This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing some of the most common things we get asked about. Coach Jennifer talks about what a keto diet is and the harmful effects that can be caused by it.

What is a “keto diet”? It’s any extremely low carb diet that forces the body into ketosis. Ketosis occurs when people eat little to no carbohydrates and the ketones build up in their bloodstream. No carbs, cause sugar levels to drop and fat is broken down into energy. Ketosis is a mild form of ketoacidosis which is the leading cause of death with people with type 1 diabetes.

There are many problems that can be caused with low-carb diets. With diets such as this, your veggie/grains/legumes/fruit count is really low ( on avg. 30-40 grams ) and without eating carbs you run the risk of getting too little of fiber. Without fiber you can get “backed up” because fiber allows more water in your stool which makes it easier for food to pass through and eliminate waste. Fiber also slows down the process of digestion keeping you fuller longer. Without fiber you’re most likely not getting enough nutrients since fiber foods like whole grains, legumes , fruit, and veggies provide you with healthy micronutrients.

High fat/low carb diets can also cause chronic fatigue. Since carbohydrates are our main energy source, without them it’s not unlikely you will feel tired. Along with this, you are overloading your digestive system with foods that can be hard to digest. At the same time you’re not eating enough plants and micronutrients to help push it through. Plants and fruits detox the body and provide it with more energy. Because of this, high fat diet can also cause acne and dull looking skin. Vegetables and fruit Heal your skin, and provide vitamins A, C, E. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production with which helps with wrinkles. These vitamin sources are only found in plants and fruit which you would not be getting sufficient enough amounts while implementing a “keto diet”. So if you want to glow, you need to eat a wide range of fruit and veggies. ? ????????????????

Besides those issues, Keto diets are not easy to sustain for long periods of time. Some studies have shown that one of the long term side effects is death! What may work for one person ( short term) can be extremely dangerous for another. Keto diets are basically implemented to lose weight fast but you need to keep in mind the logistics behind this initial weight loss. You’re depleting your glycogen stores when you’re not eating starchy carbs, causing less full muscle tissue and scale weight loss. And yes you most likely will lose some fat in the process of cutting calories through carbs but you can also become very carb sensitive. Then when you begin to add carbs back, your body will blow up and possibly gain all the weight you lost back- plus some. That’s why @ado_fitness believes in a well balanced diet being better for long term results and sustainability?? Think about it, are you really not going to eat carbs the rest of your life?

This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing some of the most common things we get asked about. Coach Tara explains why macro calculators aren’t a great resource and why having specific macros for the individual is crucial.

It is so common for people to tell me they are following their macros perfectly but they just aren’t getting any results. They figured set these macros by using an online calculator and no matter how hard they try nothing is happening. The problem with online calculators is that they are generic. They do not take into account how your metabolism was affected with previous diets or your current intake. These programs also do not know about your current lifestyle or your over/under eating habits.

All of these things need to be taken into account if (A) you do not want to initially gain a bunch of unwanted weight and (B) if your intentions are to increase your metabolic capabilities and overall health. Now if you have never dieted before and have a killer metabolism then one of these calculators might be a good resource for you, but if you are like most of the population this is just not the case. For majority of people, past diets play a HUGE role in where your macros should be initially set and how they should be adjusted weekly. Not only for your specific goals but also for what your body is going to respond better to in relation to carbs or fats.

For example if your intake is already extremely low you will need a proper reverse diet in order increase your overall intake to a sustainable spot before trying to “cut”. If you trying to cut from an extremely low intake the weight is just not going to come off if you are just slowing your metabolism down even more. So if you want to see the results you have been working so hard for you will have to take your health into consideration or you can seriously damage your metabolism and gain even more weight than your originally started with. Throw a ton of cardio on top of that and your body is not going to be very happy. This is why having an educated coach is so vital!

Online calculators like MFP (MyFitnessPal) for example will also assign a generic micronutrient goal for fiber keeping everyone the same no matter where your carb intake is set at. It doesn’t matter if your carbs are at 100G or 400G it will set your fiber goal at 25G. For many people this is not enough especially is you are having digestive issues and have a high carb intake. Again, this is why having a coach set your fiber goal to an appropriate spot according to your overall carbs is so important.

Now Im not trying to tell you online calculators never work, and they can be a great reference for some. But if you are struggling to see the results you want or think you could have suffered any sort of metabolic damage than having an educated coach is always going to be the best route in my personal option. Even coaches need coaches, for accountability and also a fresh set of eyes. You see yourself everyday and our views of ourselves can get clouded, so if you are serious about your goals hire a coach that will put your health first and make appropriate weekly adjustments for you! Your future self will thank you!

This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing some of the most common topics we get asked about. Coach Trista explains why you should have two seasons for building and cutting.

Many people have the same goal – “I want to build muscle and lose fat”, however, to optimize one or the other, it is best to have two different programs. While it is possible to simultaneously gain muscle while leaning out, the rate of muscle growth is very slow in comparison to a program structured for just that in mind. If your protein intake is adequate muscle tissue can be synthesized in a deficit. When you’re in a deficit, your body is burning more calories than you are consuming, so placing the expectation for muscle growth on top of that is quite demanding.

Your body needs protein + energy (glycogen + triglycerides) in other words- carbs and fats to synthesize muscle tissue which costs energy in itself. Having your body in a surplus of energy creates a better opportunity for muscle growth. Many might be fearful of gaining fat during a building phase but as long as your intake is controlled by numbers you can minimize fat gain by adjusting your macros/training as you progress.

In turn, if you go to implement a cut to lose body fat your body needs to be at a deficit in order for your fat stores to metabolize. This means you will have less stored energy making it harder for muscle growth to occur.

During a cut, you would also be increasing cardio to aid in fat loss, this would be counterproductive to gaining muscle mass and therefor hinder that process. For competitors, implementing two different seasons for these processes will be the best approach for bringing your true potential to the stage. Look at any pro and I guarantee you they took plenty of time in an “off season” to build muscle before starting a cut to make it to stage. Like many things- it takes hard work and patience to achieve your best physique. Changes in body composition during any program will also be dependent upon training method/volume, sleep, stress, water intake, and macronutrient ratios and timing.

This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing topics we get asked a lot of questions about. This week coach Joey Guz explains and defines what a refeed is.

We get asked a lot about what a refeed is and why it is so important for your body. A refeed is different then a cheat meal or a cheat day in that is a day that is fully tracked. Having a refeed is a strategic way to achieve results you want, but without causing you to have a complete day of binging and eating unhealthy foods. Even though the idea of dieting may sound appealing because you will lose weight and get the body you want, being in a caloric deficit for a long period of time can make you feel a little crazy and have some negative effects on your body. Not only will you have food cravings, become irritable, and feel tired, but your body will begin to adapt to the lower calorie intake by slowing down your metabolism. This will make it harder to shed body fat. The point of a refeed and increasing your carbs for the day is to allow your body to stabilize your Leptin levels, which is the hormone that makes your body feel hunger. Normalizing Leptin levels can boost your metabolism and help alleviate cravings. It’s also a mental break from your diet, which can make it easier to stick to your plan for the long haul. How much you should intake on a reefed day and how often you should reefed depends on many things like your body fat percentage, how long you have been dieting for, and how your body is responding to your current macronutrient ratios. So it’s always best to do your research or ask your coach before implementing a refeed.

This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing some of the topics we get asked a lot of questions about. Coach Jennifer Ann NPC Bikini Competitor explains what reverse dieting is.

Let’s talk about reverse dieting. I’m sure you’re seeing a lot of posts talking about it. After a competitor comes off a calorie restricted diet one way to avoid metabolic damage and post show rebound is to slowly add calories back in at a rate that minimal weight gain occurs. Reverse dieting helps prevent fast weight gain since the body is in a fragile state post show. This can prevent depression and the individual can maintain a body their comfortable with. What’s neat is anybody ( not just competitors) on a calorie restricted diet can benefit from a reverse diet. Most people cannot sustain low calorie intake for a long period of time. Putting them on reverse diet and increasing their intake will allow them to live life normally be happy and eat more food. If weekly adjustments are made and the individual adheres to the plan their metabolism can recover, more food can be enjoyed and with minimal fat gain. Reverse diet for the win?plus it’s so fun feeding people? ???????????

This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing new years goals and how to stick to them. Coach Trista
shares her story.

For myself, the one and only goal I have is to take any steps necessary to be healthy. As I have discussed before I have many hormone/GI issues that are still unresolved. My goal is to be proactive in making choices that are going to help me and not worsen my condition. How am I going to stick to this? I am choosing not to compete for the first part of the year to give myself a chance to work with a naturopath and possibly look into Chinese medicine as recommended by @taracarlton_fit Lol (so if you know of any good places in the Portland area please comment! ) This is going to be tough! The temptation will be there to say “oh screw it I’m gonna prep and I’ll figure this out later” as I have done in the past, but I don’t want to be 3-5 years down the road and STILL letting this get me down and affecting my everyday. I love competing, but, I have to tell my self no. I have to look a the bigger picture and realize how I live my day to day is more important. This will not be easy, but I want to have memories where I look back and remember I was happy and enjoying the moment, that’s very hard for me to do as I am always in discomfort and needing to lay down. This is my motivation to stick to my goal. For many ,it is a weight loss goal, and they may be unhappy with where they currently are- I know it takes discomfort and patience to get on the other side of your goal. Because any big change is going to be uncomfortable, but we start feeling a little better as we go. We have a taste of what getting closer to our goal feels like and it keeps us going- “oh this feels amazing- I want to feel more of this” until one day you wake up and you’re 30 lbs lighter! You get a little momentum and keep your motivation! Just like I hope to do with feeling better everyday, feeling like myself again. I think one of the biggest contributors of getting yourself to stick to your goal is knowing it will bring a liberating feeling of empowerment, knowing you can accomplish something you set your mind to that’s going to better your life. Just decide.