Transformation Q&A

Hi. Since I announced the starting date for my 3rd Annual Transformation Contest (this Saturday August 2nd) I've gotten quite a few questions about it. I thought it would be best just to answer them all with a quick note, so here we go.

1. What is it? To put it simply, it's a five-week long contest to see who can have the biggest physical transformation over that time. It will be judged by before and after pictures.

2. Why would I do it? Everyone has their own reasons. For some it's a reason to really focus in and dedicate yourself to see how far you can go. For others, it's a reason to start getting themselves in shape. For others it's an opportunity to win up to $175!

3. What do I get for doing it?
- A full bootcamp membership
- A 50 page Transformation Challenge manual which includes goal setting tips, recipes, workouts and two different meal plans
- Motivational emails which include workout tips and recipes
- Expert guidance with your workouts and nutrition
- Any support you need to get you the results you want
- An opportunity to win up to $175!

4. How much is it to enter? $49 for members and $99 for non-members.

5. What if I need a more individualized approach? I have four spots left for completely individualized meal plans for only an additional $79.

6. How do I sign up? 
Go here for members - Members Sign Up
Go here for non-members - Non-Members Sign Up
Go here for the Individualized Meal Plan - Meal Plan

7. When does it start again? We're holding a kickoff meeting this Saturday August 2nd at 1pm at my gym at 2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley.

If you have any more questions, please let me know.

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

IFLM: Mailbag

Wow! I can't believe that International Fat Loss Month is almost over!! I got a few different questions that I have yet to answer so today will be a quick mailbag of sorts. Let's get started!

Andrew: What are the types of fats to eat and also to avoid?

Well, the main types of fats to avoid are Trans Fats. If you look at a nutritional label and see Trans Fats then you guess with pretty good certainty that you have a piece of garbage in front of you.

As for healthy fats, here's a quick list: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Fish Oil, Nuts, Natural Peanut Butter, Avocado, eggs.

Theresa: When losing weight, how do you know if you're losing fat or muscle?

Te best way is to have your body fat tested although a small amount of weight loss might not show up in the percentage. Generally speaking, if you're losing 1-2 pounds a week that's probably fat. Much more and you might be getting into some muscle loss. That's not a hard and fast rule, but it should give you some idea.

Aislinn: How about something for weight loss for weight-lifting postpartum nursing moms? 

Aislinn, I'll admit that this isn't my premium expertise, but I have trained a few postpartum mothers and I don't train them any differently than anyone else. That's to say that I do a full asssessment and then program accordingly. I've found that core and hip stability are the biggest issues to focus on. As far as nutrition while nursing that's really more something I'd listen to your doctor for.

If you want to read a great series about this I suggest you do a google search for "Cassandra Forsythe fit pregnancy". She has something like 11 seperate interviews with different women about their exercise experiences during and after pregnancy. Cassandra is a great trainer and very knowledgeable about pregnancy issues.

Frankie: What can I do to burn fat while sitting at a desk and what are some ways to get moving when you've never really exercised?

The first part of the question really gets down to the core of exercise for fat loss. We've got to train our body to burn fat when we're NOT exercising. The reason for this is mainly that we just don't burn all that many calories during exercise. This is accomplished with resistance and interval training. For a more detailed explanation please read my last column: Matt's Question and Answer.

As far as getting moving, do just that: Get Moving. Go for a walk. Go for a bike ride. Lift some weights. If you don't know what to do or have trouble getting started or getting motivated, hire a good trainer. The key is to stop thinking about it and just go do something! The next six months are coming whether you like it or not. At the end of that six months do you want to be proud of your progress and feeling and looking better, or still "thinking about it"?

P.S. By the way, one way to really get yourself going is with some short term goals. This Saturday August 2nd I'm starting my Third Annual Transformation Contest. It'll be a great way to motivate yourself to get started! You can go here to get all the details.

2014 Transformation Contest 

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

IFLM: Matt's Question and Answer

I posted a pretty general question on Facebook today asking what the biggest question people had about fat loss. I got back this answer from a friend of mine named Matt. 

"How much is too much when it comes to cutting calories? 

I'm 5'7" 183lbs with an intake of 1480 cals and only moderate exercise output. It seems low, but my progress seems to stall out at anything over 1500.

Is there a formula based off of goal weight?

Also, what are your thoughts on best macro ratio for fat loss? I'm pretty flexible with mine, but I shoot for 45%carb, 35% protein, 20% fat and try to avoid anything over 50/25/25."

I know that Matt has lost a pretty fair amount of weight in the last year or so and I'm pretty sure he eats a fairly clean diet most of the time. That being said there are things he can do to continue to progress. I'm going to go forward with two assumptions:

1. That Matt is right about his caloric intake.

2. That his body fat percentage is in the mid 20s. 

Keep in mind that although I'm making these assumptions for the purpose of answering his questions, they are pretty big assumptions to make. Many studies have shown that people trying to lose weight usually underestimate their caloric intake and I'm estimating his bf% based purely on my impressions the last time I saw him. That being said, let's move on.

At it's core fat loss is all about calories in, calories out. If you take in fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. If you take in more than you burn, you gain weight. Sounds simple, right? Well, at times it is and at times it isn't. The body is a tricky thing that will fight like heck to stay exactly where it is. If you take in fewer calories your body is going to react by slowing down it's metabolism, among other things. For that, and a few other reasons, you can't just cut calories forever and still get results. 

Let's talk about Matt. At 183 lbs. with low to moderate exercise output he's probably burning somewhere in the area of 2300-2500 calories a day on average. But this is where the body's trickery can get in the way. As I mentioned before, Matt has lost a fair amount of weight over the last year or so which means he has consistently eaten at a deficit over that time. As he's done that his metabolism has slowed for two reasons.
1. Because at a lighter weight fewer calories are burned.
2. Because the body is reacting to being given fewer calories. In other words the body, in its desperation to stay exactly as it is, is telling itself that since it's being given fewer calories it will burn fewer calories.

He's at the point now where, if he's truly only eating 1480 calories at 183 pounds some adjustments 
need to be made to reset his metabolism to a higher rate. There are two ways to do that.

1. Eat more. Yes there are times when we actually have to eat MORE to lose fat. We have to get the body out of starvation mode. I've had clients almost double their caloric intake and not gain weight because they came to me eating so little. In Matt's case, I'd suggest upping his calories to about 2000 or even 2100  for at least 3-4 weeks. (Ideally, I'd like him to be able to lose weight at about that level, although at his current exercise rate that might be too high.) The goal here is to reset the metabolism and if it's done with the right calculations there should be very little weight gain, if any. 

2. Exercise more. The best way to boost your metabolism is to build more lean body. The more lean body you have the faster your metabolism. That means resistance training. If Matt could get in 2-3 days of some intense resistance training he could probably up his calories even more. 

As far as macronutrient ratios I would figure things this way for Matt. We want him at about 2100 calories. For protein I want him at about 1g per pound of lean body. That comes to about 140g of protein each day. At 4 calories per gram thats 560 calories. For fat I'd want him at about a little over half a gram per pound of body weight. That comes to about 95g of fat. That's about 855 calories. The rest comes from carbs. Which comes to about 175g of carbs. These ratios are just estimates as every one is a little different in this respect, but it will give you a good idea where to start. 

I think that'll give Matt a good start and also give you an idea of how to go about restarting some stalled progress. If you need any help with your fat loss goals, please let me know. 

P.S. One way to really get yourself on the right track is with some short term goals. Next Saturday August 2nd I'm starting my Third Annual Transformation Contest. It'll be a great way to motivate yourself to get started! You can go here to get all the details.

2014 Transformation Contest 

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

IFLM: What Do You Weigh?

What do you weigh? It's a simple question. If you asked me that question last week the answer would have been 184 lbs. Or 176 lbs. Or 178 lbs. Yes, I was every one of those weights last week. And not during the same day either. Those were three separate but consecutive days, all taken first thing in the morning.

What am I getting at? Well, seeing as how this is International Fat Loss Month (my invention) and most of the people I talk to are interested in losing fat, it's natural that they're going to look at the scale to measure their progress. 

Here's where things get interesting, though. I hear some version of this all the time. "I feel better, everyone tells me I look better, my clothes fit better but the scale isn't moving!"

To them I ask this: Why do you want to lose weight? Is it because you're doing a wresting meet and need to get one weight class down? Probably not. Is it because you'd like to look better, feel better and have your clothes fit better? Probably. So if those things are happening who cares what the scale says?

Still don't trust me? OK, do this. Weigh yourself right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. Great. Now drink two tall glasses of water. Fantastic. Now go weigh yourself again. Did you put on a pound or two? Probably. You know that water has zero calories, right? Are you getting the picture?

The bottom line is that the scale can be an indicator of your progress but many, if not most times there are much more accurate ones.

Let me know what you think.

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

IFLM: Prepare for Life!

Hello, again. I hope you're doing well. Just a quick one today as I'm getting ready to release the final details of my annual Transformation Contest! I'm pretty excited about it.

I want to see something. Raise your hand if you have a stress free life and more time than you know what to do with. OK, for some reason I didn't see too many hands go up. Could it be that many of us are crunched for time nearly every day?

One of the biggest issues I see with people's nutrition is that once we get started each day with our crazed super-busy lives we wind up making bad choices with our food. I know it's 5:30, traffic is nuts and you have to get little Johnny to soccer practice by 6:15 and help him with his home work as soon as that's over and some version of this is repeated in all our lives every day. This is where preparation can make all the difference.

Be honest about your commitments and your schedule and take some time beforehand to prepare a bunch of healthy meals. It takes no more time to grill five pounds of chicken then it takes to grill one serving. (Quick chicken breast grilling technique - Marinate the chicken in water, kosher salt, poultry seasoning, cumin and tumeric for 2-3 hours. Preheat your grill to a low-medium heat. Grill each side for about 5 minutes. That should do it.) Do it all at once and you have some good options to get you through those rough scheduling patches.

I know it's not "sexy" but I've got news for you. The McDonald's drive through is significantly less sexy. Before, during and definitely after.

Take a look for an email later today with the information about my Transformation Contest! It's going to be really great and I'm definitely excited about it! Oh, and by the way, there's going to be an individualized food planning option but only for the first six people that want to sign up for it, so be ready!

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

IFLM: Too Much Or Too Little

OK. I didn't declare International Fat Loss month only to come at you with a bunch of flowery platitudes. Let's face facts. I've said it before and I'll say it again:

If you don't change your diet you won't lose fat.

One more time:

If you don't change your diet you won't lose fat.

There's no two ways about it. I don't want to get into all the reasons why but I've seen it many times and that's the way it is.

What I want to talk about today is the one of the biggest nutritional issues people face with fat loss.

Portions.

When I talk with people about their diet it's very common that they'll say something to the effect of, "I eat really well but I still have trouble losing weight."

One possibility in this case is simply that the person isn't eating the right amount of food. There can be many variables when someone is having trouble losing fat but, as overly simplistic as this is, at the end of the day it's about calories in vs. calories out. Meaning that you need to take in fewer calories then you burn to lose fat. To put it another way, even if you're only eating dry salad, you won't lose weight if it's not the right amount.

The really crazy thing is that this applies if you're both eating too much and too little! It's easy to see how eating too much would effect fat loss but having trouble when eating too little is kind of counter-intuitive. Here's how that works. If we don't eat enough, we send a signal to our body that it needs to hold on to everything due to a lack of sustenance coming in. This is commonly referred to as "starvation mode". In a nutshell your metabolism slows to a crawl so nothing gets burned off.

The trick is to eat slightly less than what you normally burn in a day. It may not be "sexy" to lose 1-2 pounds a week but that's what you are looking for.

Here are some quick numbers. They're not 100% perfect but it'll give you a starting point. Take your weight and multiply it by 10. If you're very active (be honest here) multiply that number by 1.3, if not multiply it by 1.1. That should be about how many calories you take in each day to lose fat. Again, these numbers aren't perfect and will vary person to person but it will give you a starting point. As always, make adjustments as needed.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be back with more later this week.

P.S. Thursday night I'm giving a talk about Training for Cyclists at Endless Cycles at 3300 E. Castro Valley Blvd. in Castro Valley. It's at 7:45 and it's free. Come on by and say hello!

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

Fat Loss Flow Chart

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!

It's International Fat Loss Month!

Hello and welcome to International Fat Loss Month! OK. Maybe it’s not international considering I just declared it myself but in any case, until the end of July you can look forward to some great tips to help you get your fat loss accelerated right away!

We’ll be going over all aspects from mindset to nutrition to exercise and if you have any particular questions, please let me know right away so I can answer them for you.

Today, we’ll keep it quick but I do want to give you the Ultra Super Top Secret Classified Underground Insider Mega Secret to Success!

I traveled into the far off lands of the East and to the very top of the tallest mountain to consult with the wise and great Frank. He told me the Ultra Super Top Secret Classified Underground Insider Mega Secret and made me swear that I only share it with you, my loyal readers.  

Frank

I agreed, so here it is.

The Ultra Super Top Secret Classified Underground Insider Mega Secret to fat loss success is this:

Show up.

You might be confused. I know I was.

“What do you mean show up?” I asked Frank. “You just have to walk in the door?”

“If one does not make the step to walk in the door, no more steps can be taken,” Frank replied. 

“But isn’t there more to it than just walking in the door?” I asked.

“If one merely walks in the door, then they have not truly showed up.”

Frank is truly wise.

I’ll be back later this week to give you some more fat loss hints.

P.S. Let me know if there is anything you want me to go over this month and let your friends in on the secret, as well!

Mitch Rothbardt, CPT, PN Lean Eating Coach, FMS

2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley

510-754-7113

MitchRFitness@gmail.com

MitchRFitness.com

I Help People Discover Their Strength!