Chance and Kacey's first attempt at friendship...

I feel honored to share these emails from the very first contact Chance and I had after we met. With that, comes an obligation to give you a little background story:) At our first meeting, as you may have read in the right hand margin of this page, Chance and I met at a wedding, over a 4-course meal ending with heavenly Tammie Coe Ooey Gooey Cupcakes.  Naturally, we discussed nutrition and that very topic became my foot in the door to his heart :) At some point of our first rendezvous, I threw out a joke about people calling me Stacey, Tracey.... anything else, but Kacey, as if it's a hard name to remember. He then says, "yeah, like Chance" ... I said "what about it??" He said, "You called me Chase. ---Twice." I let out a loud, hard laugh to cover my face turning so red and moved on. He kindly offered to email me some general information about nutrition and, along with the rest of the table, got a business card of mine. He lost it later than night and finally retrieved my website via Google after multiple name-spelling-combination tries. Here is his first email:

Dear Stacey,

Hey.....it's your new buddy, Chase! Great meeting you the other day. My brother and I really enjoyed talking to you. At first we were bummed out cause our entire table abandoned us, but then we got you instead and I think it was an upgrade. Alright alright, so you're interested in diet. first things first, that ooey gooey goodness of the cupcakes should be eaten with every meal. Seriously though, this whole getting in shape thing consists of 3 things. 1. Diet 2. resistance training 3. Cardio and really that's in order of effectiveness. I know, in your head you're probably already arguing with me, but you just have to trust me. I'm going to attach a handout I give out here at the gym regarding nutrition. It's just basic and broad. Maybe stuff you know, maybe not. I hope you have questions. Now you may be the exception to that rule, you look great, but once we get this nutrition thing understood, the next thing we'll discuss will be resistance training. If anything, I could come down to Ocotillo and show you some things. I think I have to step my good deed game up a few notches to catch up with you. I don't like losing. Off to Church....yeah that's right!!! Your boy goes to Church!! Have a good day. Look forward to hearing from you.


Chance Pearson
District Manager for Core Concepts Personal Training

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AND MY RESPONSE.......

Chase. Love it. Why correct me now?

An unexpected surprise for me as well--sitting down at a table with a few Iowa cats in Chandler is never a bad idea--but not always a good one either :)

Yes, first things first. I enjoyed your Food Pyramid breakdown and regretfully agreed--mainly because I couldn't locate donut holes anywhere on the list. I've studied nutrition on my own for the past couple years, so I know the main do's and don'ts, the myths and the facts--an education I've developed through working in Eating Disorder Treatment. So, needless to say, I could always use more knowledge on the subject--probably more discipline than knowledge, but whatev, right?

I will print this list and use it as a source for my grocery shopping, but I have my vices, of course. You'll hate me for this, but I love candy. eeeeeeek. I KNOW! Empty calories and sugar as the worst enemy!!

I normally choose fruits that are low in glycemic value: apples, grapes, kiwi, peaches and grill a lot of lean meat. Cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, turkey, tomatoes, whole wheat english muffins, peanut butter, green tea, nuts and Golden Spoon are among my most frequented foods. How about that for MY breakdown, huh? I'm an artist--you can't expect A-Type Personality eating. Well, you can.. we just may not be friends.

I DO have a question regarding my diet and workout. Have you heard of P90x? I am going through that right now with some friends.. an abridged version, but still. Basically, 6 days a week is a crazy, gnarly different workout to trick your muscles, thus increasing the resting metabolic rate.. Did I say that right? Anyway-- Plyos, abs, back, karate, yoga.. it's everything. We start at 5:30am and it takes me about 12 minutes to get there in the morning. I have heard a million things, so I ask an expert--again. I usually eat half of a power bar or 4 oz. of yogurt and drink some water on my way. Then, within an hour of completing the workout, I finish what I started and add something else to make a complete breakfast. What do you suggest?

Thanks again for your info--

If you have any questions about makeup, photography, graphic design, Social Work, Eating Disorders, Drug Addiction or what it's like to have a "To Do" list that's longer than the Nile, please let me know.

Kacey

KaceyLuvi Makeup and Photography

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And for those of you dying to know the information on the email attachment he sent... HERE IT IS! Enjoy!

NUTRITION 

General Guidelines

Remember that food is fuel and your body needs to be refueled every 3 hours to keep your resting metabolic rate elevated. If you go too long without eating, your body thinks it is fasting and it essentially goes into “starvation mode.” This will cause your metabolism to drop and store fat more readily. The most important meal of the day is breakfast in that it will kick start your metabolism for the day.
Although you need to eat between 4-6 times a day, be mindful that you need to eat smaller portioned meals, as well as nutritious snacks in between. Since you are eating more often now, you need to keep your caloric intake under control by carefully monitoring the size of each meal and snack.
An ideal snack or meal contains both a carbohydrate and a protein.
Don’t forget that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Muscles require calories for maintenance and reparation. By replacing fat with muscle, your body will now require more calories per day. Of these calories, you must remember to consume enough protein, the most important factor in obtaining lean muscle, to make all of your hard-work worthwhile!
Consider one serving of meat to be the size of your fist.
Remember, the closer you eat to bedtime, the less chance you give your body to burn off the fat and calories you just consumed.
Carbs are NOT the enemy! However, you need to reduce, if not eliminate, the white and high-glycemic index carbs that you consume (think white bread, white rice, sugar). Eat plenty of veggies, legumes and whole grains.
If you occasionally supplement meals with a bar or shake, make sure you watch the sugar content carefully. Many supplements cut fat but add sugar (your greatest enemy), which adds tons of empty calories. Also keep in mind that it is much harder for your body to derive nutrients from processed foods such as supplements. The best way to go is always with organic or unprocessed foods.
Fruits can work both for and against you, depending on when you consume them. They do contain a lot of sugar, which may cause insulin spikes that result in the storage of excess energy as fat. The best time to eat fruit is immediately following a workout. After a workout, your body is starving for simple sugars to replenish the stored energy in the muscles called glycogen. Fructose, or the sugar found in fruit, is best for replenishing this stored energy.
The rules of nutrition will be broken at times. Sometimes we splurge and eat things we normally wouldn’t or shouldn’t. It’s okay for the occasional cheat, if we allow ourselves no freedom, we set ourselves up for a downfall. It is a good idea to set a day (Sundays) or time (Friday night dinner out) to allow yourself to eat whatever you want. This will give you something to look forward to and allow you to stick to an otherwise healthy regimen.
Diets that are extreme in nature or that concentrate primarily on one component (i.e. Atkins diet) will eventually result in failure due to their unbalanced nature.


Good Sources of Carbohydrates
Whole grains! This includes Ezekiel bread (found in frozen health food section) whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat pastas, brown rice and oatmeal (preferably steel cut)
Veggies (preferably raw, the more you process vegetables, the more nutrients you sacrifice). Get colorful. The green leafy variety are packed with nutrients.
Legumes (soy beans, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, basically any kind of beans).
Fruits (great after a workout). Whole fruits are always best. Stay away from the juice forms if possible, as they are often too simple in nature.

Good Sources of Protein
Chicken (white meat). Not fried! Baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled boneless/skinless breasts.
Turkey (again, preferably white breast-meat).
Lean cuts of beef such as Top Sirloin or Filet Mignon, or Flank Steak.
Fish, grilled, steamed, broiled, or baked.
Soy Products/ Tofu
Eggs, preferably egg whites.
Low-fat dairy products such as skim milk, string cheese, swiss cheese (white cheeses are better picks than yellow cheeses, they are less processed) and low-fat cottage cheese

Good Sources of Fat
Nuts (preferably unsalted).
Olive oil.
Flaxseed oil.
Fish (high in omega 3 fatty acids) such as salmon
Don’t go overboard with healthy fats. Even though they are good for you and will actually aid in your fat loss, be aware that they are still high in calories.

High Glycemic Foods to Avoid
White rice
White bread
White pasta
Sugary cereals
Saltines and other non-whole-grain crackers
Fruit juices
Pretzels
Baked potatoes (sweet potatoes and yams are a much better option that white potatoes)

Good Snacks: 1 Handful of nuts (preferably unsalted), Apple or fruit of your choice, 7 Triscuits, ½ cup of cottage cheese, Raw veggies, hard boiled egg, Celery and peanut butter, Sugar free yogurt (sweetened with splenda).

Nutritional Fast Food

 Sounds like an oxy-moron to me. Although my first choice would never be fast food sometimes we are forced to grab a quick bite. Here are some recommendations.

Chick-Fil-A : I like this choice because of the option on buns. I love the more complex-carbohydrate option of the wheat bun. Grilled chicken sandwich is my pick. Try to avoid the fries if possible. Get the mixed fruit! You’ll notice I’m not going to include anything fried in this segment.
Wendy’s: Here I recommend the grilled chicken sandwich. It’s the leanest option of sandwiches. For side item’s I recommend the Chili which is high in protein and fiber. I also wouldn’t mind the baked potato. Try to keep it as plain as possible. Maybe a little butter but don’t go overboard.
Chipotle: The calories can get a little out of control here but that’s not always a bad thing with active growing boys. Nothing is fried and everything is fresh. If we are trying to go lo-cal, try a bowl instead of a burrito. It will save you around 250 calories.
Rubio’s: Here I recommend the Health-Mex burrito. It’s prepared with a with a whole wheat burrito and grilled chicken. The sides are beans and rice which are low in fat and high in fiber.
Subway: Nothing fried here, which attracts me. Try to stick with the wheat bread if possible. Stick with the 6 inch subs if your goal is weight loss. If you’re super hungry double the meat for extra protein. Swiss is your healthiest option as far as cheeses go. Stick with the cold cuts if possible. Simplicity is golden.
Arby’s: The market fresh sandwiches are awesome here. Piled high with your favorite deli meat and on a healthy wheat bread. I prefer the turkey and Swiss option. No mayo if you are being calorie conscious.