So what does an MMA fighter eat?

Over the past few months, I've heard about MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting on the radio or on the internet several times. I'm not sure if this already popular full contact combat sport is having another surge in popularity or if I'm more attuned to it since a friend of mine began training. If MMA doesn't ring a bell, you may be more familiar with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), an MMA promotional company.

Whether you are a follower of the sport or not, you have to respect the amount of dedication and training these athletes undergo. Besides basic athletic training; cardiovascular conditioning, speed training, resistance training and flexibility, these athletes also are trained in a number of traditional martial art such as kickboxing, full contact Karate, Greco-Roman wrestling, Brazillian Jui-Jitsu, etc. Sound intense? It is!

Like any athlete training for hours every day, an MMA fighter needs to be aware of the fuel their providing their body. Without proper nutrition, their performance will suffer. So, what does an MMA fighter eat? I turned to my friend Brandon's blog to find out. Brandon has been formally training as an MMA fighter since December. In addition to spending hours a day pushing himself to his physical and mental limits, he is also a father, husband and Army drill sergeant. For someone who's exercise routine is as thick as the Sunday paper, it turns out his diet is not much different than what I recommend to my clients; in fact, some of his recommendations mirror mine exactly. So here it is from the mouth of an MMA fighter:

O.k., so to give you an idea of what someone like me eats to try to keep a moderately healthy diet, I'll give you a few examples. You might even try these yourself if you're thinking of positively changing the way you eat while still keeping it interesting and tasty.

I have just a few main rules that I feel are essential to any real diet:
1. No fast food! Avoid as long as humanly possible.
2. Avoid salt whenever possible. Replace with other herbs like basil, garlic, pepper, etc.
3. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. For me, just a few drinks a month will slow my muscle recovery and impede my endurance, speed, and overall drive.
4. Avoid pork at all costs! Also try to avoid red meats. Eat poultry and fish as much as possible. Poultry is leaner, contains more protein and water, and has less nitrates.

One of the major upsides to the following "recipes" are that they are simple to prepare, thus saving time or energy for someone who is already tired from working out.

For someone like me, who LOVES to eat and is working out regularly, it is important to make sure that I'm taking in proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates (both simple and complex), and getting plenty of natural vitamins from fruit and veggies.

I've found that adding fruits to my diet really makes a difference with my endurance during my workouts.

BREAKFAST: For quick and easy preparation, I have a plastic container already containing a mixture of nuts and raisins or some type of dried fruit, maybe also some kind of seeds.

I don't even like nuts, but when I mix them with other foods, I mostly don't notice them. Anyway, I add about a handful of this mixture to one of the following:

1. Bran flakes cereal (I prefer Honey Bunches of Oats)
- add one whole banana, sliced (for potassium, which is great for your muscles)

2. Oatmeal (instant)

3. Yogurt (Light & Fit)

All three of these are easy fixes, with a huge plus for saving time. I tend to go with the cereal most often, because it combines a greater amount of simple carbohydrates with my complex-carb mixture, which aids in providing quick energy for my first workout of the day. Plus, if I start to get bored with it, I can always change the cereal brand.

4. Another breakfast option includes good ol' fashion eggs and toast. These provide amino acids (for protein) and carbohydrates, respectively, both of which are essential in building new muscle, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make everything. Once in a while, I'll reheat a chicken breast in the pan (leftover from dinner) for added protein and to help fill me up.

Instead of butter, I use Pam Butter Spray when cooking the eggs. Instead of salt, I just use a garlic/pepper blend, and sometimes crushed red pepper.

On the toast, I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, which has no calories or sodium. I have heard that eggs are high in cholesterol, but the amount of amino acids you get from them is so good for your muscles. Since I don't use butter, I have no guilt over eating eggs and toast twice a week.

Keeping the sodium (salt) in your diet to a minimum is key for good blood pressure, and it helps avoid retaining unneeded water weight. So, cutting out salted butter and salted seasonings really can make a difference.

Thank you for sharing Brandon! You've got some great advice! Be sure to check out Brandon's blog to follow his journey as an MMA fighter!

Change it up NOW: The key to exercise fullfilment!

If your still following the same exercise routine as you were last year, shame on you! Sure, it's fabulous your still working out but chances are if your still attending that same kickboxing class or hitting the same 30 minute express workout as last February, your in a major exercise rut. If your one of the exceptional few who are consistently taking valuable time out of your busy day to exercise, you deserve to get the most out of every workout. Doing the same repetitive workouts month after month is robbing you of your potential.

The truth is, our bodies adapt to the challenges we place on them and if your not challenging yourself in new ways, it's likely your weight loss has reached a plateau and your not finding exercise very fulfilling anymore. Just like in our career, once we reach our yearly objectives it's time to review what we've accomplished, set new goals, and improve our performance. The same goes for exercise. In order to get excited about improving your health and become more confident in your capabilities, you need to keep your exercise routine fresh.

Remember that first personal training session or first 5K race? Wasn't it empowering to know you accomplished something you didn't think possible? Wasn't it fulfilling to know you spent time and money on something that was valuable to both your body and spirit? You deserve to feel excited and fulfilled after EVERY workout. The only way to do that is to set new goals and try something new!

Here are a few ways to freshen up your workout and make exercise new and exciting again:

- Try a new class. Sure, bootcamps may seem intimidating but did you know they are the fastest growing fitness trend of the decade? The reason is simple. They appeal to people who like adventure, recreation, challenge, social camaraderie, and excitement. They are effective for people who just started working out and want to lose weight and for athletes who are looking to diversify their workouts. Basically, everyone benefits from fitness bootcamps because the ever changing workout keeps you invigorated and challenged. Essentially, bootcamps mimic small group personal training at an affordable price. Today, almost all gyms offer a bootcamp class but to get a genuine experience, search for one with a specialized instructor that takes place outdoors. I am thrilled to start teaching my bootcamps this Spring.

- Sign up for a race. Whether it is your first 5K or second marathon, races are jam packed with energy, camaraderie and fun! Often the event has tons of free giveaways and food after the finish. Some races even turn into a party with free beer and music. Better yet, many races help support a good cause, talk about an exciting and valuable use of your time and money! If you've never run or walked in a 5K, what are you waiting for? Races are held regularly in almost all cities. Free training programs can be found online.

- Try a new program. I'm not one to endorse specific exercise programs but after my pregnancy, I did Beachbody's P90X program and got back in shape in record time. Even I was surprised at the results. The beauty of this workout was it was a specific program; it lasted 90 days. It was highly effective during those 90 days but like most programs, it taught me some new techniques I've integrated in my current program but isn't meant to be a permanent exercise regimen. Participate in a program at your gym or in your community for a new challenge. Many gyms and businesses offer "endurance" or "weight-loss" challenges. Take advantage of these unique opportunities. Need a kick-in the-butt? Sign-up for a month or two of personal training. Even if you can't afford a long commitment, your trainer will introduce you to tons of new equipment and exercises. They also should leave you with a program to follow independently and shouldn't make you feel bad for deciding to venture out on your own.

Remember, exercise should do way more than keep your body in good physical shape. It also should keep your spirit healthy, provide a mental challenge and keep you excited about life. Make the most of your time and energy, make a commitment to try something new today!

I'm Exercising, Now What?

We all know finding the right balance between calories in and calories out is essential to weight loss. We also know the importance of incorporating both proper nutrition and exercise. Studies show that weight loss through diet alone is possible but not necessarily sustainable. This is because drastic dieting is not a life-long change and the lack of carbohydrate supplies can cause muscle degradation as your body literally feeds off itself. There is no way around it folks, if you want to make a change you need to sweat regularly and take an honest look at your diet.

The truth is, when it comes to losing weight exercising can sometimes be the "easy" part. Perhaps you've found a fun group fitness class your motivated to attend or your working with a personal trainer a few times per week and they rarely let you off the hook. Irregardless of the means, you've taken an important step in becoming a healthier individual. The only problem, despite your honest attempts at exercise the numbers on the scale refuse to budge. If this is the case, it's time to take a closer look at basic physiology and your caloric exchange.

As we increase exercise, a number of things happen that can effect the numbers on the scale. First, we are building lean muscle. In as little as 4-6 weeks we can measurably increase our muscle mass. Muscle is almost 20% more dense than fat. You can see how despite our clothes fitting better, an increase in muscle mass can "fool" the scale. In addition, water weight can actually increase for several weeks at the start of an exercise program. As our energy demands increase, our body may start storing additional water in order to help replenish glycogen stores. Water weight gain may have an even higher impact in people who were perpetually dehydrated prior to starting their exercise routine. Rest assured, after a few weeks our body realizes we are providing plenty of water and water retention will even itself out. I recommend using circumference measures around your waist and hips to help measure changes in your physique. If you insist on weighing yourself, do it no more than once a week at the same time, preferably first thing in the AM. Give your body a few weeks to adjust to the new demands your placing it under before putting it under the microscope.

Finally, we must be honest about our daily eating patterns and not use exercise as an excuse to consume more calories. Although moderate exercise has been shown to decrease appetite immediately following exercise (this is due to blood being redirected to our working muscles from our digestive system), some people may overcompensate at meal times. Honestly gauging portion sizes as well as calorie intake is essential.

I once had a client who came to me complaining about their lack of weight loss despite their hard core exercise routine. After probing him on specific details of his diet, he finally revealed he was drinking 2 high calorie protein shakes every morning and eating 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. In addition, he was drinking a "recovery" drink after every workout that contained 300 calories per bottle. YIKES! Rest assured, our bodies are built to handle physical activity and as long as we have a well-rounded diet, and aren't a professional athlete; rarely do we need to "supplement" with extra protein, carbohydrate drinks, etc.. Mostly these are gimmicks that our body only ends up storing as fat.

The trick to not overcompensating on calories with additional exercise is to eat small sensible meals often. Yogurt is a great pre and post-workout snack providing calcium and protein. Throw in a little granola if you had an especially tough workout or need a little crunch. Fresh fruit is a great way to prime your tank without going overboard on calories. Try some low-fat soups with dinner to help fill you up before overindulging in your main dish. Need a special treat at night? Opt for a 100-calorie snack with a little bit of fat-free pudding. The key is to never go hungry so you don't risk the pitfall of overcompensating at meal times.

The most important aspect of weight-loss is to trust the science and make long-lasting changes. Give your bodies a chance to adapt to your new healthy lifestyle. Permanent change takes time both psychologically and physiologically. If your honest about your exercise and nutrition, you've been working out for eons and your weight still refuses to budge, stay tuned for my next post on getting out of an exercise rut.