Antioxidants: are they all they’re hyped up to be?

December 20, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

It’s hard to walk through the juice or energy drink section of the grocery store, stroll through the supplement section, or even to turn on the TV without hearing about acai berry, blueberry, and other “superjuices” and their supposed antioxidant effects. The combined global sales of all antioxidant products- including green tea, chocolate, fruit juices and traditional vitamins- totaled $32 billion in 2009, exceeding the value of organic foods! But what exactly is an antioxidant? To answer this question, we must first understand what free radicals are.

A “free radical” is a term for a certain kind of molecule that exists within the body. They are produced continuously, and at low levels, act normally in cell processes. However, uncontrolled levels of free radicals have been shown to result in many human diseases, including cancer and heart disease, and are also thought to speed up the ageing process. This is where antioxidants really become important. Antioxidants scavenge and remove free radicals, therefore limiting their ability to damage the body. Antioxidant levels are high in the following: vitamins C, E, and beta carotene, and can also be synthetically produced (found in many energy drinks as NAC). Throughout the last decade, as scientists have begun to develop the understanding that free radicals are bad, the idea has sequentially developed that antioxidants must be good…. Right?

In 2007, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the first study that reported that antioxidants do not decrease disease risk like we thought they should, but instead increase overall mortality. Many studies have since followed that show that high-dosage vitamin supplementation, particularly with vitamins C and E, actually results in higher incidence of heart disease. How on earth could this be possible?? In high enough doses, it’s been shown that through some complicated chemical reactions, vitamin C acts as a free radical. (You can take my word for it, or you can click here http://www.fasebj.org/content/13/9/1007.full for a geeky explanation as to how this occurs). In addition, it’s recently been shown that some of these high doses of vitamins C and E may also blunt some of the really good stuff that occurs as a result of exercise. I’m not trying to paint the story that antioxidants are the new bad guys. In fact, the jury is still out on exactly why mega doses of antioxidants may increase disease risk, but, this data has certainly led scientists to start searching other avenues by which to boost antioxidant defenses.

You may be thinking: where do I go from here? Should I continue to take my antioxidant supplement? The truth is, a diet rich in fruits (ex: berries, grapes, and apples) and vegetables (ex: onions, beans, eggplant) will provide you with high enough levels of antioxidants. If you want to be really certain you’re getting enough, simply add one more serving of fruit to your diet. The second way to boost your antioxidant defenses shouldn’t be a huge surprise to all you savvy SFC followers: exercise! Doesn’t it seem like nearly every day, scientists come out with a new reason why exercise is good?? Trust me- the list is endless. So, you can add boosting antioxidant defense as one of the hundreds (or more) reasons to exercise. Not only does physical activity results in more antioxidant production, but those antioxidants work much better than the ones found in a supplement.

Despite what advertisements try to tell you, there is no magic pill when it comes to aging, disease, and health. If you want to live long and healthy (and be sufficiently good at scavenging those pesky free radicals), eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly.

This is a guest post, written by Nellie Reuland. She is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Health and Exercise Science Human Bioenergetics Program at Colorado State University. More importantly, she is a VERY close friend and SFC supporter. Thanks, Nellie, for the excellent post!

Nutrition Education

Green Coffee Beans-the new wonder supplement or just another…

December 15, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

11_GreenCoffee02

First and foremost: what the hell is a green coffee bean?

If you are like most people in this world, you probably didn’t realize that coffee beans actually come from a fruit/berry known as a “cherry” (not to be confused with the delicious cherries in my grandmother’s Cherry Dream Pie). Green coffee beans are composed of the seed (what we typically think of as a coffee bean) and the silverskin. So why is it that this rather ugly-looking fruit is the latest craze?

Recently, there have been claims (mostly from the media) about green coffee bean extract and its link to weight loss, decreased blood pressure, and antioxidant effects. What do green coffee beans have that roasted coffee does not? The major difference is that green coffee beans have a much larger amount of Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) per mg than roasted coffee. When we roast coffee, the beans are heated to an extremely high temperature and much (not all, as the media claims) of the CGA is lost during that process. CGA, which is also found in plums and other fruit such as berries, has been thought to slow the release of sugar in the blood stream and cause the body to burn sugar and fat stored in the liver. But, is green coffee bean extract the miracle drug we’ve been waiting for? Below we have listed the health claims linked to green coffee bean extract, and in bold, you will find our research backed rebuttal.

Claims:
1. It will help lower your blood pressure. There is actually a substantial amount of literature to support this claim. HOWEVER, most studies only report a decrease of 1-5 mmHG in Systolic and Diastolic blood pressure. Guess what?!? You can get the same, if not greater, antihypertensive effects, by losing weight, exercising, and improving your diet (specifically, decreasing your salt intake and increasing your fruit consumption).
2. According to an article reference in the Dr. Oz show, green coffee bean extract can help you lose 18 pounds and decrease your body fat by 4.4%. Sorry friends, there DEFINITELY isn’t enough evidence to support this dramatic claim. Although there is evidence to indicate that the intake of green coffee bean extract can promote modest weight loss, results vary and the long term weight loss effects are unknown. Additionally, there are limitations to the current literature. First- there is no known effective dose. The current literature does not reveal any trend regarding what dosage is most effect, and more importantly, what effects that dosage has on the rest of the body. Safety of green coffee bean extract is not known, and thus, side effects have yet to be established. Second- the methodology of the current literature seems flawed. To date, only five human trials have been conducted. All of these were at a high risk of bias (two of the authors were affiliated with the company whose product they were testing) and were poorly organized (ex: small sample sizes and short intervention durations).

Bottom line: there isn’t enough research to support green coffee bean extract as a weight loss supplement. This area of research is still very new, so that miracle drug we’ve been looking for hasn’t quite been discovered yet (or if you were to ask us- it has been discovered. Hint- it has to do with HEALTHY EATING and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY). Even Starbucks isn’t jumping on that bandwagon. If you read their Q&A section about the benefits of green coffee beans, no where do they list weight loss as a possible benefit. Word to the wise: their new “refreshers” are wonderful if you are looking for a low-calorie (most of them have ~60-70 calories) slightly caffeinated (think the same amount of caffeine in two pieces of dark chocolate) non-coffee tasting drink. Our advice: save the $40 you would have spent on the green coffee bean extract and spend it on a new pair of running shoes or cute workout clothes!

Be the best version of you!

Guess What?!?

December 12, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Hello there! We just wanted to update you all on a few things:

1. We are proud to say that Smart Fit Chicks was accepted into the Venture Accelerator Program at Colorado State University, which means you can expect a lot of great things from us soon. 🙂

2. Stay tuned! Later this week we’ll be posting a blog about green coffee bean extract (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

3. Tis the season….to miss workouts and eat unhealthy food. As tempting as it is to skip your workout or have another cookie at your office holiday party, remember one thing: your behaviors determine your happiness. What makes you more happy: eating poorly and not exercising or choosing the healthy option and being physically active? I’m assuming (and hoping) that most of you would choose the latter.

As my silicon bracelet on my wrist says “Nothing great is given. Earn it”. Now get out there and Earn It!

Be the best version of you!

Food Labels…Is there a better way?

December 3, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Recently in one of my classes, we’ve been discussing the factors that affect our food choices. Research shows that the primary determinants of food choice for most people are taste, convenience and cost. Makes sense to me. We choose certain foods because they taste good, they’re convenient, and they’re affordable.

Some of us, though, would argue that isn’t the case. Some of us at least try to choose foods because we know they’re good for us (I don’t actually like raw broccoli all that much), or because we know that processed/packaged foods are filled with preservatives and fillers, oftentimes not even resembling real food by the time it’s on the shelf. I remember reading a book by Michael Pollin,In Defense of Food, where he provided some basic food rules. One of them that I’ve never forgotten was, “If your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, you probably shouldn’t eat it.”

According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average grocery store contains over 38,000 items. So, it’s no wonder we as consumers are confused about what is really “good for us.” What does “good for us” even really mean? Low calorie? Low fat? Low carb? High fiber? Low sodium? High protein? Natural? Organic? How do we even begin to sort through this?

Some would say that the food label/ingredients list is the place to go to find out what to buy. But how many of us meticulously examine every label on every product we buy?How many of us even know what we’re looking for when we read the label?

So, I recently came across a short article in the New York Times about a new type of food label. I’d encourage you to check out this idea, and more importantly, I’d encourage you to let us know what components of this proposed label you’d most like to see (or not see).

Later this week we’ll post a poll on our Facebook page about the new label, so check out the article and let us know what you think!

Be the best version of you!

Be the change you wish to see in this…

November 22, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

t’s Thanksgiving. One of the most celebrated holidays in American culture, and, for good reason. Most of us are off work, spending time with family and friends, and overindulging. Typically, this overindulgence is associated with the over consumption of foods, but if you think about it, most individuals “overindulge” in sedentary behavior too-particularly on Thanksgiving. These behaviors remind me of my favorite quote:

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him…we need not wait to see what others do.”

~Gandhi

Many times in life, we allow our environment to change our behavior. Today, we challenge you to behave in a way that changes your environment. Be the person amongst your family and friends who initiates activity and healthy behaviors. Below are some fun ways to spend quality time with your loved ones while being active:

Play a game. If you are lucky enough to live in warm weather (shout out to CA), bring the family outside for a game of touch football, 3 flies up, or to shoot some hoops. If you happen to be freezing, and therefore staying indoors, plug in the Wii or put on some great tunes and start your own dance party (you know you want to).
Go for a walk or run. One of my favorite family traditions is getting up early Thanksgiving morning and participating in the Sacramento Run to Feed the Hungry race. Some of us run it, some of us walk it. Not interested in doing an organized race? That’s ok- just head outside before or after dinner and take a stroll with family or friends. Either way, it’s a wonderful way to bring everyone together.
Clean the kitchen! You’d be amazed how many calories you can burn by staying in the kitchen after everyone eats and cleaning up (A 150 lb person burns over 150 calories per hour while washing dishes). Again-make this a family affair. Having the family help clean not only keeps them active (away from the couch) but it also allows for more time to socialize with one another.
Play with your dog. If you have a dog, you know what it’s like to have them look up at you with those sad eyes, wishing you would play with them. So, rather than feeling bad and giving them a treat when they look at you like that (yes, we’ve all done that before), take them outside and throw the ball, go for walk, or simply stay inside and use their favorite toys to get everyone active.

Lastly, we’d just like to add how thankful we are to have such wonderful people around us. To our family, friends, and wonderful people who follow our blog, have a fantastic Thanksgiving. Remember, be the change you wish to see in this world!

Exercises We LOVE!

How to build a core routine

November 12, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

We see it all the time: a fellow gym goer looking lost, not knowing exactly what to do next. A crunch here, a side plank there, but do we really know why we’re doing these exercises? As a follow-up to last week’s vlog, we’ve included a few tips on how to organize your own core routine:

1. Fit it in! First things first, you have to remember to actually do core exercises. Often times, these are the exercises that get ignored first. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends performing strength training exercises (including the core) at least two times a week. So, write it in your planner (or for those of you who are more technologically savvy, schedule it in your smart phone) and actually do them!

2. Incorporate all of the core muscles: rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and hip flexors. In order to protect yourself from injury (and to get the most aesthetically pleasing core), aim to exercise each of these muscle groups at least two times a week. For sample exercises that work each of these muscles groups, watch our most recent vlog. So, rather than doing three different versions of the crunch (which primarily works the rectus abdominis), do only one type of crunch and incorporate two or three other exercises (ex: bicycle crunches to work the obliques and hip flexors and plank to work the transverse abdominals).

3. Listen to your body. The technique behind core workouts is similar to that of the rest of your body: if you don’t lift heavy or frequent enough, you won’t gain muscle and if you lift too heavy and too frequent, you’ll overtrain and increase your likelihood of injury. In general, it’s recommended to do 12-15 repetitions at about 60-75% of your maximal effort (6-7.5 on a 1-10 scale of effort, with 1 being sitting on a couch and 10 being that obnoxious guy in the gym who grunts so loudly, you can hear it through your headphones). However, if that’s too complicated or confusing for you, we recommend lifting enough weight or doing enough repetitions until your body says “that’s enough”. Being in tune to how your body feels is a really important step in resistance training, so start listening-you’d be amazed by what your body tells you. And lastly…

4. Have fun with equipment. The BOSU ball has got to be one of my favorite pieces of equipment, but there is also so much more out there (ex: medicine ball, dumbbells, cables, etc.). Below are some fun exercises you can do to work your core muscles:

Exercises We LOVE!

Simple, no equipment needed, core exercises

November 6, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

We’ve recently been asked by one of our followers to post a blog on simple, no equipment needed, core exercises. So, we decided to take advantage of another beautiful Colorado day, head outdoors, and film our second vlog.

In addition to the core exercises discussed in our vlog, below are some creative ways to incorporate the plank in your core routine.

Be the best version of you!

Excess body fat- What’s the big deal?

October 25, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

We hear about it all the time, being overweight/obese puts you at risk for multiple chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (to name a few).

But, for some of us, these risks are not an immediate enough of a concern to really do something about it. We may think we’re immune to these problems, or that we have plenty of time to make changes. But the truth is, the damage we do to our bodies now by carrying around excess body weight can be permanent. And sometimes, once these processes have started in your body, there’s no turning back, and the damage continues to worsen. So, today I’d like to describe for you some of the things that are going on, both inside and out, when we carry around excess body fat.

To start, here is the (shortened) laundry list of things that are associated with excess body fat:

Heart attacks, cancer (specifically breast, lung, prostate, colon, ovarian, liver, pancreatic, kidney, stomach and others), asthma, sleep apnea, reproduction (specifically infertility- any of you ladies trying to become pregnant?), menstrual disorders, complications during pregnancy, birth defects, stretch marks (no one wants to deal with these!), hirsutism (if you don’t know what that one is, I’d look it up!), acid reflux, stroke, migraine (my primary deterrent), carpal tunnel disease, dementia, MS, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, buried penis (I realize many of you are female, but I’d check that one out anyway!), depression (specifically in women), low self-esteem, social stigma, arthritis (once this process starts, there’s not much going back), low back pain, and insulin resistance (this is bad for SO many reasons…in fact we’ll make a separate post dedicated solely to diabetes).

Whew…and that was the shortened list! When I look at that, I see more than a few things that resonate with me. Then when I add in a family history of multiple types of cancer and diabetes (putting me at an increased risk!) well that’s enough motivation for me to try REALLY hard to keep excess body fat off my frame.

Do you find yourself reading that list thinking “I definitely DON’T want to get __________”? Well, then my suggestion to you is to do what you can to either lose excess body fat, or simply prevent any unhealthy weight gain.

Need suggestions as to how to do that? That’s why we’re here. As always, feel free to email us at smartfitchicks@gmail.com with your questions/suggestions/ideas! We love to hear from you!

Guest Posts

7 ways to get motivated!

October 14, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

We are excited to have our very first guest post this week. This article comes from fellow health nut Darcy Shaw. Darcy is a personal trainer located in Denver, near Colorado Blvd. and I-25. If you are looking to shake up your workout routine contact him and he can figure out how to get you to your next goal!

Darcy can be contacted at (720)261-8863 or at Shawtraining@yahoo.com

When it comes to exercise and diet, the most important factor to getting started is getting motivated. As we all know, motivation comes from within. There is not a whole lot others can do for you when it comes to getting motivated. I am going to give you 7 not so typical ways to pull motivation out of thin air and put it into your soul so you can get your diet and exercise routine on track.

1. Look at yourself in the mirror. No, actually LOOK at yourself. There are so many times we look in the mirror and avoid actually seeing reality. We overlook the things that really bother us and convince ourselves “it doesn’t look that bad”, or we make ourselves believe we will” fix it” later. If we actually look at ourselves with more of a constructive criticism mindset, and realize we could work on a few things we would find ourselves having more of a reason to make things better.

2. Look at old pictures of yourself when you were in your prime physically. Remember how you looked and felt at that time of your life. Maybe it was only a year or two ago and you have put on unnecessary weight. Maybe you still have “baby” weight from 5 years ago. Whatever the case is, take a look at those old school pictures and know you can get back close to what you used to be with hard work and dedication.

3. Don’t be so upset when someone tells you, “you look skinny” (if you used to be muscular) or “you look bigger” (if you used to be lean). Usually when people mention things like that, they are right and you could use that comment as fuel for your motivation fire. If you want to change something use those comments you consider negative as constructive criticism to turn your life around.

4. Take a look at what you are eating. Do some calorie counting and see if you have a terrible diet. I have a friend who drinks a lot of beer, after he took it upon himself to see how many calories he consumed per week in beer; he realized that was not what he wanted out of his life. He changed instantly. There is an example on my website of how easy it is to over indulge on calories, sugar and fat without you even having a clue (http://www.shawtraining.com/Nutrition.html) . Do you need to have a perfect diet… no. But if your diet consists of 65% fats, 30% protein and 5% carbs… you should probably change that.

5. Do you find yourself staring at someone of the same sex and being envious of that person because they have a nice body. If this is you, then turn that envy into a reason to get your ass in shape. We all see someone who has a nice body and want that. The only difference between them and everyone else is that they usually eat right and have a workout regimen that produces results. It is hard work to be in good physical condition, and if it were easy everybody would do it.

6. If you are a person who likes challenges, challenge yourself to get into shape. If you are used to being challenged mentally at work, move that challenge to another part of your life and get into better physical condition. Eating properly and working out while fitting them into an already busy schedule is a challenge in itself. There is nothing better than becoming dedicated, adjusting your schedule and making changes to not only your mind and body,…. But your LIFE. The benefits of a healthy diet and exercise far out weigh whatever excuses and reasons you have for not getting better at both. If you want to argue that contact me, I would enjoy having that conversation with anyone.

7. If you have kids or family members who need to change their lifestyle, do it for them. Change your life so that you can show them they can change theirs. Grab them and take them with you. Having a workout partner or two for accountability is always the best way to go. I talk about accountability often because it is such a powerful tool. Find someone who will hold you accountable and vice versa. It will make those days you don’t want to hit the gym, or stay on top of your diet, more bearable.

With the busy lives and schedules that we have today, it can be hard to “find time” to eat properly and workout, not to mention do it often enough to make a difference. Along with this, comes the most important variable, which is motivation. No matter how much time you have or can make, without motivation to change your routine, you have nothing. Take some of the “negatives” in life to help fuel your motivation fire. Make a change in your life. Change your routine, attitude, diet, lifestyle and your LIFE. People spend so much time running……………. from RUNNING. Stop hiding , stop making excuses, stop blaming everyone else, stop making excuses and stop making excuses. Fuel that motivation fire, and change your life. It will make you and the people around you happy.

Nutrition Education

Vemma®: “The world’s most powerful liquid supplement”

October 5, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

This post is in response to one of our follower’s questions: what are your thoughts on Vemma®? If you haven’t heard of Vemma® (don’t worry, we hadn’t either), it is a “nutrition” line that offers various liquid supplements including protein shakes, antioxidant drinks, and let’s not forget, energy drinks (because the world really needs another brand of energy drinks). In the past few years, many types of “healthy” drinks have been marketed. Most of them are fruit based and are marketed as “superfoods”. While some of them are OK in moderation, the majority of the western world doesn’t need to consume any more calories in the form of liquid. If we, as a society, are undernourished, I don’t believe these antioxidant drinks are the answer to our problems. In fact, I think they are part of the problem…providing another avenue for consumers to get lost in, only to find themselves right back where they started: lost, confused, and undernourished.

At first glance, Vemma® may seem promising. Like many other products out there, Vemma® seems to be scientifically proven. Mangosteen, the main ingredient studied within Vemma®’s products, has been thought to protect the body against free radicals, increase energy, and promote a healthy digestive system. The problem is, most of these studies have been methodologically weak. In other words, their study may not lead to the most reliable or valid results due to their small sample size and short duration. Additionally, most of the research on the antioxidant effects of mangosteen has been conducted in-vitro or in animal studies, which does not always translate to humans. To be clear, in-vitro is where scientists test an organism (usually cells) in an artificial environment rather than in its original environment. Vemma® is a classic case where the marketing claims overstate the significance of the findings, which can mislead consumers.

Lastly, we can’t ignore the obvious: every company wants a good looking ambassador (usually a celebrity of some kind) to market their product. Typically, this type of marketing is very successful. How else can you explain millions of people flocking to stores to buy shoes that literally make them walk as if they have some sort of abnormality with their gait? So Vemma® may not have Kim Kardashian by there side telling the world to drink their products, but they have Chris Powelle.

Some of you may recognize Chris as the trainer and “transformation specialist” on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition”. According to Powell, Vemma® will “feed your body the nutrition that it needs, and it will go to work burning the fat that you no longer want”. When asked about Chris’ shake line of Vemma® products (Bode), he states: “it’s a meal…it’s practically a multi-vitamin infused into a shake”. Well Chris, if it is “practically a multi-vitamin”, why not just take the multi-vitamin and spare the extra calories included in the shake?

It’s frustrating to me when fitness “celebrities” endorse products that don’t belong in this world. Both Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels sold their souls to weight loss pills, and although this is not nearly as dramatic, Chris has basically done the same thing. By being an ambassador for a company which sells a product that essentially replaces fruits and vegetables, he is sending yet another mixed message to the average Joe (or Jane of course): why eat whole, real foods when you can drink your nutrients from a can? Vemma® argues that their product is more convienient, but please tells me, what is more convenient than grabbing a piece of fruit?

Lastly, at the very bottom of the page reads the following:

“These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Last I checked….obesity was a disease. In which case, let’s not try to cure this disease by creating false hopes. Rather, let’s get back to a place where we eat nutritionally dense food thus eliminating the need for canned antioxidants/nutrients.

Be the best version of you!

Childhood Obesity-where we are today

September 23, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

I’d like to start this out by having you all read an interesting article that came across my email. As many of you know, the population with whom I primarily work is children. More specifically, I measure their physical activity levels, and the lab where I work is trying to come up with novel ways to encourage more activity.

So go ahead and read this article…

At School, Overweight Children Carry A Heavy Burden

Ok, now I want to know your thoughts.

This is a short (cursing removed) version of how my thought process went-

When are we going to start WAKING up and doing something about this?! It’s so unfair that children so young are already being setup for lifelong health and self-esteem issues at such a young age. The worst part is that most of the time, it’s through no fault of their own! Their WHOLE LIVES are going to be affected by something they had NO CONTROL OVER in the first place!!!

Ok, enough venting. Now here’s the difficult part. First of all, I wonder- Who is responsible? Is it parents? Fast food restaurants? Schools? Teachers, friends, family, society?

More, importantly, whose responsibility is it to change things? Yours? Mine? Parents? Teachers? Society? Do we all have a role to play in getting things to change? And HOW do we get things to change? Write letters to local school boards? Put a tax on junk food? Practice what we preach?

I am taking a fascinating class right now on diet and physical activity in a social ecological model. The take home message thus far- our behaviors are influenced not only on an individual level, but are also influenced by social, environmental and policy factors as well.

So, to get change to happen, ALL levels MUST get involved and be structured in a way that is conducive to making healthy behaviors last. If we’re talking about food in schools, for example, it would look something like this:

First, there is a policy in place that requires school lunch to include fresh fruit and a veggie everyday. Then, kids vote on which fruits and veggies to offer so they have a say in the decision. Kids are taught about the importance of healthy eating to fuel their bodies so they can play harder and longer. Then, teachers reinforce these behaviors through modeling. Teachers eat healthy foods for snack and lunch. They are active with the kids during recess, and encourage all kids to get moving. The school store starts selling healthy options as well. There is a no soda/energy drink/sweetened beverage policy, allowing only water and milk to be consumed during the school day. Class parties shift from cupcakes to make your own fruit and yogurt parfait, or away from food completely. Kids get to have a finger-paint party…or an extra recess. Again, the shift has to take place on the individual, social, environmental and policy level.

So, now I am curious…What do you think??? How do we go about changing other environments? How about your workplace? Your school? Your home?

Let us know your thoughts via facebook or leave a comment here:) You can always email us at smartfitchicks@gmail.com.

Signed,

Chrissy- A (VERY FIRED UP) Smart Fit Chick

Nutrition Education

How’s your relationship with food? Short or long term-it…

September 16, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Have you ever taken a minute to think about why we eat what we eat? Why we eat when we eat? And/or the triggers that make us want to eat? Obviously hunger comes into play at some point, but for most of us, there are other environmental cues that trigger us to eat: boredom, depression, procrastination (this one’s my biggest downfall), happiness, etc. Being that it has been almost a month since our first bikini/figure competition, I’ve been spending a substantial amount of time analyzing my relationship with food. And that is what it is…..a relationship. In fact, I can’t think of a single person or thing I have thought more about in my life-which now that I’m typing this, is kinda of sad (but true).

So, as I was journaling (I’m pretty sure that’s a word in urban dictionary) the other day, I had an epiphany. Why is it OK for me to justify to everyone in my life the importance of exercise without being as consistent with my message regarding diet and nutrition? In other words, how is it that I make the time to squeeze in a 2 hour workout everyday while on vacation, yet all of a sudden forget how to eat properly? At that moment I realized something that I’ve never truly acknowledged: society more genuinely supports living an active lifestyle and exercising than eating correctly. Picture this….it’s post Thanksgiving dinner…It’s OK to take that walk afterwards because you are supporting your heart health, but if you choose not to eat the slice (or two) of pumpkin pie when you get back, you are looked at like some estranged person who “must be watching their weight”. In reality, aren’t we all, always, watching our weight? Truthfully, isn’t this something so important that we should be aware of it, just like we are aware of our finances (hopefully)?

Now please don’t get me wrong. I am, by no means, blaming my friends or family. I guess I’m just raising the question: why? Why is it OK for society to overeat during the holidays or while on vacation but it’s not OK to stop being active? Why do we get judged every time we order a salad (with dressing on the side of course) but congratulated when we step into the gym? Maybe we need to start looking at eating healthy in a positive, more supportive, light. Maybe, just maybe, we should reward one another for making the right eating choices rather than give them a hard time that they are eating healthy.

Those are my thoughts for now. If you’ve ever experienced this situation or have any other helpful thoughts or insight, click follow on our blog and/or leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!!!

Nutrition Education

Getting back to meal frequency…

September 6, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Last time I wrote about meal frequency, I said that in terms of your metabolism, it doesn’t actually matter when the calories are consumed, or how often. I talked about the TEF…anyone remember what that stands for? The Thermic Effect of Food. I told you that we tend to burn about 10% of what we eat in digestion. So, what matters is overall calories eaten, not how often.

However, I also alluded to the fact that maybe it does matter when it comes to other things like maintaining muscle mass, blood markers (things like cholesterol and insulin) and hunger. So, let’s take a brief look at what research has found regarding each of these:

1. Maintaining Muscle Mass- Simply put, each of our bodies is made up of fat and lean tissue. We all know what fat is. Lean tissue, then, is everything else, including bone, muscle, organs, etc. When we are dieting to lose weight, ideally we want to lose only fat. However, the reality is that we are losing some of both- fat and lean tissue (muscle). Some research has shown that, assuming we are eating enough protein, more frequent meals may help preserve lean tissue while we lose weight. What does this mean? It means that we’re more likely to lose weight in the form of fat instead of lean tissue (that’s the goal!). So, if you’re dieting for weight loss, you might consider eating more frequently (but be sure you’re getting enough protein, which is a topic for another day).

2. Blood Markers- Many studies have examined the effects of meal frequency on things like cholesterol, insulin and blood sugar. What have they found? Eating more often seems to have a positive effect on total cholesterol and LDL (it lowers them both). As a reminder, LDL is the bad cholesterol and HDL is the good. (In case it helps you, the way I remember this is we want the LDL to be Low and the HDL to be High.) So, if you struggle with high cholesterol, you might think about eating more frequently throughout the day. In terms of blood sugar, it doesn’t appear that eating more often has any effect on lowering blood sugar. However, it does seem to help lower insulin, which is a good thing for most people, with or without Diabetes. (Again, possibly a topic for later :))

3. Hunger- This one is interesting to me. Many studies show that eating more often helps with hunger and appetite control. However, it can also cause people to obsess about food a little bit, having to stay on a schedule, and worrying when a meal is missed. So, with regard to hunger, I’d encourage you to play around with it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If the way you eat now is working for you, no reason to change things. If you think you’d like to eat more or less often, try it out and see what you think!

So….What works for you??? Let us know how often you eat, and whether you’re planning to try switching things up!

Fitness Education

Buyer Beware: Four tips to decoding the fitness and…

August 30, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

We’ve seen them before: falsely inflated promises by some fitness or nutrition company, claiming their product will change your life. Unfortunately, our industry is flooded with ill advice, often confusing consumers of what is actually healthy. So…how do you know what to listen to or trust?

First: Read the fine print. At the bottom of almost every advertisement, there are some important details consumers should read regarding the product. If you haven’t already heard, there is a new weight loss system called SENSA®, “which was designed to work with your sense of smell to help trigger Sensory Specific Satiety”. Although they claim “the scientific principle behind SENSA® is remarkably simple”, they don’t want you to know the fine print they legally have to include at the bottom of the advertisement: “Some Sensa users depicted lost more than 30.5lbs by using Sensa longer than 6 months and/or following a sensible diet and/or exercise regimen.” The key here being, “and/or”…which implies that all individuals who lost weight did so by increasing their activity levels and improving their diet…NOT through Sensa alone.

Second: Listen/read carefully. A recent commercial was released for 5 hour energy, where they claimed that “Of the 500 online and 2,500 in-person [physician interviews], over 73% said they would recommend a low calorie energy supplement to their healthy patients who use energy supplements.” If you are like most people, and multitasking while watching TV, you may have missed the most important part of this statement: “who use energy supplements”. Of course the physicians are going to recommend the lower calorie option to their patients…figuring that if their patient is going to use energy supplements, at least they can buy the lower calorie options, making it a slightly “healthier” choice.

Third: Check their sources. Most companies have caught on and know that if they claim that their product is backed by research, they will be more profitable. You’ll commonly hear companies using catchy phrases such as “a recent university study showed”, which is unfortunately, a really good marketing tool. Most people will hear this and think, “if a University supports this product, I don’t see why I can’t”. The problem with most of those studies is the quality of the research. With a sample size of 10 and volunteers being made up of mostly young, healthy, college students, it’s hard to claim the results will be similar in other populations. Even worse, if a product doesn’t provide any research to support their claims, then that should tell you something (i.e. it may not be a good idea to use this product).

Fourth: Think critically. Simply put-if a product seems too good to be true, it probably is. The “shake weight” is a great, hilarious might I add, example of a product that is too good to be true. With claims such as “get results in just six minutes a day”, it’s no one people are interested in trying the product. Anytime a company offers a “quick fix”, the general public will be tempted to buy it. BUT….don’t be fooled. Good old fashioned weight lifting can give you the same results with half the embarrassment.

Hopefully we’ve given you a few tips on how to sift through the plethora of fitness information that you come across. If you’ve been following Smart Fit Chicks, you know that it is our mission to provide research based health and fitness information to the general public, with a particular focus on females. In other words, we want to help clear up an otherwise confusing field. With that said, any time you have a topic you’d like discussed or question you want answered, contact us-we’d love to hear from you!

Be the best version of you!

Lessons Learned…

August 22, 2012November 5, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

As I sit down to write this blog post, there are SO many thoughts going through my head. As you know, Kellie and I competed in our very first Bikini/Figure Competition last weekend- The Warrior Classic. The experience was quite possibly one of the most exciting I’ve ever been a part of. There’s so much to say about it all, but I want to focus this post on the three most important things I learned throughout the process of training for this.

While I certainly gained a tremendous understanding about the human body, nutrition, and the mechanics of lifting, what I learned extends FAR beyond how to properly deadlift (although that’s important too:).

The first and most important lesson I learned was to rely on other people for support. Those of you who know me, know that for me to ask for help is like trying to get me to eat a steak…nearly IMPOSSIBLE. I tend to believe that I can do it all on my own, wanting to portray this idea of perfection to everyone I know. That’s a tough façade to constantly uphold. What I quickly learned through this journey was that it’s MUCH easier, and less scary, if you open up to people. Talking to people about my struggles was tremendously helpful. I realized that the things I struggled with were quite common. The challenges I faced IMMEDIATELY seemed surmountable when I told someone about them. An incredibly heavy weight (not just literally) was lifted.

The second most important thing I learned about was my relationship with food. When you have to be so disciplined with your diet, you quickly start to uncover things that you were able to hide from before. You’re forced to confront those bad habits we all have with regard to food. I realized that I eat when I’m overwhelmed, lonely, or procrastinating. If I have so much to do that I don’t know where to start, I procrastinate by eating (how backwards is that?!). I also eat to fill the void of loneliness. And the journey to competition can feel incredibly lonely at times (hence where relying on others for support comes into play:). I was forced to confront this emotional eating, and to try and find ways to deal with it. It’s a work in progress, but my relationship with food is SO MUCH healthier than it ever was before.

Finally, I learned, as silly as it sounds, that I am not perfect. There. I said it. And even better, I don’t have to be. Rather than constantly fighting to hide my imperfections from both myself and others, I’m learning to accept these things. It’s what makes me human. It’s interesting to me, too, that as soon as I accepted these imperfections, everything got better. I was in a better mood. I was able to make SO much progress with my physique. My body image improved. I was happier, and able to get MUCH closer to my friends and loved ones (you know who you are:). It was scary at first, to admit this, and it still is at times. But each time I share it, I feel better and better.

So why do I share this with you (aside from to make myself feel better:)? First, because I want you to know that everyone has their struggles and imperfections. (Even those of us who fight to keep them hidden). Second, because I believe that by accepting these imperfections, rather than sweeping them under the rug in shame, we are able to work on improving ourselves. And isn’t that what life is all about?

Who would have thought that standing on stage and flexing in a tiny green bikini with 5 coats of spray tan and heels would have taught me all this?

Clean Eating-Recipes

Strawberry Protein Pancakes-Delicious!

August 10, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Over the past few weeks I’ve been experimenting with a few different protein pancake recipes. This one is by far the best!!! I’ve adapted this from everydaybelle.com. The recipe will make 4 really really LARGE pancakes, so I only eat two of them. You’ll see I also have a side of three egg whites scrambled with Mrs. Dash’s southwestern seasoning (delicious!). Thank you Chrissy Schaefer for that tip!

Ingredients:

9 0z of plain non-fat greek yoghurt

1 egg + 1 egg white

~10 stevia drops (optional, but will make the pancakes a lot sweeter without any additional calories)

3/4 cup of whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

200 grams of strawberries

1/4 cup of sugar free maple syrup

Nutrition Information (for 2 of the pancakes with syrup (~1/2 the batter), NOT the scrambled egg whites):

Calories: 349 kcals

Carbs: 59 grams

Fat: 4 grams

Protein: 25 grams

Directions:

Mix greek yoghurt with eggs and stevia drops until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well. Add 3/4 of the cut strawberries and save the rest for putting on stop of your pancakes.

I like to use medium heat for my pancakes, which helps avoid burning. After the griddle/pan heats up, spray with Pam (or some other non-stick spray) before putting batter on pan. I use about 1/3 cup of the batter for each pancake, but if you’d like more, smaller pancakes, just use less batter for each pancake (duh right). Wait for pancakes to start to bubble, then flip. I top my pancakes with sugar free maple syrup-so yummy Micah (my husband) almost wanted to try them! Ha! Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Education

Energy drinks… What shall we think?

August 5, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

5 Hour Energy, Red Bull, Monster, oh my…

So, did we all figure out how much caffeine we think we’re consuming daily? If not, head back to our post earlier this week to get an estimate.

So how do energy drinks work? Are they good or bad for you? In general, it depends on the ingredients. While entire review articles have been written on this topic, I’ll briefly discuss four of the most commonly found ingredients in these beverages: caffeine, taurine, guarana and the B vitamins.

Let’s begin with caffeine. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, which has the effect of decreasing drowsiness, increasing alertness and improving concentration. It has also been shown to increase performance in sprint, endurance and team sporting events. Finally, some newer (and quite exciting) studies have shown beneficial effects of coffee on Alzheimer’s disease. HOWEVER, you know what too much of a good thing can do, right? Too much caffeine, and you can overstimulate your central nervous system, causing difficulty sleeping, jitteriness and anxiety. You can also become dependent on caffeine, experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as headache and irritability. Finally, there is even evidence of caffeine toxicity, particularly in children, who are a growing group of energy drink consumers. So, how much is too much? One review conducted on caffeine concluded that daily caffeine intake of less than or equal to 400 mg/day (approximately three 8oz cups of coffee) in a healthy adult population was generally considered safe.

Next up- Taurine. Taurine is the most abundant amino acid (which is what proteins are composed of) naturally found in the human body. It is found in VERY high dosages in many brands of Energy Drinks. Some studies have shown it to enhance endurance performance, though not enough research has been done to understand exactly how it works. Additionally, there is concern about the effects of high doses commonly found in these drinks. Not enough research has been done to understand whether there are any interactions between taurine and the other ingredients commonly found in energy drinks. Until further research has been done, it’s difficult to say whether taurine has detrimental, beneficial or neutral effects.

Third on the list- Guarana: Originating in South America, the guarana plant is composed of 1-3 dark seeds. Each gram of guarana contains about 40 mg of caffeine. Guarana also contains antioxidant properties, and is believed to have more of a slow release effect compared to caffeine. Its effects are similar to caffeine, improving cognitive function and mental fatigue. At this point, there is no research on any toxic effects in either acute or chronic high doses.

The last commonly found group of ingredients I’d like to discuss are the B vitamins. This will be quick… Because B vitamins are water soluble, they are excreted in the urine when consumed in excess. The majority of Americans are not deficient in the B vitamins. So, while they do play a role in cellular energy, there is ZERO evidence that taking them in excess is beneficial. My opinion, it’s a waste to put these in energy drinks in such high doses.

Bottom line? Like many things in the health and fitness industry, it’s not black and white. Each individual is different, and it all has to do with learning about your body and how it responds to things. We can’t tell you what’s right for your body. Rather, we can simply report what other studies have found.

For specific citations or further information, please don’t hesitate to email us at smartfitchicks@gmail.com.

As with anything we write or say, we always recommend you talk with your doctor before consuming these beverages.

Nutrition Education

Do you know how much caffeine you’re currently consuming??

August 4, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Thanks to one of our followers for asking a GREAT question about energy drinks. It’s a VERY hot topic these days, especially given that in 2006 it was a $5.4 BILLION retail market. So, how do they work? Are they bad for you? What should you know before consuming them?

Later this week, we will be posting on Energy Drinks and how they affect your body’s physiology. In most of these drinks, the primary ingredient responsible for this “energy boost” is caffeine. So, in the meantime, check out the link below and start adding up how much caffeine you consume during a typical day. Then stay tuned later this week for our post on Energy drinks.

Center for Science in the Public Interest
Let us know on Facebook how much caffeine you’re getting per day!

Be the best version of you!

The Art of Positive Self-Talk (aka: positive affirmations)

July 25, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

The Art of Positive Self-Talk (aka: positive affirmations)

I can distinctly remember sitting in my 7th grade science class rewriting one sentence over and over again: when I grow up I will be an actress (yes, these were the days when I aspired to be Katie Holmes…thankfully I dodged that bullet). The point of this assignment was to instill in us that if you tell yourself you can accomplish something, you’ll do it. The trick, however, is frequency and positivity.

Positive affirmations are just another way of describing positive self-talk. Often, these serve as daily reminders for why we do what we do. Thus, it is no wonder so many people use these positive affirmations to motivate and inspire them to achieve their goals-whatever they may be. Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite positive affirmations. Maybe it’s the field I’m in, the fact that I’m surrounded by older adults on a daily bases, or the simple humor that makes this my favorite positive affirmation. Either way, I found one that works for me. So, here’s my question for you: what’s your favorite positive affirmation? Leave a comment and let me know!
~KW

Be the best version of you!

It’s Only Four Weeks Away…

July 22, 2012November 5, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Hey SFC followers,

This week, Kellie and I have decided we’d like to let you into our personal lives a little bit more than we have up to this point. We have been hesitant, not knowing whether you really want to hear about our personal lives or not. But we want you to know that we’re real people, with real goals, struggles and successes.

So, here goes. In four weeks, Kellie and I will be competing in our first figure/bikini competition. About a year ago, we had dinner together at Whole Foods and revealed our secret desire to do a competition. From that point on, we started training together regularly, and learning about all the things that go into this type of competition. About 3 months ago, we decided to take the plunge. We looked into the local competition calendar, and set our sights on the Warrior-Classic. Since then, we’ve been hard at work, preparing our bodies and minds for what it would take to compete. An important part of this for us has been to train naturally. For us, this means without using any illegal substances (which is unfortunately much more common than we realized).

So, in addition to our weekly posts on health and fitness topics, we’ll also be blogging our journey toward competition day (Saturday, August 18th). We’re looking forward to sharing these experiences with you.

Nutrition Education

Meal Frequency… opening up a perfectly portioned can of…

July 19, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

One of the biggest debates within the fitness community these days has to do with meal frequency. What do I mean by that? Simply, how often we eat throughout the day. You’ve ALL heard the recommendations. “To keep your metabolism high, eat 6 small meals throughout the day.”

Is this true? Is there something magical about 6 meals per day that turns your body into a fat burning machine??? Well, let’s take a brief look at the science, since that’s what SFC is all about.

To begin, I’d like to discuss a concept termed the thermic effect of food (TEF). Essentially, TEF is how much energy is required to digest the food we eat. By energy, I mean calories. It is true that our bodies require a certain amount of energy (calories) to digest our food, and it’s approximately 10% of total calories. This is for individuals eating a mixed diet (composed of carbs, fat and protein).

So, let’s look at two scenarios…we’ll call these subjects Chrissy and Kellie.

1) Chrissy is CONVINCED that eating small meals throughout the day is best. So, she meticulously packs 6 mini meals that she eats every three hours like clockwork…in the lab, in class, while she’s on her bike…you name it, she’s eating. Her total intake is 1800 calories, divided by 6 meals per day = 300 calories per meal. So, her TEF, or the calories required to digest her food each time she eats is 10%, or 30 calories per meal, times 6 meals/day = 180 total calories.

2) Kellie doesn’t believe the hype. She is also on a diet of 1800 calories. She is so busy with teaching and Adult Fitness, that she only has time to eat twice each day. So, she eats two large meals of 900 calories each. Every time she eats, her TEF is 10%, or 90 calories. Multiply this by 2 meals per day = 180 calories.

See where I am going with this? In terms of your metabolism, it doesn’t actually matter when the calories are consumed, because either way, you burn 10% of TOTAL calories in digestion.

Make sense so far?

Now, there are other things that researchers have examined regarding meal frequency, including hunger levels, maintaining muscle mass, cholesterol levels and blood sugar. What does meal frequency do to these variables?

Stay tuned…:)

Exercises We LOVE!

BOSU lunge

July 17, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

BOSU lunge 2 BOSU lunge 1

Oh how we all love lunges…especially when we use the BOSU ball. Here are some important things to keep in mind…

Notice when Kellie goes down in the lunge, how her front knee does not pass over her toes. Also, keep your back nice and straight, and stick that chest out. To make this harder, hold dumbbells at your sides, or flip the bosu over (so your feet are on the black flat surface). To make it easier, simply do the lunge without the bosu ball.

Try it out and let us know what you think!

Weight Training

The Importance of Weight Training For Weight Loss

July 12, 2012November 4, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

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As a result of our misguided media and lack of credible health and fitness resources, many people don’t understand how important and necessary weight training is for weight loss. Now, this isn’t to say that cardiovascular training doesn’t play a pivotal role in weight loss, because it absolutely does. I like to think of cardiovascular training and resistance training as best buddies; on their own they do just fine, but together, they can rule the world….or in this case, help you lose weight. 🙂

You’ve all probably heard this before: to lose weight you need to have a negative energy balance (your energy expenditure should be greater than your energy consumption). Given this statement, it is no wonder most people turn to long, draining hours on the elliptical, treadmill, bike, etc. to lose weight. But let’s take a look at what determines energy expenditure:

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) *The energy necessary to break down the food we eat
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) *The energy we burn at rest, excluding mechanical work (movement)
Physical Activity *The energy necessary to move our bodies

Yes, cardiovascular exercise will result in substantially greater caloric expenditure acutely compared to resistance training. This means that one 30 minute bout of moderate intensity aerobic training will burn more calories than 30 minutes of moderate intensity resistance training. However, that only addresses one of the categories that determine energy expenditure (physical activity). Resistance training, on the other hand, addresses both the physical activity and the RMR category. Not only will resistance training acutely burn calories (during the activity itself), but it will also have a chronic effect as well (by increasing fat free mass). Intuitively, resistance training increases one’s muscle mass (hypertrophy), which in turn, increases the amount of metabolically active tissue [1]. Metabolically active is a fancy way of saying the muscle tissue will need more energy and thus burn more calories at rest. This means by adding in resistance training to your routine, you can increase the amount of calories you burn while driving to work, sitting at work, driving home from work, sitting on your couch….you get my point.

My suggestion: aim to incorporate 3-4 days of resistance training per week into your fitness routine. Don’t jump the gun though! If you haven’t lifted weights ever, begin with 1-2 days a week and progress from there. Also, take advantage of the free personal training sessions that are so commonly offered at local gyms. Remember, the point of this article was to stress the importance of weight training in losing weight, not to suggest replacing cardiovascular training with resistance training. Resistance and cardiovascular exercises are friends….let them hang out together. 🙂

Disclaimer: The advice mentioned above is for the moderately obese and/or overweight person looking to lose weight. Those individuals who are morbidly obese and/or have other special considerations (hypertension, dyslipidemia, etc.) may need to follow a slightly different exercise prescription and are advised to seek approval by their physician prior to starting an exercise routine.

1. Geliebter, A., et al., Effects of strength or aerobic training on body composition, resting metabolic rate, and peak oxygen consumption in obese dieting subjects. Am J Clin Nutr, 1997. 66(3): p. 557-63.

Weight Training

Weight Loss Through Weight Training

July 9, 2012November 3, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Last week, Chrissy wrote a great blog about the importance of goal setting, how to most efficiently set goals, and she even provided you with some examples of goal setting. Do you want to guess what the most common outcome goal is? If you guessed weight loss, you’re right! So, this week’s blog posts will discuss some ideas for setting behavioral goals in order to lose weight in a healthy, realistic fashion.

Although I’m most likely telling you something you’ve already heard, the key to successful weight loss is long term behavior change, particularly in regards to your physical activity and nutrition. Easy to say, hard to do, especially when there are so many false claims in the media, promising the next quick fix to weight loss.

I have another question for you. Do you know what the number 1 predictor of weight maintenance is (losing weight and keep the weight off)? The answer: exercise and physical activity. What this means is that adults who alter their diet (slight caloric restriction) AND are physically active will be significantly more successful in maintaining their weight loss than those who try to lose weight by cutting their calories without adding any physical activity. So what’s the moral of the story? In order to successfully lose weight and more importantly, to keep it off, physical activity MUST be a part of your lifestyle. Here’s the good news though: physical activity and exercise can (and absolutely should) be fun! Below are three helpful tips on how to actually enjoy the time you spend being physically active and exercising:

Find an accountability buddy. Research shows that people who have a friend or loved one to exercise with are more likely to continue exercising. I have been active my entire life, and I can honestly say that the last year of my life has been the most fun I’ve ever had while exercising. Why? Because I found my exercise “soulmate”: Chrissy Schaefer (fellow blogger and Smart Fit Chicks co-founder). If you don’t have a workout buddy, don’t let this discourage you, as there are plenty more ways to enjoy being active. Plus, if accountability is your worry, try journaling your workouts. You’d be surprised how rewarding journaling your workouts can be, as it allows you to visually see your progress week to week and also gives you something you look forward to doing (e.g. if I workout today, I’ll get to write that in my journal).
Try something new. I was just listening to someone complain that the reason they no longer exercise is because step aerobics is not popular anymore. I have two comments for this: 1) Step aerobics still does exist! In fact, at every club I’ve ever worked at, this class format is extremely popular (for good reason, it’s fun and you should try it 🙂 and 2) Why not try something new? There are so many fun group fitness classes available now and days (Zumba, Cycle, Bootcamp, Strength, Pilates, Yoga, etc.). If you are taking a new class, make sure to show up about 10 minutes early. That way, the group fitness instructor can help you get the proper equipment and answer any questions you have prior to class starting. Other great ways to ease any nerves you may have regarding taking a new class: look up the class format on the internet prior to taking the class (so that you can see what the class looks like) and/or ask around about the quality of the instructor/class. My advice, be open and try multiple different group fitness classes. You may just surprise yourself!
Resistance Train. Ladies I’m speaking to you in particular-you have to lift weights to lose weight! Yep- I just said that. Resistance training is so imperative to losing weight that I’m going to post an entirely separate blog later this week describing the how and the why. Simply put, lifting weights won’t make you bulky, but rather, will increase your metabolism. This will help you burn more calories while you sit at work all day and will also make your body more, as I’d like to call it, “aesthetically pleasing” (aka: swim suit ready). Although I don’t want to bore you with all of the health benefits of being active, below is a short list:
1. Decreased risk of disease (Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc.)
2. Improved sex life (enough said :))
3. Longer and better sleep
4. More energy
5. Improved cognitive and mental state (so helpful when you’re juggling your busy schedule)
6. Improved sex life-oops, did I already include this?
7. Etc. This list could go on an on because physical activity is the “miracle drug” we’ve all been looking. It just helps with everything!

So you may be thinking, wait Kellie, what about nutrition? You’re right-nutrition plays a large (very large, in fact) role in weight loss. The purpose of today’s blog is to address the physical activity portion of weight loss, but you better believe we’ll be writing about the nutrition component soon, (and on many occasions, given the complexity of nutrition). In the meantime, what questions do you have regarding nutrition?

Remember, the Smart Fit Chicks foundation is built by our followers (aka, we want to write about things that interest you), so interact with us. Post questions, comments, and share with friends. What is your favorite way to get your exercise? Have you ever tried having an accountability buddy? If so, what worked well? What didn’t work well? What do you still struggle with? We want to build a culture of trust, education, and passion and we’d love for you to be a part of that! Make sure to subscribe to our blog so that you can be included on the most up to date fitness and wellness information, including my post later this week.

Be the best version of you!

From Vision to Reality

July 4, 2012November 3, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Hey SFC followers!

So, hopefully by now you’ve been able to take some time and think about your best self vision. What was that like to really visualize yourself at your best? Were there things in there that you hadn’t really thought of? Maybe not… Was this the first time you’d actually written your vision down? If you have not done so yet, I’d encourage you to read our last post on creating your vision, and spend some time writing it down.

So why is it so important to come up with the vision before setting goals? Well, there’s that saying, that it’s about the journey, not the destination. And I agree… however, without any idea of where the ultimate destination is, your journey may end up taking you a whole lot longer than you anticipated. How will you set small goals if you don’t know what you’re working toward? That vision is what gives direction to your goals. Make sense?

Ok, so we’ve got our visions. That’s all good and well, but now we’ve got to figure out how to turn those visions into actionable steps. So, we need to set some goals. Here’s one important distinction I want to make as you’re thinking about goals. There are two types of goals: outcome goals and behavioral goals. Let’s say in your vision you have listed that you’re 15 pounds lighter. Ok, so an outcome goal is a 15 pound weight loss. But what are the behaviors that you’re going to participate in to get there? Are you going to watch your portion sizes? Keep a food diary? Start exercising 3x per week? Weight loss itself is not a behavior, see what I mean? So, while outcome goals are fine to set, we want to focus on the behavioral goals that are going to get us there.

Ok, so now we’ve got our visions, and we understand that we have to set some behavioral goals to start moving toward the vision. Now what? The reality is, we tend to know a whole lot more about what we want than how we’ll get there. So, let’s take a look at our visions, and decide what the first step is in getting there.

I’ll give an example from my own vision. If you’ll recall, in my vision I have listed “I have a healthy, balanced relationship with food.” Is this an outcome or a behavioral goal? If you said outcome, you’re right! So, now I need to set some behavioral goals to get there. Ok, let’s see… I know I struggle in the evenings with unnecessary snacking. So, maybe I work on that time. I should probably replace that snacking with something else. And I have been wanting to start a little bit of relaxation/meditation. So, maybe this is where I start. I’ll substitute relaxation activities for my nighttime snacking.

Ok, so take a few minutes and think about where you’d like to start in your own vision. Take one of your outcome goals and assign a small behavioral step to it. Is weight loss an outcome? Being more active in general? Where will you start?

Ok, great. So, what’s next? Now, before we take off on the path to achieving this goal, we’ve got to make our goals SMART. If you’ve never heard that before, SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Similar to our vision, the more detail we can give to our goals, the more likely we are to be successful. Again, I’ll use my own goal as the example.

So in general, I know I want to replace evening snacking with relaxation. Now let’s paint the picture…

Specific– What EXACTLY will you be doing?

I will go to the area of my room where I’ve setup my “mindfulness corner” and journal about the best part of my day.

Measurable-Put some time constraints on your goal. What days? For how long each time? What time of day will you do it?

I will journal for 5 minutes a day, every weekday this week before I go to bed.

Attainable-This step is important…on a scale of 0-10 in terms of how confident you feel that you’ll be able to achieve this goal, you want to be between about a 7-9. That way, you’re challenged, but not so much so that you’re setting yourself up for failure.

So, I know myself, and while 5 minutes may seem too easy for some, for me, that’s hard. Five straight minutes of sitting still and journaling will be nothing short of a HUGE challenge. In fact, on a scale of 1-10, I’d say I’m lucky if I’m a 7. (The only reason I’m putting it that high is because I’ve now told all of you about it so I have some accountability…more on that below:).

Relevant– How does this help me work toward my vision? Sometimes it’s not a direct path, but more of a first step.

Well, by practicing some relaxation, I won’t feel so anxious, which is oftentimes the cause of my nighttime snacking. Ultimately if I can reduce some of this anxiety, and therefore reduce some of the unnecessary nighttime snacking, I will start to have a healthier relationship with food. Is this a direct link? No. But is it a good first step to get me there? I certainly think so (and keep in mind that what YOU think is really all that matters).

Timely-Setup some time constraints. By when will you have achieved this? I would recommend weekly goals. That way, it gives us enough time to give something a try, but it’s not so far away that we forget about our goals completely.

So for me, it’s this week. I will do this journaling every weekday this week…Starting today through next Wednesday.

Following so far? Ok, so before I send you on your way to start setting up some SMART goals for the week, there are three final suggestions I have.

1. Make your goals positive. Try and reframe the goals so they’re in a positive light. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. This goes for your vision as well.

2. Monitoring- have a way to keep track of your goals. Again, write them down, keep an electronic document, sign up for an online diary. Whatever works best for you.

3. Accountability- I’d highly recommend telling someone what your goal is. This can be uncomfortable to tell people your flaws at first (believe me, it’s not exactly easy for me to tell you that I have trouble with nighttime snacking:). However, research shows that having someone you’re accountable to is hugely predictive of success in achieving your goals. So, whether that’s your best friend, your significant other, your mom, or emailing us at smartfitchicks@gmail.com, tell someone:)

Ok, off you go! Review your vision, set a goal, make it SMART and tell someone about it!

Good luck this week, and keep us posted on your progress.

Remember, we’re here for you, and we’re always listening:)

Chrissy and Kellie

Be the best version of you!

Smart Fit Chicks has officially launched!

July 1, 2012November 3, 2013
by Smart Fit Womxn

Hello everyone and thanks for visiting our blog! We have officially launched our website, so check it out at www.smartfitchicks.com. We are so excited to start interacting with you, because ultimately you drive our content! At any point, if you have ideas, suggestions, questions, comments, or just want to chat, we encourage you to get in touch with us through email at smartfitchicks@gmail.com or on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/smartfitchicks.

So to start, we thought it would be fun to do a little goal setting exercise. Since it is the goal of Smart Fit Chicks to empower our users to “be the best version of you”, we’d like you to start thinking about a health related goal to set for yourself. We’re going to start with some visualization.

When you think about your “best version of you”, what do you see? Take some time here to think about these questions. How do you feel? How do you look? What kinds of things are you doing regularly? Who is in your best self vision? What kinds of things or people are you surrounding yourself with?

We’re going to call this your “Best Self Vision” and we’ll be coming back to this frequently. So, we’d encourage you to write it down. We’d also recommend writing it in the present tense. Research shows that with positive affirmations, writing them in the present tense is much more effective than the future tense. So, instead of “I will be fit” you’ll write, “I am fit.” Here are a couple suggestions for journaling. Penzu has a free diary option. Facebook also has a “Notes” app where you can journal and either leave it private, or publicize it so your friends can see (in the search bar, type notes and it’s the first thing to show up). Finally, you can always go old school and keep a paper and pen journal. That’s up to you, but either way, write it down!

So, over the next couple days, we want you to spend some time thinking about your “Best Self Vision.” Answer those questions we listed above. The more individualized you can make your vision, the better. Then later this week, we’ll be posting about how to set SMART goals.

Need some ideas? Below are examples of our “Best Self Visions.”

Chrissy:

“I am happy, healthy and fit. I have a healthy, balanced relationship with food, where I use it to fuel my body. I look fit and lean, like the girls on the cover of Oxygen magazine. I feel strong when I lift weights and when I am pushing myself during cardio. I workout 5-6 days a week, and also enjoy the days when I give my body a rest. I bike most places instead of drive. I surround myself with friends who value healthy living as well. I keep my kitchen stocked with healthy foods. I enjoy helping others to adopt healthy lifestyles as well.”

Kellie:

“The best version of me is happy and healthy. The best version of me is confident with every part of my body, soul, and mind. I feel empowered and full of life. I look strong. I look beautiful. I’m eating clean while allowing my self life’s simple pleasures (e.g.. Chocolate), without feeling any guilt. I’m surrounded by friends and loved ones who support me as I support them. I am happy.”

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March 14, 2012
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