Kicking off the 2024 race season and the ultra training plan…and then getting COVID! Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face, as “Iron” Mike Tyson used to say. Here’s what I’m doing to keep moving forward.
My Journey To Ultra - Baseline (Day 1)
Embarking on a transformative journey in 2024, I'm taking on two monumental challenges: my first 50K mountain ultramarathon and my first Spartan Race Ultra on my 50th birthday. Despite recent health setbacks and injuries, I'm determined to reach peak physical condition. Join me as I document this journey of resilience and self-discovery - it won't be boring!
Reality Check: Do You Need To Lose Weight To Be Healthy And Happy?
One common thing people mention as a goal when we first talk about trying to eat better is weight loss. For some, it's just "a couple of pounds" and for others, it's pretty significant. The reasons behind wanting to lose weight may be to improve some health markers, to move better and feel less day-to-day aches and pains, to "look better naked" or for similar aesthetic reasons, or simply because of some preconceived notion of what they "should" weigh. Some of those reasons also feed into emotional and mental well-being, and can affect our self-confidence, self-image and happiness.
The truth is, most people don't NEED to lose weight to be healthier, and with the right mindset, they don't NEED to lose weight to be happier or more self-confident either.
Read more…
Protein Price Guide - UPDATED 2022.11.09
One of the keys to maintaining a lean, healthy body is eating enough protein. In addition to the energy (calories) it provides, protein also provides essential amino acids that are needed by your body to rebuild and renew tissue, vitamins and minerals to support your body’s day-to-day functions, AND it can help rev up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to break it down than it does for carbs or fats.
Ideally, we should be getting most of our protein needs from whole foods, but sometimes it’s tough to know what to buy, especially if you’re on a budget. For that reason, every once in a while, I take a cruise through the local grocery store and update this protein price guide for the reference of our members at The BTG, and now I’ve decided to share it with all of you!
When You Can't Walk The Talk...
Why You CAN'T Stop Overeating
Have you ever wondered why there are certain things you just...CAN'T...STOP...EATING?
It may have nothing to do with willpower.
There's a whole industry dedicated to creating hyperpalatable foods that hit all of the sensory triggers that compel you to keep on plowing through that bag of chips, box of cookies, or bucket of chicken. They are like fireworks in your brain, a party in your mouth...you get the idea. (READ MORE…)
The Truth Behind "Athletic" Body Fat Levels for Women
Have you ever wondered what your body fat percentage "should" be?
With the general standard that higher than 33% body fat for women is considered obese and the considerable stigma around that term, the outrageous claims of low body fat for celebrities and "fitness influencers", and the unrealistic images in the media (often photoshopped, but sometimes the result of dangerous weight-cutting / dehydration pre-photo-shoot), we've been given some really skewed perspective to work with.
Read the full article for the TRUTH behind the body fat percentages of some really athletic women - it might surprise you!
What Does "Healthy Eating" Look Like FOR YOU?
On a coaching call this past week, one of our members expressed her frustration with one of the lessons that asked her to “Imagine a really awesome, healthy, delicious meal.”
The problem was that what her brain told her a “really awesome, healthy meal” should be didn’t at all look like something delicious to her.
Achieving the health and physique outcomes you want and maintaining them is all about finding the balance that works for you between what you’re doing now and that unattainable “perfect” ideal diet.
Here’s how it works…
I've Been Robbed! (...of my "calories burned")
Your Calories Burned Through Exercise May NOT Be As Much As You Think…
Some interesting research came to my attention this week showing that even though your fancy smart watch tells you that you’ve burned 100 calories, your body has really only burned 72 more calories than it would have had you not exercised at all because it automatically ramps-down base energy expenditure (BEE) in response to the activity to compensate for energy consumed.
Read on to see what this means for YOU, and what you can do about it!
Is There An "Off-Season" For Fitness?
We've all heard of the "off-season" for competitive athletes. It's that time of year when they're not in competition, and are either backing off on training to recover for their next season, or amping up their training to be in better condition. Either way, managing the off-season well is often crucial to the performance of an athlete from season to season, and in increasing career longevity.
But what about those of us who don't compete?
What if our "sport" is simply being better at our lives - being stronger, healthier and happier? Is there an off-season for that?
Well...yes and no.
Finding Purpose / Direction In My Journey - Coach JP's Journal
OK - I’m Struggling
Over the past couple of months, but this past eight days in particular, I’ve experienced what I would describe as the culmination or confluence of a number of different stresses and struggles. It’s felt as if the sum of all the difficulties and challenges of this past 14 months has finally burst the floodgates and beaten me down. As a result, I haven’t been journaling this past eight days because I didn’t want it to be just a repeating message of negativity.
THIS Is What Happens If You Don't Consume Enough Protein
In a recent email with a coaching client, I found myself more clearly articulating than ever before why eating sufficient protein is really crucial to optimizing your body composition, so I thought I’d share my “moment of clarity” here. ;)
For the sake of this example / explanation, we’re looking at two scenarios, with the total calorie intake in both cases being the same, with that amount theoretically being exactly right for “maintenance” (I.E. neither gaining nor losing weight), but in one scenario the diet contains insufficient protein to support tissue turnover and repairing the micro-damage that occurs in our muscles when we participate in moderate to intense training, especially resistance / strength training.
Here’s the deal…
Veggie Versatility - Prepping The Same Ingredients Different Ways
In a recent conversation with one of my nutrition coaching clients, he mentioned that it was sometimes frustrating to find a recipe, buy all the ingredients, and then find himself stuck with a bunch of extra raw ingredients left over and not know what to do with them. This is particularly true for singles living alone, or even couples.
A good example is buying a head of cauliflower and only needing a cup or two of florets in a recipe - how can you effectively make use of the rest of it, instead of it just wasting away in the fridge and eventually going in the bin? Sure, you could just make a big batch of the same thing, but few people enjoy eating the same thing for every lunch and dinner all week!
So - challenge accepted, I went with a list of ingredients my client provided and set out to make four different meals with them.
Is "Eating Clean" Driving You Crazy?
When most people think of obsessive behaviour around food, they think of the classic “food addiction” kind of person, who craves and/or gorges themselves on unhealthy treats, or an “emotional eater” who eats to feel better about themselves or their lives, to distract themselves from their other issues, or simply because they’re bored. Sometimes, these behaviours can lead to eating disorders like bulimia as people punish themselves for their indulgence. These are real problems, and take work to overcome. (If any of that sounds like you, we can help, or at least point you in the right direction – Contact Us to start the discussion)
Today, though, I want to talk about the other end of the spectrum, which is at least as damaging to your mental and emotional well-being, and often comes about when someone has worked their way through one or more of those classic food addiction or emotional eating issues, or has been a chronic dieter. While eating healthier overall is an admirable goal, constantly worrying about “eating clean” or berating yourself for not being restrictive enough or “perfect” at sticking with a better diet is very unhealthy. In fact, it has its own disorder – orthorexia.
Protein Price List - UPDATED 2020.01.27
One of the keys to maintaining a lean, healthy body is eating enough protein. In addition to the energy (calories) it provides, protein also provides essential amino acids that are needed by your body to rebuild and renew tissue, vitamins and minerals to support your body’s day-to-day functions, AND it can help rev up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to break it down than it does for carbs or fats.
Ideally, we should be getting most of our protein needs from whole foods, but sometimes it’s tough to know what to buy, especially if you’re on a budget. For that reason, every once in a while, I take a cruise through the local grocery store and update this protein price list for the reference of our members at The BTG, and now I’ve decided to share it with all of you!
The Perfect Diet Part 1 - "The Keto Question"
As a trainer and nutrition coach, people frequently ask me about the latest fad diets. These days, people are asking about ketogenic diets. A few years back, it was always about gluten-free or Paleo. Back when I started in the industry, the Zone diet and Atkins were the big ones. Pretty consistently throughout, people always ask about “cleanses” (which are total B.S., but I’ll get into those in another post).
Everyone wants to know what the “Perfect Diet” is for them. Will the latest fad work for them? After all, their friend Sally lost 20 pounds doing X, so it must be good, right?
My answer is almost always, “It depends.”
The most common thing I’m asked about these days is Keto, and whether folks should be avoiding carbs, so here is my answer to “The Keto Question”…
It's official - Coach JP is now Spartan SGX Level 2 certified!
Thank you to Dr. Jeff Godin, Head of Fitness Education for Spartan Race, for another great learning experience, and for his kind words in the email sending me my certificate!
Dear Coach J.P.,
Attached you will find your Level 2 Spartan SGX Coach certificate. Your work was exemplary and demonstrates the level of knowledge Spartan expects from our Level 2 coaches.
Congratulations and thank you for your continued support of Spartan and Spartan SGX.
We are honored to have you as part of this elite team of coaches. AROO!
Dr. J
The level 2 certification focused more on endurance training and nutrition, and preparing for racing in extreme environments (altitude, hot / cold environments). I sure learned a lot, and look forward to sharing that knowledge with The BTG Spartan Team and all of The BTG crew. :)
Preparation for the 2020 Spartan Race Season Starts NOW!
Whether your Spartan Race goal for 2020 is to run your first ever Spartan race, complete your first Trifecta, or something in between, the time to start preparing is now. Read more to find out what The BTG Spartan Team is doing to crush it in 2020, with Spartan SGX Level 2 certified coach J.P. Siou.
Starting All Over Again - My Fitness Journey
Coming from a guy whose business is training others and coaching them on their nutrition and lifestyle habits, what I'm about to tell you may be a bit of a shock. I am unhealthy and out of shape, and it's exactly because I haven't been eating right or exercising enough in the last year or so. I have not been "walking the talk" as the saying goes.
Today, I bought some new pants, and in my mind, all hell broke loose.
I put on a pair of 34" waist cargo pants - barely - and thought, "WTF has happened to me?" I mean, I had to full-on suck in my gut and worry the button was going to break off squeeze those suckers on.
Eat Real Food
Easy, right? Everyone knows what “real food” is, don’t they? Sadly, not. It is not labelled “all-natural”, or “made from whole grains” or “fortified with vitamins and minerals”. It usually does not come in boxes, or have an indefinite shelf life. Just because something says “organic” on the label, don’t be fooled!
So What Is Real Food?
Real food is a nutritious, edible plant or animal product in its least-processed available form. It is usually perishable, does not have an indefinite shelf life (though there are some exceptions!), and must be kept refrigerated, frozen or at the very least in a “cool, dry place”.
Let's also get this out of the way right at the start - if it has added sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, or some other refined sweetener added in any way, shape or form, it shouldn't be going in your body.
But let's give you a bit more info on what Real Food really is