Meal Mentor

Does Not Exercising Make You Lose Muscle?

A meal plan user emailed:

"Since starting the meal plans in February I've lost 23lbs, 16 inches, and lowered my cholesterol 40 points - all without exercising! My old personal trainer wants to get together and catch up. She text me that I'm going to lose too much muscle if I don't exercise. Is she right? I know I don't have to exercise to lose weight, but I'm not sure how to respond to her. When I worked out I was in pain everyday and it really sucked."

Your trainer means well, and I believe she cares, but many trainers are so misguided, perpetuating the conventional wisdom you hear in gyms: more protein, more muscle. Little of them really understand diet, nutrition, and it's role with weight-loss. She's also trying to get you to buy her services again, too, I'm sure ;)

Regarding muscle loss, if a guy starts pumping iron like crazy -- can bench 250lbs, and then decides "forget it" and stops lifting, yes, he will eventually lose that big bulky bicep muscle because it was not natural, and Herculean efforts were/are required to sustain it.

Similarly, if you trained for a marathon, all that running would undoubtably add a few pounds of extra leg muscle to your frame, and if you decided to "retire" and never run again it would eventually go away, as you're not running 25-50 miles a week to sustain it.

See the point I'm getting at here?

Could you lose some muscle from not working out? Sure, but it would be very little and arguably more natural for your body.

Unless you're bed ridden, you're moving, so you can't lose your muscles. Trainers want us to think exercise is only something that happens in a gym, but exercise happens when we wash the car, walk the dog, clean the toilet, mop the floors, fold our laundry, play with our kids, carry groceries up the steps, cook dinner, etc.

Sure, my biceps might not be as big as if I was doing "curls for the girls" with barbells everyday, but having big biceps or being able to bench press some arbitrary number of pounds does not mean I am healthy. In fact, some of the most muscle-y guys I knew at the gym had some of the worst diets! Fast food 24/7! What do their ateries look like?

Check out this post, too: My Weight-Loss Fail: Why a Personal Trainer Didn't Work

"When I worked out I was in pain everyday and it really sucked." Then there is your answer.

If you start to feel worried about your muscularity, start walking and doing some yoga. Deep clean and move furniture ;)

"Is she right?" Not in the way she means.

Hope that helps! Lindsay

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Work Lunch Ideas without a Kitchen

A meal plan user emailed:

"We subscribe to the Family Plan and I have a question with leftovers. My husband's an electrician and oftentimes eats in his truck. I don't give him sandwiches because I fear the bread will get soggy. It has always been a challenge for me as to what to give him. Do you have any suggestions for people who work outside the home with no access to a kitchen?"

My husband used to have that kind of work environment so I kept his bun, bread or wrap separate from the "filling" and he assembled the sandwich before eating -- it didn't get soggy that way. I did that for salads too, usually keeping the dressing separate.

Soups in a thermos work great! He loved beans and rice, and leftovers (things like "meatloaf" and veggies, or mac n cheese, or casseroles) since those things are fine if they are kinda room temp. (And if pulled from the fridge, they lose their undesirable "cold" temp by lunch).

Some moms freeze smoothies and put it in a thermos so its a smoothie and not an ice pop at lunch, if he likes those.

Enjoy the meal plans! Lindsay

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3 Easy Tweaks for a Healthier Life

While "ripping the bandaid off" is sometimes the best way to start living a healthier life, even the smallest changes can make a difference.

Here are three easy tweaks on how you can start living healthier today!

Keep "kryptonite foods" out of your home Sometimes you just need to know your boundaries -- and where your personal weaknesses are. Mine's brownies, Scott's is peanut butter (you can read more about my battle with weight, yo-yo dieting and food addictions here). By keeping these foods in the house, it makes it that much easier to reach for them when those cravings hit. That's what's so great about the meal plans! Each day you'll have a healthy meal ready and waiting for you (or one that comes together in minutes), and you won't be tempted by those other kryptonite foods.

Drink Water If you're drinking too many calories, trade in your usual beverage for water. If plain water sounds boring, try jazzing it up with slices of fresh fruit, frozen fruit instead of ice or even a splash of juice.

Move more Even though I advise against exercise if you're trying to lose weight (calorie restriction + exercise often slowed my client's losses), light exercise like walking or yoga is great.

If you're looking to eat healthier, I can't recommend the meal plans enough! They make it easy to eat delicious food and stay healthy!

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5 Healthy Tips For Dining Out

In a perfect world, I would make every meal I eat, but "dining out" is a social aspect of our lives.

If you're unable to eat off the meal plan because you're going out to eat, here are some tips on how to make your meal a healthy one.

Make special requests Don't be embarrassed about getting creative with the menu or asking if your dish can be made oil-free. With so many dietary restrictions these days, it's not "weird" to inquire or ask for adaptions. Plus, you're paying to have our meal cooked to order.

Choose your dressings carefully Dressings can be sneaky calorie bombs! Skip the dressing and ask for lemon or lime to squeeze on top instead. You can also try salsa or balsamic vinegar.

Forget about cleaning your plate Restaurants are all about large portions -- they want you to leave feeling full and satisfied. Instead of cleaning your plate, eat half and take the rest home for another meal. Alternatively, eat a salad or filling broth-based soup before your main meal to prevent overeating.

Drink smart Alcoholic beverages, especially cocktails, are high in sugar and loaded with calories. For your health, limit alcohol, but when you do indulge, be responsible (first and foremost!) and try something like orange-flavored vodka with soda water with a slice of orange.

Make the best choice possible Consider what meals might be the healthiest choice for you in the circumstances you're in. This distinction is important. You have to consider your circumstances, not utopia. Use your intuition. You know what's healthy and what isn't. Make the healthiest choice possible and if you end up making a less-than-great-choice, don't beat yourself up! It happens! The best you can do is step forward and make your next choice a great one!

For more tips on how to navigate dining out, there's a huge section in my book, The Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living.

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4 Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight

Losing weight can be frustrating, especially when you think you're eating and doing all the right things. But sometimes it's the little things that can really add up and prevent you from shedding those unwanted pounds.

Here are 4 reasons why you may not be losing weight:

You're mindlessly snacking While fruits and veggies are better than potato chips, excess is still excess -- and you can easily (and mindlessly) nibble away a lot of calories when you're not paying attention! Try portioning out your snacks or do what I do: brush your teeth! There is something about brushing my teeth that silences my fake "bored" hunger signals.

You're misjudging portion sizes Portion size can be tricky, especially when dining out at a restaurant. They want you to eat more so you leave feeling full and satisfied, which results in you eating more food (and calories!). Luckily with the meal plans, the serving sizes are already calculated so you're eating the right amount. And don't let the amount of food fool you! The meal plans are based off the principle of caloric density, which means more food and fewer calories.

You're drinking your calories Soda, fancy coffee drinks, fruit juice, energy drinks, and booze are some of the worst drinks for your body -- not to mention sneaky calorie bombs! For healthier alternatives, see this post -- and don't forget to drink water!

You're exercising Exercise is great, but it's not required for weight loss. Diet (or WHAT you're eating) is far more important than exercising! It also requires more of a juggling act than if you try to lose based on diet alone. When I was a personal trainer, my clients brought exercise back in once they achieved a desired weight/body fat loss, and they were willing to stop calorie restriction.

The meal plans take out all the guess work and I'm thrilled to have so many success stories.

For those looking to lose weight, stick to the meal plan as close as possible and choose the lower fat options!

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Are Larabars Healthy?

A client recently emailed:

"What is your opinion of Larabars?"

I try to practice the concept of caloric density (the principle on which I base the meal plans), more food for less calories. Larabars, or any bars, don't really work well with that.

I'd rather eat an apple, or a banana, or a potato, because it would be way more satiating.

Think about it this way: Larabars have 200-230 calories (10-13g of fat).

A sweet potato has 103 calories (0.2g fat). An apple and a banana together are 200 calories (0g fat).

What would leave you more satisfied? A Larabar that's the size of two fingers or TWO whole sweet potatoes? or a banana AND an apple? (This is a great example of caloric density).

I also follow the advice of Dr. McDougall, Dr. Esselstyn & Dr. Campbell, who recommend keeping very low fat, whole foods, plant-based diet -- very minimal added nuts, seeds, etc. so Larabars don't work for me since they're very nut heavy. (And they're not low in fat.)

I generally avoid dried fruit as a snack, too. I use dried fruit more like a condiment -- sprinkle some dried cherries on my oatmeal or salad, for example.

BUT that's just me and my needs. Most of the Larabars are wholesome (although I have seen a few with chocolate and I think pretzels, which aren't so wholesome), but the original ones with only dried fruit and nuts could be a good choice for kids, athletes, and adults who don't need to lose weight (and don't have medical issues or health concerns such as diabetes or heart disease).

Personally, I'd rather my clients eat an apple and banana, which are always sold anywhere Larabars are sold, or a baked potato. But if it came down to someone eating a Larabar or a Snickers, obviously my preference for them would be to eat the Larabar!! :)

Hope that helps! Lindsay

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