Eat What You Like – If It Fits Your Macros

You’ve probably heard many diet slogans to date: The Paleo, The Atkins, Slimfast…There’s a new kid on the block slowly taking over the fitness & food culture with the cheekiest of acronyms, IIFYM.

 

What is IIFYM?

 A flexible diet catering for an individual’s macronutrient needs and fulfilling the rest of the day’s calorie goals with whatever tickles your fancy, as long as it fits your macros of course. IIFYM throws out all the conventional rules of popular diets that promote strict eating and failing to adhere to the rules will result in failure. Instead of following a stringent scheduled eating regimen, this program sets a few guidelines which centres on the consumption of macronutrients which is needed by the body in various quantities depending on your goals, fitness program, age, sex, metabolism & many other factors. Macronutrients are your proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and good fats which are all aligned to help you achieve a nutrient-dense eating plan.

 

How does it work?

IIFYM calculates your fat loss or gain by accessing age, height, weight and sex to determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). The addition of your daily activity levels will then calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which you can either subtract (to lose weight) 300-500 calories to burn fat or add 300-500 calories to build muscle. It is fairly simple: Calories in vs Calories out. A good macro calculator can be found here and will even work out the protein-carb-fat-fibre ratios for you. With the help of a food diary like My Fitness Pal will help you keep track of your daily food and water consumption as well as give you an idea of all the nutritional information of each item. The site also has some well known South African brands that you can search for to add to your journal. In the beginning it may seem a tedious task to document everything that goes into your mouth, but over time you will become well acquainted with the quantities and ratios you will need to consume in order to fulfil your daily macro intake. IIFYM encourages playing around with various food options in order to customise your own meals .

 

This does not mean eating junk 24/7 will help you get in shape

The quick assumption is to think that fast foods and cake will help you get to your body shape goals, think again. The principles of lean body building still exist which requires lean proteins, fresh fruit & vegetables, fibre, healthy fats and then topping the rest of your calories with good old fashioned carbs! If there’s enough room for your colleague’s baby shower cake, then this flexible diet will not judge you. Filling all your calories with junk food will result in your body feeling heavy & weighed down which will affect your fitness levels significantly.

 

What are the benefits?

Psychologically, it gives the individual the freedom of choice and the wretched moment you’re told you’re not allowed to have something; you instantly want it more. Feeling deprived can cause binges and some ill-fated FOMO. No one wants to be that ‘guy’ at the birthday party table looking like a glossy-eyed puppy drooling over the treats displayed out in front of them. A good IIFYM plan can help you achieve your fat loss goals and still be able to enjoy the little treats in life.

 

My experience

Having lost most of my weight with only about 2kg to go until goal. Let me tell you this, it is not easy getting to that magic number while still building muscle, essentially because muscle weighs more than fat and when you purely focus on a diet-based weight loss program, you mainly lose muscle mass. Therefore I did not intend on losing actual kilograms but rather focused on trimming the excess fat and toning. I ate clean for weeks focusing solely on good nutritious foods while cutting my carbs to around 10% (because even vegetables have a carbohydrate ratio) and I couldn’t see much improvement until I noticed my friend’s Instagram posts. She looked absolutely amazing with a six pack to match. She mentioned IIFYM to me and I was inundated with the amount of information and testimonials available on the net. By the sounds of things, this was the most suitable diet for me as it allowed me to feel unrestrained by my love for ice cream and sweet treats.  Also this is something I can adopt long term, right into future years to come.

 

I got all the superfoods I needed and started the above programme and tried my best to get my macro ratios correct (1 month in, and I am yet to get it spot on).  Within TWO weeks I saw an incredible improvement! I could see my tummy flattening, including the dreaded kangaroo pouch I have been trying to fight off for most of the year!  Not only did I lose an amazing 6cm off my waistline but also noticed the development of my much yearned for abdominal and oblique muscles. I was truly amazed. This diet coupled with a stringent exercise regime helped me achieve the results I was looking for especially I am such an impatient person and want to see results as quickly as yesterday.

 

My body transformation changed perceptions around me and amongst my friend circle. I have about 3 friends currently following IIFYM and their results are beyond amazing.  I will draw up a separate article highlighting their progress over the upcoming weeks just to showcase the tremendous impact this diet can have if you set your mind to it.

If you have any experience with IIFYM please share your story and it can be featured in the next update.

Power of the Pole

 

I recall the time at the tender age of 7, my mother thought she would do what every mother in town was doing – enrol me in ballet class. There I was in a hand-me-down leotard and tutu with unruly curls that got squashed into a makeshift bun and being told to point my toes outward while placing my heels together in a 180 degree straight line.  Back in those days, it was totally acceptable to receive corporal punishment from elders, be it teachers or family members.  What was not acceptable:  hanging upside down from the wooden bars like a monkey showing the class how I could point my toes toward the ceiling.  After being greeted with the biggest smack of my life, I was banished from ballet class never to return because I was an “embarrassment to the ballet discipline” – as the teacher so scornfully published to my parents. *PSSSHHH*   I felt like an outcast being voted off the island having my torched flame turn to ash right in front of my eyes.  It was from that day I knew I was different to the norm.  My mom never forced me to do anything again but rather supported me in whatever I chose to do – which were mostly sports, the ‘boy’ kind.  In my early 20’s I became extremely interested in Latin culture and more importantly Latin dance which included Salsa. Regular salsa & bachata lessons were my thing for 3 years. I later saw a performance from the famous Jenyne Butterfly and from that day I was so amped to try acrobatic/sensual movements on a pole. It has only been recently that I have been fortunate to experience this world which to me is more than fitness or dance, it’s a destiny.  I release this post in the hopes it will educate and change the mindset that pole dancing is sleazy and only belongs in a gentlemen’s club.

History of Pole Dancing

It’s remarkable to know that this discipline has been around since the 12th century in the form of Chinese Pole whereby circus professionals would use a pole in their performances.  Some of their coined signature moves like the flag (hanging straight out at a 90 degree angle using nothing but your arms as stability) are still used in modern pole dancing. Even the pole burns dancers experience now date back to this era where their shoulder burns served as a sign of respect from others in the same art form.

Indian Pole goes back 800 years and was initially introduced as a way for wrestlers of that time to commence training. Using these techniques helped develop speed, concentration, co-ordination and reflexes.  It was a stamina, strength and endurance booster in many competitive ‘fighting’ disciplines like Judo, Athletics and even Horse-riding.  For gymnasts, using pole movements helped to improve their flexes, grace & swiftness in rhythm.  It then developed into a fully fledged competition called Pole Mallakhamb. Today there are national Mallakhamb championships in India whereby 14 states compete but surprisingly no women participate; only males take part & dominate in this competition.

 
Exotic Dance tracked back to ancient Sumerian times where the Goddess of Love, Inanna, was said to have given a striptease – dancing and removing one item of clothing and jewellery at each of the seven gates that she passed on her way to find her love Damouz.  It then broke into mainstream Western world with Burlesque clubs, Middle Eastern art forms of belly-dancing & Latin dances like the Tango & Rumba.

Pole Dance lessons itself was brought to attention in 1994 by a lady named Fawnia Dietrich who initiated the first ever class in Canada teaching pole techniques which by today has all the historic skills of the Indians, Asians & the Western World rolled into one beautifully modified art form.

My experience

When I attended my first class, I felt extremely nervous and surprisingly quite shy. Doing this ‘thing’ solo meant I had no support cheering me on and providing much needed confidence.  I was quite stunned at the fact that our instructor did not have the usual body shape and my confusion grew until she proceeded to demo the first phase routine. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. The ample strength & suppleness this woman before me had. Never in my life had I seen movements like that…on a VERTICAL POLE no less. She moved with ease, and grace with hints of playfulness which eventually turned into sex appeal. I could not take my eyes off her.  From that moment I was hooked. She had also managed to help me see that strength comes in various shapes and forms. You don’t have to be a size 30 to be sexy or to move like a deity on a pole.

During the ‘warm up’ which actually feels more like a full on gym session, you realise how unfit you really are but that slowly fades as you feel your core muscles tightening up and you are able to hold your entire body weight up with just the use of your arms or going upside down and only your thighs hold you in place. “Look Ma, no haaands!”

From the very first lesson, you begin to build bonds with the rest of the girls in class. Relating to the fact you are all in the same boat. They inspire & encourage you to push on and ‘nail‘ that move. It seems that everyone is different and some spins are easier for some and difficult for others. In every pole dancer’s journey, there is always that one move that you just can’t seem to grasp. It’s like your mind and body are moving in two totally different directions. For me, it was the simplest of moves – the reverse spin. It made no sense to my body to be moving backward around a pole and still maintain to look sexy while doing so.  The dreaded “point your toes, arch your back” gets drilled into you and this time it is totally different to ballet class. Feeling sexy, being sexy and wowing your audience and fellow dancers with your successes on and off the pole can’t but help put a grin on your face. You’re in a state of euphoria with bruises and burns to prove it.  

Breaking the Stereotype

With the whole upper body being tested, pole dancing can help improve your performance in the gym or on the sports field. I have noted an increase in my strength when picking up weights, being able to do more pull-ups and basically be more cardio vascular fit in my sports. There are pole fitness classes popping up everywhere which will help kick start weight loss, or improving overall fitness. Many celebrities have helped pole fitness/dancing gain popularity in the social scenes by using it as a fitness alternative or for movie role preparation. Emma Watson took some lessons for her role in The Bling Ring. The much adored Jennifer Aniston, proclaimed to love working the pole for her upcoming movie We’re The Millers. The physical challenge Marisa Tomei experienced with pole dancing helped her get into shape for her Oscar nominated role in The Wrestler. Eva Longoria, Kristen Stewart, Jessica Biel & Olivia Wilde all excelled in their pole dancing classes which helped them get ripped very quickly. Also there is a growing number of pole fitness programmes available for men only with studios popping up in the UK, US & Australia.

When looking at the professional pole dancers who compete internationally, it can be quite clearly seen how this form of dance can help sculpt, tone, shape and re-engineer the female anatomy. The result is lean. There is something exhilarating about beauty in strength. It’s a perfect illustration of how hard someone has worked to look like they do and more importantly, excel at what they do. Having a look at one of the greatest pole dancers that ever graced the chrome is Jenyne Butterfly : an aerial performance artist and the US’ first ever Pole Dance Federation Champion. She is talented on many apparatus including silks, hoops & hammocks and has revolutionised pole dance by creating an array of new positions and transitions.  Her body defies gravity and she moves so elegantly with such finesse it’s almost as if her spirit physically lifts with yours when you watch some of her performances. She is just one fine example of how beautiful and elegant pole dance can be.

You can view one of her performances below:

Watch “Jenyne Butterfly – Miss Pole Dance South Africa

Pole dance has the ability to empower women by boosting their self-confidence. It’s not just some person grinding their behind against a pole for money. Yes this is a reality, and there is nothing wrong with someone doing just that but Pole dancing is breaking barriers by being dance, by being fitness, by being classified as ART. I cannot wait for the day when it will finally be recognised as a sport and form part of the official list of Summer & Winter Olympics.  Why shouldn’t it be? A sport requires skill, endurance, speed, balance, power, coordination – all of which is embodied in pole dance. It should actually be renamed to Pole Sport. If curling (also known as ‘sweeping ice with a broom’) can make into the Winter Olympic Games, surely Pole Sport can too!? I can really feel you all nodding your heads in agreement on that.

How to get started

There are a handful of institutes that offer pole dancing classes in Cape Town and will take even the most uncoordinated of people and give you a chance to explore the wonderful world of the pole.  Classes range anything between R80 – R100 per hour lesson and are discounted for packaged deals. Below are a few places that I have come across and have had the pleasure in being exposed to:

 
Girls World – Dance 4 Fitness
Where: 36 Franklin Road, Claremont
Contact: 021-764 3640
www.dance4fitness.co.za

 
Pole Dance Cape Town
Where: 199 Loop Street, CBD
Contact: 021-424 1243
www.poledancecapetown.co.za

 
Lighten Up Pole Fitness Studio
Where: 83c Main Road, Fish Hoek
Contact: 083 388 4655
www.lightenuppolefitness.co.za

 
I sincerely hope that I have made a dent in the perceptions of pole dancing and taken the ‘sleaze’ out of the tease. If any ladies are interested in joining, make that call! You will not have an ounce of regret and neither will your significant other. Trust me on this one *wink* & guys, go support your women and see them for the true goddesses they are. Note how hard they’ve worked on their bodies or made the changes to their image & fitness. Also next time you’re at Mavericks or Teasers please pay full attention to how much work it takes to look that sexy on the pole – so please stock up on those R100 notes.

Get Off the Scale

Some education needs to be broadcasted to the diluted minds of our generation. We have been engrained to think that the little number on the scale is important. In some circumstances it would be, but in my opinion the shift of mindset needs to change to paying attention to the centimetres and body fat lost/gained. When I first started trying to tone up and lose weight I became obsessive about losing the kilos I piled on during the 3 years of eating badly and general laziness. Once a week I would pluck up the courage to step on that metal mass reader and pray to the heavens that I lost a few. Right before, I would empty out my bladder and not drink anything for at least an hour prior so I could get the most accurate reading. Already mentally preparing myself for the result: If I had gained, well it would be due to the weight of my underwear adding the extra grams, If I had lost even the smallest ratio of weight then damn I would reward myself with a jellybean. That is really how bad it got. Did I automatically transform into a dog now that I needed to reward myself with food? Giving myself targets of losing 500g (equivalent to a brick of margarine) every week to get to that magic number. Oh yes those golden digits you dreamed up somewhere in your brain that might as well have been a bonus ball chosen by Nimrod in the Lotto Lucky Draw. Because that is exactly what it is, a lucky guess of selection.

I sit back and get icy chills of moments spent obsessing about weight loss when all I really should have been focusing on was getting fit and the enjoyment of it. It’s not really a switch that you can flip in all honesty. I think the weight fixation is a pre-requisite to the mental formula of what gets your blood flowing. Exercise and fitness is a culture you build for yourself. Once you find your rhythm and the kind of exercise you enjoy most, the weight naturally falls off. You become focused on your goal: strength, fitness, flexibility…the list is endless. In my case, I weigh exactly the same as I did when I started training with my PT I am just a lot more leaner. The centimetres lost is what counts and in total I have lost a whopping 15% body fat – this is a good illustration of the fact that you don’t need to lose the kilograms to look good. You just need to be smart about HOW you do it. It’s a simple science. MUSCLE weighs more than fat. LEAN MUSCLE takes up less space in the body. MUSCLE boosts your metabolism as it requires more fuel to function.

Not having the strictest diet, I have still managed to lose the measurements through training. I am not going to gain 500g just by eating a pizza or having an ‘off’ day. The body will burn that up in seat-mode simply because of the metabolic rate boost from the lean muscle. My new obsession is beating my times in running long distances which in my case is a whole 5 kilometres. This coming from someone who almost collapsed doing 1km before I started training! I’m addicted to pushing more reps & increasing the weights of my last session. I’m addicted to feeling the need to run after a long day of frustrations. Addicted to doing more than 1 pull-up (the right way). Addicted to buying new trainers and workout gear or as I like to call it – Combat Gear. Because that is what it is. A battle between what you think you can do and what your body CAN actually do. Switch your game plan of what you thought you knew, and do some research on what you ought to know. Make the change and make a move. You know you wanna!

Me at 17.1% body fat:

Conditioning the Body & Mind

Metabolic Conditioning
 
A term described by my trainer as boosting your metabolism and fitness. In my world this means: getting effed up to the max where you almost can’t breathe.
My exercise regimen for the day was as follows:
10 reps 20kg bar squat press
15 floor level burpees
15 reps 12kg kettlebell swing
30 x sit down squats
15 x 2kg ball squat throws
(repeat x3)
 
Note I had to do all of this in under 20 minutes. Choosing my rest intervals as I see fit. First set was a wake-up call as I found myself struggling to breathe. Second set gave me hope and inspiration that I could so do this in under the given time. Halfway through the third set it dawned on me – FML, I am royally in my chops over here. Having just competed in the Impi Challenge a few days ago, I rated myself as fairly fit. 12km of rough terrain coupled with 17 obstacles is enough to send anyone running for the hills, but surprisingly I came out alive. This Metabolic conditioning kicked all my perceptions of my own fitness right into the gutter. Showing me that you can never allow yourself to get into a comfort zone. The day you don’t feel any pain in my limbs and other body parts you never knew existed, you know you’re not working hard enough.
 

The pros are well toned legs, tight buttocks, shapely arms and a much sought after flat tummy. The drawbacks is that ladies, you will lose your breasts. Your chest size will shrink quite a bit. Now me, I never had any to begin with and going up to a C-cup just meant I picked up so much weight my bra size became artificial. So the toss up is: washboard abs vs juicy boobs. To me, the choice is obvious. Now this doesn’t mean I would like to lose all my femininity. I surely would like to maintain my curves in all the right places and just keep reminding myself I never did have big breasts to start off with so why cry over it? Being fit and working out doesn’t mean you will be skinny. Quite the opposite actually, you end up weighing more but that’s all lean muscle which takes up less space under your skin so you appear smaller. You also look so much better, without any clothes on. Yeah thats the biggest bonus to working out. Feeling unrestricted by clothes you once wore but have become too tight. Being able to prance around in gym and having the girls look up at you in awe while the boys stare at your perky behind.  Being fit is a self confidence booster in its own right. You have amazing energy and feel yourself getting stronger each day. As women, we spend so much time looking at the mirror and not liking what we see staring back at us but it is about making that move, making your mark and staying strong to hang in there even when you cannot possibly gather the energy to get into your trainers and run. It is about stepping out of your comfort zone, not accepting that image which you can’t stand and simply saying “Let’s do this, time to make some changes around here”. Having been there myself for the last 2 years, I am finally at a place I am at peace in. That does not mean to say I am comfortable, I need to keep pushing for myself, for my worth and for my future.
 

My time = 19m34s. Next objective: BEAT THAT TIME by at least 1 minute.

From Zero to Hero

Being fit and slim all my life, age decided to play a prank on me and wake me up to my body only 10 kilograms heavier. How the hell did I let this happen? When I started seeing wobbly bits on my knees that represented something like cottage cheese I immediately took to joining a gym and eating healthily. It has been a long slog to this marathon I’m in right now. By no means am I a qualified professional but have I have learned so much over the 2 years since the rude awakening of seeing dairy products collect along the outer edges of my once-gorgeous pins. I am finally at a place where I can wear my clothes without worrying about bulges or if my butt is too big. All thanks to Virgin Active, my gorgeous personal trainer and the support of friends and blogs from various remarkable individuals. Okay, I admit it is mostly thanks to my trainer who whips my ass twice weekly. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at the crack of dawn (6am) while most people are snoozing their alarm clocks, my soul belongs to Gareth Sangster. I am in the fittest shape of my life, I have arm muscles now and a firm peachy ass  

Diet accounts for 70% of success and the rest is training and determination. From early morning adventures in the winter cold, I am where I am, 90% beach body ready. The gruelling #Crossfit exercises, binge junk food sacrifices, falling off the wagon and getting back up…ALL SO WORTH IT!   Still smiling from my workout – which I will probably be cursing about tomorrow while walking like a grandma that came out of hip surgery. *eek*  

Herewith my workout this morning:
5min Cycle warm up  
Super Set Circuit 1 (Repeat x3):
15 reps x 15kg Seated Leg Extensions – Quads
15 reps (each leg) 2x 5kg weight bench stepovers – Quads, glutes
1min step ups with 2x 5 kg weight – Full leg  

Super Set Circuit 2 (Repeat x3):
20 rep 20kg walking lunges – Hamstrings, glutes
15 reps 15kg lying leg curl – Hamstrings, glutes
20 reps 60kg calf raise – Calves
15 reps 30kg seated calf raise – Solar plexis, calves  

5min cooldown stretches