Questions regarding --- Planning Part Deaux

Questions regarding ---  Planning Part Deaux


Dan from Colorado Springs brought up a point about yesterday's essay that he felt i didnt cover thoroughly enough
  --- in particular what i said about the internal switch that separates burning fat from burning glycogen in the preparation phase and transitioning into the building phase

Glycogen is basically the short term energy derived from the food you eat that is available immediately.   Glycogen is made up of the food you ate at breakfast, or last night's dinner --- that needs to be burned before it is re-purposed and stored as fat

Without getting everybody into a lab and taking blood samples as we pedal and plod away on treadmills, its hard to know exactly when you are reaching that threshold, but we can approximate it with heart rate zone training

 heart rate zones ---  zone 1 is basically laying in bed or doing very minimal activity around the house,  while Zone 5 is a full intensity sprint

The "fat burning" zone is typically in Zone 2 or lower levels of zone 3 for most people -- roughly 55 -65% of your max heart rate -- performing exercise at this pace and in this zone will feel slow for most
        It can be a lot of work to go slow on something like a skinny tired road bike thats just begging to go a little faster

You will burn a much greater % of fat than glycogen while in this zone, but the calories don't just drop off quickly -- it requires a bit of duration -- these long, steady workouts should be at least an hour to get noticeable effects and preferably more


-------- but counterpoint , and another school of thought -- says that more intense training will burn more calories total,  -- yes , most of them will be from glycogen stores, but a decent percentage will be fat as well.

   This is also a good point -- but more intense training usually means zone 4 , which, in the beginning stages of a program, can be a darn uncomfortable place to be for sustained periods ,  so people fall back a little into  upper zone 3 and lower zone 4 ----- this is the Tempo zone .    This is a pace many can sustain for an hour or more too with just a bit of training
      Doing things at the tempo pace feel good --- but the problem is you have inadvertantly tripped your glycogen meter, so you are burning more carbs than fat --- but the intensity still may not be high enough for you to benefit from the more aggressive high intensity burn


Is there a solution?    The answer is "sort of"    --- Exercise physiologists on both sides of the debate say the other is wrong ---

• 
  
• One side says burning pure fat from long low intensity workouts is better for a person who needs to drop fat
•  The other side says shorter more intense exercise sessions will burn more calories overall, regardless of the type of calories burned

So what did i advocate yesterday in my prep and build phases?             Do both   -- I'm straddling the fence on this one, but for good reason


In the beginning phase of training, you need to concern yourself with building a base more than high intense efforts ---- so if we're building a base anyway , why not stay out of Tempo, - and burn some fat while we're at it?

    Besides, in the beginning, just walking for an hour , or sitting on a bike for an hour, may present its own set of challenges
 
But when the base is built, why stay with such a slow workout at any time?

  Easy, unless you have all the time in the world to rest and recover , -- the slow , zone 2 days and fat burning days serve as a recovery day.    IT might take 2 , even 3 days for you to recover enough from a serious interval session in the beginning -- but i dont expect you to sit on the couch -- i would expect us to have a strength training day and a long, slow distance day thrown in between higher intensity sessions

As we move along in our year --- we still need to maintain roughly the same schedule because the hard workouts will get harder ,  plus , lo and behold, our formerly slow day is not quite as slow anymore

Training increases the work you can do at a given heart rate,  or means you can do the same work at  a lower heart rate and intensity than before

Your zone 2 bike ride may have been 10 mph , but now its 12 ---- your walking speed may have been 3 mph, now its 3.3 or 3.5 at the same heart rate

But thanks to our upper intensity work, we are getting faster (hopefully) -- you dont get fast at anything by staying in the tempo zone -- you may be able to pedal or jog along eventually at a medium pace for sustained periods -- but you wont get a lot faster without some speed work and more intense sessions thrown in there to spice things up

          ___________________________________________________________________

Getting "fast" at anything doesn't really mean much unless we are racing, i know --- and although i advocate friendly competition ,  not everybody needs it

   Personally, i have a hard time training, just for the sake of training, -- endlessly pounding out miles day after day, and occasionally trying to beat my "personal best" at something or other --- but training with an event in mind gives us something tangible to shoot for
--- a goal -- and these goals feed other goals.  For instance, - if you finish 56th in your age group at the 3 mile run/walk in the spring --- shoot for top 20 next year, or better, who knows

Your ultimate big picture goal is still to lose that stubborn 50 pounds, but along the way, -- wouldnt it spice things up a bit to become the fastest age group race walker in your county ?

   Some of you may have the type of mental makeup that doesn't need that type of external validation though, --- you can get enough satisfaction just seeing the results of your stopwatch over a given distance

Notice i havent said much about diet --- i've written a bit about diet over the last couple of months -- and will continue to write more about it as reinforcement along the way.

  Doing any of this on a junk diet is like running with your shoes untied,  and yesterday i equated diet to being your most important piece of equipment ---- but by the end of the first training block, you will have had enough time on the program that diet will be second nature ,  and by the end of the second training block, you may even need more food


______________________________________________________________________________

I'm stopping here as i had not planned to write anything today,  but Dan's response to me needed an answer and if you read yesterday's blog, i hope this filled in some holes in the information if you were needing more specificity


-- yours in sport and health





_____________________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Planning -- Part Deaux

I wrote a short article a few days back about the importance of planning-having a solid plan and implementing it

I did not include much about the actual mechanics of forming a plan

There are many many ways to form a plan-almost as many ways as there are people---- but in the absence of anything else , I will give an example of a  good platform to start from

Having a target is important, and I like competitive pursuits-   competitive pursuits give you benchmarks and ways to regularly test yourself not against your own best times but against other people in your age groups as well.

Plus it's fun, can be an adrenaline rush, and sometimes not much else can make you dig deeper than being passed by somebody you know you should be doing better than.

It doesn't matter if you're fighting over 47th place with a clerk from Home Depot at the local turkey trot 5K,  or going for the win at an Olympic distance triathlon

Sometimes your goal may not be specific athletic performance, but you really want to lose weight, and in rare instances maybe even gain weight, --- the mechanisms used to reach these goals often include walking, running, cycling, swimming in addition to a sound diet --- you can find a competitive outlet for all these things no matter what your age or condition   and it is a big help in goal setting




1) Get your head on straight 

A long-term goal is easy to visualize

You want to lose weight, or improve your 5K, your 40k cycling time trial, your Powerlifting total or anything else you can imagine---- this is what your aiming for
-For the sake of this essay i am going to use an example tailored to somebody heavy who wants to drop some pounds and get in shape at the same time , using walking as their primary weapon of choice -- with the understanding that weight training will be used on alternating days at first
 ---- but with some modification and adjustments, this program can be applied towards any activity you choose regardless of your current fitness level -- you may not be overly heavy, but you can still get faster and stronger

  The long term goal is heavy duty and is the one looming over the distant horizon,  but  short-term goals are  needed so you can track progress --- meeting more specific short-term goals gives you small victories leading up to your pinnacle and is a tremendous motivational help

      I spoke about this also in my Depression essay a week or so ago --- before taking up arms, so to speak, you need to be mentally ready to survive the journey .   If you have too much outside stress in your life that interferes with you attaining your health and fitness needs -- knock that down first --
 --- this may not happen overnight - but square yourself away before introducing twice as much physical and dietary stress into your life


2)  Hardware

Get up to speed with the hardware you're going to need to accomplish your goals---- my article yesterday dealt with shoes - that article was meant to be entertaining but shoes are an important part.   Make sure they're not holding you back-I trust the people at the local running emporiums a lot more than I do the staff at a big box store in choosing my footwear,      .   They speak in terms that include pronation, supination , plantar fasciitis and other things many people dont completely understand -- but they can look at the bottom of your foot and see a lot more than the shaved monkey at the chain sporting goods store

     if you have to price shop, I'd say reward the salesman at the running store who actually helped you by buying your first pair from them ---  then buy your second set through whatever online emporium you choose when you have a good choice

      Again, thats assuming a general fitness program --- cycling really requires specific footwear to get the most out of it, as does hard core weightlifting , but i'm not covering the specific needs of those niches in this article

 heart rate monitors--- if you have a tailored fitness plan that covers things like heart rate zone specificity, you will need a pretty decent monitor to track all this--- the $30 one  from Dick's  probably won't be able to keep up once we start introducing zone specific workouts , intervals and other things like that.  Polar, Garmin and even Timex all make pretty good ones -- i would expect to throw down around 100 bucks

    GPS devices, pedometers, and even apps on your smart phone to track steps and mileage can provide reasonable distractions during long , exhausting workouts, and if your a gadget hound, might make the work a little more fun --- but these are not absolutely necessary

You need clothes-- this does not have to be complicated at all-just pick out whatever the situation dictates.    If you choose to train outside in the cold, do a little research on what's best for your specific sport of interest as without knowing an individual situation all I can do is throw out generic info

So thats really it for hardware -- good shoes and a heart rate monitor when you break it down to the bare essentials



3) Plan a whole year 

Break a year down in three or four blocks.   You have a big picture goal and thats good -- but spend some time thinking about your intermediae goals --- How far would you like to be along at 3 months?  6 months? etc.

    there is an old expression that goes,       " How do you eat an elephant?-One bite at a time"

   if you are truly large or more than 50 pounds above your goal weight----it's going to take time

      at least two or three quarterly cycles, if not more.

 I would prefer to set goals based on lowering body fat percentage than actual pounds lost but pounds is easier to understand for the purpose of this article ----
     establish a baseline.   Obviously this is done first by weighing yourself,
 next, pick your poison of your method on how you're going to do this ---- if it's walking, go out and walk 2 miles--- just see how long it takes----and i'm going to write about walking -- we all should be able to do it and aside from shoes and a suggested heart rate monitor, requires no special equipment

  if it took you 40 minutes to walk 2 miles, set your quarterly goal to knock five minutes off that
     if you can walk 2 miles in 35 minutes at the end of that quarter, I'm betting you can run/jog 3 miles in the same time. By the end of your second-quarter

As a more extreme example , elements of our armed forces are timed on a 4mile march with a 40 pound pack with a suggested time limit of one hour


4) Preparation 

These give us a some measurables  to shoot for ----  you may not be ready for that Turkey trot or Spring Fling 5K by the end of your first quarter, but it should definitely be attainable by the end of the second

On the days you are not walking hard , we will be working on strength training , because your body is a system, not just a set of lungs and legs

Your first prep phase will be laying down base mileage at a moderately slow and steady pace with little heart rate fluctuation,  and we will get in some longer workouts here for fat burning without tripping the internal trigger that starts burning glycogen only
   


5) Building phase

  At a certain point, after some base mileage is laid down, we will introduce some overspeed drills and some interval training ------
  ------  my competitive running and cycling friends may be howling with laughter now at the subject of walking intervals --- but its not so hard to do -  Find a treadmill, set the speed 1-2  mph higher than your typical pace, and hang on,  you'll be grabbing for the handrails before a minute interval is up
     You'll never get faster until you start training faster --- during these workouts , you will be running your motor pretty high and will be burning a lot of calories, but will be in an advanced heart rate zone where you are burning glycogen more than stored fat --- so in the interest of our fat burning goals also, these high speed drills may only be done once, maybe twice a week maximum during most of your first block or two


A week out from your event --give yourself a "Special test" of sorts -- duplicate the distance at "race pace" -- as hard as you can go , and see where you stand --- your not going to improve much in the next week


6) Goal Event

Final week leading up to your goal event --- whatever it is, -- the Fun Run, or MS Walk, or whatever we have set aside on the calendar,  we're going to reduce your workload a bit , but early in the week , kick in a little more intense overspeed training one day, but take an active rest day prior to your event

   I am assuming that all along we are weighing ourselves, paying attention to what our body is telling us regarding our dietary choices and things like that
   But so far, as long as the diet is sound and clean and we have sustainable practices, we're not concentrating on the diet ---- It becomes its own entity and we are burning off buckets of calories as long as our intake is sufficient and of proper frequency

We're not concentrating on the diet because we're concentrating on our performance .   In essence , we're relegating the diet to the hardware section of our program ----  its one of the tools we use to hit our goals - not a stumbling block

And come race day, for most  who are fairly new at all this, i'm betting the excitement of just being out there amongst like minded folk will help you find another 5%   -- and as i said earlier, getting passed in the final 300 meters by a portly sales manager may help you find a lot more than that !


7)  Moving on to the next phase

See how you did and compare it to  the goal you set 3 months ago .   You're realistic and setting good goals if you are close to those numbers both in your performance on the mean streets as well as with your weight loss -----
         Didnt hit it  , or missed it by a country mile, maybe even grossly exceeded your original goal ?--- then we need to make some adjustments going into the next block

Take a week to a week and a half and go back to your preparation phase pace ---- slow, steady, and rarely getting above Zone 2 with your heart rate  ,  then start training block 2



Adjustments -


-- sometimes our bodies throw things at us beyond our control -- sometimes , outside factors come into play

A former Olympic speed skater and pro cyclist's father took up cycling --- the son got some of his genes from 'ol Pa, and before  long dad was tearing up the Masters criterium circuit at a local level ----- until - ol Dad found out the inevitability of bike racing, and that its not IF your going to crash, but when

That is an accepted risk for that sport, but the problem was, ol Dad was an Orthopedic surgeon by profession -- his hands were his livelihood and he could not afford to lose that in a first turn Category 4 pile up at a bike race
     He gave up cycling, but needing a competitive outlet, turned to the rowing scull, -- where the same big lungs  he passed on to his kid served him well

----------  This is a "worst case scenario" adjustment - giving up one method (cycling) for another (rowing) --- but for him to respect the career that puts food in his families mouths,  - you have to do what you have to do

        If a couple of months of walking/jogging/running hits you with issues like chronic shin splints, knee pain, foot problems and other ailments,  -- and all the other variables like properly fitting shoes, and using an appropriate gait are ruled out, --- you too may be faced with making a big adjustment  --- but as i said earlier, - there are a lot of mechanisms out there that can help us fuel our competitive urges and be the vehicle to carry us to our ultimate goal , and thats dropping the flab and being healthier



Epilogue

There are volumes and volumes of books written by strength and conditioning coaches, exercise physiologists , and many others about setting up your year,  but as i have mentioned before ---- i am trying to introduce formerly foreign practices and methods in a way that is easy to understand
   My block and phase training i mentioned above is not unique --

A more advanced athlete may look at my suggestions and say -- PFFFT - kiddie stuff.  But i'm betting that breaking the year down in blocks with intermediate goals leading up to a big grand finale will give most people a pretty easy to structure system that can be tailored and modified to your needs relatively easilly ----

 And even if you are more advanced ,  - a couple of fresh block cycles of training can serve as an occasional "slump buster" and get you back on track again

If you stayed awake through this whole essay -- thank you.   From the standpoint of the reader, i really would like to keep it light, but things like setting training blocks and program specificity make for some dry page turnin'    , but good things are on the way if we set it up right !


Thanks for reading

_________________________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

The Presidential Jogger

THE PRESIDENTIAL JOGGER

                                                           God bless the USA !

I've been away for a week --- and my schedule may be getting even busier ---- but this weekly, and occasional bi-weekly , newsletter  is becoming a labor of love for me

But this episode is just for fun -- based on a recent purchase and observation



 right now i am experiencing a bit of mental burnout --
But just because i smell burnt clutch plates everywhere i go, doesnt mean the motor isnt turning (a motorhead analogy for my moto-geek friends)

And because the motor is turnin' that means my sneaks are still accumulating mileage and tire wear  ----- tht means it was time to replace my training shoes

    I have problem feet --- they are wide without much arch --- thankfully , the good folks at New Balance  usually have me covered --- since i typically buy new shoes in multiples so i can rotate a fresh pair in and out every few days, this is a major league hassle  (i'm equal opportunity and have been using Nike's for a few years as well )


  ---But ...... I felt a little better about the chosen sneak today !

I tried and settled on the most famous and photographed running shoe in the world -------  The Bill Clinton Joggers !  (I dont think thats an official nickname)



The New Balance 990

I wore a variation of these shoes 24 years ago to basic training for the US Army.   They held up to countless PT sessions through basic and deep into advanced MOS training  -- although after basic, a lot of PT was still done in our boots in those days  ---- I honestly can't remember how long they lasted before they got shelved.  
      Frequency of use and bodyweight have a lot to do with the lifespan of this type of shoe --- but at roughly 200 pounds during that phase of my life, i can assure you the shoes were used hard

Not a lot out there are sporting a Made In USA logo anymore, but i'm getting to that


My military training days were in the early 90's , but it took a couple more years for these shoes to become famous


Bill Clinton entered the life of every US citizen in 1992  --check the kicks

         
As a young adolescent who spent a few years in Arkansas, i was familiar with governor Clinton --- my father worked for the FAA, and received a couple of commendations from the man --- so when it was time to cast my vote (incidentally , 1992 was the first time i was legally able to vote in the presidential race ) it was for Clinton

This is enough of me waxing eloquently about my childhood --------  anyway,  i dont know how things get stuck in my head,  but years later, i saw these shoes and thought  "Thats the Bill Clinton shoe"

Admittedly, during Mr Clinton's presidency, i didnt pay much attention to politics -- but the 90's were mostly good years for me --

Now, Mr Clinton, -- he did not have the classic gazzelle -like physique of a running enthusiast , but he never seemed to care --   The confidence and devil-may-care attitude that led him to the White House was also put on display everytime he put on a pair of onion skins (thats slang for running shorts , for those unfamiliar with the term)
           If i was to compare the Clinton physique to any other sporting position, he'd look more like an old basketball player, or possibly a tight end, than a runner

I told you guys once already this wasnt goint to be about politics --- but i will add that i , personally , am 42 years old ----- by the time Bill was 42, he had been Governor of Arkansas for 10 years !  -- He was elected President when he was 46 .     I still find this somewhat mind boggling, ----- for all the Bill jokes and the "Bubba" nicknames , the guy was an uber-achiever

But those tiny jogging shorts -- Bill could have been the poster child for my previous post  "Shame? Thats not my problem!"

http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2014/01/shame-thats-not-my-problem.html
 --(cannot figure out how to make that darn link active ! -- copy and paste works)

I admit he needed to use one of the tanning beds that were so prevalent in the 90's, but i digress,  just like i said in that prior post,  the guy was out there ,  Loud, Proud and In Your Face !

             In this pic , Bill is actually sporting Asics',  but Al Gore is wearing the NB 990's

                     Never pass up an opportunity to fire up a crowd

Over the years, many more have taken to the road in the NB 990 -- this is Mike Huckabee

And here is a set of these 30 year old running shoes (the design) custom made for the current POTUS ---- in comparison to my pair above,  his say "President of The United States" where mine say  "Made in USA" 

Again, i am going to re-iterate --- this isn't about the politics, -- these guys reportedly chose this shoe and others for the sole reason that it is made in the USA -- and would you expect our Prez to choose anything else?

But its a darn solid shoe with a timeless design thats great for guys and gals who are no longer built like gazzelles --- In addition to being made in USA, they are available in a ton of widths, have a conservative look, and have been reportedly recommended by orthopedic specialists for many people

As for me?  Hey, i wore a pair 24 years ago when i was in the Army, but im a different person now, --- but im sure they will be fine

      Another running President i should mention,   - George W Bush --- I am not sure what his sneaker of choice is, but he has reportedly ran a marathon in a respectable 3:44   (that is 8 1/2 minute miles - times 26.2)

    I would like to see any of his critics run it faster ----

In fact, in my career, i have been able to speak with both a former Secret Service agent, and a local sheriff in Florida who ran in his jogging entourage  --- both told me the Prez was no joke --- if you werent capable of holding 7 minute miles for 5 miles , it would be better to stay in the black Tahoe and talk on the walky

       The guy from Florida told me that W had his vote anytime solely on his running prowess --- anybody who can run like that everyday and still run the country was alright in his book 

     ---- Bush later succumbed to knee problems, but reportedly took up mountain biking with equal zeal

There are pics of Jimmy Carter out jogging it up too, although thats not surprising as his presidency was smack dab in the middle of the jogging boom for sure   ---  Obama is known for his love of basketball -- Reagan did the "manly thing" - throwing hay bales around at the ranch and such  ----- but for the most part, the POTUS's have at least attempted to be positive examples of the importance of exercise for the poulace ---   W was known to be borderline fanatical ----  and Big Bill -- Wow - who can forget those shorts?

   

So grab a pair of Made In USA  New BAlance 990 sneaks  ,   get your butt on the streets, on the treadmill or on whatever instrument of torture and pain you can think of -- and start feeling like the Commander In Chief  !

   --------  but skip the post-jog Mickey D's -- and i would bet those size large Mickey D's cups Clinton and Gore were carrying above had Gatorade in them in lieu of soda -- LOL

Thanks for tuning in   (and actually - i dont really care what shoes you wear when you train -- as long as you go for it ! )

--- Doug 

_______

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Depression -- a brief primer

Nasty weather abounds and more and more of you are able to get out a little bit and take care of it for people --- good !  -
- and i hope some of you have been  implementing a few of the small tips and tricks i have suggested earlier regarding eating on the road, and getting in at least 20-30 minutes of maintenance level exercise at least 4x a week


Today i'm going to hit on a somewhat depressing topic -  no cute pictures and not too many metaphors either - this topic is dead serious for many of us -  and its only a very small % of the population who is not hit with it at some point or another 

   Depression

I've tried to throw out some decent , but relatively common, wisdom on some current dietary principles, and tried to make some exercise suggestions along the way,  --- but there are some things that can hit us hard in life, and can tend to keep us on the ground when we want to soar with the eagles

Chief among these is stress and depression

I've briefly touched on stress in an earlier entry   (  http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2014/01/harmonious-living-with-global-terror.html )
  but do recognize that the mere act of change can produce large amounts of stress -- change in the form of cleaning up your diet and trying to exercise more effectively, in the short run, can contribute to elevated cortisol  -- but given enough time to adjust, - the effects of these positive stressors start to balance out and supercede the negative stressors


This segueways me directly  into Depression --- and many times  depression can result from the accumulation of stress and cortisol

I readilly admit that i am not a doctor, psychologist, or therapist, so i cant diagnose these things for anybody -- and the observations i am about to put forth are concerning depression and its effects on athletes,  - but there are plenty of  parallels wih our career paths as  claims professionals,  and specifically , catastrophe storm adjusters .
       Like an elite athlete, we often lead nomadic, introverted lives and are expected to perform at a high level regardless of exterior circumstances,  and for long durations

Like i said, i do not have the formal training to diagnose depression, but there are some commonly published signs of depression, -- and as a collective group, i think we are smart enough to be able to look inward and say yes or no if any of these apply to us

Depression is defined and characterized by the presence of either a depressed mood or markedly diminished pleasure or interest in almost all activities for at least two weeks, and at least four of the following symptoms for at least two weeks:

• Significant weight loss or weight gain
• Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
• Agitation and restlessness or slowed movements
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
• Impaired concentration, difficulty making decisions
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

We know that depression is influenced by both genetic factors as well as life circumstances. Major life events can trigger a depression, as can loss, illness, and substance abuse. Why a particular pattern triggers a depression in one individual and not another is not very well understood, but here are some general guidelines that have been found to be preventative:

1. Aerobic Exercise: 20 minutes per session, 4x or more a week reduces the risk of depression and anxiety, but 45 minutes per session  is even more effective.
   
2. Clean  Food:   see my other posts on this
   
3. Friends and Family: Social connectedness is also protective against depression. Note that this is not how many Facebook friends you have, but people with whom you actually spend time.
   
4. Coping Skills: internal  defense mechanisms such as finding humor in situations, anticipating stress, and using creative outlets to cope with stress are all helpful.

Though athletes exercise, lead a healthy lifestyle and may have mature coping skills and wide social circles, endurance athletes are by no means immune from depression. Certain habits and personality traits of endurance athletes may even predispose them to depression.

When we look at the characteristics that lend themselves to successful athletes we often see introverted perfectionists who adhere to rigid schedules and have much of their self-esteem invested in their performance.   (sound familiar ?) 

Healthy perfectionists set high standards for themselves and use their goals to squeeze the best that they can out of themselves. This is usually associated with high self-esteem and good social adjustment.

 Unhealthy perfectionists, however, set unattainably lofty goals and can feel that no level of achievement is enough. This latter form of perfectionism has a high rate of depression and hopelessness,      . Elite performers, (either athletes or career high achievers)   of both types can certainly be found, but there are plenty  who fall into the unhealthy perfectionist category.

There are a lot of "win or die tryin' " personality types in every aspect of life, -- from sports all the way down to the more mundane career choices.   

       There are guys bagging groceries out there who have an intense drive to be the best bagger in their store

________________________________________________________________________________

As i mentioned above , i am not a psychologist or a doctor ,  --- my interest in this topic is how it affects my friends and family (my extended family being the readership of this column) 

Whats all this mean for us ?    Lots -- stress and depression affect everything to one extent or another

We already live in a society that rewards  those who can handle the highest amounts of stress , but not everyones psychological makeup is the same.

For some , the stress of this career is enough to put you at your near breaking point -- when you factor in the long hours, - months without pay, long separations from family, and customers who are never satisfied ---

   If that is you and you dont understand how you could possibly add in the stress of handling a succesful exercise program and structured diet while all this is going on --- then the very short and abrupt answer is -- "you can't"

You cant -- thats not an answer i like anywhere,  - but the added stress of clean livin' on top of what you are already going through can push you over the top ,  --------  

So what do i advocate in this case?  --- more effective career management first -- usually this ties in to more effective time management skills, 

    People claim not to have the time for the life changes i am advocating, but will regularly hang out at the restaurant bar to catch the last few innings of the ball game   (which is a coping mechanism if thats how you relax sometimes)

If you dont have your daily scheduling dialed in before implementing my techniques,  -- you are more open to failure

So what would be my partial solution?

Dont try to take on too much at once  -----    

While you are cleaning up your daily scheduling parameters, start in on cleaning up your diet with a focus on high quality proteins , plus figuring out the ideal meal frequency for your body

For a period of 3-4 weeks ,  - this is enough .   Continue working on the other aspects of life that are creating negative stress for you and by the end of 4 weeks, you should start feeling some positive benefits from eating better

At this time, as long as you have been striving to clean up everything else, ideally your total daily stress load will have gone down enough that you can take on the exercise portion of the equation with your head held high, and without fear of failure

Schedule will be cleaned up enough hopefully  that the extra hour per day you need  (45 minutes for exercise plus 15 minutes shower and cleanup)   will not be coming at the expense of the time you need to spend on your work duties, or time you need to spend with your family

Your career in claims handling (many other career choices too)  is a marathon, not a sprint ---

 When you continue to push yourself too hard trying to squeeze out an extra 35-40 minutes of paperwork, or an extra appointment  in a day,  at the expense of well regulated rest, a structured diet, and exercise,  ---- you may just fall on your face at mile 18 (with 8 miles left to go ) 

Taking a balanced approach will have you finishing all 26.2 strong !  (metaphorically speaking)

Thanks again for reading this week 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Planning

Today I want to say a few words about planning

The date is February 7.    This means that the first wave of New Year’s resolution setters have already gone back to pizza, beer and good times

what happened to these otherwise well-meaning folk? In many cases it is the lack of a solid plan

simply going to the gym with-your-old baseball coaches workout program from 20 years ago is a plan, and arguably, may be  better than nothing----------  however,   trying to start off with a program used by a well conditioned 18 or 19-year-old probably is going to hurt at first --- and it might hurt a lot ,  and I have personally seen  instances of  somebody’s first two workouts basically chased them away from the gym indefinitely 

Far worse and far scarier is going into the gym without a plan at all, and with too much selfish pride to ask for some recommendations.   Not knowing what you’re going to do from one day to the other means you’ll flit from machine to machine, and from treadmill to elliptical without any rhyme or reason.

At least you’re there, and sometimes that’s more than half the battle though

picture yourself as being a train-without a solid plan, at times you may feel like a train that’s just about out of coal and facing a huge mountain pass-the slightest bit of deviation costs you momentum ----  you are struggling  just to get down the tracks,  much less take on a mountain.    

    And before you even to get to the mountains, where the real work begins, a huge gust of wind comes along and derails you

Just like that  

  My "huge gust of wind" could be something as simple as forgetting to pack your workout clothes , or your lunch  ----  then saying to yourself, i'll make the workout up tomorrow -- and just going out with the rest of the gals from the office to Ruby Tuesday for lunch

    Could be a crisis at home, or you could catch a cold ---- things happen all the time , 

Before you know it, your back to spaghettios , potato chips and mountain dew

with a solid well implemented plan,  you have more in common with a healthy locomotive and a full coal cart going slightly downhill at breakneck speed and ready to storm the gates of hell!

                       

The key words I used were “well implemented” --- the best plans in the world are useless until you implement them

sometimes plans need modification --- if you are new to this, you might not know exactly how your body is going to act to certain movements or certain aspects of a recent diet modification

   don’t let these things become rampaging elephants ---a rampaging elephant can knock the train off the track

        better to hit the brakes and let that elephant run on by while you make the necessary adjustments so you can keep on steaming forward with success   --- but keep steaming forward stupidly with no adjustments and the elephant may knock you off the tracks

 

On a side note -- i just shake my head in admiration for the elephant that did this ! Charged and derailed a real train?  Not a metaphorical one --- Geez -- He died a hero

_______________________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

 

 

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Post Superbowl blues

POST SUPERBOWL BLUES

"Beeeetch .................... i thought you were bringin' the hot wings !  "

------"Not me Fool !  I brought the Mountain Dew Code Red !"

Well, the big game is over --- the Super Bowl , more than any other game in the US, is the big time party day for a lot of people --- rivalling a New Years Eve celebration for many , -- food, drinks, snacks 

But the prevailing type of food and snacks are probably not the best 

Many may wake up Monday morning and think to themselves --- "Glad thats over with -- now i can start eating better and hitting the 'ol treadmill for a couple months"

And what does eating better mean?

              SLIM FAST !

The tag lines are great! -- "Give us a week, we'll take off the weight ",   or,  "Just replace one or two meals a day with a healthy, delicious shake !"

                     With guys like Tommy Lasorda on the payroll (didnt he do ads for Nutri-System, too? -- maybe that was Don Shula -- or both ) how can you go wrong?

This is going to be an easy, quick and simple way of explaining how Slim Fast (and the myriad of other similar products) work , -- and why they are not the best thing to include in a serious nutrition program for most people

                            It all starts with an ingredient list

Calories are broken down mixed with water vs 8 oz of milk.

I wouldnt even entertain mixing this stuff with water from a nutritional perspective

Fat?  Not bad -- it gets about 30% of its calories from fat with water, and 20% with skim milk

Carbs? -- Here is where things get shaky , because we are messing around with the 40-30-30 mix of macronutrients that i believe is closer to ideal  for a person who is training moderately

120 calories of carbs vs 40 of protein and 40 from fat when mixed with milk --- the percentages are worse mixed with water

     ---- its not a lot of calories to start with, but it still provides 3x more carbs than protein, -- and  this stuff will hit your system almost as fast as a can of Coke, ---- leading to an energy dump after a couple of hours, -- and not very much from a real nutrition building block standpoint

The way this works is its putting you in a moderate starvation mode by limiting your calories , so you'll lose a bit of weight at first --- but after some time has elapsed, your body adjusts to the lesser amount of calories you are taking in and your losses will stall out ----- now you've successfully turned down your body's thermostat to  run on 1200 calories a day instead of a normal amount 

 ---- congratulations ---   that sucks and your setting yourself up for failure

So -------- what would be abetter choice if your looking for a meal replacement drink?  ---  

This is a house brand meal replacement powder from Nutrition Express ---- note that on the front of the jug, it accurately states that its a "meal supplement" and not a true meal replacement --- which you dont really get from a jug of powder

        ------ There's tons of different brands and flavors of this stuff out there, and its impossible in the context of this article to break 'em all down ,   

A serving of this gives you 280 calories,   160 of which are from protein, 92 from carbs and 30 from fat 

---mix it with a big serving of almond milk and you are adding about 50 more fat calories , but then it becomes a much more balanced supplement ,  and at 330-350 calories, -- it has enough substance to give you a good start,  and enough building blocks (protein) to fill you up and keep you from experiencing a hard crash when your carb buzz wears off

     I also like the fact that the company is not irresponsible enough to call this a meal replacement, but considers it a supplement to an otherwise sound nutrition program

Slim Fast? -- probably be just as well off to grind up a snickers bar and some graham crackers and mix it with milk --- a serving does appear to give you a whole complement of vitamins and minerals, but its easy enough to pop a multi-vitamin for this too

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And now --- we'll take a quick trip to Pigeon Forge ,  to see whats going on at Dollywood !

Dolly PArton has long been a weight loss guru , as evidenced by this ad from what i would guess is late 70's/early 80's  advocating an all new  Fried Chicken Diet   

But lets face facts guys and gals --- Dolly has a chef who takes care of her nutrition needs ---  she's probably not seriously put much thought into this ---  

   It does look like she could have been an early inspiration for Paula Deen though !

  

I'm not picking on Dolly ,  she's an entrepeneur --- and takes advantages of opportunities that come her way

 --- but when one of my well intentioned readers asks me about the Dolly Parton diet --- i thought i would shed some light on it

The current variation of the Dolly plan is basically a cabbage soup diet  ------  this idea likely generated from the same brilliant minds that brought you the Grapefruit Diet,  and the honey/cayenne pepper cleanse 

Ingredients include chicken broth and cabbage, plus whatever other vegetables you care to throw in evidently   ---- one recipe i found called for adding onions, peppers, celery, carrots and mushrooms

Per Caloriecount.com -- a serving of this is about 73 calories -- and you can eat all you want -- all day long

But letssay you are following a 5 or even 6 meal a day program -- even 8 !   -- 8 servings would add up to a whopping 584 calories -- with no protein, -- almost all carbs  -- admittedly the carbs  here have a decent glycemic index profile -- and its a slow burn,  but this is not a true meal --

This diet plan is a starvation diet plan at its simplest ---- theres nothing wrong with the soup , although i personally dislike cabbage, this does seem like a good base for a hearty soup if you added a healthy amount of chicken breast chunks, then garnish with a touch of fresh shredded parmesan and basil leaves (mmmmmmm,  -- making me hungry - except for the cabbage of course) 

The funny thing is, Dolly did an interview with People magazine in 1984 , shortly after her cinematic triumph with the movie Rhinestone,  -- where she advised that she had some health problems and actually tried "her" diet , that she coincidentally found in an Enquirer type magazine , --- it was a counterfeit and Dolly had nothing to do with it, --- and she admitted her own diet did not work for her ----   LOL

I didnt delve deep enough into the article to be able to tell whether this variation that Dolly tried herself in a fit of desperation, was the cabbage soup plan, or the fried chicken plan --- but she tried it - 

         

Dolly , despite all her augmentation, is only 5' tall -- that means any extra ounce is going to show, and i have to say, for 67 years old, she is holding up well --- anybody who spends as much money on cosmetic surgery as she does is not going to leave her health and nutrition up to "The Dolly Diet" 

I would be far more interested in what type of diet her Rhinestone co-star , Sylvester Stallone, is on --- also 67 or 68, but he is still maintaining quite well 

So cabbage soup? - not bad for a low calorie meal occasionally, -- or an appetizer or side dish,  --- but the Dolly Diet is idiotic ---

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IN CLOSING

I'm as tired of Slim Fast and the Dolly Diet now as you will be if you fall for this junk  and take it seriously 

I'm going to close by talking about your ability to make a comeback - so to speak

Just like when the Bronco's had the PAtriots down 24-3 at halftime earlier in the year  --- instead of the Pat's moping around in the locker room thinking about an almost insurmountable points deficit,

 -- they smiled and said --- "OK -- We have 'em just where we want 'em now!" 

 --- then Tom Brady and 10 fat guys came back and won the game !  

 admittedly the locker room exchange may not have happened EXACTLY like that

Human beings scan make comebacks too --- i firmly believe it , -- ITs a rare soul who is so far gone that they can't salvage the season, so to speak 

A verse from the bible that pertains to this is from  Galatians 6:9

 So lets not get tired of doing what is good.   At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we dont give up 

Look at a setback as an opportunity to set up your own 95 yard scoring drive

--  Doug

_________________________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

 _______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted