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The Scoop On Artificial Sweeteners

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The use of artificial sweeteners can serve as an aid in coping with one’s sweet tooth, especially when trying to adhere to a healthy diet or contest prep plan.  Since artificial sweeteners are non-nutritive, i.e. they have virtually no calories and are not fully absorbed by the body, they do not undermine a calorie-restricted plan.  They can also serve as a great alternative for diabetics since they generally do not raise blood sugar levels.  Another bonus is that artificial sweeteners do not contribute to tooth decay.

The three most popular artificial artificial sweeteners in use in the United States are the following:

Aspartame – This sweetener was tested in more than 100 scientific studies before the FDA gave it a stamp of approval in 1981 along with a statement by the FDA Commissioner which determined, “Few compounds has withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety.” Since that time it has found its way into carbonated sodas, powdered soft drinks, chewing gum, gelatins, desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners and some vitamins. 

Aspartame is composed of aspartic acid and phenylalanine as a methyl ester.  During digestion, aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine and a small amount of methanol which are released into the blood and used in normal body processes without accumulating in the tissues of the body. The acceptable daily intake for aspartame was set at 50 mg/kg of body weight per day.  This means that the ADI for a 200 lb. individual would be 4,550 mg. 

Sucralose – This nonnutritive sweetener is derived from sugar and is 600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).  It was approved in 1999 for use as a general purpose sweetener and is now found in thousands of products, including cooked or baked goods.  The ADI for sucralose has been set at 5 mg/kg of body weight per day.  For example, if you weigh 200 lbs., your ADI for sucralose would be 455 mg.

Stevia – Also known as Reb-A, stevia was approved for use in food products by the FDA in 2008.  As with other artificial sweeteners, stevia does not affect blood glucose or insulin levels and is safe for use in diabetics.  The ADI for stevia is set at 12 mg/kg of body weight daily, or 1,092 mg per day for a 200 lb. individual.  Stevia is a 100% natural glycoside found in Stevia Rebaudiana, an herd found in the Chrysanthemum family.  It maintains heat stability at 95 degrees Celsius and is non-fermentable and non-discoloring.

Conclusion

For those who are trying to eliminate sugar from their diets, whether for the caloric density or the insulin spikes which it imparts, artificial sweeteners are an ideal alternative for adding flavor and sweetness to foods.  Their intense sweetness ensures that large quantities of these substances will not be ingested.  They can effectively hold sweet cravings at bay and provide important tools in weight loss and weight maintenance programs. 

You Know You Are A Die-Hard Competitor When…

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• You eat most of your meals out of plastic containers
• You avoid restaurants because it is too tough to find clean choices
• You will only travel somewhere if there is a gym nearby
• You think vascularity and sweat are sexy
• You gaze longingly at forbidden foods
• You know what a protein bomb is!
• The smell of tanning solution is very familiar to you
• If you are a lady, you know what it means to use a cup in the restroom
• You have a love-hate relationship with asparagus, fish, and/or chicken
• You walk around your house in clear heels and practice posing when showtime approaches
• You know what two-a-days are
• You are accustomed to using dark sheets and towels post-tan

Competitors, can you think of any others you would like to share here?

Use Social Media To Blow Up Your Brand

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social media logos
Those of you in the world of fitness and bodybuilding who have aspirations of becoming the next big fitness sensation have chosen an amazing industry, but it is saturated and the competition is fierce. These days, the most successful fitness people have built social media followings which help to get them on the map and generate interest in what they have to offer. The individuals who really stand out are the ones who know their target audience’s interests and needs, and accommodate them by posting relevant material which continues to lure their followers back to their profiles.

It doesn’t really matter how buff, attractive, or photogenic you are if you don’t have an understanding of how to appeal to your audience. It is no surprise that the pool of beautiful, fit people who are scrambling for stardom is considerably large, which makes it vital for fitness people to establish something unique and marketable if they want to rise to the top of the heap. This is where branding comes in. What IS your brand? What is your message? Do you know your target audience?

You can look at trends from social media to see who is following you and target the largest group. Then you need to determine what it is about you that grabs that target audience, whether it is your age, your gender, a specific training style, a distinctive look, a great product, etc. Once you have done that, you can use hashtags on social media to describe your unique qualities and to spark the interest of your target audience. If you have a certain key phrase you use all the time, USE IT! It is astonishing how effective using a key phrase can be in promoting your personality.

There are so many social media platforms now (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) that you have countless opportunities to build your fan base and also build your brand. Be sure to also tag your friends and industry people who are in your corner and believe in what you have to offer. There’s nothing like having a cheering section of friends who can help spread the word and grow your social media tree.

Make sure you have a website which is updated regularly, and direct your followers to that website whenever possible. Though having a slick website is a nice bonus, it is more important to have SOMETHING for followers to go to, even if it is a free site like Wix or WordPress. Many people will just shy away from fitness personalities who do not have a site established. There are several website template sites which are decent and which provide all the basics you need. Once you have established your brand, you can always upgrade to a more complex or detailed site.

On another note, I am always surprised by how many people want to establish a foothold in the fitness industry, but do not have business cards. I cannot tell you how unprofessional you look when you are trying to network, only to tell interested parties that you do not have a business card to hand to them. Business cards are pretty inexpensive these days, and in some cases free (Vistaprint.com is one site which offers free cards), so GET ON IT!

Progress Pictures Of One Of My Clients

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I had recently gotten an email from this client, lamenting what she felt was a lack of progress after ten months. Since she has a significant medical issue, I have been extremely cautious with her nutrition and supplements. Thankfully, she has had no issues with weight training, so I have been more aggressive with her lifting regimen. Upon receiving her email, I pulled up her baseline images from last summer, and WOW. I am very impressed by her progress and so proud of her! The images on the left are from mid-June of last year, and the ones on the right are from April of this year.

6.15.14 front ML 4.24.15 front ML

6.15.14 back ML 4.24.15 back ML

Set A Contest Date And Stick To It!

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Shut up and do it

I am writing this blog post in honor of those of you who have a tendency to constantly change your proposed competition date. I am not talking about situations in which your coach advises you to select a different contest as a means to give you sufficient time to be in proper condition. Instead, I am talking about competitors (new or seasoned) who keep changing proposed contest dates for a multitude of reasons, and end up frustrating coaches, friends and family as a result. Sometimes the reason for pushing back plans to compete may be solely financial, which is understandable since competition expenses can be quite high, especially for national level amateur NPC events and international IFBB Pro events. However, some people fall into a dangerous and self-sabotaging habit of pushing contest dates back because they are anxious and afraid of stepping onstage. This fear of competing is often accompanied by self-sabotaging behavior which includes eating too many mini-cheat and full cheat meals, skipping cardio, and skipping parts of workouts or entire workouts. In my experience as a coach and trainer, I can smell this behavior from a mile away, and always get confirmation when I see progress pictures. Sometimes the competitor is so ashamed of his or her deviation from the prep program that progress pics aren’t taken and sent over to me.

I honestly wish I could completely ignite that flame of INTENTION and DRIVE which is essential for success in competing in every single one of the clients I have worked with, but unfortunately, one or two have slipped through the cracks as a result of their defeatist thoughts and behaviors. Complete focus is critical for success as a competitor. Every dip, blip, obstacle, bad day and negative thought needs to be pushed aside. Watch any competitor who has an eye on the prize at all times, and you will see someone who never gives up, who doesn’t switch from one contest to another as a goal date, and who almost moves like a machine, determined to get things done. The phrase “I CAN’T” doesn’t exist for the successful competitor.

Make a decision to stick to the plan. Don’t deviate. Quit overthinking and analyzing. Get into a groove and stick with it. Be a beast. Be a machine.

FOCUS!

Instagram And Instant “Models”

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keep-calm-you-re-not-a-model-it-s-just-instagram

Every once in a while, I will stumble upon an Instagram account for an individual who clearly is NOT a model, but who has included “fitness model” in the profile description. A perusal of the user’s images almost invariably reveals NO professional images, but will have a whole slew of half-naked selfies shot in front of a bathroom mirror, or worse yet, on a bed, with a blue steel scowl or a do-ya-think-I’m-sexy pout in every single selfie that just makes me want to laugh. Just because someone WANTS to be a model doesn’t make it so, and no amount of selfies will ever generate the monetary compensation or exposure that would equate with a bona fide modeling career (unless you are Kim Kardashian). It also doesn’t count if you just so happened to have put on some fitness apparel once during a photo shoot with one of your friends who is a photographer, and struck poses which you believe to be fitness poses. Whatever you do, don’t be one of those wannabe fitness models who throws the title of fitness model around like you earned it! And stop using a ton of filters to make your images look better, then peppering them with a hundred hashtags to get more attention. All those things make you seem like a douche.

Fitness models are seen in print and online catalogs, ad campaigns, commercials, fitness expos, and are featured in magazines. The top fitness models make a very decent living doing what they do, and they work HARD for the money they make. That is why I get annoyed when I see a wannabe making false claims on social media. I have actually asked individuals who claimed to be fitness models where they were featured, only to get a flustered, cop-out response which I fully expect. There are some people out there who are photogenic and who have well-muscled, aesthetically pleasing physiques which lend promise to the possibility of a career as a fitness model, but they must prove that they possess the talent and work ethic to make it as fitness models. If you feel that you have some promise, then you can say that you are an aspiring fitness model, but don’t claim the title until you have actually worked as one.