Are you actually bulking up??

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I was wondering if you would be able to provide some input for me about weight training. It seems like every time I try to incorporate weight training into my workout routine, although I do notice an increase in muscle tone, it also seems like my “fluffy” areas (inner/outer thighs, butt, and abs) just seem to get bulkier UNDER the unwanted layer of padding! I’ve read a lot about how important it is for women to weight train, and that it actually provides a better, more effective fat burn than long periods of cardio – and that all makes sense. I’m really just wondering how long it takes to realistically expect to see fatty areas start becoming noticeably less fluffy? I’ve only been working with weights for 4-6 weeks now, so I’m trying to be realistic and stay motivated – but I guess I’m wondering if there’s some pivotal point where the results start to feel and look less bulky and start to look more lean? ~Aimee P.

Thanks for the question Aimee! I hear these concerns a lot, so I felt like it was time to address it. Honestly, I usually just encourage my clients to keep lifting while focusing on their nutritional changes because I know that if they do that it’ll all work itself out. But I thought I’d get a little more in depth today, in the hopes that by giving you a better understanding of what’s actually going on, it’ll become a little less stressful and scary and allow you to relax and trust the process a little more.

SO, you start strength training and all of the sudden it feels like your jeans are getting tighter and you fear you’re already starting to pack on the muscle. While it actually might not be all in your head, it’s probably not what you think it is either! So here’s the skinny (pun intended 😉 )…..

In the beginning, strength training can cause your muscles to temporarily retain water. When you’re brand new to lifting or getting back into it after a break, it’s a new kind of stress especially for your muscles. (Hopefully you have a great trainer who understands this and therefore, eases you into it as much as possible!) Anyways, due to this, your muscles will retain water in order to relieve inflammation in the muscles’ soft tissues. 4-6 week into training, this retention is most likely what’s making you feel puffy. However, this will not last forever. As your muscles adjust to the stress, they will shed that excess water.

As you continue strength training however, your muscles will begin to change. When not in use, muscles become small, weak, and limp. In this state, kind of like fat, they are going to easily conform to your jeans or move around that tight bra strap as necessary. Now, all of the sudden, they start taking on a shape of their own. A firmer shape that instead of simply conforming is actually starting to push back now! So while those jeans that used to fit around your butt perfectly might not actually be the perfect jeans anymore, this is a good thing! It means the muscle in your butt is becoming tighter and more shapely. As you lose fat and tone up, you’re gonna have to buy new jeans anyways! 🙂

On top of this, quite literally, is the fat we haven’t lost yet. As your muscles start to tone up, that fat might also readjust, making certain areas appear even more lumpy than usual! It is an unfortunate side effect but if you can push through, this too shall pass.

 

women's fitness

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

*Most importantly, remember that we tend to scrutinize our bodies on a level that not even our significant other does! Most of these changes that are glaringly noticeable to you, are NOT noticeable to those around you.

*The best way to make sure you’re losing fat as you tone up is to also be changing your eating habits as well. However, if you’re taking my advice 😉 and easing into better, more sustainable, nutritional habits, then this may be an issue for a few months. Remember, it took you a while to get to where you are. It’s going to take time to get where you want to be.

*Yes, there are some women with the genetics to build muscle easier. I am one of them. However, the ones that can build a significant amount are rare. So I want to encourage you to keep going! It might take some time for your muscles to settle in a bit. And if you ever come to a point where you are honestly putting on more muscle than you prefer, there are simple ways to reverse that. (And no, it’s not just to stop lifting! 😉 )

*Be willing to give it a solid 6 months. There’s a reason weight lifting is becoming a trend with women, from celebrities to former “cardio queens” to those just getting started. It’s such a breath of fresh air to focus on what your body can do instead of just what it looks like. Chances are you’ll find out that you’re a lot stronger than you ever thought possible, you’ll start getting definition where you never thought possible, and you’ll realize that being strong feels even more amazing than you ever thought possible.

You will become smaller, but you’ll become mightier too.  ~Jen Sinkler on weight lifting

I know that the idea of making things “worse”, even if just for a season, is hard to stomach. But the answer to your question Aimee is yes! For those that hang in there, you will come out the other side with a stronger, more sculpted, figure to show for it! And that’s just one of the reasons that make strength training a worthwhile endeavor!

Healthier Ways To Enjoy Pasta + Recipe

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Most people are super afraid of pasta because of it’s carb-heavy nature. However, there are a number of easy ways to make pasta a healthier option…

Smaller portion size
The portion sizes at restaurants are out of control, especially at Italian places! Keep in mind, that 1 portion is a cupped handful. When possible, try to substitute white pasta for 100% whole wheat, multigrain, or brown rice pasta.

Pair it with a protein
Protein helps you feel full sooner and for longer and revs up your metabolism. In fact, a recent study found that when intaking higher amounts of protein participants saw improvement, no matter what the ratios of carbs and fats were! So I am always encouraging my clients to get a good amount of protein in at every meal.

Skip the cream sauce
The cream sauces tend to be full of unhealthy fats and really high in calories. Pesto, tomato, or oil are all healthier options.

Increase veggies
Veggies are rich in fiber and cancer- and free-radical-fighting nutrients. They also balance out the acidity in our bodies. Prepare them any way you like. They go great with pasta!

Exercise
As if there weren’t enough good reasons already, exercise also increases your body’s ability to utilize carbs. In fact, if you regularly do high-intensity sports or exercise or lift weights, your body can handle more carbs and needs them for proper functioning!

This is not to say that you should start carb-loading. Carbohydrate intake depends on a number of factors: your goals, genetics, carb source, and activity level. However, they are not the enemy we have been led to believe they are. Focus on eating reasonable amounts of macronutrients from quality sources. Focus on doing it consistently. Your body will take care of the rest.

Below is a recipe that I got from a friend. I modified it by increasing the protein and veggies and decreasing the pasta. It’s a super easy and super yummy dinner, but this way it’s gonna give you more bang for your fat-loss-lovin’ buck. 🙂 I’ve gotten requests for the recipe a few times in the last month, so I thought I’d share.

tomatoes

a couple of my favorite brands

Chicken & Veggies Pasta (with a kick 😉 )

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of chicken (cut into cubes)
1/2 box of penne noodles
1 28 oz. can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 bag of frozen green beans
3/4 C. frozen mixed bell peppers (or however much you’d prefer)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakesphoto.PNG-4
1/4 tsp. italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
2 T. coconut or avocado oil
Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Directions:
– Cook pasta as directed
– Saute chicken with garlic, S&P, and oil until done
– Add in frozen veggies a few minutes into sautéing, and add tomatoes at the end to warm them up
– Combine pasta and chicken and veggies and season to taste

healthier pasta option

SO GOOD

 

 

Finding Purpose & Motivation

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In the last 3 weeks, I have sprained my ankle, badly bruised my knee, and got hit in the face with a soccer ball… hard enough to give me a bloody nose and leave me sore a few days later.

bruised knee

bruised knee (1.5 weeks later)

I'm pretty proud of this one. Soccer ball imprint on my leg hung around for almost a month!

I’m pretty proud of this one. Soccer ball imprint on my leg hung around for almost a month!

Needless to say, I haven’t iced this much in a LONG time, maybe ever, and I LOVE it. Maybe not the actual injuries and icing, but getting back into playing? Oh yeah…

See, I actually grew up an athlete. Then in college, I wasn’t playing any sports and that’s when I found lifting and the rest is history.

So back to today where I have recently started playing indoor soccer again. Maybe it’s all the time icing or maybe it was the ball to the face, but it’s gotten me thinking about some things that I wanted to share with you guys.

1) Getting older doesn’t have to mean feeling older

Did you know it’s actually been shown that loss of energy and muscle has less to do with age and more to do with inactivity? As we grow up and the responsibilities start piling up, one of the first things to go is physical activity. Inactivity, not age, is more often the cause of loss of muscle, balance, and coordination.

In Z-Health, we talk a lot about the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). This simply means that the body was made to adapt to it’s circumstances and therefore, you will get really good at the things you do the most. In other words, in order to be efficient, the body works on a use-it-or-lose-it type of system. If you sit at a desk all day, your body is going to get really good at that. If you balance on your hands a lot, your body will get really good at that. Balance, coordination, speed, and agility are all a use-it-or-lose-it-type of skill.

Even being in pretty good overall shape, getting back into soccer has been rough for me. I’d even been doing sprints, but I seriously thought I might die during the first few games! Because sprinting in a straight line with no one else around is not the same thing as a fast-paced contact sport that requires eye-foot coordination, balance, speed, and agility for 40+ minutes.

With that being said, I know my training is helping me catch up more quickly. I might be slower than I used to be, but I’m not as slow as I would be if I hadn’t been working out the last 12 years. I’m definitely stronger and that has absolutely been an advantage. (Except in basketball: my shot is completely off now that I’m stronger in my upper body!)

My point here is twofold: first of all, stop using your age as an excuse. If you want to do something but are thinking  “I’m too old for that”, stop it! Yes, it might take you a little longer to catch on, but that doesn’t mean you can’t! Get out there and do it!

Second, if you want to be good at something, you have to do it. If you want to be good at soccer, you have to play soccer. All the “functional training” in the world will not make you better at a skill without performing that specific skill some times. Which leads me to my next thought….

2) Find what inspires you. Find your WHY.

Have you ever sat down and really thought through why you workout? Or has it always been just about achieving a certain look or number on the scale?

For me, it definitely started out as the latter. I used to follow fitness models and read fitness magazines. Sure, I liked that I slept better and it put me in a better mood, but if I’m being completely honest what I really wanted to was just to look great.

However, as time has passed and I’ve grown up and added in the adult responsibilities :), just looking great was no longer enough to keep me motivated and inspired. For one, I was so stuck on this unrealistic ideal image I had in my head that I was constantly battling discontentment and comparison. How I currently looked didn’t necessarily matter because as long as I didn’t look like “that”, it wasn’t good enough. So I put this constant pressure on myself of always looking for change and improvement. In my mind, if I wasn’t getting closer to that image, I wasn’t improving. Sound familiar to anyone? If not a certain look, perhaps a certain number on the scale?

Secondly, as my priorities started to change (and as much as I might like to look like a fitness model), it was just not as important as other things to me anymore.

As this shift happened, it became less about the look and more about what my body could do. It’s about being fit and strong in order to sustain a certain quality of life. Yes, I would still like to look good, but even more than that, I want to be able to play sports and climb mountains and experience life to the fullest. And I want to be able to do all of it for as long as possible. (Use it or lose it, remember?)

This mindset shift was HUGE for me. It brought enjoyment back into my workouts. Nowadays, it’s a lot less about what my body looks like and more about what my body can do. Instead of fitness models, I’m inspired by the 86-year-old woman who still does gymnastics and the old man who’s still playing indoor soccer. I have a much deeper purpose behind my training and that’s what keep me going. It motivates me during the crazy busy times and inspires me in the really low times. These reasons help me choose the healthier option and have in turn led to maintaining my physique as well.

There are all sorts of benefits outside of physique change that you will receive from working out:

  • Better sleep
  • Better digestion
  • Increased strength
  • Injury prevention
  • Better balance
  • Clearer skin
  • Hormone balance
  • Improved mood
  • Improved cognitive function (attention span, memory, reading, learning, etc.)
  • More energy
  • Better cardiovascular function & endurance (i.e. not getting out of breath just from walking up the stairs)

It’s a question that’s worth sitting down and giving it some thought: What inspires you? What’s your deeper purpose for doing what you do? What’s your WHY?

My sister and I were 4 years apart in school so we never played sports together. Now, some 12 years after school, we are playing together and it is so much fun!

After a game. My sister and I were 4 years apart in school so we never got to play together. Now, 12 later, we are playing together and it is so much fun!