the muscle fibers to adapt.

4. Body Composition: Lifting heavy weights will actually improve overall body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing fat mass. In turn this adaptation will increase one’s metabolic rate. Giving you a leaner, sexier physique J. Not too mention, it will help boost your confidence!

Dwayne Johnson lifts heavy weights, you can too, and trust me, you won’t look like him. So next time, skip over the 10 lb dumbbells and go for the 30’s!

Myself training my supervisor, a mother, wife, student, professional, and heavy lifter! Get those 30’s girl!

Sources:

1. Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. & Kraemer, William J. Science and Practice of Strength Training: Second Edition. Chapter 9: Strength Training for Woman. Human Kinetics. 2006. Champaign