Monday, February 2nd, 2009
A follower of my blog inquired recently about eating a Raw diet and maintaining/building muscle…
Hey Kristen… I was wondering would it be possible for you to do a blog post on eating raw and weightlifting….I have lost 50 pounds since beginning to eat all RAW..now I’m doing ChaLean Extreme (it’s a program where you lift heavy weights to failure)… should I be concerned that my body will use my muscles for fuel instead of burning fat… I’m concerned with the whole calorie thing,because eating RAW I haven’t been counting calories. I want to reap the best results from all this hard work, because I have seen people who eat raw and have lost a lot of weight and some don’t look fit just smaller and soft… so that leads me to think they have lost some muscle, what do u think?…any advice would be greatly appreciated.
First of all… CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss and for taking control of your health. I’m so happy for you. I’m actually a tiny bit familiar with the ChaLean program because I know someone who is doing it, and I’ve read about so many others bragging about it and loving it. If I had a set up in my house where I could do dvds for some of my exercise, I’d be all over this program.
Regarding your overall question… I switch between all-Raw and HRAV (High Raw, All Vegan) and my husband follows suit since I’m in charge of food – haha. I’m not soft and skinny; my body is toned and I have no problem maintaining that. :) And, let me tell you… my husband is buff and his bod is mega hot – ripped abs, chiseled chest… TMI? Maybe – haha.
Things I do to maintain my muscle mass, and things my husband does to maintain and grow his:
1) Strength train (we get our butts in the gym at least five days per week!). Period.
2) A healthy, alkaline diet complete with nutrient dense foods. Consume enough calories in general, including foods rich in amino acids and simple carbs. As people who work out a lot, we also add more protein to our diet. To do this, we drink shakes and smoothies with hemp protein powder, and lately we’ve been doing a mixture of both hemp protein powder along with Sun Warrior’s Raw Rice Protein Powder, and typically include bananas or some other fruit in it. We also like green smoothies (fresh amino acid-rich greens and fruit). Here is a link to a great workout smoothie recipe – GGGRRRR! Beowulf Protein Smoothie. We also love our fresh Plant Blood (green juice) which fills our bodies with phytonutrients. Sometimes we drink Plant Blood daily and sometimes we drink it every few days – just depends on our fridge contents.
We also make sure we’re consuming certain foods before and after our workouts (our exercise tends to last 45 – 75 minutes). For example, before a training session, we typically consume something with simple carbs (examples: fresh dates, a ripe banana, or other fruit is excellent workout fuel). After a workout (within 60 minutes of completing it), we have a small smoothie with simple carbs and a little protein (see the recipe for the GGGRRRR! Beowulf Protein Smoothie – we usually split this or something like it). Then, after an hour has passed we have another shake that is heavier with protein (typically Sun Warrior Rice Protein, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein, Vitamineral Green Powder, Fruits of the Earth Powder,water, and usually a banana blended in).
3) Recovery – This is an important topic that is frequently left out. You need to let your body recover and build, and this includes getting plenty of rest and sleep. Diet is also an important aspect of recovery, but rest and sleep are vital.
Basically, we listen to our bodies, monitor our progress, and make changes as needed. Ensuring success with this might mean some calorie counting, at least in the beginning, until you get an idea of what you should be consuming on a daily basis and how your body responds to it. Everyone is different so you need to find what works for you personally. But, it can be done!
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Getting physically fit is one of the best things you can do for your mind and body, and here are three great reasons to get started today:
1) Burn Fat Fast! When it comes to getting the best body ever, I want super fast results. For me, that means pumping iron. It’s simple…muscle accelerates fat loss. The muscle works on your behalf all day long burning extra calories. Who wouldn’t want that?
2) Reduce Stress! Want to reduce stress? No problem! Have you ever beat the crap out of a punching bag? Now, that’s therapy!
3) Fight Osteoporosis! I am on a mission to fight osteoporosis and lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to do just that. With my history of shoveling slabs of ribs into my mouth and drinking cauldrons full of coffee, I have some major making up to do with my skeletal structure. Lifting weights is the best ally I have for building my bones and fighting that damage.
Today’s Recipe: Power Energy Elixir
Yield 1 serving
1/2 cup water
Juice from 2 oranges
1 tablespoon Vitamineral Green Powder
2 teaspoons Navitas Naturals maca powder
1 teaspoon carob powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Place all of the ingredients in a glass mason jar and shake it up to thoroughly mix. Drink it down (this is just one of those concoctions that is best gulped instead of sipped). Feel the buzz of energy take you over and carry you through your day.
For the rest of the day I’ll be enjoying:
1 quart fresh green juice
The Beowulf Workout Smoothie (featured in my upcoming class, Weight Loss & High Energy)
1 quart fresh green juice
Green Moxie Soup (this, too, is taught in my upcoming class)
Bok Choy Salad with a delicious dressing on top
Daily Conversation Question:
What quality do you think is most important in a marriage?
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Tuesday, September 25th, 2007
Ouch! That’s what I say about this workout. My legs were shakin’ and I almost couldn’t walk out of the gym (in a good way of course!). My workout was hard and intense…just the way I like it. If you’ve read my website, Kristen’s Raw, then you know I was a former competitive body builder. As a result, I’m definitely hooked on weight training for fat burning, staying in the best shape, and building strong bones (yes, there’s a place for cardio, but weight training takes the cake in my opinion).
Exercise:
Weights: Legs; 4 straight sets for each exercise; low reps, heavy weight
*Walking lunges with 15 lb. dumbells, leg press, lying leg curl, and one set (each leg) of single leg squats
Cardio: Treadmill 15 minutes > combo of run (zero-incline) and fast-paced walk (7-incline)
Music: Fergie, George Michael, Linkin Park, Lucy Woodward
Post-workout Smoothie: 2 bananas, water, 2 packed tablespoons (mixture of minced dill, rosemary, & mint) YUMMMMMM! I felt amazing after drinking it, and ready to take on the world (after my legs rested of course).
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Thursday, September 13th, 2007
Food is important to a healthy lifestyle…but so is physical fitness. You will get much more out of Raw when you add physical fitness to your lifestyle. These together strengthen your body from the inside out.
Two days ago, I went to the gym and that damn jump rope kicked my ass. It was really tough! But, yesterday, I kicked it’s ass and owned it! My heart was pounding, pulse racing, body sweating, and it felt GREAT!
For a really super workout, I have to listen to music ranging from “this gets me moving and pumps me up” to tunes that make me wanna say “gggrrrr“… so I have all kinds on my mp3 from Linkin Park to Trick Daddy to Seal to Madonna to Rhianna and more. Sometimes I just start doing a little dance right there in the gym….okay, not usually in front of people – ha ha…but I just love music and can’t help myself sometimes!
~Yesterday’s workout
Weights: Chest; 5 straight sets for each exercise
*Flat dumbell press, Incline dumbell press, Decline dumbell press
Cardio: Jump rope before weight training, between many of the weight lifting sets, and after lifting.
~Today’s Workout
Weights: Back; 3 straight sets for each exercise
*Chins, Seated cable row, Reverse bent over flies, Wide grip pull downs
Cardio: Jump rope and get on the treadmill for a short journey while I read VegNews magazine.
“A strong body makes the mind strong.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
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I'm Kristen, and welcome to my blog. I'm a wife, mom, author, and I love to eat so food is usually the topic of my blog posts. I'm a former (almost decade long) vegan turned back omnivore who enjoys reading, rebounding, coffee, and dark chocolate. 
