Way back Wednesday...or is it?

Hop onto InstaGram or Twitter and you'll find all sorts of hashtags like #TransformationTuesday, #WaybackWednesday or my favorite- #FlashbackFriday.  It's motivating and inspiring to see people's progress as they lose weight, get into shape, gain muscle, get ready for a competition, etc.  I don't even know half of these people but I just find it so fascinating to see people's "before and afters".  I can't be the only one right?

The problem with some (and note, I say some, not all) of these pictures is they can be a little deceiving. I figured that people were using filters and Photoshop tools to make their muscles pop but it wasn't until I read this article that it occurred to me that these photos may not be the transformations people want you to believe.

In the article, author and Certified Personal Trainer, Andrew Dixon calls BS on the claims some of these fitness programs make. Dixon wrote this in his article, "In my opinion, these photos are selling false or exaggerated promises of what 90 days, etc., of their program can achieve. Long-lasting results take years of consistency, hard work and dedication. Results that happen quickly are often temporary, and this is another factor that needs to be taken into account when looking at these transformations. Did the individual cut calories to starvation levels or cut out entire food groups to reach a very low body fat percentage for the photo shoot, only to rebound a few days or weeks later? This must be considered when setting your goals and expectations based on someone's program."

To help convince readers that some of these these so called amazing 90 day transformations are a total fake out, Dixon attempts to create his own before and after pictures over the course of only two hours.  

Taken from Dixon's Huffington Post Article

Pretty impressive what a shaved head, better lighting, a few pushups and flexing your abs can do huh?

I've always figured that many of these transformation photos were a part of a marketing campaign and/or pushing a product but I really believed that the people in the photos put in the work to get the results.  If they achieved those results safely or even with the product they were selling I wasn't sure but I thought at least someone was committed to something long term. Turns out that some of the people in the photos may only be committed for a few hours.  

So of course my next thought was could I recreate this?  Trust me, I've taken plenty of photos of me flexin' in the mirror but never of my abs.  My abs aren't anything to write home about and I'm really not comfortable flashing this much skin around but for the sake of recreating this photo I thought the abs were the best body part to show a "before and after".  And no, I'm not using two kids as an excuse because if I'm really being honest they weren't perfect before kids either.  Plus, I'm working on not nit picking my body apart so I'm just gonna get over the fact they aren't perfect and show y'all.  

Anyways, here is my before and after* photo.

*Here's the fine print:  Picture on the left taken after a yummy cheat meal of pizza and fountain pop and trying to stand like I'm pregnant.  Picture on the right taken 24 hours later after breakfast and a spray tan.  As I always say, If you can't tone it, tan it.  Would I have fooled you into thinking this was 6 months of hard work?

Of course I have to say that there are plenty of legit transformations out there.  I am more then aware of what weeks and months of good cleaning eating and exercise can do for a body and I do not want to take anything away from those people who have worked so hard.  

I love Dixon's take away after completing this little experiment, "Forget about the quick transformations and focus on a life of healthy eating, well-managed stress levels, quality sleep and plenty of movement. Spend time with people who have similar goals and values and take time to appreciate yourself the way you are right now. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a cookie, just enjoy that cookie and everything else life has to offer.  We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don't waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else.  It's all smoke and mirrors."

You're turn:  Have you ever been woo'd by a before and after into buying something?  Do you take selfies and use filters to make your muscles pop? Be honest now.  

Losing the belly

How do I get rid of my belly?

What can I do about my stomach?

What are some good exercises to get rid of the fat around my midsection?

I need to work on this. (said as they squeeze a handful of love handles) 

In my past four months of being a certified personal trainer I have heard these questions more times than I can count and I find it hard to answer.  As a wellness coach it's part of my job to help guide you, not just tell you what to do, and I'm finding that a lot of people are miseducated about the best way to tackle the belly problem.    

So let's talk about what we know....

You can not spot reduce fat.  All the crunches, sit ups, and bicycles in the world are not going to magically melt fat from your abs.  Don't get me wrong, core strength is so important for a variety of reasons but exercise alone will not get the job done.  

I'm not surprised people believe that you can crunch your way to six pack abs though.  Look at this month's cover of Shape magazine.  

Really?  If I do 3 moves, four times a week for say four weeks I'll have a "flat belly"?  Don't fall for it. 

I  love Shape but that's totally misleading.  

We also know 80% of your body composition is determined by your diet.  I'm sure you've heard this and "Abs are made in the kitchen." before right?  I'll be honest I searched and searched for the origin of the 80% diet, 20% exercise fact and this is what I found: 

"say you eat 3 square meals a day. Better yet, as a fitness athlete you know about the advantages of meal spacing and eat 5 meals/snacks a day. That’s 21-35 opportunities a week to directly impact your muscle building and fat burning goals.

A common question in the fitness industry is, “what percentage of my physique enhancement goals will be a result of exercise, and what percentage will be a result of my diet?” Common answers are something like, “Well, they are both important. You can’t really assign percentages” or “training is 100%, diet is 100%”. But that doesn’t really give novice trainees an accurate depiction of the bigger picture. And in the big picture, diet will always have a bigger impact than training.

In our above example of 9 training sessions and 35 meals/snacks geared toward body composition improvement a week, that works out to about 20% accounted to physical activity and 80% accounted to diet. I’d say that’s a pretty accurate assessment of the physique enhancement process. If you want to look good, 80% of your results are determined by the food that you eat."

Source

 I found this explanation a few different places but I liked the way this guy explained it the best.  Truthfully,  I'm not sure the validity of that "science" but I do believe diet plays a huge role in our ability to lower body fat.  And, just like you can't spot reduce fat through exercise, you can't pick and choose where you'll lose fat so the best way to reveal your six pack is to lower overall body fat.  

I bet I can guess what your next question is gonna be.... "Ok Annie, I get all that.  So, how do I lower my body fat?:  

Great question!  

Lowering your body fat is easier said than done.  Trust me, I know...I'm workin' on it!  I'm still in the process of learning, exploring, experimenting and researching all of the studies and information out there on the topic.  I'm not a "believe it because I read it/heard it somewhere" type of gal. And thus far I've found a few simple (read simple to incorporate not simple to perform) changes anyone looking to lower body fat can make.  

1. Add some HIIT to your cardio plan!  I know it's hard to believe that a 20 minute HIIT workout can help you lose more fat than an hour long run that leaves you drenched in sweat and totally exhausted but it can and it will! The studies do not lie.  You don't have to take my word for it.  Read this.  You don't have to take his word for it either.  All of the studies and research to back this up at linked at the bottom of his article.  

2.  Find a weight, lift it, repeat.  One of the most effective ways to burn more fat, even at rest is to have more muscle! You're not going to get bulky. You're not going to look like a man.  I have yet to meet a woman who tried weight lifting and stopped because she got too strong. 

But please, stop wasting your time with the light weights! Women, quit selling yourself short! Find a weight you can perform 10-12 repetitions.  When you can perform more then 12 reps UP THE WEIGHT, do a little dance, be proud of yourself and then lift it again!  *I'm referring to general strength training, not specifically powerlifting. 

3.  Watch what you put in your mouth.  Oh, this is a hard one for me but arguably the most important for reasons I've mentioned above and so many more.  Don't negate all your hard work in the gym with a poor diet.  It took me years to figure out I couldn't out exercise my crappy food choices.  I'm not a dietitian but if you want to see how I figured out my macros you can read it here.  

Your turn: What have you heard about how to lose belly fat?  Do you think it's fact or fiction?  What's the most bizarre advice you've been given about how to bring out your six pack?

Goals for the Week

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I know I did.  I got to watch some Central College Softball, chat with old teammates and host a baby shower for a great friend.

So, for the past month I've been stuck in a rut.  I'm not seeing much progress (if any) with my body fat, measurements or weight.  I'm not surprised either.  I've been on cruise control for awhile. And to be honest, it worked for about four months.  I ate pretty close to my meal plan and I followed the work outs pretty close.  But pretty close isn't cuttin' in anymore.

The way I see it, I have three choices:

1. Throw in the towel and quit
2. Continue exactly what I'm doing now and continue to get exactly the same results
3. Up my game and get serious 

Option 1 is tempting but I've tried the "eat whatever you want and see what happens diet".  For me, it ends up being instant gratification but long term guilt.  I'm happier when I eat better. Option 1 is out.  

Option 2 isn't really even an option.  I'm putting into much time at the gym and spending too much money on cartons of egg whites to just be pretty close.  I don't want to be pretty close to my goals, I want to reach them!

So, option 3 it is!  It's time to up my game and get serious.  Without even digging that deep, I know there are two areas that I can improve on- tracking my foods and finishing all cardio sessions.  Since day one tracking and cardio have been a challenge for me.  I don't mind cardio.  It's just that I really like lifting.  If I'm short on time and something has to be shortened or skipped I always choose cardio.  Don't judge me.  As for tracking?  I just find it annoying.  I know it's a wonderful tool and studies show it helps with weight loss but I just don't like to do it.  But I will.  I will because I want to reach my goals more then I want to skip tracking.  Priorities right?   

In an effort to not overwhelm myself by setting some ridiculously long, unattainable goal I'm starting small.  I set these two goals for the week:    

I hope breaking it down in two to simple but still challenging goals will help me focus and get me one step closer to my goals.  

I know some of you reading have great ideas out there- help me out!  Do you track your food?  If so, how do you track?  Do you ever skip workouts?  If so, is it always the same workout?