“Get Groupy!”

I really enjoy being an individual therapist.  I like the personal and intensive nature of individual therapy.   Whether the sessions are in person or virtual, a one-on-one session with a client can be a very powerful medium for growth and change.  There really is nothing quite like working with or participating in traditional therapeutic mono e mono relationships.

With the above said, I believe groups can be just as, if not more, influential for client growth.  I am a teacher at heart.  My goal right out of high school was to be a teacher. I studied education in college and began working in the field as soon as I graduated.  I taught for 8 years.  I worked with very difficult populations.  In some of these positions, I had to become an expert in lesson planning and content delivery.  Anything less and my desire to transmit learning was diminished.  After I left education, I embarked on a number of other endeavors.   Somehow, I always found a way to weave education into what I was doing.  As a therapist now, I am doing the same thing.

Groups are awesome!  As a leader, not much fills me with more joy than seeing clients light up and respond in a group setting.  Groups are an excellent vehicle to deliver safe spaces to process issues along with camaraderie.  I think participants in groups are often unaware of the impact the group experience is having on them.  Groups, by the very nature of their dynamic often stick with clients in a way that individual therapy cannot always.  In a group you are getting to know others.  Some of these people may be similar but also very different.  These sorts of dynamics light up the brain in unique ways.  There are all sorts of interesting neurological events happening during a group session.  Reading each other’s experience – noting responses – witnessing body language and others engagement … this all registers in the brain.  As a participant in groups in the past, I can still remember the words and behaviors of other clients as if it were just the other day.

Generally, two things happen in the group setting.  Groups process.  Processing is basically manifesting in either thought or words (spoken aloud) the present time experience.  Processing can involve engaging with memories, planning, expression, evaluation, judging, questioning, speculation, and a host of other events.  Processing can occur as a response to a prompt given by the group facilitator.  Processing can also occur as a response to other group members’ participation in the group.  The other primary component of groups is “psychoeducation”.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  Education that includes psychological content.

Processing is a great group dynamic.  Listening to what other group members say resonates greatly.  Psychoeducation not only often resonates but spawns learning new information.  One of the most common pieces of feedback I get from group participants is their appreciation for taught psychological content.  They tend to “eat up” even the most casual “lectures”.  I truly geek out when I see a client pull out a notepad and start writing in response to the material covered.  My personal teacher neural network lights up big time.  The content does not always have to be deep and personal.  I often cover basic “psych 101” content.  I also use diagrams and visual examples to deliver education.  Many clients draw the diagrams with the intention (I hope) to review outside of the group and further process.

Group therapy can be an integral part of psychological growth and development.  There is simply no substitute for a therapeutic group experience.  In vivo (real life) group experience is dynamic and novel.  The day-to-day experience group members often trump best laid plans bring with them.  In today’s world – more than any time before – people complain of disconnect though in some ways we are more connected than ever.  I believe the group experience can break down the barriers of disconnect and quickly establish familiarity with our fellow humans.  Groups give people who might not otherwise meet, a chance to meld and co-experience.  In our current societal state, groups serve such an important function that there may not be a better way to communicate or learn from one another out there.

 

A.L.F.A.S

Working in private practice is a unique experience.  I find myself needing to pull different “tools” out of my toolbox in sessions based on how my clients present.  In one session I might be using a structured approach – based on what we call a “theoretical orientation”.  In another I may be “freestyling” -  implementing multiple strategies to meet the client’s needs.  I like the idea of having some structure though.   It helps me focus the therapy when there is a need for direction, and it informs how I might delve into deeper levels of processing.  At my core, I am an educator and student.  Becoming a therapist has given me an opportunity to educate clients as well as learn from them.  What I have learned is that no two clients are exactly the same.  Using one uniform approach to treat each individual client is less than optimally productive.  At the same time – a formula or approach is especially useful when it comes to conceptualizing the person sitting across from you.

To that end, I have been developing a sort of formula or process by which I orient my therapy.  Full disclosure, I “borrowed” some of this inspiration from a book I have been reading lately.   The conceptualization is an acronym, ALFAS. 

A = attachment

L = love

F = fear (and anger)

A = abandonment

S = security

The basic idea is the therapeutic process involves addressing at least one or more of these phenomena.  Attachment obviously concerns childhood connections and adult lifestyles of attachment.  It can also mean the things we cling to for either reward, safety, or comfort.

Love can address a whole host of meanings – romantic love, love for family, love for other people, friends, even pets and inanimate objects (e.g., “I love this painting”)

Fear is one of the most fundamental experiences to process.  Not only does fear “infect” many areas of our lives, but it also relates to anger which is an experience that every human being experiences to different degrees.

Abandonment refers to the very disruptive experience of losing something that you come to rely on.  Abandonment can also include topics like neglect – never getting something you should have.

Finally, security refers to all things that we come to rely on as “needs” in order to be sound and stable.  Threats to security cause unsteadiness and discomfort.

The basic idea is that we can “tease” apart any topic a client is dealing with and find elements that relate to one or more ALFAS.

Relationships are a common cause for individuals seeking help.  When exploring the dynamics of any relationship, it is usually pretty clear to narrow down what is being activated.  It is the fact that a client has an unusually needy disposition in relationships.  The client might be uncertain what the concept of love in a relationship is supposed to be or feel like.  The client might fear being wrong about something and anger erupts as a response to contradictory evidence (often in arguments).  The client might have come to rely on something the partner was giving at one time and has now withdrawn.  Finally, the client may only find security if they and the partner only spend time at home together.  These are just a few examples.  The list of variables that exist in any given relationship is almost infinite.  Yet, the ALFAS helps us narrow down, hopefully quickly and efficiently, what is really happening.

As I said, this is a program/procedure that is currently in development, and I may very well find myself redefining or restructuring parts.  In the meantime, I hope to use it to assist my clients in finding the support they need to reach the goals that they brought to therapy with them.

 

PRACTICE

            In the therapeutic world, you may hear individuals refer to “my practice.” Usually, they are referring to a place where they, yes – practice their therapy. I don’t often hear therapists say I am practicing therapy.  You might hear doctors say I practice medicine, but I have not come across physicians that often use that phrasing. It almost hints at patients as something to be “tried out” on.  Wouldn’t it be funny if medical practitioners said “I am going to practice (fill in the blank with whatever medical specialty) today.  In essence though, isn’t that what people who work in medicine, physical or otherwise, do?  Each treatment is an opportunity to refine the craft of meeting patient’s needs.

            When considering joining a private practice, therapists are basically saying that they want to focus their treatment on individuals in a smaller, usually one on one population.  They may treat couples, families or even groups at a private practice. What is really happening behind the doors of a therapist’s office – what does practicing look like? Anyone who has ever experienced one on one therapy or therapy with a single provider, knows what it CAN be like. Each therapist has a unique style that may have a special focus (cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, trauma focused therapy, etc.). I consider myself a practitioner that uses multiple modalities when working with clients.

            So, when treatment is occurring, practice involves meeting the needs of each client with individual attention using a variety of techniques. This of course involves a great deal of listening. A therapist may provide feedback, reflect, and observe – question. Therapists may also share insights – educate (something that I include frequently) and even do things like assigning homework. Whatever that practice involves, it should hopefully include meeting the clients’ specific needs with individualized care.

            For myself, I do look at working with clients as a practice. I see each client as a chance to refine and grow my skill set as a therapist. Each client brings a new opportunity to absorb their experience and give more evolved treatment. Clients are always changing – hopefully growing (but not always) and assimilating. Hopefully, therapists are looking to change, grow and enhance their skills.

            I like to use Buddhist insights/teachings as part of my own mental health care and will often share them with clients. I see Buddhism as a psychology of sorts that has practical day to day lessons that can be applied immediately. I might say that I practice Buddhism but that doesn’t land quite right with me.  I think it might be more appropriate to say that I include Buddhist psychology as part of my practice or even more broadly, integrate “eastern philosophy.”  I find that the more you label your style, the more boxed in you can become. I will give further information about how I include these styles of thought and experiences in future posts. For now, I will just say that these practices assist me in being mindful of not only my own real time experience but my client’s experience as well.

 

Thanks so much for reading,

 

Andy

New LPC BLOG

My name is Andy Caraway. I am currently a licensed professional counselor in Colorado. I also hold an LPC in Missouri but am currently practicing in Colorado.  I have a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Avila University in Kansas City, MO and a M.S. in Education from the University of Kansas.  I am an addiction specialist and have also have experience working with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, personality disorders, sexual issues, and trauma. I like to include eastern philosophy into my treatment and have a person-centered style of therapy.  

This blog is not intended to give advice or direction and should not be considered medical. I do not hold an active medical license. My counselor training and practice has led me to develop a eclectic style of therapy that use multiple modalities including DBT, CBT, person-centered counseling, trauma informed treatment and mindfulness practices.

I hope I am able to share a little of what I have and continue to learn about the field of mental health and substance abuse, including personal antedoctal information from my own experience with these issues and concepts. As someone who has personal history with both substance abuse and mental health - this subject matter is one that I am passionate about and I truly practice out of a duty to be of service.

As a former educator, I enjoy educating clients (known as psychoeducation) about a variety of subjects that come up during therapy. I feel I have a strong brain based framework from which to approach certain mental health symptoms and also work hard to help clients to connect the mind to the body. As such, I employ some eastern psychology when it is appropriate and the client is receptive.

Group counseling is something I genuinely love as it blends my two greatest vocational passions; therapy and education. I believe that groups can serve clients in a way that is therapeutic from a social, cognitive, even biochemical way that individual sessions cannot. I also understand that individual therapy is essential in helping clients develop even greater insight to their behaviors and social/emotional experience.

3 Exercises Every Man (and most likely every woman) SHOULD be doing … and if you aren’t, then you're STUPID!

Long time no blog! Sorry for the stupid comment but I wanted to get people’s attention. For those of you who don’t already know, I spend part of my week working at a doctor’s office just for men. I have a gym facility there on site where I do some personal training and “fitness education” as I like to call it. My real passion there is getting to work with guys that who may or may not have been athletic at one time in their lives that have let themselves go and/or don’t know how to work with the body they have now. So I am not necessarily that type of “trainer” that pushes you to during your workouts (although I can do that) or barks at you about what you need to eat or not eat (because as well all know – that is definitely my demon). Rather, I am a trainer whose goal is to educate men how to work out smartly so they don’t get hurt and can work on their other fitness goals.

With the above said, I have learned that there are many, many men out there that need to be doing certain exercises and for whatever reason, are not. I am not going to go in to long descriptions of how to do these exercises, rather I am going to tell you what they are, a little about them, why guys need to be doing them and what happens when they are not.

Back Row

Done seated or standing this exercise is basically pulling an apparatus (most likely a bar of some sort) to your midsection engaging many of the muscles of the back.

Why? The back is the largest group of muscles in the upper body. The “lats” along each side of the back are big slabs of beef that assist in a variety of pulling and supporting motions. The muscles of the mid and upper back are very powerful tools which when developed help hold your posture upright and keep your shoulders pulled back and chest out (how we should look).

When you don’t work these muscles you essentially get “flat back syndrome”. This leads to slouching and again, flat back. Not only does this not do much for your posture but also it looks bad over the years. And lack of balance in the back muscles can begin to impact how your shoulders engage leading to increased chance for injury.

Slight Incline Chest Press

I actually prefer that guys do this on a bench with either dumbbells, a barbell, or even on a machine if you can adjust it accordingly. I prefer that the bench be a little less than a 45 degree incline, maybe like a 30. This reduces the chance of this becoming more of a shoulder press and really hits the mid to upper section of the chest.

Why? When men get older, things can sag left unattended. Many men have done some form of pressing (usually bench pressing) in their lifetime. Some men may still have fairly well developed chest muscles even though they haven’t lifted weights for some time. Most men have not worked the upper portion of their chest with this type of exercise. Using this exercise, you can create balance to the chest musculature top to bottom.

If you look at many men’s profile you will notice a slope to the chest from right below the clavicle (collar bone) down towards the nipple. Yep, it kind of starts to look like a breast when left unattended. Plus if you store some body fat around your lower chest … well let’s just say it isn’t pretty.

1 legged Leg Exercises (that challenge stability and balance while developing muscle).

I do a variety of exercises to address this with men. Things as simple as standing on a bench with a slight bent knee while doing leg lifts with the other to the side (Try it – do about 20 to 25 per side and tell me it is easy) or stepping up on to a bench with one leg while holding hand weights.

Why? First – cardio is not legwork. Second – most people haven’t done exercises to challenge their balance for years and are very surprised how much their ability has declined over the years. Third – the legs are the biggest muscle group in the body and thus burn the most amounts of calories. Fourth – if you don’t work on balance and structural stability as you age – it will come back to haunt you! Muhwaa ha ha ha ha! (That was my attempt at a scary laugh) Also, the musculature around the knee joint as well as in your ankles needs to be challenged to improve overall function. Many times men have had injuries or things as simple as gait patterns that has caused imbalance. Working legs separately will keep one leg from doing the work of the other.

Guys that don’t do this are often unbalanced in the leg department. Some have inner thigh weakness and others outer thigh weakness. Over time imbalance can lead to pressure on the knee joint that can lead to injury. Even the butt (which is the biggest single muscle in the body) and hamstrings can slag over time when not addressed. You want to have nice development in your lower half because most of the time – nice development means nice function.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Are you a User or Abuser???

In my work I am often in conversations that go a little something like this.

"Yeah my _____________ is really sore, especially after I ____________." Or, "I have a lot of trouble with my ______________, especially after I have _____________."

OK, so now that your mind has filled in the blanks with all sort of inappropriate things, let me direct you towards what I am getting at. Many times I hear about what people have that bothers them and what sorts of activities (or non-activities) aggravate their issues. What I don't hear is what they are doing to solve the problem. And when they do talk about the solving the problem, it is often a last resort/drastic attempt at a solution.

Perfect example, and this did just happen to me today. A friend of mine and I were working out at the same time. He says to me, "man my shoulder is still jacked up!" Then he tells me that after softball season he is going to have it scoped and possibly operated on! So I ask him, "well what are you working on today?" He says "shoulders and arms". He also explains how he has a softball game later that night!!! So I say something about him "stretching it and icing it after all that activity" and he just sort of mumbles something about "yeah I need to do more of that". To add insult to injury, I then see him working his shoulders doing overhead dumbbell presses which are notoriously rough on the shoulders if you do not have adequate flexibility and muscular balance!!!

Bingo! There you have it. You have a guy who has a nagging injury. He plans to have it operated on to some extent but not until his softball season is over. And he is doing nothing in the meantime to see if he can alleviate the pain/solve his problem but is continuing to do exercises that are known problem causers!!! DUHHHHHHH!!!! (And this guy is a doctor!!! Sorry, I love my doctor friends but most of them are the most stubborn of all!)

Time and time again I hear things like this. People are not using their bodies but abusing their bodies. When they can't bare it any longer, their first thought is a doctor and surgery! I also experience a lot of people talking about what happens when they aren't using their bodies enough. Like when people sit at a desk all day or they do activities that cause a lot of repetitive motion as part of a job or hobby. Yet when I ask them what they are doing to counteract that activity or inactivity .... nothing!!!

So now hear this! I do declare that most people are body users and abusers!!! To combat this problem I suggest the following steps:

• When problems develop ... consider the activities or inactivity that has maybe contributed to the said problem over
• Think about what strategies you can use to help alleviate the problem (Stretching, icing, elevating, getting up and moving around every so often when seated for long periods of time, etc.)
• Realize that your methods for solving a problem are not going to work over night necessarily. Time and consistent attention to the problem are going to be needed. You can't treat an area every now and then or when you feel like it ... you have to do it every day and do it after every activity that may involve the problem area

Here is a list of common problems/symptoms I hear people complaining about and what someone should do to treat the affected area:

Low Back Pain: Almost always due to weak abdominals (especially lower) and tight hamstrings

Solution - stretch your hamstrings daily - especially after activity where your legs are being used and work to strengthen your abdominals focusing on the lower portion) If you sleep on your side, put a pillow between your legs.

Shoulder pain: People want to almost immediately blame the rotator cuff and it is true that this is a sensitive area that can be aggravated by a variety of activities.

Solution - Again, stretching this area after most weight training activities, even cardio (due to the jarring motion) and after activities where you have used your arms a lot especially in a repetitive motion (example: gardening). Ice the joint after activity as well. Finally work on warming up the joint with specific rotator exercises (internal, external) before activity and increasing your strength and range of motion in and around the shoulder through weight training and flexibility training. Also with shoulders - pay special attention to sleeping habits.

Knee trouble: If I had a nickel for every person who told me their knees were shot, I would be a rich man! There are several ligaments and tendons here that are susceptible to tears and musculature around the knee that takes a lot of abuse.

Solution - Again! Stretch the muscles of the thigh (front and back) but especially the front. Make sure to stretch the knee through appropriate ranges of motion. Also - work on your hip flexors (front above the thigh). Again - icing after aggravation can help. Avoid activities that cause pounding and avoid locking the knees during activity. Finally learn exercises that strengthen the musculature of the knee as well as help you gain more stability and balance!

Thanks for reading

Andy

I'm So Negative!

Before I get into the point of this blog post - I wanted to share a little with what is going on with me physically. My idea was to work on adding some muscle until Memorial Day weekend and then begin a "cutting" or leaning out process. That hasn't gone so well. Basically, as always, social activities and too many opportunities to splurge has prevented me from keeping my caloric intake and macronutrients where they need to be. So instead of bumming out and "getting fat", I have decided to use this time to work on gaining a little more muscle. Since I know I have been eating a lot of calories - I have tailored my training to use those calories to build muscle. And as you know if you are a reader of my posts - building muscle should be of utmost importance for everyone as I firmly believe that it keep you strong, firm, solid, functional and healthy. But enough of all that ...

Lately I have had a lot of conversations with people about how they are lifting weights. Something that I often think should be or is common knowledge (but I was reminded recently that it is not) is what a repetition consists of. Basically you have a positive (force moving the weight) part of each rep and then a negative (force controlling the weight to opposite position). So like on a chest press - the positive is pushing the weight out away from you and the negative is controlling the weight as it returns towards your body.

Often times in the gym, you will see people that focus very little attention on the negative. Instead of controlling the weight as it returns to position - they let gravity take hold and it drops. They control it just enough not to let it land - but actually that does more harm than good because stopping a weight from falling with little or no control is hard on the joints and connective tissue (tendons, ligaments).

In each rep or movement with a weight you have the opportunity to take advantage of both the positive and the negative. Failing to "work" the negative means failing to benefit from half the rep. That means you are only accomplishing HALF of the work you think you are doing. In fact from what I understand, the negative or working against gravity portion of the rep is actually responsible for greater muscle fiber recruitment and thus can lead to more "gains".

So what does this mean to you? Next time you are working with weights be it machines or free weights ... think about the movement you are doing. Where are you exerting a force to move the weight and then where is gravity taking over and the weight is falling. On that second part - control the weight - don't just let it fall. In fact - go a little slower like take 2 to 3 seconds to lower the weight versus the one second it usually takes (or less) to move the weight initially. Doing so will not only help you get way more out of the movement but will most likely leave you feeling as if your muscles accomplished so much more (usually from a little extra soreness).

Thanks for reading ...

Andy

I'm a "Bodybuilder"!

Lately whenever people ask me what I do for work, I hesitate to answer. Although my certification labels me a personal trainer, I have begun to think of myself in different terms. True, some of what I do is simply put people through workouts. But even then, my work with those individuals has sort of taken on a new life. I feel like my real goal is to build their bodies into stronger, more flexible, more functional, more efficient, healthier machines.

When I first get a client or even when I am working with clients on a regular basis, I try to keep one thing in mind. What can we do with this individuals body to make them work, look, and feel better. As such, my training has evolved into a more comprehensive process. Sure I want to make sure that we get our heart rates up some and work our muscles (I don't do a lot of cardio with my clients because, although it is good to a point, eventually it breaks a body down.). But now it isn't just about working the muscles. It is about making them more functional. Making them work in conjunction with other muscle groups so there is more balance. Creating balance though addressing areas that need to be improved and enhancing strengths is my focus now.

When I look at a individuals physique. I often watch how they move and what sorts of ranges of motion they have. Then I look at their aesthetic balance. People always say to me - "I am not trying to look like Mr. Universe" as if adding muscle in all the right spots will morph them into some muscle bound freak. I always respond with a giggle because I know what it takes for those muscle bound freaks to look like that. The fact is though, more often than not - an aesthetically pleasing physique with developed musculature in the right places is also a functional physique.

I often get a little self conscious when I start talking about building bodies and well developed musculature. I always worry that I don't embody the picture of ideal physical development. But for those of you have read previous posts - you know that what I look like now is a far cry from what I was given to work with genetically. Sure I had a decent sized frame, but my muscle bellies were long and not prone to growth. So I have had to work hard and long for years to develop a body that is finally functional and that I am happier with. With all that said, I also get a little self conscious because I wonder if people think it odd that I talk all this talk about physical development but then see me eating and drinking a little too much at times. Well, all I can say about that is that I try my darndest to pay the piper every day in the gym. Even though I might enjoy myself a little too much which may sometimes mask what I do with my body in the gym - the fact is - I still practice what I preach in the gym every single day. Because of this I can honestly say that I believe this is why I remain relatively injury free and feel strong and healthy.

“I always heard that …”

I have worked with some folks lately that have made statements to the effect of “I always heard that …” and then fill in the blank with some little nugget of information related to working out and/or dieting. Which makes me ponder, where do all these little pieces of information come from. After thinking about it for a while, I realize that there is a ton of talk and most likely literature out there filling peoples minds with tidbits of information. When I open our local paper on Wednesdays I always chuckle at the “exercises” so called trainers are demonstrating as ways to “fight the bulge” or “tighten those areas”. The trainer in me screams out … “NO – you can’t just randomly tell people to do those exercises, they need to make sure they are paying attention to this variable and that variable”. But then I take my chill pill, realize that if it gets people out there and moving, then it must be some good. But I digress.

To me there is science and/or fact in the training world and then everything else. With that said, I also KNOW that everyone is different. So “I always heard that …” statements really are ambiguous as everyone responds slightly differently to various strategies. The following list is a set of things that I think get floated around gyms that can lead to confusion. Hopefully the following provides some clarification so you can be more confident when you say, “I always know that”!

1. Amounts of cardio, types of cardio, and intensities of cardio should be varied and definitely vary from person to person. But there is one thing that I can say after years of being in this field is a universal. Cardio should be done after weights! If your goal is to burn fat, gain muscle, tone, etc. … Even if it is to bulk up – cardio should always come after weights. I will not go into a diatribe about the science behind this. But just know that your body needs to use the stuff most available at the beginning of your workouts to get the most out of your weights. After that, the cardio will use the “stuff” that you want it to use to complete your cardio!

2. Rep ranges are not universal. There are common ranges that are used to accomplish certain goals when working with weights – lower for strength, moderate from muscle building, and slightly higher for maintenance and “toning”. But everyone responds to rep ranges a little differently depending on the composition of their muscle fibers. As such everyone should experiment and rotate rep ranges.

3. No one set of diet rules applies to everyone but there are some things that do. Basically, what I mean is that not everyone should be eating the same macronutrient profile and same sorts of foods. However there are definitely themes that should be part of every diet. Get plenty of protein (at least .8 grams per pound of body weight), eat plenty of green and leafy vegetables, avoid foods with high concentrations of sugars and/or “bad” fats … butters, syrups, candies, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, fried foods, etc. and of course eat smaller more periodic meals – at least 5 per day vs. the traditional 3.

4. Body types have a huge influence on what sort of training you will respond to. There are three types of bodies – I call them short and stocky, long and lean, and combination of the two. (Others would call them ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs). The reality is that a lot of people have combinations of these body types. For instance I am longer and leaner but also have elements of the in between type as well as short and stocky. Which I might mention is such a blessing (the tone here is sarcasm) as I have the worst elements of each. I am long and don’t gain muscle very easy but at the same time I can gain fat easily as I tend not to have a high metabolism. What this really get’s at is frames and muscle fibers. Depending on what sort of frame you have and what sort of muscle fiber types you have – this will impact what sort of training your body best responds to. So saying that one sort of training is the way to go just doesn’t work, as we are all so unique!

There is a lot more to discuss when it comes to science vs. gym mythology that floats around there and the thousands of different variables that people read about related to fitness and training. For now though, I will leave you with at least a partial list of what I think everyone should say, “I always know that …”.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Everything you need to know about your diet ...

Okay folks, here it is! The obligatory New Year’s blog post about what YOU need to do to finally make the changes you want. For this entry I will be focusing on diet. I am on my own quest to finally have my dietary plan in good working order so I thought it appropriate to review the details here. What I am going to share with you is the TRUTH … the science and facts behind what I am writing are there. If you apply these things – you will see the changes you want! As we all know – it is about discipline and motivation, but using this information will help you make the changes you need. I am going to try and be as simple as possible because I think diet information often gets super convoluted. And since it is 2010 I thought it appropriate to also give you a list of 10! So without further adieu:

1. You must eat breakfast and it must be a combination of protein and carbohydrates. Ideally the amounts would be equal. Eggs, turkey sausage, protein powder in your pancakes/waffles (like I do) are just a few ideas. Watch your sugar intake with regards to juices, fruits, and other sugar in breakfast products … which leads me to …

2. Understand the glycemic index. If you eat too much sugar at one setting or eat foods that are highly processed carbohydrates (cereal would be an example) then your insulin will shoot out of your pancreas to “act” on that sugar to regulate it. Sugar and processed foods digest quickly so before the insulin has time to “act” on it, the food is digested. This leaves a lot of insulin floating in your blood with nothing to do. And so it stores itself as fat. Insulin is really good at that. Which is where you get that whole type-2 diabetic thing. (I may not have been all scientifically articulate here – but this is the gist)

3. Eat at least 5 small meals a day – sometimes even six. Small means no bigger than your hand. And at least your palm should be protein in most meals!

4. Base your diet around protein. Lean beef (don’t be afraid), Bison (again, don’t be afraid), chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, and even nuts and beans are all protein sources. Shoot for more protein than anything else. It keeps you full and keeps your muscles “full”! Every cell in your body is protein. Protein is made of amino acids that help make your muscles. Muscle mass burns fat! Protein will help slow digestion of carbs when ingested together. Protein! Protein! Protein!

5. Try to limit your starchy and processed carbs to early in the day. If you must have anything like pasta or cereal – do it before 1 or 2. A whole grain bread on a sandwich might be okay if you stop there. Remember your portions!

6. Green is your friend! Broccoli, green leafy things, asparagus, etc. These are the best veggies to eat and you can eat all you want without hardly any consequence. But be careful what you dress them up with – or they quickly are negated! Best time to eat these is ALWAYS – but nighttime is a good time to put these in place of other carbs. Fyi – I hate this one and really have a hard time with it!

7. Don’t freak out about all fat. Some fat is good and essential. Fats in fish and nuts are great. A little olive oil is cool. Too much animal fat and things like butter … that is where you get into trouble.

8. IF you lift weights (which you should do at least 3 times a week) – an exception to the “quickly digesting carbohydrate avoidance rule” comes into play. After you have thoroughly worked your muscles – they can benefit from a moderate does of “sugar”. But you must combine this with a protein. This is where a meal replacement shake comes in real handy.

9. Try and get in the habit of consuming at least 1 meal replacement or protein shake a day. This can sometimes be a meal replacement bar. Again, good amount of protein … not too much sugar (less than 15 grams) and moderate fat in your post workout meal.

10. We (as a general population) don’t get enough protein, enough veggies, enough minerals, or enough water. Supplement. Invest in a good quality multi-vitamin (I really like liquid multivitamins), drink at least 8 to glasses of water a day, and focus on eating more protein than you are used to.

That’s it. Nothing earth shattering. If anything, it is a reminder for all of us. Hopefully this is simple and not too wordy. Of course feel free to contact me do discuss this further if you have any thoughts/questions. Print it out and put it somewhere as a reminder of what you need to focus on every day if that helps.

As always,

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Christmas Time Rant and Rave!

Let me start by saying that this will not be one of those Christmas time messages where “healthy people” tell you all of the things you should do over the holidays to avoid gaining weight. I sort of think that is always so cliche how people think that imparting some words of wisdom during this time of year related to diet and exercise is in some way helpful. What really annoys me is when I see people trying to “be good” during the holidays. It just makes me think that they are just practicing a form of deprivation which we all know eventually leads to indulgence and over-indulgence. It’s a big picture people and you have to live a little. At the same time, going crazy during the holiday season doesn’t do you much good so I guess the message is moderation … moderate your control and moderate your allowance.

But enough about me, how about me? I have recently shaved a solid 10 lbs. off and much more importantly lost a good inch or more off of my waist. I figured I would get a jump-start on the New Year by starting to take care of business now rather than later. Nothing earth shattering about how I did it … just portion control, smaller and frequent meals, limiting my carbohydrate intake (to about 150 to 200 grams a day), moderating my fat and making sure it is mostly healthy fat, and trying to get as much protein as possible. Add to that great workouts with weights followed by some cardio almost every day and it has been relatively easy.

On to more important matters. Many of you know I now work with a medical facility. Being around the medical system more (also because I have had to go to the doc for a rare foot injury) has made me think a bunch about what is happening in our medical care system. No, this is not a diatribe on health care insurance matters so keep reading. What I have observed is that there is a LOT of people getting health care. And a lot of them are of course over weight and/or not optimally healthy. Of course I think to myself that if these people would just get into the gym and practice better lifestyle habits then so many of them would be able to avoid the doctor. But that is simplifying things. There are some REALLY unhealthy people out there. There are some people that are practicing eating habits that are absolutely insane. I have heard of people engaging in daily diets that drive their insulin levels through the roof and gorge their circulatory systems with “gunk”! And often these people think that they aren’t eating that badly. It seems to me that there is still a massive amount of misunderstanding about what proper diets should look like.

And then I go to the gym. And there I see that other population of people who abuse their bodies’ daily. Not by what they put into it but by what they do to themselves through exercise. I think I should of gone into orthopedics or pain management so then I could go to the gym and just hand out my card left and right to people performing exercises improperly. It is absolutely amazing how many people I see misusing equipment and performing exercises that are slowly but surely injuring them. Again, I say. Ask 10 random people in your life if they have some sort of nagging injury or ailment that keeps them from living optimally. I believe you will find that the ones who go to the gym will tell you that the have to work around it to keep from injuring things further and the ones who don’t will tell you why that injury means they can’t go to the gym because of how limited they are.

I haven’t even touched on all of the abuse that goes on with regards to drugs and alcohol … and especially of late, prescription drugs. Plus you have all the people that are dealing with psychosomatic issues that drive them to believe that they need things that they don’t. It all get’s overwhelming to me and makes my head hurt. (Maybe I should see a doctor … just kidding!) I guess what I mean to convey with this post is that it feels like we live in a nation of people that misuse and abuse their bodies left and right and then seek treatment from a system that is, from what I hear, a little out of whack but depends on repeat customers. Well if what I have seen lately is a representation of what is going on all around the country, then I think doctors are going to be doing just fine for many years to come.