Crystal O’Keefe: Hi guys. Welcome to The MetPro Method Podcast. This is your host Crystal O’Keefe and we’re going to be doing things a little differently this week. We’re going to FaceTime all of the different coaches and talk to them about mistakes or common misconceptions that all clients have. And we’re going to start with me kicking it off.
The very first one that I want to talk about is a client who thinks, Oh, I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood, I got a good workout in, I would like some Gatorade now to wash it down. Nothing wrong with having a Gatorade, but it is important to note that a Gatorade thirst quencher has 34 grams of carbs, and that’s 32 grams of added sugar.
There are a ton of great options that you can get that aren’t so high in carbs. For example, there is the Nuun Sport. Now that only has 2 grams of carbs versus 1 gram of added sugar. But you have to be careful when you’re buying this because you can also find Nuun Endurance. Now that has 16 grams of carbs, and fifteen grams of added sugar.
And really, the big difference here is that you’re looking for products that are going to hydrate you with electrolytes without a bunch of added sugar. The added sugar is really for endurance athletes that not only need to be hydrated, but also need some extra quick sugars to fuel their workouts.
And those workouts are going to be anywhere from an hour and fifteen minutes. And on anything past that, if you’re doing a 30 minute workout, a 45 minute workout, you really don’t need that high of sugar intake. And all it’s going to do is set you back on your goal. If your goal is to lose weight on the flip side of that, if you are an endurance athlete and you’re doing a nice long run, maybe you’re training for a marathon and you’re out for a couple of hours, then these products are absolutely appropriate for you.
If not, again, another good option that you can do is make your own at home. Now water, it does hydrate you, but it doesn’t have all of the things it needs. It doesn’t have potassium. And that is a key factor in hydration. So one of the things you can do is use a recipe by Stacey Sims that I love. You can use this for about an hour’s worth of hydration.
You use one eighth of a teaspoon of table salt and you mix that with one teaspoon of maple syrup. Put that in about 16 to 20 ounces of water and that’s going to give you 250 milligrams. sodium, 20 grams of potassium and five grams of carbohydrates. And you can get that right at home. You don’t have to spend any additional money.
So that’s really, really helpful for people as well. Next, let’s check with one of our other coaches and see what they have to say.
Coach Amber: Hey, Crystal, Coach Amber here. Thanks so much for having me on today. One thing that I do not like is when people think that they have to starve themselves because they have a big event or a big dinner coming up that night.
What this does is it drops your blood sugar and it can ultimately lead to you being hangry and nobody likes being hangry. It’s no fun. You don’t feel good. You’re irritated towards other people. So there’s no sense in being hangry. What I recommend is eating your snack before you go that way it helps regulate your blood sugar But you can also be in a much better mood for that event and then when you get there You’re not so hungry that you feel like you have to overindulge or you just can’t seem to get enough to satisfy that craving Because your blood sugar was so low So if you could really just focus on eating something with some carbs and protein and a well-balanced snack before you go to that big event, I promise you, you’ll feel so much better, you can kick that hangriness to the curb, and then you can go enjoy your night.
Crystal O’Keefe: Thanks, Amber. Those are really great points. Eat the food. Okay, let’s take it over to Megan next.
Coach Megan: Hey, Crystal. I love the topic of weight fluctuations. such a good topic. So many people think that weight loss is linear and it’s just simply not the case. There will always be times and things that can cause your weight to fluctuate, right?
And so what are some of those things and when should you be discouraged and when should you not, right? What’s realistic? Realistic expectations are so important. especially as you start on a weight loss journey because getting on the scale and seeing, Oh, I was down two pounds yesterday and now I’m up one and a half pounds of that.
And I did everything perfect can be really frustrating if you don’t understand the things that could be causing that. Right. And so I hear it all the time from clients. Oh, I only had two bites of my own birthday cake and I put on. a pound and a half. That’s not fair. That’s so lame. I look at a popsicle and I gain three pounds or, you know, people will say, I worked out extra hard yesterday and my reward two pounds on the scale, right?
And so there’s so many things out there just that we need to debunk about weight loss being linear. That’s never going to be the case. just to list a couple of things, right? An extra hard workout. actually could cause you to have water retention, right? As those muscles repair, as you rehydrate, you know, if you’re dehydrated, that could cause it.
If you are, you know, upcoming on your menstrual cycle, that could cause it. If you are constipated, if you haven’t been using the restroom, if you went out to dinner last night and you went to salty Chinese food, right? That can all cause a change on the scale. You know, another big one especially here at MedPro.
If you have changed your diet phase within the last, you know, 24 to 48 hours and you are on an up adjust cycle, that can cause you to also add a few extra unwanted ounces or pounds. But again, it’s temporary staying on plan. Staying on track is what’s going to help you see that weight loss over time.
And so don’t look at it day to day. evaluate it three days, five days, seven days, what progress have I made? Are you somebody who drops two pounds and then maintains for four or five days? Are you somebody who, you know, zigs and zags for seven days, but then ultimately from the week before you’re down a pound?
Are you somebody who… You know, it is an extra struggle and you do see those gains on, on the, on the days where you lift heavy or you haven’t used the restroom, right? All those things to consider.
Crystal O’Keefe: You’re so right, Megan. So many things can affect that scale up and down. Let’s take it over to Bianca next. What are your thoughts?
Coach Bianca: Well, I thought I’d chat a little bit about a topic that I hear very often. I’m not seeing any results on the scale. I have to agree with Megan. Weight fluctuations are huge, huge. They are completely normal but if you aren’t seeing the results that you think that you should be seeing on the scale, let’s talk about a few things.
One, definitely realistic expectations. Are you looking to lose five pounds in a week or are you looking to lose half a pound in a week? That’s a little bit more realistic. Now, on the flip side of nonscale victories. outside of just the scale, you have to look at some other aspects. So measurements, measurements are always really huge.
You can do them week to week, you can do them every other week. I like to do them every four to six weeks with my clients. So that way I can really see a big difference. But also I want my client to feel the physical difference as well. How are your clothes fitting? Are they fitting a little bit looser?
Are those skinny jeans not so skin-tight like they used to be? Can you fit into maybe an old Blouse that wasn’t fitting a couple of months ago? That’s a very important aspect as well And of course, don’t forget that pictures really truly paint such a different picture than what you may be seeing a reflection on just solely a scale.
So I have clients take pictures every four to six weeks and it can make the biggest difference I can have somebody that weighs the exact same but have a completely different body composition change from six weeks ago, so you can tell different changes in pictures, in measurements, in the way your clothes fit, and last but not least, energy levels too.
That’s so huge. How is your energy? How is your energy during the day? Are you sustaining it? Are you not as crazy tired at the end of the day as maybe you used to be? Can you get in one or two more workouts during the week because you’re feeling good more than normal? So don’t forget about all those different things because they all go into play.
So the next time you are discouraged or anything of that sort because of the number just on the scale, remember, don’t resort to just that. There are other aspects.
Crystal O’Keefe: That’s a great point, Bianca. There are so many ways to measure progress besides just looking at the scale. Love that you brought that up. I want to check in next with Eric. What’s on your mind today, Eric?
Coach Eric: Hey, Crystal. Good to see you. You know, one of the things I was thinking about today was one of my clients was telling me he just couldn’t make time for his snacks. And so as I started asking, how come you can’t make time for your snacks?
What I came to find out was he’s got one of those jobs. Well, he’s an anesthesiologist, so he can’t really just eat during surgery. So we had to come up with how can he get his snacks and come to find out. My suggestion worked. What I had him do was take a Justin’s peanut butter squeeze packet, and an applesauce squeeze packet, just like you would feed a little kid.
He’s got both of those in his pocket. As soon as the surgery either ends or there’s a break where the physician says anybody who needs to use the bathroom do it now, he splits out of there and goes to the bathroom. On his way to the bathroom, He squeezes the peanut butter packet in one’s mouth, squeezes the applesauce packet in his mouth, and boom, the snack’s done before he’s even done bathroom duties.
Hope that’s helpful. Sure helped him.
Crystal O’Keefe: Yes, Eric. So many good ideas for our super busy clients who can’t find ways to get those snacks in. Cat, how about you?
Coach Cat: What are you thinking about today? Hey, Crystal. I agree and disagree with the no pain, no gain notion. When we’re talking about lactic acid maybe when we’re lifting or swimming or running, then I agree with it.
Lactic acid can be uncomfortable, hence the pain part of things, but it’s not actual pain per se. It’s necessary to increase the blood flow in that area. It’s necessary to kind of push past those plateaus at times, but that’s not to say that it’s an everyday thing. And when we’re talking about exercise or physical movement with most of our clients, we’re talking about longevity.
We’re talking about every day. I want you to move every day to keep yourselves healthy. Now, other pains, sharp pains, ripping pains, tearing pains, I can’t breathe pains. Those are not good pains and they don’t need to be associated with any sort of exercise that we’re doing. Again, we’re looking for longevity.
We’re looking for gains across years and years and years. We’re looking for steady, consistent habits. And a lot of people are really turned off when they associate pain with working out. It’s not absolutely necessary. At times we will feel uncomfortable. Yes, but that’s not the pain that we’re talking about.
We want those gains to come consistently, steadily across years and to be that healthy habit that we all need to stay in not only physical shape but cardiovascular shape. We want our organs and our insides and our mental health and everything overall to benefit from that physical movement. This is a perfect example of it depends.
Crystal O’Keefe: I love that. Okay, Joe, over to you.
Coach Joe: Thanks, Crystal. I appreciate it. So, the common misconception or, or hot take that I would like to cover is the idea that you have to be sore from your exercise to see progress. Okay? Now, let me say this first. There is an element of truth to delayed onset muscle soreness.
In that, it produces a physiological chain of events and an inflammatory response that does promote muscle strength, you know, size gains and strength gains. But it’s not the only metric of success to track. And to be quite honest, it’s actually a dangerous mindset to have. If you are constantly chasing muscle soreness, and every time you go to the gym or you work out, you feel the need to push yourself.
to a point where you expect to be sore the next day, it can easily lead to injury and, and overtraining. Okay. So it’s not necessarily a safe mindset or approach to have a better idea or a solution is to identify what the goal of your exercise is, okay? Do you want to just live a healthier lifestyle?
Do you want to just move your body consistently? Do you want to improve your mobility or flexibility? Or get out of pain and reduce tightness in your neck and shoulders, right? And if you have a more, a goal that’s more, you know, relatable to this, muscle soreness is not the best… You know, metric to track to gauge your progress or your success.
Okay. So if you’re curious about, you know, what you should track or what metrics are most applicable to your goal, you know, talk to a professional, you know, do some research online, talk to your MetPro coach and try to identify what those are because chasing muscle soreness constantly is one dangerous, but two, not always in alignment with your goals.
So it’s, it’s actually a faulty mindset to have. So, I appreciate the time and I hope that this information helps you. Thanks.
Crystal O’Keefe: This is especially applicable to me today after a day of heavy weightlifting yesterday. So I appreciate the reminder, Joe. Jessee, how about you?
Coach Jessee: Hey, thanks, Crystal. I wanna talk a little bit about diet soda.
That is definitely one of my most common talked about misconceptions with my clients. Really, we think diet soda is okay. We think it’s better than regular soda because it’s got zero calories, but in fact, it’s really confusing your brain because your brain thinks you’re getting a bunch of sugar, but it’s not there And so then your brain is searching for this sugar from this diet soda that you didn’t get so it wants other sugary things And so those cravings of sugar actually are heightened the more diet soda you drink The aspartame those kind of artificial sweeteners.
Those really aren’t the best for your body Just think about them as if it’s not real food It’s probably going to confuse your brain and your system. So I want to try to keep it as natural as possible. The best thing we can drink is water. Water should be on the top of everybody’s list, even if it’s sparkling water.
That’s a good one. And I know people have to have their coffee or their tea. Those are another good form of hydration that don’t have the sugars unless you add the sugary beverages. But when we’re looking for a zero calorie option. Diet soda is not the best option. It will confuse your body and it will do more harm than good.
I have seen many clients introduce diet soda after having months of success and weight loss. And all of a sudden they started drinking more diet Coke because they’re more stressed at work and they’re not drinking alcohol. So they substitute with the diet Coke and boom, they’ve gained five pounds.
Without telling me, because they don’t think anything of it, it’s zero calories. So, from my own perspective of hydration and what our body needs for fuel, diet soda is not the way to go. Alright, thanks, Crystal.
Crystal O’Keefe: You’re right, it’s a very, very sneaky one. I’m really glad you brought it up.
Coach Kim: Hi Crystal, Coach Kim, thanks for having me.
Alright, let’s talk about the common misconception that salads are the best and healthiest option on the menu. While it might be true, depending on where you go, a lot of the time, salads can be the place for extra calories and a lot of extra dietary fat that is not needed. So don’t go into it blindly.
When you’re out to eat and you might be overwhelmed looking at a menu and you’re like, the salad was the healthiest choice so I chose the salad. Really make sure you’re looking at those ingredients closely because you might be fooled that it is the healthiest option when in fact it is one of the most calorically dense options on the menu, especially depending on serving sizes and what those toppings are.
So make sure it looks balanced, kind of check out those ratios of dietary carbs, right? Make sure those dietary fats aren’t too high because a lot of the time the salad is going Add in extras like avocado, nuts, cheese. Like, do you need all of that in the right amounts? Might be okay, but it could be excessive as well, so make sure you check those out.
Could be added sugars if they’re adding in any dried fruits, things like that. Sometimes those have added sugars in them. Make sure there’s no fried toppings. The dressing is also another source of dietary fat usually, so find a lighter, leaner dressing there and just check it out. Don’t go into it blindly.
Make sure you’re looking at it closely and don’t automatically assume it’s the healthiest option on the menu. All right. Hope that helps.
Crystal O’Keefe: I do love a good salad, but you’re right. It’s not always the best item on the menu. Ryan, what do you think we should consider?
Coach Ryan: Thanks, Crystal. For me, as a coach, I do not love the saying, I don’t have time to meal prep for several reasons, but I just want to talk about a couple.
The first one is that, you know, if there’s a will, there’s a way we have to understand that, you know, we have, we are looking to do lifestyle change. We are looking to be intentional with changing our habits. And that starts with being prepared. Meal preparation is, is planning, planning ahead. And the great thing about these days right now is that we can lean on a lot of great resources to actually bring more advantages to the table for meal prep, delivery, delivery services.
So, once you plan out your meals, you know your grocery list. You can use these delivery services to bring things directly to your home. You know, taking that burden completely off your shoulders. If you want to take it even a step further, there’s a lot of great resources out there.
A lot of great online stores that actually ship you cooked, high quality. meals. And even further, you can order a la carte. You can order your proteins and your carbs and your vegetables, flavored, and ready to go.
And so you can invest in something that saves you time, that saves you energy and effort and that gets you closer to your goals because it’s keeping you on plan with your meal prep. And so lean on those resources. Lean on those time management tools to help put you in a position because there truly is time. to meal prep. You just got to make it happen.
Crystal O’Keefe: Excellent points, Ryan. Planning and prep is the most important thing for MetPro to be successful.
I really appreciate all of the coaches, all of your time today. Thank you for so many wonderful ideas. And listeners, that’s all for this week. You can find all of the MetPro methods anywhere you get podcasts, or you can go to metpro.co/podcast. Please be sure to rate and review that lets other people know what to expect, and you can also learn more about metpro@metpro.co. I am your host, Crystal O’Keefe, and I will be back next week.
Until then, remember, consistency is key.
