"STEEMIT VOICES" #3: An Interview with Personal Trainer & Nutrition Consultant @plantstoplanks

Welcome to the third interview in this new series, where I pick the brains of fellow Steemians for knowledge and expertise that can benefit us all!

Last week we talked to Vegan Blogger @lenasveganliving... If you missed it you can read the full interview here.

This week we chat to the wonderfully healthy, full of sunshine, and ever-encouraging @plantstoplanks - aka Katie to her buddies (or 'spuddies' haha).  Katie is a personal trainer and nutrition consultant specializing in plant-based food.

1.  Tell us a little bit about what kinds of things you blog about and the motivation behind it? 

I focus mostly on plant-based food and fitness as my main topics, though I enjoy dabbling in some other spheres when time or inspiration allows. I was originally motivated to start blogging so that I had somewhere to share recipes. My clients know the best way to distract me is to start talking about food, so after I had enough people ask about how I made this or that I figured I may as well post it online to share with everyone! I started a Wordpress site at the same time that I started on Steemit, so unlike some of these amazing bloggers who have been honing their skills for years, I am still quite new to the blogging world. Perhaps some day I’ll try to move more of my business online, but for now my goal is just to have fun flexing my writing muscles and have some motivation to keep experimenting in the kitchen.

I also just really love sharing about living as healthy as possible, so being able to inspire people on a larger scale than my usual small sphere of influence was definitely a motivating factor. Little did I know with Steemit in particular how much inspiration I would receive in return! It really is wonderful to connect with so many other people passionate about helping people take control of their life by making better choices on how they treat their bodies. By connecting with the running community, it has inspired me to spend more time writing about that aspect of fitness which has been not only fun, but also has helped me stay on top of my own training.

I have to say I was a little hesitant when I first started even thinking about blogging because the nutrition and fitness world is so saturated with great personalities and influencers. I thought I would not have anything new or different to add value to the conversation. I have since realized each one of us has something unique to bring to the table. I may not be the right fit or have the perfect approach for everyone, but for some people my style may be just what they need to get going in starting a fitness routine or eating more yummy plants. 

 

2.  How long have you been a personal trainer and nutrition consultant, and what lead you to this line of work? 

I have been a personal trainer for 9 years. Though my original certification covered basic nutrition, I got a more specific nutrition and wellness certification 3 years ago. When I first started out I focused solely on the fitness side of things, but quickly realized you need both to get results. The studio I used to work for started implementing a nutrition program about 3 years into my training that was designed by a registered dietitian. That was when I really started taking a more active role in studying nutrition and talking to clients more about it. I also plan on getting a holistic nutrition certification in the next year because I am so passionate about how much of an impact food can have on healing.

My dad was actually a trainer (unofficially) for a while when my sisters and I were kids, so I think the seed was planted early. However I did not come into it until my late 20’s. I got into retail in college and unfortunately got trapped in the decent pay of management for a number of years after graduating. The last job I had before getting certified was as the manager of the paper and custom printing department at a local store. Years of dealing with stressed out brides took a toll on my own health, so I started working out again after a few years of being a slug. 

When I realized how much better I felt incorporating that back into my daily routine (I played sports all through school), that was when I thought I might enjoy helping others do the same. My main motivation in my daily work is to help people feel better from the inside out. It can be a little challenging sometimes because so many people just want to lose weight, but I will never sacrifice health for quick weight loss. If you are doing the right things to take care of your body, the aesthetic changes will follow.   

3.  What shaped your current diet?  Have you always been a healthy eater? 

Oh boy, I wish I could say yes to always eating healthy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! My mother used to try to make me drink things like Ensure or Boost to get vitamins in me as a kid (little did she know those things are pretty terrible, too). I have always had a wicked sweet tooth, so I would eat donuts and pancakes for breakfast over fruit or vegetables. Working in a shopping mall through college did not help either since some of the guys in the food court thought they were being nice by giving us free French fries or soft drinks if we stopped by on our lunch breaks. I got lucky in the genetics department in that I am naturally tall and slender, but there was definitely a time I was carrying some uncomfortable extra weight and I actually had some problems with depression that looking back were clearly related to my diet.

Learning more about nutrition when I started training helped me start taking a look at my own dietary intake, but initially the sources I had access to were more of the typical weight loss approaches. Just because a “diet” can help you lose weight does not mean it is healthy! If anything I have seen too many people harmed from years of extremely restrictive dieting.
It wasn’t until I read “The China Study” that I really switched gears and started researching a plant-based (vegan) diet. Total game-changer for me. I was a bit brainwashed into thinking too many carbs would make me gain weight or I would not get enough protein (oh the fitness world is rife with misinformation). I watched “Forks Over Knives” not long after, and I think that was when I decided to try a vegetarian week. I still ate some eggs at the start, but cut out all meat and most dairy right off the bat. After one week I felt fantastic. I asked @dksart if he minded if I started cooking like that all of the time, and he said go for it. We live together and I do most of the cooking, so it really was such a huge help for my transition that he is so easy to please. 

It did take a little while for my body to acclimate to all of the extra fiber, but eventually my digestion adapted and now I have no issues. I have run most of my PR’s as a vegan athlete, maintain the same if not more lean muscle, and now I only get depressed if I run out of dates or nut butter. 

4.  Tell us about the @runningproject you're involved with, and how we can get involved too. 

I am so happy I found out about @runningproject when it just got started. It is still a fairly new community, but we are growing every week! It is a great way to try to connect the runners here on Steemit. There are a number of us writing weekly posts to contribute different value to the page. I write on nutrition for runners, while some other awesome folks talk about training programs, gear, racing and just about anything else running related. They even do a weekly prize for the running author of the week to reward good content, and once you are an approved runner you get upvotes on ALL of your posts from the page. Though the voting and resteeming support is nice, the real value in my opinion is the community. Some of the guys like @toofasteddie and coach @cstrimel are always great about giving excellent advice on tweaking your running program.

If you enjoy running, you should come join us! You don’t have to be fast, run far or run often to join. As long as you post every now and then about running with original content, you are good to go.  Check out the latest update for more information on becoming an approved runner.

I should also throw in a little plug in this regard for @jumowa’s #runforsteem. His is just a weekly reward for posting at least one logged run a week. Get paid for running? Why not?!! 

The Steem Running Project 8th Status Report: Upvotes Forever in all posts of our Approved runners!

(photo - @runningproject)

5.  What would your typical daily exercise regime look like?  Do you exercise every day? 

This generally depends on if I am training for a particular race, though I generally workout in some way 5-6 days a week. I always take completely off at least one day a week to rest and let my body recover. People do not realize that recovery is just as important as working out. This season I have focused on the half marathon distance, so I cut back my strength training to mostly 3 days per week so I can get in at least 3 solid running days. If I am not doing as much running or I’m training for shorter distances, I usually like to do at least 4 days per week in the gym.

My strength training varies, though I do tend to do more total body type workouts including a mix of weightlifting, body weight training, cardio and core work. I try to vary my routine to avoid burnout, so there are times I may go to a more classic strength routine and do my cardio separately. I love tools like the BOSU and TRX, but can also give myself a kick butt workout just using my own body weight. We do some group circuit classes at the studio I work for, so I try to join in on one of those a week or workout with some of the other trainers, as well. I know I tend to work a little bit harder when I have company (trainers need trainers, too).  I try to never have my clients do anything I wouldn’t do, so I do my best to practice what I preach! 

6.  Is there an 'ideal diet' for runners? 

Though there are certain basic guidelines every runner can benefit from, I don’t think there is one perfect diet. First off, runners come in all shapes and sizes so we all have different caloric needs. There are also widely varying needs from say a sprinter to an ultra-marathoner. My biggest tip is to pay attention to how your individual body responds to the fuel you put into it. While I don’t think anyone would argue we all need to eat lots of whole, unprocessed foods, I do better on a high carbohydrate diet with a few good servings of whole grains every day, while someone else may need a higher percentage of healthy fats and cannot tolerate gluten. 

There are also runners who may want to gain weight versus ones who want to lose some body fat, so that brings in other factors. One of my first articles on the @runningproject page was about keeping a food journal to figure out what works best for you. I highly recommend using a journal as a tool if you are starting to try to eat better. It can be a really great way to get a better idea of what works for you and your running goals.   

7.  Do you think it's possible for an individual to achieve/maintain optimum health if they eat a highly processed diet? 

No. I try to be very supportive as people transition, and we are all at different stages of change, but ultimately I don’t think you can function at your highest level if you are feeding your body garbage on a regular basis. Why do you think most professional athletes have team nutritionists or registered dietitians giving them specific plans? There are different theories on how much you can indulge without it impacting you negatively, and there is research that shows that athletes are better able to metabolize simple sugars. When it comes down to it, though, you will feel so much better when you put high quality fuel in your body.

Now I do think being too obsessive about being perfect in everything can be detrimental to your health, as well, so it can be challenging at first to find that balance between making good decisions but not beating yourself up if you fail on occasion. If you have a slice of cake at a birthday party every so often but eating well the majority of the rest of the time, you are probably doing ok. I am still not perfect, but each year I get better about moving along my journey to my best health. 

8.  What's your opinion of those high-glucose energy drinks and snacks that are particularly marketed for athletes?  Would you recommend them, or are there better/healthier alternatives? 

I really need to do some more research on all of the options available, as I know there are probably some good ones out there. Currently, I prefer not to use anything pre-packaged myself. Dates have been my go-to for quite a while If I need a boost for a long run or race. I know I function much better with “real” sugar. Any time I have tried some of the goo, gel or gummies it makes my stomach hurt or the ingredients are not vegan.

However, I know there are some athletes and runners who swear by them. It comes down once again to individual preference, so make sure to really look at the ingredient list and decide if it is something you are comfortable consuming. I have seen plenty of homemade concoctions that do the same thing if you have the time and patience to put into making a batch for yourself. For the average person, you probably do not need them. Your body can store about 90-minutes worth of energy in your blood and muscles, so unless you are working out at a fairly high intensity for longer than that you may not need anything other than water.   

(For some great work-out smoothies, check out Katie's recipes here!)

Descending Ladder Treadmill & Dumbbell Workout with a Green Smoothie to Recover! ;)

Preparing Body & Mind For Race Day!  With Another Beet Smoothie Recipe ;)

9.  What kind of motivation tactics are most effective in getting people to increase their physical activity? 

I think one of the biggest things is finding what you enjoy. I love lifting weights and running because they both make me feel good, but someone else may love Zumba because they like dance. The beautiful thing about fitness is there are so many options to find what works for you! Martial arts, yoga, pilates, aqua aerobics, swimming, biking, walking, tennis...the list goes on and on. Of course I do feel very strongly about finding a balance between some strength work, cardio, and flexibility, but those can all be achieved in a number of ways. If you pick some things you like to do and make you feel strong and fit, then you will be more likely to make it a habit.

I would also say to make some goals that are not weight-related. Weight loss can be important for some people, but what happens if you don’t see the scale move quickly? You get discouraged and stop because you don’t think it is working. Or you hit your goals, then what happens? Many times people slack off then, too, especially if the weight loss was to look good for a specific, one-time event. I love running because I can sign up for races and challenge myself to do better to hit new goals. I have had clients work on hitting blood work numbers like reducing blood pressure or improving their cholesterol to get off of medication. Set goals that are achievable, yet still challenge you. If you are already walking three times per week, try to make it a goal to add one 30-minute yoga session a week. Little things all add up to make a difference if you continue to move forward and keep setting your sights higher as you go along!

Finding a buddy can definitely help, but do not rely on someone for your sole motivation. I enjoy workout out with or running with others, but I make sure to get in my workout regardless. Personal training can seem intimidating or pricey, but sometimes paying for the accountability is what it takes if you know you cannot get motivated on your own. It can be especially important if you have never workout out before or have any injuries to make sure you are exercising correctly. If you can’t afford one-on-one training, try a class in your area that interests you. A lot of places offer a free first session so you can see if it is something you would like. Of course you can always get in a great workout from home. If you have little ones, staying healthy for them can be quite motivating. Especially if they are old enough to join you!   

10.  Do you have a personal health success story that you can share with us? 

Personally, my heart has been with my dear women who I have worked with post-mastectomy from breast cancer. I have obviously had my own fitness successes, and I’ve had plenty of clients drop body fat, go off medication and report numerous other positive impacts. Lately though my ladies have shown perseverance and resilience on more than just the physical level. I have written a little bit about them before, but I have had three clients in as many years get diagnosed with breast cancer. Of course I could go off on a whole tangent about how frustrating it is that I have known so many women (much more than just my own clients) dealing with this rampant form of cancer, but I want to focus on the positive outcomes that all of them have had.

One in particular had a pretty rough time going through the mastectomy and then chemotherapy, but she went through some really remarkable emotional changes as a result. She retired from a very demanding job that only stressed her out, sold her house and she and her husband finally bought the boat they’ve wanted for years to start living the life they’ve always dreamed of after 60 years on this planet. She also had some major epiphanies about how important it is to eat better and continue to take care of her body even though she has healed from the cancer and treatment. Now she also spends time volunteering and helping other women deal with their own battles. I have been so proud and humbled to be a part of her metamorphosis into the strong, loving and confident woman she is now. I hate that sometimes it takes a huge scare to knock you back and really appreciate life for what it is, but it is wonderful to see when someone makes delicious lemonade out of sour lemons. 

If you enjoyed getting to know our dear @plantstoplanks better, you can find out more by checking out her latest posts here (and don't forget to do some upping of the current ones!):

Mushroom & Tempeh Tacos

Official Contest Results & Full Tear Drop Half Marathon Race Recap

Buddha Bowl

Run For Steem: Race Day Cometh

More Veggie-Packed Meal Prep!

#HealthyVeganIceCream Challenge: Tropical Bliss

Baked Black Bean Burgers

Run For Steem:  Hill Repeats

Sunday Meal Prep Action :)

The Joys of Spring Running

* All photos in this interview belong to @plantstoplanks*

If you have something to say about health that can benefit others, please contact me to arrange an interview, either in the  comments thread below or privately on Steemit.Chat.

To find out what my "Make It Healthy Project" is all about, and how you can be involved in growing this project, please click here.
 
 

("5 Cs" shared with kind permission from @kiwideb)