My name is Tracey Greenwood and welcome to “Training with Tracey”, my section of the iFORCE Nutrition website. Here I can communicate to you some important information and techniques I use as a successful professional fitness competitor and sports physiologist. Before we get into the details I want to congratulate you for taking an important step in improving your health and quality of life. I have devoted my life to health and fitness and I am excited to have the opportunity to share with you some of my knowledge and experience. I am finishing my PhD in Exercise Physiology and regularly compete as a professional fitness contestant, so I am frequently asked about my training and dietary routine. I have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions and want to share them with you. Remember, the goal is to achieve healthy weight loss by lowering body fat and strengthening your body not simply to “lose weight”. By toning your muscles with regular exercise you will increase your metabolism, burn fat, and strengthen your body. Diet and exercise is the winning plan for successful body fat reduction.

Dietary supplements are also an important part of my routine. It has been proven, and I can attest, that scientifically derived, and quality produced, products can be beneficial to your program. An effective weight loss supplement like Adipoxil™, from iFORCE Nutrition, can amplify the metabolic activity in your body. Supplements are not magic bullets and will not work by themselves. They will not erase bad foods, or replace exercise. But, if you do the right things they can help accelerate your weight loss. I like Adipoxil™ because it targets fat specifically and helps protect the muscle. And it provides me a good burst of energy without ingredients like ephedra. So, I get the fat burning and energizing effects without the side effects. Because I need to be in competition form all year long, I take Adipoxil™ every day.

Let’s get to some of the questions I am most frequently asked…

1. Is weight training or aerobic exercise better for weight loss?

The most ideal exercise program is a combination of both weight training & aerobic exercise when trying to loss weight. You should perform aerobic exercise (cycling, walking, running, stair climbing, etc) 4-5 days per week for 30 – 60 minutes depending on your level of fitness. You should choose an intensity level that is challenging for you, but too hard that you cannot last for the duration of the exercise. This will help your body to use both its stored carbohydrates initially for energy and its stored fat towards the middle of the duration of exercise. A weight training program should be performed 3-5 days per week depending on how your weight training program splits up the muscle groups. If you do a total body workout, 2-3 days with 24-48 hours rest in between training days is sufficient. If you train one muscle group per day, then it will be necessary to weight train 4-5 days per week. Weight training will increase your metabolism because it increases the density of the mitochondria in the muscle cell. The mitochondria is the place in the cell where fats are oxidized (burned).

2. How can I give up my favorite high fat foods?

You do not have to give them up all together! If you follow a healthy low fat, low glycemic carbohydrate , high protein diet during the week… treat yourself to a CHEAT MEAL every Saturday night! This actually helps to increase your metabolism since it has been used to following the same foods for several days. Pizza and ice cream every Saturday night is my favorite!!

3. What are Carbohydrates and are they bad?

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients in the body that provide energy. Fats and proteins are the other two macronutrients. Carbohydrates come in the forms complex and simple sugars. Complex carbohydrates consist of starches and fiber. Carbohydrates are in the form of glucose when they are eaten and stored as glycogen. Depending on the “glycemic index” of the carbohydrate will determine the level of glucose. When glucose increases, the body’s level of insulin increases to help reduce the level of glucose and bring the body’s blood sugars back to normal levels. Insulin also plays another role… it inhibits lipolysis (fat breakdown)! It is best to choose carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index such as oats, green vegetables, apples, pears, grapefruit, brown rice, non-fat yogurt. Etc. A good breakdown of your total calories is 40% low glycemic carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20% fats.

4. How can I make healthy food choices at a restaurant?

When eating out at restaurants, pick foods that are not high in fat, such as chicken, turkey, vegetables, etc. Make sure the entrée` does not contain any special sauces that may be high in fat and sodium. If I have to eat out and is not my CHEAT NIGHT… I always ask my server to not cook my vegetables in butter… ask for them steamed. I also ask for salad dressing on the side or simply stay with oil & vinegar. I usually stick with one of the huge dinner salads and have them add chicken to it or I order a chicken, seafood or steak entrée with vegetables. I stay away from the pastas and send the breadbasket back! Believe me… every restaurant I have ever eaten is more than happy to accommodate my requests!

5. How many calories should I eat each day?

This is very individualized. Each person requires a different amount of calories based on their metabolic needs and activity level. It is best to begin with calculating your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE). This is the minimum energy needed to maintain basic physiological functions in your body (e.g. heart rate, muscle function and respiration). To directly measure your REE would require sophisticated and expensive equipment, but to get a quick estimate … REE=weight (kg) x 0.9 kcal/kg x 24 hour for women and REE = weight (kg) x 1.0 kcal/kg x 24 hour for men.

6. How come I cannot lose weight when I only eat 1 meal a day?

You should NEVER restrict your self to only 1 meal per day! This is considered a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) and puts your body into “starvation mode.” You will never lose weight doing this because your body is desperate for energy and is having to make its own substrate (glucose) for energy since you are not feeding it enough!! This also SLOWS DOWN your metabolism, so it is virtually impossible to lose weight. Eat smaller meals every 3 hours to keep your metabolism functioning at an efficient rate. Eat breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack and dinner. The meals should not be huge and high in calories. They should be enough to satisfy the hunger. Smaller and more frequent meals are easier for the body to metabolize.

7. What if I am not hungry enough to want to eat several meals throughout the day?

Skipping meals is not a good idea because eventually it catches up with you and suddenly you realize that you are STARVING! At that point, you seem to eat anything and everything you can get your hands on, and you have defeated everything I have talked about in the previous questions. Remember you are not eating large meals at each sitting.

Take my meal plan for example:

• Breakfast: 6 egg whites and an English muffin
• Snack: 1 grapefruit
• Lunch: 6 ounces of chicken in a large salad with balsamic vinegar
• Snack: 1 protein bar, large apple or protein shake
• Dinner: 6 ounces of chicken with 1 cup green beans.
• Remember… Food is Fuel… if you do not fill up the tank the machine will stop running! Eat, but do not overeat.

Tracey’s ThermoDynamx by EAS Supplementation Schedule:

• 2 Capsules 3 times per day. One serving (2 caps.) 30-45 minutes prior to workout.

8. What are some snacks I can eat?

If you are trying to lose weight, I suggest the following snacks: Apples, Pears, Grapefruit, Non fat cottage cheese (can add fresh fruit), Non fat yogurt, Low Carb Protein bar, Protein shake, _ cup unsalted peanuts, soy nuts or cashews, 1 cup air popped popcorn.

9. Is it true that you should not eat after 6pm?

NO! As long as you have followed all of my rules… you can eat after 6pm. I do not even get home until 8pm each night. So my last meal is around 9pm, and I make sure it consists of mostly protein. Stay away from the complex “Starches” carbo- hydrates after 6pm (i.e. pasta, potatoes, etc). Stick to protein and simple carbs such as green veggies. The more active you are, the more efficient your metabolism will be. So, you do not want to go to bed on a full stomach. If you eat a big pasta dinner late at night and then go to bed… .many of those calories will get stored as fat.

10. What should I do if I hit a “plateau” in my training or weight loss?

Time for a change! Anytime you hit a plateau in your exercise training… try something different! Try a new machine or take an aerobic class. Hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to help get you motivated again, and possibly learn some new exercises. If you hit a plateau in your weight loss… .change your diet slightly. Maybe try substituting different foods for awhile. Replace lean flank steak for chicken for one of your meals or replace green beans with broccoli or asparagus. Change is good!

One last thought…

Above all else try to keep a positive attitude. Your internal strength and desires are all the motivation you need to achieve your goals. Surround yourself with positive people and never give up. If you slip off track, dust yourself off and give it another go. You have the power to change. I really enjoy witnessing people’s physical transformations from fat to fit and the positive effects it has on their lives. You can do it… I believe in you!

Yours in health & fitness,

Tracey Greenwood