Thursday, June 30, 2011

Skinny Bitch Smackdown

This will be my last post for about a week and a half (I'm going up north, no Internet for me!). However, I plan to make good use of that time off...
Image from http://www.fitsugar.com/Weekend-Reading-Skinny-Btch-287442

Does this cover look familiar to you? If you went to Central and actually took a health class, it should. This book was a popular diet fad...although not necessarily a safe one. One of my favorite all time rant topics, I plan on taking it apart, and finding the good, the bad, and the ugly...the very, very ugly (I still have fond memories of being called a "fat piece of shit" by my overweight health teacher during her read aloud...oh wait....fond memory?).




At the same time, in defense of vegetarians (I am one) and vegans (I am not one), I'll look at books like The Omnivore's Dilemma  and books along those lines.


Once I'm back in the Twin Cities, I have a few new plans...including (yes!) a new diet plan. If I can actually follow through with this one...it seems a little extreme.

Have a good Fourth of July!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Meagan on Megan: BMI and Exercise

If you couldn't figure out from the title of the post, this is the BMI and exercise part of the Megan Fox wrap up interview.

As you may recall, the Megan Fox regime consisted of 30 minutes of cardio three times a week along with some core workouts.

Meagan on the three times a week: "If you're already at a lower weight, you don't have to do as much to maintain that...the ASCM [American College of Sports Medicine] recommends 30-50 [minutes] a day of moderate activity."

And what makes moderate activity? Apparently it's all about heart rate. Moderate activity should be 55-60% of your heart rate max (calculate that here).

She continued on the topic of exercise. "The more trained you get, the more your body adjusts to exercise, you don't have to do as much...the optimal fat burning zone is two days a week of moderate activity for 30-40 minutes, and two days a week of 20 intense." (Intense activity--target heart rate is 70-85% of max.)

The benefits? It increases your VO2 max (it's a good thing) and strengthens your heart. In addition, it changes up the exercise level, also important. "Most people constantly stay at even keel...think of losing weight as a plateau."

Fair enough, that's the basic idea behind calorie cycling.  And as for the core training?

"I want 6 pack abs, a flat stomach...you can't just work out the core..think about the long term. Strength training is especially important for women...build bone mass when you're young."

Young? "Teens and twenties...I use the terms strength and resistance training with my clients. It doesn't scare women as much."

This sounded like a mismatch. Girls should be strong, but we tend to aim for skinny?

"Not just women and girls...the exercise movement is a new concept...a new revelation to most people. Moving from working on farms and in factories to desks, our activity level has decreased tremendously."

So what about using BMI as a tool for health? I got a slow head shake.

"I don't like to use it to qualify someone. There's so many limiting factors. It's very easy...but it doesn't take into account gender, or lean mass to fat mass."

She prefers to use body fat to measure health and underweight. "Elite women athletes have about 12% body fat..anything under 12% body fat is extremely unhealthy."

And in the case of celebrities? Again, she shook her head and began talking about her clients.

"I want them to be confident, strong, and not constantly compare themselves...if you see someone who is skinny and thin and think they're healthy, they're probably not."

Surprise, surprise...healthy and skinny aren't the same. She addressed the social issues too.

"Being underweight is not as addressed...society appreciates it...There needs to be a shift from appreciating the super skinny to the healthy lifestyle living...to emphasize to girls that strength training doesn't mean beefed up woman, and get away from comparing ourselves. What is it going to take for me to feel confident?"

Finally, she threw in some added wisdom about the supplement market and fad diets.

"For credible nutritional or physical information, look at scientific journals..I really like Idea Fitness Journal--all professors, researchers, and peer reviewed articles...look for credible sources."

Smart stuff. That wrapped up the interview. Upon leaving, I promised to try that cardio kickboxing class--you guys should look into it too. Details in this post. Maybe I'll see you there!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Meagan on Megan: The Diet and Nutrition

Before I get into the interview (yes, I'm FINALLY posting it--thanks for your patience!), a few things.

A) That handy little subscribe button on the left? Or even that 'follow by email' one below it? They're really cool. Do it. You know you want to.
B) I've been asked a lot of "what's next?" type questions. Don't worry, there's definitely a next. But until then....
C) Yes, this is only half of the interview. However, when I put the whole thing together, it was long and naturally in two parts--diet and nutrition, and BMI and exercise. Between the information readily available and the links, there's enough to get you thinking. So, presenting....

Diet and Nutrition
I met Meagan at a Caribou on Friday, ready to discuss the end results of the Megan Fox diet. After we sat down with our drinks (god I love my mochas...), we dug right into it. First up? Cider vinegar.

Meagan looked at me like I had a screw loose. "There's no nutritional benefits," she said. "And if you don't feel like eating...that isn't the best way to diet and lose calories. Your body will go into starvation mode, move into fast and famine...and try not to burn fat or calories."

Um. Yikes.

When I asked her about the detox effects, she still didn't change her position. She recommended probiotic supplements, or drinking water with lemon. However, she very quickly added that it was important not to have "too many acids--the body's pH is very sensitive." I cast a very sad glance at my coffee.

We moved onto the diet next. I wanted to know if there were any benefits to the high fat and protein diet. She sighed.

"I don't like the term diet," she said. "Your body needs carbs, fat, and protein...I do believe in portion control. Eat in moderation. If you're going out to eat--take it and automatically cut it in half...take away a half or a third when you're eating at home."

As for the protein?

"It depends on the activity...generally, Americans get more protein than they need." She then gave me a break down of how the calorie intake should be broken down--about 40/50% carbs, 20/30% protein, and 15/20% fats. Healthy fats that is--"no trans fats. Monounsaturated, poly unsaturated..."

She specified rules about grains too. "Your body needs carbs...make a smarter choice when eating grains." Her recommendation? "Oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, it's a whole grain and the fiber makes you feel full." And when it comes to buying bread? Look for 12 grain.

"Wheat is misleading...it won't necessarily have the complete grain." She followed this by her stance on the no-grain rule in Megan Fox's diet.

"Again, I don't like the term diet...it will lead you to cravings. The body needs grains." Her solution? Moderation. Using the example of a baguette:

"If you have cravings, you might go ahead and eat the whole baguette. Don't. Enjoy a piece of the baguette--make a sandwhich out of it. Don't feel guilty about it...if you have cravings, you might eat twice as much."

Again: yikes. And even if she doesn't stand for dieting, she's all for what she calls "tricks."

"We're...unconcious eaters. People aren't thinking about what they're putting in their body." I'll agree with that--during the Megan Fox diet, I was suddenly paying a lot more attention to what I was eating. She still doesn't endorse diets.

"Don't do it for four weeks, six weeks. Ask 'is it sustainable?'...think of it as a lifestyle change. Your body needs calories...and to lose weight you do need a calorie deficit. There is a basic level--1200-1500 really needed calories."

This turned the conversation into the topic of diet supplements. I recalled a particular instance of a diet supplement that claimed to work quickly, all you needed to do was take the supplement...and eat 500 or less calories a day. She shook her head.

"The supplement market isn't regulated by the FDA...they say whatever...to make money." Her suggestion is to "go back to [a] basic well rounded deit getting away from processed food, getting away from fried food..." However, she thoroughly endorses 'cheating.'

"Don't live your life in deprivation...I'll have a couple Oreos once a week. Enjoy it...I say there's two different kinds of people: people who eat to live, and people who live to eat...appreciate food for what it is. Americans...are always in a rush. That leads to unconcious eating."

This was a natural break point in the conversation. Thank you Meagan for your time and your information! The next half will be up tomorrow, covering the BMI and exercise portion, along with some other fun topics (like osteoporosis...). Subscribe! Meagan had a lot of interesting things to say on these topics.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Introducing....Meagan Smetana!

Meet Meagan Smetana! Meagan so kindly volunteered her time for the post Megan Fox diet interview. The interview went great, and I'll be posting it soon. However, in the mean time, here's a little profile.

Name: Meagan Smetana
Education: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
Where: Fisico (617 Snelling Ave St. Paul)
Classes: Cardio kickboxing, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15 (see here for details)        
Personal:
Favorite food (healthy): strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
Favorite food (junk): Oreos
Favorite work out song: Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
Guilty pleasure: US Weekly

Finally, a teaser quote from the interview:

"I want them [her customers] to be confident, strong...and not constantly compare themselves...ask what is it going to take for me to feel confident."



She covers everything in the interview--from the food to choice to nutrition to exercise and even BMI. Insightful and sincere, she shed some light on the basics behind the Megan Fox diet. Again, thank you so much Meagan for volunteering your time for the interview!



Thursday, June 23, 2011

Trainers, Tips, and Techniques

Firstly: big thanks to Meagan Smetana for agreeing to an interview! The results to the interview should be up soon, as will a profile of Meagan, including more information about her current cardio kickboxing lessons.

Now, time for tips and techniques. I had a question about the core exercises. According to this site, Megan Fox's core exercises consist of three to five sets, a two minute rest, and then a repeat of the sets. These sets consist of planks, hanging leg raises, oblique crunches, and lying leg raises.

The planks were my personal favorite. As tacky as this site looks (and ignoring the somewhat sketchy looking diet pill advice), they give a pretty good explanation of planks. The list at the bottom of the page gives a bunch of other good ideas.

If you have an exercise ball on hand, pike rolls are also a good workout. This video shows the proper technique. I'll admit, the first go around they kind of suck. But they make a difference.

The nice thing about core workouts is that there are so many different ways to do it. It's never the same thing two days in a row. If you're like me and easily bored with stuff, it's a pretty good solution.

Thanks again Meagan! Finally, a professional opinion on the Megan Fox experiment.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Winners and Losers

No pictures quite yet, but here's a list of the winners and losers of the Megan Fox diet experiment.

Winners:
1. The ab work outs. 15-20 minutes three times a week, at least 5-10 minutes every day...it felt AMAZING and they were easy enough to do at home.
2. Biking. Honestly, I don't always have the motivation to go running. The biking worked out pretty well.
3. Less social eating. According to this, we overeat in social situations. The restricted diet made it really hard to eat in social conditions, so I already felt limited.
4. Fruits and veggies. I'm not sure I would have tried using carrots in place of chips without this diet, but when it came to hummus and guacamole, I enjoyed it. Plus I could portion my food more. Score.
5. The food in general. Yogurt, almonds, fruits, veggies, eggs...once I got over the carb cravings (which I eventually did), I enjoyed what I ate.

On the fence:
1. Water and cider vinegar. The first time I tried it, my appetite immediately went away...because I felt too sick to want to eat. Other than that, it tasted alright. Depending on how much I put in my water, I could bring that sick feeling back though. Under no means am I endorsing Fergie's cider vinegar shots, but it tasted acidic and crisp and...fine I guess.
2. Carb cravings. They did disappear...but they sucked while I had them.

Losers:
1. Rude. I felt really rude not being able to eat normal food. And I was SUPER cranky the first few days because of it.
2. Lack of variety. I ended up eating the same things...all the time...
3. Overeating. With the original carb cravings in full swing, I overate to try to hit the cravings. I guess I have no self control. Oh well.

Stay tuned for the trainer interview and further details!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

How to Eat Like Megan Fox: Day Five

For the record, PMSing and not being able to eat grains/chocolate sucks. My replacement? Carrots and hummus. Nom nom nom....but not the same.

This is a close up of almonds. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about almonds. An ounce a day isn't bad, but I don't enjoy them as much as I did the first few days. Like eggs. Don't get me started on eggs.

Anyways, enough whining. I'm excited to announce that the trainer is lined up for the post diet interview. I should have a little profile of her up soon...until then, she'll be a secret.

Finally, I've recieved a few what's-next type questions. Once the diet is done, I'm going to post my personal winners and losers of this diet. Although the no grains thing has rubbed me the wrong way, there's been some things that I've enjoyed. Hopefully that'll be up Sunday, but as I'm going out of town this weekend that may be a bit of a stretch. The trainer interview will be up sometime in the next week too, as well as a full recap of the diet (pictures, weight, etc...). Until then, no grains...and another 3 ounces of almonds.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

How to Eat Like Megan Fox: Day Three

Forgive me, all of you, for I have slipped up.

I've been eating a little bit over on the calories. Yesterday was a friend's birthday, and I was put on cake duty. For the record, it was a delightful flourless cake...so I didn't break the grains rules. However, in that silver of cake, there was definitely some added sugar. There was also five eggs in the whole thing, and I topped it with almonds. Redeeming, possibly?

Upon eating all the fruit/fish/eggs in the house, I started to crave carbs yesterday. Not fun. Although for the most part I feel full (a few almonds now and then does the trick), when I want grains, there's no easy way out.

However, it's a new day. I'm satisfied. For the record, the breakfasts so far (peach/egg/water/coffee/almonds, 2 eggs/coffee, no fat yogurt/fruit/almonds/coffee/water) have been great. I feel full, I feel healthy and most importantly I'm enjoying my food. Enjoying my food and eating breakfast are two of my favorite eating tips, and I'm sure I'll go into depth on them later.

For now, it's more almonds (!), water and cider vinegar, and some intense core workouts. On the plus side, I think I've managed to wrangle up a trainer to do a post diet interview. Hopefully she'll be able to answer my questions about the long term sustainability of the diet, the effects of cider vinegar, and a handful of other issues.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

How to Eat Like Megan Fox: Day One

After a weekend of grad parties, it's time to finally start eating like Megan Fox. To the left is a picture of my breakfast, minus the coffee I drank. (Quick note: I couldn't find cider vinegar, so it's just lemon in the water...for now.) I have to say, after two days of cake and other highly processed foods, this is was actually pretty good.

A question arose recently about how I was going to eat. An earlier post shows all of Megan Fox's stats, and for the sake of comparison it's time to give mine.


I'm 18 (she's 25), about 5'8 (I'll get measured soon, I promise) and weigh around 140 pounds. I have a BMI (thank you National Health Institute) of 21.3 which is in the normal, healthy range (from 18.5-24.9 is considered healthy). I bike everywhere, and consistently get exercise five days a week. I will, however, introduce her core workouts three days this week.

What does this mean?
A) I'm two inches taller and about 26 pounds heavier than Megan Fox. To have her BMI, I would have to weigh 121 pounds. I'm pretty happy with myself, I can't see that happening.
B) I exercise more, and I'm seven years younger. The difference in just our Basal metabolic rates (BMR) is already impressive. (For those of you who don't know, the BMR measures the amount of calories used regardless of exercise.) Using this calculator, Megan Fox has a BMR of around 1344. Mine is around 1500. Whereas Megan Fox would have to eat 1200-1300 calories to lose a pound a week from dieting (again, this is using the assumptions of the previous post), I'm going to give myself 300 more calories per day (1500-1600).

And this is how Day One starts. I feel good for now...let's see what the week brings!

Friday, June 10, 2011

How to Eat Like Megan Fox: Part One

Let me start this by saying I know that Megan Fox isn't a model. However, her body routinely ends up on the hottest/sexiest/etc-iest woman lists. With her too skinny body allegedly leading to her May firing from Transformers 3, the time seemed ripe to try the Megan Fox diet and exercise regime.

First, the stats. Reportedly Megan Fox is 5'6, and weighs in at 114 lbs. Using the National Health Institute's BMI calculator, with BMI of 18.4, she's underweight. Plugging in her height, weight, and age (25) into a few calorie calculators, the expected calorie maintenance for her weight ranges from 1760-1980 calories. These calculations were made based on the assumption that she exercises 3 times a week, a fact backed up by the Megan-centric site http://www.meganfoxdiet.net/.

Specifics about her diet: apparently she eats an ounce of almonds a day, and a few eggs. No grains/refined sugars for her; it's strictly fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. In addition, she has been quoted as using cider vinegar to help detox her system. As far as exercise goes, it's 30 minutes on a stationary bike and 15-20 minutes of intense core work out.

So this is how to eat like Megan Fox. As of this coming Sunday, I think I'll give it a try. Wish me luck!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Beginning

This last year or so has been difficult.

Very difficult.

In my last year of highschool, I found myself confronting one Big Issue: my weight. I was a gymnast, I was an athlete, I ate healthy food...and I still wasn't happy with myself. I started to count calories. I stressed constantly. I exercised for hours. Now, stepping back from it all, I realized one important thing. It was time to appreciate myself.

Before I get too far in, let me say that I value the high fashion industry. It's an art form, and I have respect for anyone in the industry. This isn't to say that I'm for obesity either--you can be underweight, you can also be overweight. Neither is good. Diet and exercise are important no mater who you are.

However, moderation is key. I'm all for weight loss--but you have to be healthy. You can take diet and exercise too far, and that's what pop culture has a tendency to do. This is where the concept of this blog lies. I'm going to explore the differences between health, normalcy, and the images we're bombarded with on a daily basis. Between social experiments (ie attempting 'model' diets), nutrition reviews, and relevant interviews, I want to examine the real effects of eating like a model while looking at where real self value lies.

Finally, this is a no shame zone. Everything is open for discussion. Ask questions, make comments. It's time to have a real conversation.