Before you Ask Cathy a question, read the TOP 10 Questions people ask Cathy about health and fitness.

How do I get six-pack abs?

The rippled beauty of washboard abs is acquired by lowering body fat percentage and building up the abdominal muscles. This is accomplished by combining three critical components; a clean diet, cardiovascular work, and resisted abdominal exercises.

If you are dreaming of a chiseled six-pack in your future, follow these general guidelines to bring that dream home:

·         Eliminate junk food, fast food, and alcohol from your diet.

·         Emphasis clean protein foods such as turkey, chicken breast, egg whites, fish, and protein supplements like powders and shakes that are low in sugar.

·         Emphasis leafy greens and vegetables that are low in starch and add a complex carbohydrate, such as oatmeal or yams, to one of your meals.

·         Eat fruit that is low in natural sugar such as berries.

·         Perform 3-6 days of cardiovascular work per week with individual sessions ranging anywhere from 30-45 minutes in duration and perform within your target heart rate zone utilizing a variety of intervals to create intensity and an environment for change.

·         Add load, i.e., resistance, to your abdominal exercises.  Abdominals need to be overloaded just like any other muscle group if they are going to grow.  Resistance can be in the form of medicine balls, hand weights, weighted machines, and even resistance tubing or bands.

·         Sculpt your abdominal muscles from different angles to create symmetry.

·         Give yourself time to respond to these suggestions.  If you are committed to cleaning up your diet, performing cardio as suggested, and adding a variety of resisted abdominal exercises to your routine, you should expect to see results within 4-6 weeks or sooner, depending on your current fitness level and body fat percentage! 

 

 

What should I eat before and after my workout?

Fueling your body before and after working out is just as important as performing your exercises with proper form and technique.  While some people prefer to workout on an empty stomach, others require food in order to get through a workout without getting nausea.

A combination of protein and carbohydrates is recommended for your pre and post workout meal.  The carbohydrate portion of your meal will provide you with a sustainable energy source while the protein will be available for your muscles to draw from for muscle repair and growth.

When carbohydrates metabolize they turn into glycogen in the body.  Glycogen is stored in the muscle for fuel which is essential for muscular growth.  During an intense workout the body’s store of glycogen is depleted so replacing glycogen stores is critical for muscular repair, recovery, and growth.

The ideal food type is something that will get into the blood stream quickly and doesn’t require a long digestive process, something like a meal replacement shake that has a balance of carbohydrates and protein.  My personal favorite is Myoplex Lite by EAS.  It contains 170 calories with 20 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of fat and only 1 gram of sugar.  The EAS AdvantEDGE carb control shake is also on the top of my list weighing in at 110 calories, 17 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fat, and 0 sugars.  

If you require a more solid meal, a balanced and clean combination would be ½ cup of steel oats sweetened with Splenda and cinnamon with 5-6 egg whites either boiled or scrambled.  Adding veggies to your scrambled egg whites will enhance the nutritional value with powerful antioxidants!

 

What kind of diet should I follow to lose body fat and get lean?

If you want to be lean and clean of excess body fat, you have to follow a diet that reflects that vision.

I am not a fan of fad diets and firmly believe that eating a healthy, well-balanced diet full of nutrient dense food is the only way to go.  I also believe that having the occasional indulgence is only human and therefore I encourage giving into cravings once in a while.  The key phrase here is, “once in a while”.  You cannot expect to ever get a lean and sculpted body if you eat a steady diet of fast and processed food and have your hand in the cookie jar on a daily basis.

General Guidelines for Eating Lean & Clean 

·         Eat 5-6 small meals a day instead of 2-3 big meals and consume your smaller meals about every 2-3 hours to maintain blood sugar levels, keep metabolism in check, and to avoid binging on high calorie, nutrient void food choices.

·         Eliminate empty calories; soda, junk food, fast food, high calorie condiments, alcohol, candy, cookies, cakes, etc.   

·         Focus on lean proteins such as chicken and turkey breast, egg whites, high quality protein powder, tofu, fish, non-fat/low-fat cottage cheese, beans, and lean beef like bison or top round.

·         Emphasis whole foods and good carbohydrates in the form of veggies like dark, leafy greens such as spinach, spring mix, kale, romaine and other fibrous vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, zucchini and peppers.

·         Include healthy fat in your diet while eliminating unhealthy fat. Examples of healthy fats are olive oil, flax oil, flax seeds, walnuts, almonds, avocado, and fatty fish such as salmon.  Examples of unhealthy fats are anything that is solid at room temperature such as butter and lard and foods that are fried in oil.

·         Unless you are working out intensely in the evening hours, avoid eating carbohydrates before going to bed.  By doing this you will trigger the body to burn stored fat while you are sleeping!

·         Practice the approach of cycling starchy carbohydrate intake to initiate a fat loss response.  Many experts have their own formula for cycling carbs and it really depends on your goals and your personal response to carbohydrates.  I don’t recommend eliminating all carbs from your diet; your body needs them for energy and to keep your metabolism in check.  Try cutting carbohydrate intake to 100 grams, or less, for 3-days and then increase your carbohydrate intake to 200 grams, or more, for 1-day.  Follow that 3-day low followed by 1-day high and monitor your response.  You may find you can go lower or higher on either end.

·         Hydrate adequately.  Water is essential for a lean body.  Water is the “source of life” for our bodies; it transports nutrients to the cells, hydrates our internal organs, aids in the elimination process and hydrates muscle tissue.  Keep in mind that our bodies are more than 70% water so it only makes sense to drink up and keep your system running efficiently.  Water, it does a body good!

 

 

As a woman I am afraid of lifting weights because I don’t want to appear big and bulky, will working with weights make me look big?

On the contrary, training your body against resistance will increase your lean body mass and increase your fat burning potential.   Muscle tissue increases your metabolism so the more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn.  While the jury is still out on exactly how many calories a pound of muscle actually burns, some experts estimate the metabolic burn rate of a pound of muscle to be around 35 calories a day.  In addition to increasing your fat burning potential, training your body against resistance will strengthen your bones and connective tissue and help to re-shape your body like a fine sculpture! 

 

 

 

I’m not eating hardly anything and I’m not losing any weight, what is going on!?

What is going on is your body has taken over the reigns and is now in control of your weight loss goal instead of you! 

Your metabolism has come to a screeching halt in an attempt to reserve calories for energy.  When you deprive your body of nutrients it goes into a “starvation” mode, slows down metabolically and begins to reserves fat stores for the famine it “thinks” you are going into by not eating.  You need to eat more!

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum daily caloric intake of 1,200 calories for women and 1,800 calories for men.  Keep in mind that this is a minimum recommendation and that total caloric intake needs are very personal and individual and you may require more than the minimum recommendation. 

 

I feel really great since I started working out and I’m getting into pants that I haven’t worn in years but I’m not losing any weight, what is wrong with me!?

Nothing is wrong; you are losing inches and getting leaner!  You see, muscle is denser than fat so it takes up less space on your body which is why your pants are fitting better.  You’re losing body fat and increasing lean tissue, i.e., muscle, and that is why the scale weight isn’t changing, you’re simply replacing fat with muscle, which is what you want to do because muscle burns fat!   

Don’t get caught up in “scale” weight.  Avoid an obsession with the scale and don’t weigh yourself every day and especially don’t get on the scale more than once a day.  Body weight fluctuates anywhere between 2-4 pounds daily depending on fluid intake and bodily processes.  Weighing yourself frequently will only discourage you if you get hung up on “scale” weight.  

The best way to assess your progress is through body fat and circumference measurements.  Have a professional measure your body fat and measure several sites on your body, such as the waist, belly, hips, and buttocks, with a tape measure.  After about 4-6 weeks of cleaning up your diet and following a consistent exercise program, that includes both cardiovascular and strength training activities, get re-measured to calculate your progress.  Note:  It is essential that you have the same person measure you both times to avoid inconsistencies with measurements.

 

 

I’ve been going to my step-aerobics class for over a year and when I first started the class I lost weight but now I am not seeing any changes at all in my body, what could be the problem and what do I need to do to start seeing a change in my body again?

The fact that you are no longer seeing results is a very common problem experienced by many exercisers who repeat the same workout day after day; you have simply hit a wall, also called a plateau.  Your body has become accustomed to the mode and intensity of the exercise that you keep performing day after day and it has become complacent with the activity and has ceased to change.  In other words, your body has gotten a little too comfortable with step-aerobics class and it needs a new challenge! 

To push past your plateau, you need to change up your workout routine and re-create an environment for change by giving your body a new challenge.  Try taking a different class for several weeks or get out of the gym completely and take a hike or ride your bike.  The point is to switch things up, add some spice and variety to your workout.  Your body will respond with a thank you that is delivered in the form of change!       

  

 

 

How much weight could I expect to lose in a week and what is the best way to lose it?

Weight loss is more appropriately about body fat loss and is founded on a little thing we know as energy!  Calories are units of energy, so, to lose body fat we need to create more energy expenditure while lowering our energy intake.  In other words; move more, eat less!

The best way to lose body fat, and keep it off, is slowly. Avoid crash and fad diets that severely restrict calories and healthy food groups, instead, rely on good old-fashioned exercise and healthy eats!

One-pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories.  To lose 1-pound per week, try creating a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories per day for 7 days for a total caloric deficit of 3,500 calories per week.  By creating this caloric deficit, and adding in physical activity, you should expect to lose about 1-2 pounds per week.

 

 

 

What about supplements, do I need to take supplements in order to see results?

Supplements are highly controversial and should be consumed with caution.    While I do believe that some supplements, like meal replacement shakes and protein powders, could enhance your ability to reach your health and fitness goals faster, I don’t believe that they are absolutely essential.  You can reach your health and fitness goals by eating a nutrient dense diet balanced in protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats while performing a consistent program of physical activity.  The only exception to this statement would be if you are an elite competitive athlete or in the business of competitive bodybuilding and you have gone through the appropriate medical testing and receive a physicians approval and recommendation for certain ergogenic aids designed to enhance performance, and then I would still proceed with caution.

Before you decided to consume any type of dietary supplement or ergogenic aid, you should first consult with your health care provider or primary health care physician. 

 

 

How important is water during my workout?

Hydration is essential not only during your workout, but also before and after your workout.  As a general rule, you should consume water in the hour leading up to your workout to hydrate your muscles and cells so that you don’t become dehydrated during your workout.  If your throat gets dry and you feel thirsty, you’ve waited too long.  During your workout you should consume approximately 8 ounces every 20-25 minutes or finish a 16 ounce bottle of water in an hour, even more if you are working out intensely and in hot or humid temperatures.  Immediately following your workout, down another 8-16 ounces of H2O to ensure you replenish the water lost during your workout.

 

If you are an extreme exerciser of if you will be exercising intensely for 60 minutes or more, you may benefit from a sports drink to replace electrolytes lost during sweating.  If you are exercising less than 60 minutes but you are sweating profusely due to the heat, you may also benefit from a sports drink.  Since most sports drinks are very high in sugar and calories, try diluting your sports drink with water and sip on it during your workout.  Gauge you intensity and modify your drink accordingly.