Update on supplements

In my quest to expand my knowledge of supplements for clinical application I've progressively added to my personal intake. It is so easy to get carried away with supplements when you spend a lot of time researching their benefits. I've gotten really good about taking various pills each day, but I've decided its time to begin streamlining things. This is both for the sake of convenience and cost. So what are the essentials? Here is the list of what I  believe everyone should consider taking daily:

Omega 3's EPA/DHA 1000-2000mg
Probiotics with at least 20 billion live bacteria
Vitamin D 5,000 IUs
Multi-V

Here is what I am currently taking:

Phytomulti daily multi-v
Ultraflora probiotic
Astaxathin 8mg
Omega 3 EPA/DHA 1000mg
Gaia adrenal support
Vit C 3,000mg 
Vitamin D 10,000 IUs
Creatine (concrete) 5g
Whey isolate

Actually looking at the list, it's difficult to decide where to make cuts, but I've made a pretty remarkable discovery over the last 3 weeks. Turns out, when I'm properly fed, I feel pretty darn good! DUH! I'm convinced that I'm feeling better because of changing my diet rather than using so many supplements, but I am slightly hesitant to drop any of them. However I know that by eating the amount that my body needs, it is able to properly synthesize hormones, which means I may not require so much supplementation. Plus, I'm spending upwards of $150/month on all this stuff. Time to prioritize! All that being said I plan to drop the adrenal support and the astaxathin when I run out. I'm struggling with whether to look for a less expensive probiotic, but in truth I am really impressed with the quality of Metagenics products. I love their multivitamin and I plan to use their fish oil when I run out of my giant Costco bottle.

I'm trying out a new whey protein from Musclefeast, which should save me some $$$ since its just about $62.00 for 5lbs. There is really no way for me to meet my protein requirements without using a good whey supplement, but it can definitely get pricey.
 
Making some changes should bring the monthly cost down to around $100/month, which is still higher than I'd like it to be, so I'll be looking to make more cuts over the next couple months.

If you are interested in purchasing from Metagenics you can use my provider code BAnderson. Shipping is free which is awesome! I also recommend iherb.com for a wide variety of supplements, complete with reviews.

BodPod

So this morning I rolled outta bed at 6:30 and headed about 15 minutes down the road to have my very first BodPod measurement done. This is supposed to be one of the most accurate methods for determining body composition, so I was really excited to have it done. In preparation you aren't supposed to eat or drink anything for at least 2 hours prior, and you have to wear either a swim suit or sports bra and compression shorts. The actual BodPod is just that, a little pod that your sit in while it magically calculates your numbers. But first you get to step on the scale to get a baseline weight. So here are my numbers:

Height: 66"
Weight: 157
Body fat: 19%
Lean mass: 130lbs
Fat mass: 27lbs

First of all I will go ahead and address the weight because GOOD LORD, that is roughly 17lbs more than what I weighed on my wedding day in October! Ok, so some of that was my body just repalcing what it needed, because my weight probably should have been about 145. Realistically I've gained about 12lbs since starting CrossFit in January, which I have to assume is muscle. I'm trying not to freak out about the weight and focus on the awesomeness of my current bf%. Also, my clothes still fit! Yes, my pants are a bit tighter in the thigh area, but I haven't had to buy new clothes to accommodate them :)

Now that I have these accurate numbers, I can really tweak my TDEE, so with the help of the Eat to Perform team, I've come up with a few changes that will hopefully help me continue to build muscle and lean out. Again, this is a work in progress, but here is the latest:

Loading days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
TDEE: 2400-2600 calories
Protein:175g
Carbs: 175-200g
Fat: 135g

Control days:Wednesday, Sunday
TDEE 2000-2300 calories
Protein: 175g
Carbs: 100-125g
Fat: 135g

I'll plan to eat nearly all my carbs after my 5:30p WOD which means I'll be sticking to protein, fat, and veggies for most of the day. This also means no more  pre workout banana and shake, which is actually really convenient with my new work schedule. However, this means I will be absolutely slamming the carbs at night. THIS COULD GET FUN! 

Sorry for the delay!

I can't believe I haven't checked in, in so long! Things have been a little crazy in the Anderson household, which seems to have become pretty standard around here. I am continuing on with ETP (eat to perform) and I'm really loving the way I feel! It is absolutely terrifying to be consuming so many calories (2,300-2,500) when you've been operating under the impression that you should keep calories low, in order to loose weight. At this point I've experimented with just about every diet out there with the latest being paleo. I gotta say though, I was disappointed in the results I had from the 30 day paleo challenge and I was left searching for answers. Stumbling upon ETP has been extremely informative, and it just makes so much sense. If you are working out and expending the energy that CrossFit requires, you need to feed your body!

I'm not gonna lie, it's been tough to increase my caloric intake by nearly 1,000, but it's also pretty liberating to come home and eat bananas and dare I say it, white rice! This routine works really well with my busy schedule because I get to consume the majority of my calories in the evening. This is super convenient since its much easier to eat what I want, when I'm at home. I've been sticking to "fasting" in the morning, so I have about 10g of whey protein along with bullet proof coffee. I've been waiting until my body tells me its time to eat (usually between 10:30 and 1). I'm focusing on meat, veggies, and fat for most of the day and then having a banana and a protein shake before CrossFit. Afterwards I usually have a banana while cooking dinner, which usually consists of meat and sweet potatoes and /or white rice. Before bed I usually have another protein shake, depending on what I need to hit my numbers. I have been tracking my intake, just to see where my numbers fall. It will be nice to get to a point where I don't need to track, but for now its been really informative.

Friday morning I'm scheduled to have a BodPod done, so I'll get a really accurate measurement of my body composition. This will also allow me to adjust my TDEE accordingly. I'd like to work on making sure I'm getting enough veggies in during the day, so I can focus on simple carbs at night. I've tweaked my numbers this week to see how I feel during WODs and I recently starting taking creatine to help build and repair muscles. Today is a rest day and I'm taking full advantage. I'm gonna keep the carbs to around 150g and see how I feel during tomorrow's workout.

I promise to check in again soon, right now I need a snack :)

Feeding your body

Wow, what an interesting week its been for this girl. It is such an odd experience to be searching for ways to hit my macro and calorie requirements, rather than freaking out because I'm about to go over them. It's been rather liberating to be able to enjoy foods that I'd normally stay away from, and I even feel better eating them. Say what?! To honest I'm sticking to mainly paleo but I've definitely made the shift to about 80/20. I'm avoiding gluten for the most part, as it does tend to hurt my stomach, but I'm eating WHITE rice and using whey protein throughout the day. I'm also eating bananas like crazy, something I've been avoiding because of the their sugar content.

My biggest concern when I decided to try ETP was the weight gain, which I know is NOT what matters, but it is so difficult to get out of that mentality. Reading through the FB posts and ETP forum, I can tell a lot of women are having the same issue. When your muscles are properly fed, you're going to go up in scale weight. This is terrifying for those of us who've worked to so hard to loose weight.

Since starting CrossFit in January, I've put on a good 8lbs. My clothes still fit, I haven't had to go up in sizes, and my measurements are about the same. As far as I'm concerned that weight gain has to be muscle, so unless someone has another explanation, that's what I'm going with. Since starting ETP I've put on about 3, so total weight gain has been significant. Again, my clothes fit, I feel great, and even after just one week of ETP, people are making comments about me looking leaner. More importantly, I don't feel so damn lethargic! I've been running myself into the ground trying to kill the WODs and go to CrossFit even when I'm exhausted. Duh Britt! Maybe you should listen to your bod?! If I want to become a better athlete, I should probably give my body what it needs!

Getting started with ETP can be a little confusing, but essentially you eat your carbs around your workouts. Here is a typical week for me, and what I plan to follow at least until I get my BodPod measurement done:

2,558 calories

Monday- WOD: 200g carbs/155g protein/126g fat

Tuesday- WOD control day: 150g carbs/160g protein/145g fat

Wednesday-Rest  control day: 150g carbs/160g protein/145g fat

Thursday-WOD:200g carbs/155g protein/126g fat

Friday-WOD 200g carbs/155g protein/126g fat

Saturday-WOD control day:150g carbs/160g protein/145g fat

Sunday- Rest control day:150g carbs/160g protein/145g fat

In the mornings I have 1 serving of whey protein mixed in water, and some BPC, which puts my calories at about 470. I don't have my first solid meal until around noon, at which time I stick to protein, fat, and veggies. If I workout I have a banana and another serving of whey 30minutes to an hour beforehand. After I workout, I have a banana, whey, and a serving of creatine while I'm cooking dinner. On days that I'm resting but working out the following day, I have the majority of my carbs at night.

So I eat carbs around my workouts, when my body is able to utilize glucose most effectively to stimulate muscle growth and fat loss. This works out great, since I can sorta be like a normal human again. If I want to go have pizza with friends, I can do it! A piece of cake? Sure! This is known as "eating for joy" rather than cheat meals, which I totally love. They key is to not eat for joy at every meal!

Eat to Perform

So if you read my last post you know I've been exploring carb backloading (CBL). After pouring through the e-book I came upon a very important caveat... "Not recommended fro CrossFitters." Blast! I was a little crushed when I saw this so I decided to continue my search for more info, as I was convinced that someone had to have adapted CBL to CrossFit athletes. It didn't take me long before I happened upon eat to perform. MIND BLOWN! The calorie calculation that I posted last week actually came from this site and the rationale behind it is that most endurance athletes (CrossFitters) are underfed. The idea is that in order to stimulate one's metabolism to burn fat, it is essential to be taking in adequate calories.When you under eat, your body holds onto fat. Couple that with excessive workouts and you are really just screwing up your metabolism. So the idea is to eat more, which will in turn allow you to work harder in the gym, leading to better body composition.  Like CBL, you load up your carbs around your workouts.

Here are the basics:

• Use to TDEE (BMR) calculator to determine your caloric and macro nutrient needs
• Hit your protein number first and then fill in with fat and carbs
• If you work out in the evening, stick to protein and fat for most of the day and then load up on carbs pre and post workout
• If you plan on resting tomorrow, stick to lower cabs today. If you rested today and are WODing tomorrow, load up on carbs tonight.
• Use the basic parameters of ETP as a jumping off point, and then listen to your body to determine what works best for you
• Focus on performance first, then fat loss

The funny thing is, there was a time in my life when I absolutely blasted low carb diets. I was convinced they messed with thyroid function, and much of the weight loss was actually water loss. This is actually true and yet over the last 6 months what have I been doing? That's right, low carbing! I've gotten so caught up in the desire to be lean, that I compromised some of my own basic principals. The week of my wedding (in October) I was down to 141lbs. I was so nervous that I wasn't able to eat much. Yes, my weight was low and I was looking lean, but I wonder how much muscle I lost that week? My weight rebounded QUICKLY after the wedding because my metabolism wasn't working at an optimal level to keep it off. Then, I started paleo in an attempt to get the weight back down. I've loved Paleo and it has kept me eating clean, but staying so low on carbs hasn't done me a whole lot of good. I think its time for a shift in perspective. Its not about weight, its not about weight, IT IS NOT ABOUT WEIGHT. The truth is, my weight has continued to rise but my measurements have stayed the same. Whats really important? Body composition right? I think its time to take a vacation from the scale again. It is just too damaging to my psyche, so today was my last weigh in for a while. I'm scheduled to have my body comp checked via BodPod June 21st and I'm really looking forward to the results. I plan on moving forward with ETP and it'll be interesting to play around with the numbers. Today, I'm 155lbs and my numbers look like this:

2,558 calories

CBL Days:
Carb- 200g
Protein- 155g
Fat- 126g

Control Days:
Carb- 147g
Protein- 155g
Fat- 150g

I usually WOD 5 days/wk so my normal week should look like this:

Monday: WOD/CBL
Tuesday: WOD/CBL
Wednesday:WOD/CBL
Thursday: WOD/Control
Friday: Rest/CBL
Saturday: WOD/control
Sunday: Rest/CBL

Of course this changes depending on whether I decide to rest on different days, but this is generally what I'll be working with. Today is a control day, since I'm going to take tomorrow off. I'm looking forward to this latest experiment and as always I'll be documenting the journey.

Here goes nothing!