Tag IFBB

The Social Media T and A Show

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Social media is pretty much here to stay, as evidenced by the worldwide participation which has emerged. Truth be told, it can be fantastic way to build a brand and to advertise products and services. However, social media has also provided very easy access to smut and porn of all degrees (I’m guessing at the extent here, since I have no idea how far that river extends). My belief is that as long as no one is getting hurt or bullied, all is fair and that the more salacious profiles should be able to do their thing. Seriously, if that’s your thing, then rock on.

However, this post is about the so-called “above board” profiles whose admins are young fitness women and men desperate to increase their following by whatever means they can. Here’s my contention: if you are truly a FITNESS person, the occasional selfie which features your ample bosom or buttocks seems reasonable, but if you are littering your Snapchat or Instagram account with images of your big fake twins (either pectoral or down south) and proclaiming that you are just trying to spread the love, you’re not fooling anyone. Guys are surely sending their “love”, and certainly not in a proper or flattering way. Why would you even take pride in growing numbers of followers if you know that you are only building an online spank bank for creeps?

I understand that some men are so creepy that they’ll get off on images of models in bras from a 1954 Sears catalog, but if you are posting pics of yourself bending over bare-assed, you are truly asking for attention from the least savory members of society. And if that’s the case, shame on you. The only value you have when you consistently post scandalous images of your barely-clothed body is as a hot piece of ass, and certainly not someone with any authority or intellectual merit, even if you hold three doctorates and have won a bunch of academic awards.

I’m not saying you can’t be sexy, but there is a lot to be said for leaving something to the imagination. If you are revealing any part of yourself which might only otherwise be revealed behind closed doors to the object of your lust, you’d better think twice about what kind of riff-raff such an image will attract.

A good filter to use when you are thinking of posting an image on social media is to ask yourself, “Would I be okay with my dad/mom/daughter/son/brother/sister/grandpa/grandma seeing this image?” Try not to rationalize the response, but really pay attention to what the image conveys, as well as what kind of audience it will draw in. Another good filter is to ask yourself, “Will I be proud or embarrassed about this image in 5/10/1/20/25/30 years?”

In summary, if you are a fitness person with a social media profile which features a constant display of body parts and crevices which should only be seen by your lover, and which are not in any way related to the porn industry, you might as well switch industries. That is, unless you want to be recognized for something other than your lady humps or your baby-maker!

Proud To Be A MitoXcell Ambassador!

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If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have probably seen my posts about MitoXcell products. I am particularly fond of the original MitoXcell blend which I have every day, and which I swear by for peak performance and recovery as well as optimal cellular health.

Please check out my ambassador profile on the MitoXcell website!

Stacey Naito

I strongly encourage everyone to try MitoXcell products! Go to http://www.MitoXcell.com to shop, and be sure to enter my discount code at checkout for 25% off your order!

Discount code: NAITO25

Musings From A Happy Half-Centurian

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Now that I have been in the 50 zone for a few months, I can honestly say that I actually like it! Here are a few reasons why I am completely comfortable with being 50 years old…

* I still get carded. In fact, I have been asked for ID when purchasing alcohol more frequently now than a year ago. And it’s not because I am purchasing booze with more frequency either. I have even gotten carded while with younger friends who did NOT get carded. It’s bizarre and very cool.

* I can still rock an outfit and not only be a head-turner, but a neck-BREAKER. Gotta have goals!

* I can take care of myself and don’t panic if I am faced with a challenge. However, I am completely grateful when someone comes to my aid or shows concern for my welfare. I am so blessed to have wonderful, true friends who have my back as much as I have theirs!

* I can usually discern very quickly which opportunities and situations are legit and which ones are a waste of my time. With age comes wisdom, and my gut instinct has proven consistently to be a foolproof guardian.

* I don’t wait for things to happen…I MAKE them happen. When I was younger, I had a tendency to put more faith in others coming through for me. Over the past few years, I have adopted the attitude that I can only depend on myself, so I have pushed myself to become a solo mover and shaker. It’s pretty tough navigating alone, but at least I trust the person at the helm!

* I trust that time will always makes things unfold organically. This makes struggling through difficult times much more manageable. I know that situations will always come to a resolution eventually. Whenever I have any doubt, I think of what my grandmother used to tell my mom and her siblings when times were rough: “Don’t worry, after bad comes good.” What a wise woman.

* I no longer care if someone has a problem with me sporting a miniskirt, a bikini, or a curve-hugging dress. My thought is, I still have it, and I have every intention of flaunting it. Sorry if that offends some people, but the folks who have a problem with such attire can’t take away my resolve to celebrate what I have worked so hard to maintain.

* I realize that life isn’t over just because I hit a certain chronological marker. If anything, I am just getting started!

Lose Sleep, Lose Muscle

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Originally published in March 2014 on RxMuscle.com:
http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-news-the-newest-in-mp/10329-sleep-deficit-and-muscle-loss.html?hitcount=0

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Those of you who insist on burning the midnight oil and carving into time during which you should be sleeping are doing yourselves a disservice. When you build up a sleep deficit, not only do you adversely affect your attention and overall energy, you also diminish the potential muscle gains you would obtain if you consistently got a good night’s rest.

A good portion of the slump in muscle repair and growth which occurs from inadequate sleep is due to inadequate secretion of growth hormone (GH). GH is only secreted during deep sleep, so people who don’t sleep for more than a few hours will spend less time in deep sleep and cause GH secretion to drop. In addition, there is some evidence that testosterone secretion also drops, creating a double whammy which cripples the body’s ability to utilize fat and build muscle.

Cravings can also become a significant issue with sleep deficits as a result of hormonal effects. Leptin, a hormone which signals that you are full from a meal, is inhibited during sleep deprivation, resulting in increased food cravings (especially for carbohydrates). Conversely, ghrelin, a hormone which signals hunger, increases by as much as 30 percent after only a two night sleep deficit.

The body also produces more cortisol during the late afternoon, which is exactly when the body’s production should be tapering down to prepare the body for sleep. Higher cortisol levels promote deposition of more fat and utilization of muscle for energy during a sleep-deprived state.

When you cheat yourself out of a full night’s sleep, you also deplete neurotransmitters in the brain which are in charge of regulating mood. The result is irritability and, over the long term, depression, both of which can impact the intensity of your workouts and hinder your efforts to pack on muscle.

Sleep deficits also result in a decrease in alertness and concentration which often translates into submaximal workouts. And Sleep deficit affects strength. A study in Ergonomics examined the effects of sleep deprivation on weightlifting, with compelling results. As expected, there was a significant decrease in maximal lift for bench press, leg press, and dead lift after a three-day sleep deficit was established.

If you are in the habit of cutting into your sleep time, or you practice erratic sleeping patterns which are creating a sleep deficit, try to get into a rhythm in which you get enough sleep every night, especially if you are hitting a plateau with your training. Once you start getting adequate sleep, you will notice a big difference in your strength and muscle gains.

Hot Female Doctors

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Over the past few years, several male physicians, including Dr. Travis Stork of The Doctors and Dr. Mike (aka doctor.mike on Instagram), have enjoyed some media attention as a result of their good looks. Never mind that these docs have endured years of medical training (in Dr. Mike’s case, he’s still going through it as a resident). Their followers are more interested in celebrating how hot they are. However, I want to know where all the hot lady doctors are?

As a fully credentialed, board certified physician who also happens to be deeply involved in fitness, bodybuilding and modeling, I know that I stand out a bit in a sea of medical professionals, and to be honest, I am proud of it. Yes, I get plenty of criticism for modeling in bikinis, but I don’t see why I should feel a drop of shame for doing so. Women all over the world wear bikinis, and go sans suits in some locales. It’s not a crime or a scandal to wear a bikini, or to show my legs or midsection. I have modeled my entire life, and I have no plans to stop at all, especially if I have a physique which is bikini-worthy. Because of this, I have become known as a “hot doctor”.

You would think that societal influences have relaxed enough to allow a female physician to flaunt her femininity without getting dinged for it, but I continue to see resistance all over social media. In fact, it recently came to my attention that there aren’t too many female docs who are confident enough to push the envelope and post images which may be considered more alluring. It is still considered “proper” and customary for a female doctor to remain covered up in social media posts. I’m not talking about jeans and a t-shirt. I’m talking about professional business attire and a white coat, or scrubs. So does that mean that women who are physicians aren’t allowed to reveal who they are outside of the clinical setting? That’s ridiculous.

My life is so varied, full and exciting that I can easily escape the dry and often depressing climate of medicine and enjoy something that has twists and turns. None of my other pursuits diminish what I bring to the table as a healer. If anything, they add a humanness and relatability which I think my patients appreciate. I have said before and will say again that I have never been, nor will I ever be, a “typical” physician (whatever that means). I don’t talk about medical cases and read medical tomes when I am away from the office. Many of my colleagues are so unbalanced that they will eat, breathe and live medicine constantly, but that is not my style at all. Some of them are also social misfits and cannot talk about a non-medical topic without stumbling and bumbling. The social awkwardness of some physicians is so painful to witness that I find myself cringing and looking for a quick exit when social hour begins at a conference or medical dinner.

In response to some criticism I received about posting professional swimsuit images on my main Instagram account, I established a medical Instagram profile to appease the haters somewhat, as well as legitimize my medical practice. However, I still post what I WANT to post on my main account, and if my posting habits continue to solidify the “hot doctor” label I have been given, then SO BE IT!

Too Many Cooks (Repost)

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Adult female with personal trainer at gym.I am getting pretty tired of clients who think they are suddenly fitness authorities, or who think nothing of following the advice of 52 different people on what to do about diet, exercise after signing up for a comprehensive training and meal plan which I customize for them. Honestly, why hire me if you’re just going to follow whatever your whim decides is cool at the moment? I don’t get easily insulted, but it’s more that I put time into customizing plans and don’t appreciate it when a client reads some silly excerpt in Shape magazine, and decides that it must be better than my advice because it was in a popular women’s magazine.

I deal with know-it-all attitudes both as a fitness professional and as a physician. Let me be very clear. I have a four year college degree in Exercise Science from a well respected college. I have almost thirty years of experience with weight training, and have done contest prep coaching since 2010. I am also an IFBB Professional Athlete. On top of that, I have worked as a board-certified and fully licensed physician for over a decade. Yet I am challenged on a regular basis by people who think that because they looked up something on WebMD or Google, they are suddenly more knowledgeable than I am. In fact, I am not sure which bothers me more: the disrespect I get as a doctor, or the disrespect I get as a fitness professional. Both are infuriating.

The BEST advice I can give to anyone who is looking for a comprehensive plan in fitness, nutrition, or hormone balancing is to pick ONE expert and stick with that person’s knowledge, instead of second guessing the individual by throwing other mostly uneducated opinions on what to do. I give people a lot of credit for knowing their own bodies. However, it is important to remember that contradicting your coach, physician or mentor is a study in animosity that will pitch you in poor stead with the very person who is trying to help you.