Peak Performance Fitness

Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

weight loss

The Risk of Fad Diets

As Exercise Physiologists, we are often asked, “What is the best way to lose weight?” But the answer does not always match up to the answer the client is looking for.  Everyone seems to be looking for the fastest ways to lose a lot of weight; which is why diets are so widely marketed.  The fact of the matter is, losing 9 pounds and 5 inches in 2 weeks under the guidance of a fad diet are unsafe, counterproductive and often unsustainable. This type of weight should often be under the supervision of a medical professional.  It is near impossible to lose 9 pounds in two weeks while also giving the body all the macronutrients it needs to perform at optimal levels.  Being in a medically supervised zone can make simple tasks difficult to focus on, increase catabolic reactions which can result in muscle breakdown and strains on different organs and the systems they are responsible for.  Unfortunately, the risk of losing muscle and possible organ failure is greater when following a “fad diet.”  If gaining muscle, increasing focus and drive all while losing weight are your goals, then you may want to consider meeting with an Exercise Physiologist to discuss simple calories in and calories out.

Each individual is unique in their own way.  Yes, you are unique not only by what people see on the outside but what’s happening inside your body, as well.  Each individual is equipped with their very own metabolic rate.  Your metabolic rate controls the temperature of your body; it controls the success and proficiency of your organs that aid in digestion, absorption, muscle building, muscle breakdown, cell growth, cell death etc.  This takes a great deal of energy to control, in fact your metabolic rate accounts for 60-75% of your daily caloric expenditure.  With a percentage like that and the responsibilities that your metabolism bears, it is of the utmost importance that you know how many calories specifically you need to feed the machine that is your metabolism.  You can easily calculate your metabolism through scientific equations available online, or perform the test if your gym or doctor’s office is equipped to perform an RMR test.  Once you feed the “machine” that is your metabolism, everything else is just extra calories that can be manipulated in order to achieve weight loss.

Your metabolism is extremely important as it is responsible for almost every major function in the human body.  If you under eat below your metabolism through certain fad diets, it can come back to harm you in the end (i.e. having a detrimental effect on many systems that the metabolism controls).  In the end, fad diets may even slow down your metabolism further making it harder to lose weight.  Eating just enough to feed your metabolism will keep you from gaining weight; then as you add in exercise and increase your physical activity, you will then see changes in your body weight and composition.

 

 

By Brandon Ayala, CSCS

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: STRAWBERRY OAT CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

This pancake batter is made in the blender with Greek yogurt, sweet strawberries, and oats mixed with chunks of dark chocolate. Top them with fresh berries for a deliciously sweet and healthy breakfast!

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
YIELDS: 9 pancakes
CALORIES: 75 cal

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup Gluten Free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain nonfat
  • 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened
  • 2 large egg whites room temperature
  • 1 tbsp almond milk unsweetened
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup strawberries frozen & thawed
  • 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. To a blender or food processor, add all ingredients and process until batter is smooth. It should be slightly runny.
  2. To the skillet, add 1/4 cup of batter at a time to form a pancake. Cook 3-4 minutes until pancake begins to bubble then flip with a spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
  3. Place pancakes on a cooling rack as you cook remainder of the batter. Serve and top with more fresh berries and dark chocolate.
  4. Keep pancakes in an air tight container for up to a week.

NOTES: It’s imperative that you measure properly when grain free baking.

NUTRITION: (1 PANCAKE)
CALORIES: 75 cal
FAT: 1g, CARBOHYDRATES: 11g, SUGAR: 3g, PROTEIN: 3g

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Superhero Muffins

Yields: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

This recipe comes from a favorite cookbook titled Run Fast, Eat Slow. Authors Elyse Koepesky and Shalane Flanagan (winner of the 2017 NYC Marathon) are big fans of real foods that fuel your body and your workouts. They’re full of veggies and sweetened with maple syrup (instead of refined sugar). Perfect for an easy grab-n-run breakfast. “And don’t fear the butter.” Adding healthy fats to your meals is a great way to start your day and help keep you satisfied longer. As a bonus, these muffins are gluten-free.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if sensitive)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup currants, raisins, or chocolate chips (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
  • 1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not Aunt Jemima’s)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • paper muffin cups (however I always just spray the pan with non-stick spray- it works better)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, walnuts, currants or raisins, if using, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrot, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes.

TIP: Keep a batch in the freezer for a sweet grab-n-run breakfast. Simply defrost on low power in the microwave

 

Original recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

This recipe comes from Cooking Without Recipes, where you learn how to make a delicious dish, but don’t worry too much about the nitty-gritty details of the recipe, so you can create your own spin!

Ingredients:

  • 4 ears of corn
  • pint (or two) of cherry or grape tomatoes
  • two avocados, cubed
  • cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. of lime zest
  • 2 Tbsp. of lemon zest
  • juice of half a lime
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Fire up the grill! Peel down (but don’t remove) the husks from the corn and pull off any silk on the cob. Grill corn in husks, turning occasionally, until the cobs are a little charred and smoky, about 15 minutes. Remove the ears from the grill and let cool to room temperature.
  2. While the corn is cooling, halve a pint or two of cherry or grape tomatoes. If you’re working with smaller sweet tomatoes (I wouldn’t recommend using squishy heirlooms for this), quarter them.
  3. Once the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cob into a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and two cubed avocados, half-mashing the avocado into the rest of the mixture without making it too pasty. Mix in the leaves of about 5 sprigs of cilantro.
  4. Make a vinaigrette by combining 2 Tbsp. of lime zest, 2 Tbsp. of lemon zest, the juice of half a lime, the juice of half a lemon, and around 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Drizzle over the top of the salad and fold it all together, seasoning with flaky salt, pepper, and the leaves of a few more sprigs of cilantro to taste.

Bonus: If you’re making the salad in advance, grill the corn, chop the tomatoes, and make the vinaigrette ahead of time. Then just assemble (and cut into the avocado) when you’re ready!

 

Original recipe from Bon Appetit can be found here!

Be Efficient: Producing Power Inside and Outside of the Gym

In order to better understand what the word “power” describes in a sports or life setting, let’s take it back to high school physics.

Power = Work/Time OR (Force*Displacement)/Time OR = Force * Velocity

Power; typically measured in watts, quantifies how much force you apply over a distance, in an amount of time. Think of power as the rate at which you execute strength, or how hard/fast can you execute a movement. Walking Uphill= Less power than Running up the same hill. Easy Enough, Right?

“Whats the deal Matt, Why is this important? I came here to learn about getting fit, not to get a lesson in physics from a meathead with a nice haircut”

Well, the reason we get anywhere is because of power. Power is the ability to take our strength (force) and apply it to Movement at a rate of speed (See Equation).  Think walking down the stairs to catch the bus, throwing your coffee in the air when the neighbor’s cat scares you, chasing after the bus when you miss it because you spilled your coffee (but enough about my day, I digress). All of these actions are different measurements of power.

“Ah, I see where power fits into our lives, but I don’t play sports, how is power important to me?”

Not entirely! Yes, a softball player should be able to swing her bat hard, and a swimmer should be able to move quickly through the water, but all of these sports contain skills that we use in day to day life. Think throwing, jumping, running, twisting, changing direction, etc. Additional benefit to training power would be more applicable strength, improved athletic performance, joint resiliency, decreased fall risk, and improved cardiovascular health …(Don’t believe me? Try doing box jumps for 30 seconds, total soul crusher.)

“Onto the nitty gritty; how do I get better at this power thing?”

Reader, you’re in luck. Specificity states that in order to get better at something, we need to practice that thing. To become a more powerful everyday athlete, work in a power day or a few power focused moves into your current routines. Take a look back at our definition of power and we can see that it involves applying force quickly. Think jumps, tosses, slams, etc. A shoulder press translates to a med ball overhead toss, a box squat to a box jump, planking to heavy carries, and the list goes on. Talk with your exercise physiologist about incorporating power training specific to your goals and abilities!

 

-Matt Rhodes, M.S., EP-C