120 Pounds, or Learning about Body Fat
Commit to Fit | Week 10
Author | Commit to Fit 2013 Winner, Judith Zissman
Well, I’ve done it. I’ve hit my goal weight of 120 pounds.
You’re surprised, right? It’s only been a couple of weeks since I started the Commit to Fit program! How is this possible?
Let me back up a bit. I have no idea what bits of pop culture, women’s magazines and other misinformation shaped the number in my head, but I’ve always thought of that number – 120 pounds – as “what a woman should weigh”. I mean, sure, people have different builds, so let’s say maybe 115-125. But that’s it, really. 130? That’s enormous!
DIAKADI Present | Carb Confusion part II of II Do Carbs Make You Fat? by Nate Miyaki
Author | DIAKADI Trainer Nate Miyaki
Who would have thought my tiny little morsel of goodness could cause so much controversy.
I’m talking about my favorite food–rice.
Whether or not rice should be included in a health enhancing, fat slashing, muscle building diet is a highly debated topic in our industry. To some (such as certain followers of the Paleo movement), rice is a demon food that should be avoided like the plague.
Yet in some cultures that exhibit immaculate biomarkers of health and low obesity rates, it has been a dietary staple for centuries. What gives?
I ate 5 cups of rice last night for dinner. I’m also close to 5% body fat, so I can tell you what side of the fence I’m on. I think sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and high omega-6 vegetable oils do more to cause insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity than white rice.
White rice is as easy of a target as any. So in order to help you determine whether carbs–or rice–should be a part of your diet, I’ve developed a simple three-step system to help you figure out your nutrition needs.
Gina Gutierrez Named Associate Partner of DIAKADI Fitness Performance Life
In 2004, when DIAKADI first opened, a young student named Gina Gutierrez, working on her Master’s degree at USF in Sports and Athletic Management, applied to be one of the two initial front desk staff at DIAKADI. Little did we realize that Gina would go on to become one of the integral parts of the success of our facility, staff, trainers and even our clients, as well as becoming an adopted ‘sister’ for DIAKADI owners Billy and Mike.
In the Midst of Things
Commit to Fit | Week 9
Author | Commit to Fit 2013 Winner, Judith Zissman
If this blog was a novel, we’d be in a boring middle chapter right now – past the novelty of the beginning where everything is fresh and interesting, and not yet at the triumphant ending where everyone celebrates our delightful heroine and how far she’s come.
Much of life is a boring middle chapter, though, so it’s useful to find strategies for staying engaged.
The first is that I’m starting to really see some results. I’m down about 12 pounds so far, and that doesn’t seem like much to me (how many times have I lost that same 10-20 pounds?), but the combination of weight loss and muscle building has me feeling leaner overall. Other people are noticing as well – I ran into someone I hadn’t seen since my son was born and she commented about it immediately.
DIAKADI Presents | The Awesome Challenge by Pooja Dang
What is AWESOME?
AWESOME is doing work that’s meaningful.
It’s engaging in activities that make you come alive.
AWESOME is surrounding yourself with people that elevate you and having relationships that are fulfilling and loving.
AWESOME is loving how you look, loving how you feel and loving how you show up in life!
Have an area of your life that you’d like to improve? Wish you could turn it around? Then join me for the 100 day challenge.
The challenge:
DIAKADI Presents | Carb Confusion Part I of II in Defense of White Rice by Nate Miyaki
Author | DIAKADI Trainer Nate Miyaki
Some nutritional camps really do think white rice is no better than eating a box of cookies.
Yet in some cultures (both modern and historical) that exhibit immaculate biomarkers of health, with low obesity and diabetes rates, it has been a dietary staple for centuries. Seems as if I have been discussing both sides of this argument in a variety of different virtual locations. Figured I’d put that all together into one comprehensive post for you.
Red Lentil Soup: Happy Mothers Day!
Commit to Fit | Week 8
Author | Commit to Fit 2013 Winner, Judith Zissman
This week, blueberries appeared at the Castro Farmers Market. They were stunning and juicy, and since I know that a “serving” of blueberries is pretty substantial (3/4 cup), I bought a large bag to have on hand for snacking. My son is just starting to try solid foods, and I thought he might like a blueberry, so I crushed one a bit and offered it to him. As he rolled it around in his tiny mouth, his face lit up with unmistakable joy. He clearly had never tasted anything as delicious, and was eager for more.
DIAKADI Presents | Exercise As a Powerful Path to Self-Transformation by Polina Smith
Author | DIAKADI Trainer Polina Smith
A client recently wrote me a text after our session that read, “I hate running, but after exercise, the whole world opens up. I have a window of time where I’m insanely mentally, emotionally and physically on fire.”
A Christmas card from another client read, “If some had told me a year ago that exercise would be the path back to my writing, I never would have believed them.”
I share all of this because I believe that exercise can be a powerful path to self-transformation—to living the lives we dream of. In our culture, we are bombarded with messages that exercise is something that is ‘hard,’ takes a lot of discipline and will power, that we are somehow failing if we are not doing it, and perhaps most dangerously, that we will only be happy when we have six pack abs and the body we dream of.