Virgin Active Wellness Wednesday: Too Much Protein For These Two Arms

Absolutely devastated by the fact that all my swimming efforts have resulted in a dramatic growth spurt in my arm muscles. DRAMATIC! More specifically, the right arm muscle. This is a direct quote from my boyfriend: "You definitely have the biggest arm muscles of any girl I've dated." As I said, devastated.

me right now. complete with weird stains on top

It would seem though, that the real contributor to this rapid arm muscle growth spurt is not so much the swimming as it is the Evox protein shake that I have been using as a meal replacement. To be fair though, I was sabotaged. The Evox salesman recommended their 100% Whey Protein Shake when I asked for something I could use as a meal replacement early in the morning after training. I told him my main goals were weight loss and then more weight loss. He must have heard "Hulk Arms and a ruined life"

Now I'm by no means suggesting the Evox is not a great product that doesn't show quick results- in facts, I can attest to the fact that it shows pretty rapid results- it's been been showing the wrong results for my personal arms.

I spent over an hour last night Googling "how do I make the muscles in my arms smaller" and found the following answers:

- More cardio and high reps of light weight exercises (am already doing this with Flexi-Sports 

  equipment)

- Less protein in your diet (am thinking of becoming full-on vegetarian)

- Running four to five times a week (!!!) to burn calories (no)

- Reduce your calorie intake (in the process)

- Eat green veggies in their most natural form (hello, green juice?)

I spoke to my friend Claire about what I have labelled Protein Shake-gate and she gave me some really good advice on putting together a natural, low-fat shake for those mornings when I can't stand the thought of real food before/after training or when I'm running around, too busy to sit down to a green salad.

FUTURELIFE

Claire's friend Toni (a dietician) suggests Futurelife for when you need a meal replacement. Furthermore, Claire says she would never suggest a protein shake to a girl, but has suggested the Evox shake in the past... to her male clients looking to bulk up their manly man muscles! 

The Evox shake that I have been drinking contains 36g of protein per 50g serving, while Futurelife only contains 9g of protein per 50g serving- so while boys are likely to be getting fantastic results, I am crying into a bucket between my giant biceps. Although Futurelife contains more carbs, if you're using it as a meal replacement shake (and you are exercising too) it acts as the perfect lunch or after-workout meal- rather than having shakes which contain more protein and help your muscles recover and grow more. 

Futurelife is also packed with vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Most importantly, it has a good balance between carbs, protein and fat.

You can mix the Futurelife with water if you want to cut down on calories. It's best to have it at breakfast or lunch time as it does contain carbs which you want to avoid at night. (Your insulin levels have to rise more at night to process the same amount of carbs....this is never ideal as comes with a range of issues including male fat storage patterns ie. around your stomach). 

EXERCISE ADVICE FROM CLAIRE

I would throw in a run if you are swimming a lot.....like I said look at runners bodies vs swimmers bodies. The running will burn a lot of calories and combined with the Flexi-bar and XCO trainer workouts (you are burning loads of calories while toning your muscles and not lifting heavy weight) will give you toned arms. 

So, I hope this helps those of you who are sitting in front of your computer right now, Googling "how to lose muscle in your arms".

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