This week I wanted to feature a Sample Nutrition Plan that has proved successful for one woman following a fitness program similar to the ones that I provide at workoutSMARTER.
But first, if you simply start avoiding the Western Lifestyle eating habits that tempt you on a daily basis, and live according to the Lifestyle I have adopted as part of my training protocol, you can lose fat and gain muscle.
That means no more snacks that contain carbohydrate and fat and no protein (i.e. vending machine treats), no more fizzy drinks, and of course, getting back to eating high-quality fresh produce and lean protein.
You might say that you can’t eat like this, but the truth is even if you start making only one change per day you will start to see improvements. Make this a goal that you will start today - to choose one healthier food option per day that will get you one step closer to your lean body.
Here are the guidelines.
– 4-6 meals per day
– Remove all sugar from diet.
– Have at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight (up to a maximum of 200 grams per day)
– Have 3 servings of fruit per day (sticking to high-fibre fruits such as apples or grapefruit and high-antioxidant fruits such as berries)
– Drink at least 4 cups of Green Tea
– Have a protein-only shake as your first post-workout meal.
– Follow Dr. John Berardi’s 90% rule - if you eat according to the guidelines 90% of the time, you can cheat 10% of the time and still make incredible body changes.
This is the exact meal plan & training plan that one woman used to get lean and achieve a flat tummy and toned legs.
Each meal is full of flavour, quality ingredients, and lean protein sources.
Here is her story…
Daily Calorie Intake: 1900 calories
All meals are about 350-375 calories
Breakfast
• 1/2 cup porridge oats (about 40g) (stir in 1/2 serving fruit at very end... peach is my favorite lately, but blueberries are yummy too, and frozen berries work out of season.
• Omelette (1 whole omega 3 egg, 3 egg whites, ½ serving chopped baby spinach, red or yellow pepper, mushroom).
• ½ cup milk (skimmed) in coffee
Mid morning
• 1 cup fat free cottage cheese with 1-2 serving fruit (about 200g, depending on type) (strawberries, blueberries, clementines became my favourites, mango, or a mixture of all of the above)
• 15g nuts (walnuts, almonds) or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter plopped on top.
• (sometimes 2 tablespoons of toasted wheat germ too, if I need the extra carbs depending on how much fruit I add)
• All mixed in one bowl.
Or
• 1 cup fat free or low fat yoghurt
• 100g fruit
• 15g nuts
• This has less protein than Cottage cheese, but I make up for it when I have my protein shake post workout.
Or
• Smoothie made from fresh or frozen berries, scoop vanilla protein powder, dollop of peanut butter on bottom of the glass.
• Sometimes add a little water or flavored sparkling water (or yogurt then less fruit) for a bit of liquid.
Lunch or mid-afternoon
• Spinach salad with sliced turkey breast, ham, chicken, tuna, or whatever meat I have for the week.
• More veggies to add in the better the salad - tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, spinach, cucumber, celery, etc)
• Dressing: ½ tablespoon olive or flax oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar, squirt of Dijon mustard - put in little dish with lid and shake up then pour on salad
• Apple or peach or cherries, sometimes wholegrain bread
• Another good one is tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tuna, red or yellow bell peppers all mixed in a little dish and marinating during the morning.
• Plus some sort of whole grain carb (bread, pasta, rice) or fruit
Or
• Whatever leftovers I had for dinner when I made something that was actually like a meal
Or
• 2servings frozen baby sweet peas microwaved and a protein on the side
Or
• 200g cooked butternut squash (or sweet potato but smaller portion) good sprinkling of cinnamon, and 15g walnuts.
• Mush all together and microwave to heat up.
Or
• ¼ cup quinoa with low fat cheese melted on it...any veggie on the side
Dinners
Usually I’m just looking for a meat and veggies and throw together whatever I have in the fridge/freezer…
• 2-3 servings of frozen stir fry veggies (I eat a lot of frozen veggies-tons of variety for stir frys) with some sort of meat, salmon, chicken, prawn, etc.
• 60-90 g low-fat cheese (jarlesburg makes a lite swiss cheese that’s 8g protein and 2.5g fat per 30g. (fat free cheese is disgusting) I eat a lot of cheese, love it melted, cause I get tired of meat.
• Make this into a grilled cheese - using wholemeal wrap (melted in microwave), or corn tortillas (to make a quesadilla cooked in george foreman) and salsa.
• Add whatever veggies I have around
• Lean beef burger on whole grain bread with mustard - or no bread and a different carbohydrate.
• Sauteed spinach salad (I double the spinach when cooking it). Heat l tsp olive oil, and ½ -1 clove garlic. Add fresh baby spinach and a squirt of lemon juice. Saute until wilted. Have protein on side (grilled salmon, chicken, pork, whatever)
• Or a microwave spinach dip – 2 servings fresh (or frozen) spinach, chopped. Little bit of red or green onions. Microwave spinach for about 2mins, drain a bit. Add ½ tablespoon mayo.
• Eat with protein on side and your favourite dipping carb (whole grain crackers) I usually just eat it with a fork and have another carb on side.
• Courgette and squash (pumpkin) grilled in george foreman and sprinkled with a wee bit of olive oil (sprinkle on herbs de province too) makes a nice veggie side.
I hope this gives you some ideas of different meal variations that you can try. Losing weight does not mean that you have to have boring, tasteless meals.
Monday, 9 February 2009
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Back Pain at the Office
By Jesse Cannone, CPT, CPRS and Creator of www.losethebackpain.com
It's getting to be so bad that by Monday afternoon, you're already tired of being at the office. You're not even thinking as far ahead as Friday. Just getting to hump day is going to be challenge enough.
In reality, it's not the folks you work with who are getting you down - they're tolerable, mostly, although there is that one guy in accounting. Where do they find these people?
It's not even your boss, who, if he knew even half as much as you do, would be a shoo-in for Executive of the Year.
No, the biggest pain in your neck is actually located a bit lower. And it's really what's making working where you do seem a lot worse than it actually is.
Face it. It's your aching back that's sucking the joy out of your nine-to-five existence and making you feel 10 years older to boot.
Sure, you've learned to tolerate the bad coffee, pointless meetings, and lame jokes in the course of your day. But you just can't tough it out when it comes to back pain, which can range from dull, nagging aches to those unexpected twinges that feel like you've been hit with a taser gun.
If it's any consolation, you're not alone. More than 31 million Americans have low back pain at any given time. The bad news about back pain is that it not only lives with you all day at the office but it also comes home with you at night. It may even dog your weekends.
How do you develop pain?
If you are experiencing back pain at the office, you may think that it is coming from all the sitting, standing, and lifting that you have to do. And, indirectly, it does. But it is actually more about how the body has to adapt to all the sitting, standing, and lifting than the activity itself. Let's take sitting as an example.
Because of the amount of time you spend sitting, your body must gradually adapt itself to that position. This happens in a number of ways. The first thing it must adapt to is how the weight goes through your hips and pelvis. Then, there is the way you sit - upright, slouching, or something in between. Most importantly, it's what happens to the muscles while you're sitting. For example, your hip flexors will get tight from being in a shortened position and your butt will get weak and flabby from being in a relaxed state.
That simple combination of tight hip flexors and weak glutes is called a "muscle imbalance." The result of these muscle imbalances will be postural dysfunctions of your pelvis and spine. These imbalances send both your spine and pelvis into abnormal positions, the combination of which can be devastating to a person with a healthy back and catastrophic for a person suffering from any form of back pain.
What can you do about it?
What you must also understand is that your imbalances are the result of what you do in your everyday life - your workouts, sitting, the activities of your job, and your own personal habits. I'm not going to tell you to stop going to work. But what if you changed the way you present yourself at your desk?
Instead of sitting at your desk, try kneeling. I kneel at least 30 percent of the time I spend at my desk. I have a small foam pad that puts me just high enough to type and see the monitor. I sit on a therapy ball - and guess what? I don't sit still like my momma told me to. I move my hips in every direction, which means I'm working on my core balance all day long.
Action steps to take
Sitting
When I sit, I sit with my legs in all different positions - sometimes bent, sometimes behind me, other times stretched out in front or even to the side of me, keep the legs moving.
Every 10 minutes or so, I will work my body in some way - and, yes, that includes walking away from my desk. But more than that, I make it a habit to stand up when the phone rings. I also stand when I have to read something or when I'm rearranging the stack of stuff on my desk for greater productivity.
Standing
If your job requires you to stand all day long, be sure you have quality footwear and a neutral shoe insert. Our body mechanics start when our feet hit the ground. It is best if your feet are in the most neutral position possible.
One negative body pattern that many people fall into is to continually shift their weight from one foot to the other. The problem with this is that most people find eventually decide that one leg will be more comfortable than the other, and then that leg will get most of the weight most of the time. This will wreak havoc on the pelvis and spine. Better to put equal on each foot as much as you can, and learn to correct when you catch yourself shifting your weight or leaning on one leg too much.
Lifting
A third obstacle on the job can be situations where you have to lift anything over 10pounds repeatedly. Again, it's not the activity itself that puts you in jeopardy; it's your body's inability to tolerate the stress of the weight. In other words, you should be able to lift anything you want to and not have any difficulty doing it. The problem occurs when your body is suffering from the muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions that we talked about earlier - and you don't even know it.
So, when you lift that object and you get injured, think of it as the straw that broke the camels' back. Your body was already in a compromised state, and it just needed that last bit of stress to send you in to a painful condition.
Stress
It's an unavoidable fact of life at the office, and it can also play a role by causing your muscles to tense up, which makes you more prone to injury. Stress also lowers your tolerance for pain. In some cases, minimizing stress on the job can be a daunting task, but deep-breathing exercises, walking around the block, or even talking about your frustrations with a trusted friend can help.
In closing, I want to leave you with this message: Even though the workplace can be a hazard to your health, if you do find yourself having back pain, remember that your thoughts and your beliefs about your situation will have a direct impact on your ability to recover and how fast you recover. That's why it's critical to learn all you can about your condition and take action as soon as you can...
If you want to learn more request a copy of my FREE Lose The Back Pain report by emailing me on awallis@iom.com .
It's getting to be so bad that by Monday afternoon, you're already tired of being at the office. You're not even thinking as far ahead as Friday. Just getting to hump day is going to be challenge enough.
In reality, it's not the folks you work with who are getting you down - they're tolerable, mostly, although there is that one guy in accounting. Where do they find these people?
It's not even your boss, who, if he knew even half as much as you do, would be a shoo-in for Executive of the Year.
No, the biggest pain in your neck is actually located a bit lower. And it's really what's making working where you do seem a lot worse than it actually is.
Face it. It's your aching back that's sucking the joy out of your nine-to-five existence and making you feel 10 years older to boot.
Sure, you've learned to tolerate the bad coffee, pointless meetings, and lame jokes in the course of your day. But you just can't tough it out when it comes to back pain, which can range from dull, nagging aches to those unexpected twinges that feel like you've been hit with a taser gun.
If it's any consolation, you're not alone. More than 31 million Americans have low back pain at any given time. The bad news about back pain is that it not only lives with you all day at the office but it also comes home with you at night. It may even dog your weekends.
How do you develop pain?
If you are experiencing back pain at the office, you may think that it is coming from all the sitting, standing, and lifting that you have to do. And, indirectly, it does. But it is actually more about how the body has to adapt to all the sitting, standing, and lifting than the activity itself. Let's take sitting as an example.
Because of the amount of time you spend sitting, your body must gradually adapt itself to that position. This happens in a number of ways. The first thing it must adapt to is how the weight goes through your hips and pelvis. Then, there is the way you sit - upright, slouching, or something in between. Most importantly, it's what happens to the muscles while you're sitting. For example, your hip flexors will get tight from being in a shortened position and your butt will get weak and flabby from being in a relaxed state.
That simple combination of tight hip flexors and weak glutes is called a "muscle imbalance." The result of these muscle imbalances will be postural dysfunctions of your pelvis and spine. These imbalances send both your spine and pelvis into abnormal positions, the combination of which can be devastating to a person with a healthy back and catastrophic for a person suffering from any form of back pain.
What can you do about it?
What you must also understand is that your imbalances are the result of what you do in your everyday life - your workouts, sitting, the activities of your job, and your own personal habits. I'm not going to tell you to stop going to work. But what if you changed the way you present yourself at your desk?
Instead of sitting at your desk, try kneeling. I kneel at least 30 percent of the time I spend at my desk. I have a small foam pad that puts me just high enough to type and see the monitor. I sit on a therapy ball - and guess what? I don't sit still like my momma told me to. I move my hips in every direction, which means I'm working on my core balance all day long.
Action steps to take
Sitting
When I sit, I sit with my legs in all different positions - sometimes bent, sometimes behind me, other times stretched out in front or even to the side of me, keep the legs moving.
Every 10 minutes or so, I will work my body in some way - and, yes, that includes walking away from my desk. But more than that, I make it a habit to stand up when the phone rings. I also stand when I have to read something or when I'm rearranging the stack of stuff on my desk for greater productivity.
Standing
If your job requires you to stand all day long, be sure you have quality footwear and a neutral shoe insert. Our body mechanics start when our feet hit the ground. It is best if your feet are in the most neutral position possible.
One negative body pattern that many people fall into is to continually shift their weight from one foot to the other. The problem with this is that most people find eventually decide that one leg will be more comfortable than the other, and then that leg will get most of the weight most of the time. This will wreak havoc on the pelvis and spine. Better to put equal on each foot as much as you can, and learn to correct when you catch yourself shifting your weight or leaning on one leg too much.
Lifting
A third obstacle on the job can be situations where you have to lift anything over 10pounds repeatedly. Again, it's not the activity itself that puts you in jeopardy; it's your body's inability to tolerate the stress of the weight. In other words, you should be able to lift anything you want to and not have any difficulty doing it. The problem occurs when your body is suffering from the muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions that we talked about earlier - and you don't even know it.
So, when you lift that object and you get injured, think of it as the straw that broke the camels' back. Your body was already in a compromised state, and it just needed that last bit of stress to send you in to a painful condition.
Stress
It's an unavoidable fact of life at the office, and it can also play a role by causing your muscles to tense up, which makes you more prone to injury. Stress also lowers your tolerance for pain. In some cases, minimizing stress on the job can be a daunting task, but deep-breathing exercises, walking around the block, or even talking about your frustrations with a trusted friend can help.
In closing, I want to leave you with this message: Even though the workplace can be a hazard to your health, if you do find yourself having back pain, remember that your thoughts and your beliefs about your situation will have a direct impact on your ability to recover and how fast you recover. That's why it's critical to learn all you can about your condition and take action as soon as you can...
If you want to learn more request a copy of my FREE Lose The Back Pain report by emailing me on awallis@iom.com .
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Want to Know the Most Overlooked Fat Loss Tips?
Read on to find out what critical mistakes you might be making that could be sabotaging your results and keeping you from achieving the body you truly desire and the ultimate feeling of being healthy & fit!
I'm approached on a regular basis by someone frustrated because they just can't seem to lose weight and keep it off. They tell me they are eating better and exercising some. "So why can't I lose weight?" they ask.
Do you want to know what I tell them?
I explain that it does take more than just eating better and exercising sometimes. If it were that easy and simple everyone would be healthy and slim. But, I explain, if you have a plan and know a few important secrets then you will be armed for success!
Here is Your Fool-Proof Eating Plan…
1. Always, always eat a healthy breakfast. This is your most important meal of the day! Breakfast gets your metabolism going and gives you the energy you need to take on the day.
Studies show that if you eat breakfast, you are much less likely to overeat the rest of the day. Just make sure your breakfast is a balance of complex carbs and protein.
Also be sure and take a good quality multi-vitamin. A bowl of cereal or a bowl of oatmeal just won't cut it. You need good quality proteins to combine with those high carb cereals.
2. Be a grazer not a binger. Eating often helps keep your blood sugar stable, energy levels high, and your body stays in fat-burning mode all day long.
Most people are fooled into thinking that in order to lose weight you should eat as little as possible. That idea couldn't be more wrong.
The problem with going an extended period of time without eating is simple: your body thinks you are starving so it shuts down to conserve energy and holds onto its energy source, which is fat! If you were to lose any weight initially it is water and muscle- the exact opposite of what you want to lose.
Your goal is to eat more often, not necessarily more calories (unless you've cut your intake to a ridiculous amount).
Just make sure your meals and snacks are balanced with complex carbs, lean quality protein and fibrous vegetables.
Planning ahead and keeping a food log is also a great way to help stay on track.
3. Drink lots of water. Yes, I know that you've heard this over and over again. But there's a reason for that - it's the gospel truth!
The health benefits of drinking plenty of water are endless.
Drinking water helps keep your liver doing what it is supposed to be doing, metabolizing food products.
Staying hydrated helps keep you feeling full so you won't tend to overeat. Keeping your body hydrated will also help to make sure your activity performance doesn't decrease which will happen if you are dehydrated.
The recommended amount of water is approximately eight glasses of water every day. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more.
Here's a good rule of thumb: if you're urine is a dark yellow and/or has a strong odor, you're not drinking enough water.
So drink up!
4. Always, always drink a post-workout shake after an intense workout. Proper post workout nutrition dramatically speeds up the recovery process. It will reduce soreness, maximize the release of key hormones and allow your body to maximize the rebuilding process of muscle and burn fat. This will allow you to recover quicker and more efficiently and ensure you faster results.
I encourage you to remember these four powerful nutrition secrets and follow them and you WILL begin to notice a difference in your body and how you feel.
I'm approached on a regular basis by someone frustrated because they just can't seem to lose weight and keep it off. They tell me they are eating better and exercising some. "So why can't I lose weight?" they ask.
Do you want to know what I tell them?
I explain that it does take more than just eating better and exercising sometimes. If it were that easy and simple everyone would be healthy and slim. But, I explain, if you have a plan and know a few important secrets then you will be armed for success!
Here is Your Fool-Proof Eating Plan…
1. Always, always eat a healthy breakfast. This is your most important meal of the day! Breakfast gets your metabolism going and gives you the energy you need to take on the day.
Studies show that if you eat breakfast, you are much less likely to overeat the rest of the day. Just make sure your breakfast is a balance of complex carbs and protein.
Also be sure and take a good quality multi-vitamin. A bowl of cereal or a bowl of oatmeal just won't cut it. You need good quality proteins to combine with those high carb cereals.
2. Be a grazer not a binger. Eating often helps keep your blood sugar stable, energy levels high, and your body stays in fat-burning mode all day long.
Most people are fooled into thinking that in order to lose weight you should eat as little as possible. That idea couldn't be more wrong.
The problem with going an extended period of time without eating is simple: your body thinks you are starving so it shuts down to conserve energy and holds onto its energy source, which is fat! If you were to lose any weight initially it is water and muscle- the exact opposite of what you want to lose.
Your goal is to eat more often, not necessarily more calories (unless you've cut your intake to a ridiculous amount).
Just make sure your meals and snacks are balanced with complex carbs, lean quality protein and fibrous vegetables.
Planning ahead and keeping a food log is also a great way to help stay on track.
3. Drink lots of water. Yes, I know that you've heard this over and over again. But there's a reason for that - it's the gospel truth!
The health benefits of drinking plenty of water are endless.
Drinking water helps keep your liver doing what it is supposed to be doing, metabolizing food products.
Staying hydrated helps keep you feeling full so you won't tend to overeat. Keeping your body hydrated will also help to make sure your activity performance doesn't decrease which will happen if you are dehydrated.
The recommended amount of water is approximately eight glasses of water every day. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more.
Here's a good rule of thumb: if you're urine is a dark yellow and/or has a strong odor, you're not drinking enough water.
So drink up!
4. Always, always drink a post-workout shake after an intense workout. Proper post workout nutrition dramatically speeds up the recovery process. It will reduce soreness, maximize the release of key hormones and allow your body to maximize the rebuilding process of muscle and burn fat. This will allow you to recover quicker and more efficiently and ensure you faster results.
I encourage you to remember these four powerful nutrition secrets and follow them and you WILL begin to notice a difference in your body and how you feel.
Monday, 19 January 2009
Don’t Believe The Lies
Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.
That bit of wisdom came from Franklin D. Roosevelt during a radio address in 1939, and though he wasn't talking about fitness, it certainly applies to the following fat loss myths.
Myth #1: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat The Facts:
Your body doesn't have an internal timer that causes late night eats to be stored directly as fat. Weight gain happens when you eat too much and exercise too little - you could eat too much in the morning, the afternoon, or late at night and it would all result in weight gain.
Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.
Myth #2: Snacking Promotes Weight Gain The Facts:
Eating snacks throughout the day is actually a great way to keep your metabolism up and to avoid overeating at meals. However, if you snack on junk food then be prepared to pack on pounds.
Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it's all about what you snack on.
Myth #3: You Can Lose Fat Without Exercise The Facts:
Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to permanent fat loss. Your body needs exercise just as it needs to be fed a diet filled with fresh produce, whole grains and lean protein.
Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.
Myth #4: Fat Free Means 'All-You-Can-Eat' The Facts:
It's time to close your eyes and mentally erase everything that the 90's taught about fat-free dieting. Fat-free foods are not the equivalent of flavored air – they contain plenty of calories and often lots of sugar.
Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.
Myth #5: Eat as Little as Possible for Maximum Fat Loss The Facts:
Eating too little causes your metabolism to shut down and puts your body into starvation mode, and prone to store fat rather than burn it.
Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.
Myth #6: Diet Pills Work for Fat Loss The Facts:
The only thing that diet pills are capable of burning is the extra cash in your wallet. Billions of diet pills are sold every year – all to no avail.
Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.
Myth #7: You Should Never Eat Fast Food The Facts:
It's all about what you order. Fried, processed and salty foods will cause weight gain - don't order them. Lean meat, salad, vegetables and beans, on the other hand, are available at many fast food chains - order these instead.
Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.
Trying to lose weight is often a frustrating experience. In a world filled with quick fixes, lasting weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it will also take some time to lose it. Permanent weight loss happens as a result of a proper exercise and diet plan - my specialty. Call or reply to this email and together we will customize a diet and exercise plan designed to help you lose the weight, tone your body and feel fantastic.
Don’t Try
The New Year is still fresh and change is in the air. What do you want to change in your life this year?
Whatever your goal, apply this philosophy to it: Do or do not. There is no try.
This bit of wisdom didn't stem from a former president...it came from a little guy named Yoda!
That bit of wisdom came from Franklin D. Roosevelt during a radio address in 1939, and though he wasn't talking about fitness, it certainly applies to the following fat loss myths.
Myth #1: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat The Facts:
Your body doesn't have an internal timer that causes late night eats to be stored directly as fat. Weight gain happens when you eat too much and exercise too little - you could eat too much in the morning, the afternoon, or late at night and it would all result in weight gain.
Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.
Myth #2: Snacking Promotes Weight Gain The Facts:
Eating snacks throughout the day is actually a great way to keep your metabolism up and to avoid overeating at meals. However, if you snack on junk food then be prepared to pack on pounds.
Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it's all about what you snack on.
Myth #3: You Can Lose Fat Without Exercise The Facts:
Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to permanent fat loss. Your body needs exercise just as it needs to be fed a diet filled with fresh produce, whole grains and lean protein.
Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.
Myth #4: Fat Free Means 'All-You-Can-Eat' The Facts:
It's time to close your eyes and mentally erase everything that the 90's taught about fat-free dieting. Fat-free foods are not the equivalent of flavored air – they contain plenty of calories and often lots of sugar.
Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.
Myth #5: Eat as Little as Possible for Maximum Fat Loss The Facts:
Eating too little causes your metabolism to shut down and puts your body into starvation mode, and prone to store fat rather than burn it.
Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.
Myth #6: Diet Pills Work for Fat Loss The Facts:
The only thing that diet pills are capable of burning is the extra cash in your wallet. Billions of diet pills are sold every year – all to no avail.
Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.
Myth #7: You Should Never Eat Fast Food The Facts:
It's all about what you order. Fried, processed and salty foods will cause weight gain - don't order them. Lean meat, salad, vegetables and beans, on the other hand, are available at many fast food chains - order these instead.
Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.
Trying to lose weight is often a frustrating experience. In a world filled with quick fixes, lasting weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it will also take some time to lose it. Permanent weight loss happens as a result of a proper exercise and diet plan - my specialty. Call or reply to this email and together we will customize a diet and exercise plan designed to help you lose the weight, tone your body and feel fantastic.
Don’t Try
The New Year is still fresh and change is in the air. What do you want to change in your life this year?
Whatever your goal, apply this philosophy to it: Do or do not. There is no try.
This bit of wisdom didn't stem from a former president...it came from a little guy named Yoda!
Monday, 12 January 2009
How Strength Training Benefits Women
Strength training is important but many females worry about the effects of strength training on their bodies.
So let's start with this statistic - most women lose between a third and a half kilo of muscle each year beginning around the age of forty; they gain at least that much in body fat and they lose a similar amount of bone.
These changes accelerate at menopause - women can lose 2.3 kg of muscle in just five years of menopause. If nothing is done to counteract this trend, by the age of 80 women will only have about a third the muscle that they had at the age of 40.
Strength training can reverse all this, as well as increasing vitality and strength, improving mood and sleep, creating better balance and flexibility, reducing the risk of heart disease, and decreasing the risk of diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other debilitating conditions.
Here's what strength training can do:
Preserves muscle mass during weight loss
According to a University of Michigan research study, at least 25% to 30% of the weight that woman lose by dieting alone is not fat but lean tissue, muscle, bone and water. Yet, it has been proven that through strength training women can preserve muscle mass while still losing weight.
In a study done by USDA Human Nutrition Resource Center on Ageing at Tufts University, conducted by Miriam E Nelson, PhD, it was found that strength training, as compared to dieting alone, improves fat loss, increases bone density (without the benefits of hormone replacement therapy), improves balance and increases vitality.
This study took ten overweight women averaging 40 years of age, and gave them individual customised food plans. Fifty percent of these participants performed strength-training exercises twice a week, the others merely followed the prescribed diet.
The results, which were published in the Journal of American Medical Association, showed that the diet-only volunteers lost an average of 5.9 kg during the study, but 1.3 kg of this weight loss was lean muscle mass.
The women who strength trained lost approximately 6 kg, only a little over what the diet only volunteers lost. However, the exercising women gained 0.6 kg of lean tissue and experienced a total fat loss of 6.6 kg!
This means that the group that performed strength training twice a week lost 44% more body fat than the diet-only group. The women in the study wound up much stronger, with only a small increase in muscle mass. They averaged 173% gain in strength, but their thigh muscles were only 8% bigger. Not a difference you'd notice, especially with the loss of body fat.
Increases bone density
Research has long documented a strong relationship between the amount of muscle in a person's body and the amount of bone. Increasing muscle mass through strength training increases bone density. In Dr Nelson's study, it was found that women who strength trained did not lose bone density over the year period.
The strength training group gained an average of 1% of bone in the hip and spine, comparable to the bone deficit from the non-exercising women in the control group, who lost 2% to 2.5% of bone mass. This is a significant difference of 3% to 3.5% in bone mass.
Improves strength in elderly
Typically a woman of 70 faces a 30% chance that she will break her hip if she lives another 20 years. Each year, about 300,000 people wind up in hospital with hip fractures because of osteoporosis. Half of the victims never go home again ... and 20% of them die from complications within a year. A woman is more likely to die as a result of a hip fracture than from breast cancer, uterine cancer and ovarian cancer combined.
Many studies have documented the positive effects of strength on older adults. Interestingly, studies on adults up to 96 years of age have documented 100% to 175% increases in strength, gains that are similar to those found in studies with 40-year-olds. This means that no matter what a person's age, they can make the same statistical strength gains.
In the mid-1980s, one of the scientists at the Tufts Center on Ageing (Walter Frontera, MD) conducted a strength training study on 60 and 70-year-olds. While traditionally strength training exercises were performed on seniors at only 40% to 50% of their capacity, Dr Frontera had his volunteers exercise at 80% of capacity (the ACSM guidelines for strength training).
The findings shattered myths about aging: there were no injuries and no cardiac episodes during the study and in just 12 weeks the muscles they were exercising became 10% to 12% larger and a whopping 100% to 175% stronger!
Maria Fiatarone, MD, conducted another study relying on Dr Frontera's findings. The study subjects were six women and four men from nursing homes, aged between 86 and 96. They performed high intensity strength training workouts three times a week on the same kind of machines that 25-year-olds were using at the gym, starting at a safe level and progressing gradually as strength increased.
All the participants in Fiatarone's study had at least two chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Most relied on walkers or canes and several had leg muscles so weak they couldn't even rise from a chair without assistance.
The results of the study, which were published in the Journal of American Medicine Association, showed that in just eight weeks, these frail, elderly men and women increased their strength by an average of 175%. During a test of walking, speed and balance, their scores rose by an average of 48%. Two participants discarded their canes.
Improves balance
An important factor explaining the loss of balance as women age is that they become more sedentary, and their muscles atrophy. In the Nelson Study, the women who did not exercise showed an 8.5% decline in balance over the year's study period. In contrast the women who strength trained improved their balance ability by 14%.
This 22.5% difference is because of their enormous improvements in strength and in part to the associated neurological improvements. The decline in balance for the non-exercising group may be attributable to the fact that this group was one year older, and one year weaker.
Protects against osteoporosis
The loss of bone mass that occurs after menopause is frightening in most women. A woman typically loses 1% of her bone mass, especially during the first five menopausal years, thereby dramatically increasing her risk of osteoporosis.
Because women are living so much longer, there is a real risk that their skeletons will not last as long as the rest of their bodies. To prevent this bone loss, and other effects of menopause, doctors often prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Morris Notelovitz MD, PhD, from the Women's Medical and Diagnostic Center in Gainesville, Florida, studied women who'd been on HRT for at least six months. All continued taking estrogen but half also performed strength training for a year.
At the end of the study, the HRT-only group had maintained their bone density, but the HRT women who had strength trained gained bone (an average of 4% in their wrists and 8% in their spines).
Therefore, women who either choose natural herbal remedies, or choose chemical HRT can maximise the bone densification effects of the therapies by strength training.
Counteracts depression
It has been documented that strength training enhances mood, improves coping skills and boosts self-confidence. Active people suffer less from bouts of anxiety and depression that plague nearly three out of every ten people.
Nalin Singh, MD and colleagues at Tufts University looked at 32 men and women who suffered from chronic depression. They directed half of these individuals to perform strength training.
The other half simply received health education. Twelve weeks later, 14 out of the 16 members who strength trained felt better and no longer met the clinical criteria for depression. But only six members of the education only group enjoyed similar relief. This impressive success rate is comparable to that produced by highly effective anti-depressants.
Alleviates sleep difficulties
Additionally, in Dr Singh's study of depression, it was discovered that strength training helps individuals who have sleeping difficulties. Ten people in the strength training group and seven in the health education group reported sleep problems when they joined the project.
After twelve weeks, six of the ten strength training volunteers reported they no longer had difficulty sleeping. In contrast, no one in the health education group improved. People who exercise fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often in the middle of the night and sleep longer. These benefits are comparable to those using medication but with absolutely none of the side effects.
Boosts energy
Another positive effect of strength training is the increased energy the participant feels. In Nelson's study, the non-exercising group became 25% less active over the year period. But the women in the strength training program were 27% more active. This was accomplished, not by trying, but simply as a byproduct of the strength training.
If you’re sick, you go to the doctor. If you’ve got a tax problem, you see an accountant (or an attorney!). Have a toothache? You’re off to the dentist. Leaky pipes result in a call to the plumber. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert?
I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself – in your quality of life – by hiring a qualified professional to educate you and help you get started.
So let's start with this statistic - most women lose between a third and a half kilo of muscle each year beginning around the age of forty; they gain at least that much in body fat and they lose a similar amount of bone.
These changes accelerate at menopause - women can lose 2.3 kg of muscle in just five years of menopause. If nothing is done to counteract this trend, by the age of 80 women will only have about a third the muscle that they had at the age of 40.
Strength training can reverse all this, as well as increasing vitality and strength, improving mood and sleep, creating better balance and flexibility, reducing the risk of heart disease, and decreasing the risk of diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other debilitating conditions.
Here's what strength training can do:
Preserves muscle mass during weight loss
According to a University of Michigan research study, at least 25% to 30% of the weight that woman lose by dieting alone is not fat but lean tissue, muscle, bone and water. Yet, it has been proven that through strength training women can preserve muscle mass while still losing weight.
In a study done by USDA Human Nutrition Resource Center on Ageing at Tufts University, conducted by Miriam E Nelson, PhD, it was found that strength training, as compared to dieting alone, improves fat loss, increases bone density (without the benefits of hormone replacement therapy), improves balance and increases vitality.
This study took ten overweight women averaging 40 years of age, and gave them individual customised food plans. Fifty percent of these participants performed strength-training exercises twice a week, the others merely followed the prescribed diet.
The results, which were published in the Journal of American Medical Association, showed that the diet-only volunteers lost an average of 5.9 kg during the study, but 1.3 kg of this weight loss was lean muscle mass.
The women who strength trained lost approximately 6 kg, only a little over what the diet only volunteers lost. However, the exercising women gained 0.6 kg of lean tissue and experienced a total fat loss of 6.6 kg!
This means that the group that performed strength training twice a week lost 44% more body fat than the diet-only group. The women in the study wound up much stronger, with only a small increase in muscle mass. They averaged 173% gain in strength, but their thigh muscles were only 8% bigger. Not a difference you'd notice, especially with the loss of body fat.
Increases bone density
Research has long documented a strong relationship between the amount of muscle in a person's body and the amount of bone. Increasing muscle mass through strength training increases bone density. In Dr Nelson's study, it was found that women who strength trained did not lose bone density over the year period.
The strength training group gained an average of 1% of bone in the hip and spine, comparable to the bone deficit from the non-exercising women in the control group, who lost 2% to 2.5% of bone mass. This is a significant difference of 3% to 3.5% in bone mass.
Improves strength in elderly
Typically a woman of 70 faces a 30% chance that she will break her hip if she lives another 20 years. Each year, about 300,000 people wind up in hospital with hip fractures because of osteoporosis. Half of the victims never go home again ... and 20% of them die from complications within a year. A woman is more likely to die as a result of a hip fracture than from breast cancer, uterine cancer and ovarian cancer combined.
Many studies have documented the positive effects of strength on older adults. Interestingly, studies on adults up to 96 years of age have documented 100% to 175% increases in strength, gains that are similar to those found in studies with 40-year-olds. This means that no matter what a person's age, they can make the same statistical strength gains.
In the mid-1980s, one of the scientists at the Tufts Center on Ageing (Walter Frontera, MD) conducted a strength training study on 60 and 70-year-olds. While traditionally strength training exercises were performed on seniors at only 40% to 50% of their capacity, Dr Frontera had his volunteers exercise at 80% of capacity (the ACSM guidelines for strength training).
The findings shattered myths about aging: there were no injuries and no cardiac episodes during the study and in just 12 weeks the muscles they were exercising became 10% to 12% larger and a whopping 100% to 175% stronger!
Maria Fiatarone, MD, conducted another study relying on Dr Frontera's findings. The study subjects were six women and four men from nursing homes, aged between 86 and 96. They performed high intensity strength training workouts three times a week on the same kind of machines that 25-year-olds were using at the gym, starting at a safe level and progressing gradually as strength increased.
All the participants in Fiatarone's study had at least two chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Most relied on walkers or canes and several had leg muscles so weak they couldn't even rise from a chair without assistance.
The results of the study, which were published in the Journal of American Medicine Association, showed that in just eight weeks, these frail, elderly men and women increased their strength by an average of 175%. During a test of walking, speed and balance, their scores rose by an average of 48%. Two participants discarded their canes.
Improves balance
An important factor explaining the loss of balance as women age is that they become more sedentary, and their muscles atrophy. In the Nelson Study, the women who did not exercise showed an 8.5% decline in balance over the year's study period. In contrast the women who strength trained improved their balance ability by 14%.
This 22.5% difference is because of their enormous improvements in strength and in part to the associated neurological improvements. The decline in balance for the non-exercising group may be attributable to the fact that this group was one year older, and one year weaker.
Protects against osteoporosis
The loss of bone mass that occurs after menopause is frightening in most women. A woman typically loses 1% of her bone mass, especially during the first five menopausal years, thereby dramatically increasing her risk of osteoporosis.
Because women are living so much longer, there is a real risk that their skeletons will not last as long as the rest of their bodies. To prevent this bone loss, and other effects of menopause, doctors often prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Morris Notelovitz MD, PhD, from the Women's Medical and Diagnostic Center in Gainesville, Florida, studied women who'd been on HRT for at least six months. All continued taking estrogen but half also performed strength training for a year.
At the end of the study, the HRT-only group had maintained their bone density, but the HRT women who had strength trained gained bone (an average of 4% in their wrists and 8% in their spines).
Therefore, women who either choose natural herbal remedies, or choose chemical HRT can maximise the bone densification effects of the therapies by strength training.
Counteracts depression
It has been documented that strength training enhances mood, improves coping skills and boosts self-confidence. Active people suffer less from bouts of anxiety and depression that plague nearly three out of every ten people.
Nalin Singh, MD and colleagues at Tufts University looked at 32 men and women who suffered from chronic depression. They directed half of these individuals to perform strength training.
The other half simply received health education. Twelve weeks later, 14 out of the 16 members who strength trained felt better and no longer met the clinical criteria for depression. But only six members of the education only group enjoyed similar relief. This impressive success rate is comparable to that produced by highly effective anti-depressants.
Alleviates sleep difficulties
Additionally, in Dr Singh's study of depression, it was discovered that strength training helps individuals who have sleeping difficulties. Ten people in the strength training group and seven in the health education group reported sleep problems when they joined the project.
After twelve weeks, six of the ten strength training volunteers reported they no longer had difficulty sleeping. In contrast, no one in the health education group improved. People who exercise fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often in the middle of the night and sleep longer. These benefits are comparable to those using medication but with absolutely none of the side effects.
Boosts energy
Another positive effect of strength training is the increased energy the participant feels. In Nelson's study, the non-exercising group became 25% less active over the year period. But the women in the strength training program were 27% more active. This was accomplished, not by trying, but simply as a byproduct of the strength training.
If you’re sick, you go to the doctor. If you’ve got a tax problem, you see an accountant (or an attorney!). Have a toothache? You’re off to the dentist. Leaky pipes result in a call to the plumber. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert?
I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself – in your quality of life – by hiring a qualified professional to educate you and help you get started.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Don’t make a Resolution! Set some REALISTIC Goals Instead.
New Year's day...it never fails to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, but is it really a trap?
You've been handed a proverbial clean slate - another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.
In an attempt to bottle that New Year's vigor, you'll make a few New Year's Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:
It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year's Resolutions end in failure.
That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successful accomplish their resolutions in 2009.
Ouch - those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?
As your trusted source for fitness advice, I'd like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year's Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.
First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they'd even begun.
They bit off more than they could chew.
In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up.
The 92% gave themselves an easy way out. They approached their resolution with an 'all or nothing' attitude. Once the 'all' became too tough they opted for 'nothing'. And just like that another resolution ended in failure - end of story.
Now let's examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).
They set realistic goals.
I'll repeat that... they set REALISTIC goals.
* Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
* Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
* Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until they reach their desired size.
* Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.
Did you see the difference?
If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic. Sure, it certainly won't sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make - but they aren't going to keep theirs anyway.
Remember that the whole point of making a New Year's Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.
If your New Year's Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn't?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.
I'd love to team up with you - together we will transform your body in 2009!
Call or email to get started today.
Andy
For further information on boosting your metabolism, fat loss, improving health and functional fitness, call 491732 or check out my website at www.workoutsmarter.com
You've been handed a proverbial clean slate - another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.
In an attempt to bottle that New Year's vigor, you'll make a few New Year's Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:
It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year's Resolutions end in failure.
That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successful accomplish their resolutions in 2009.
Ouch - those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?
As your trusted source for fitness advice, I'd like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year's Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.
First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they'd even begun.
They bit off more than they could chew.
In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up.
The 92% gave themselves an easy way out. They approached their resolution with an 'all or nothing' attitude. Once the 'all' became too tough they opted for 'nothing'. And just like that another resolution ended in failure - end of story.
Now let's examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).
They set realistic goals.
I'll repeat that... they set REALISTIC goals.
* Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
* Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
* Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until they reach their desired size.
* Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.
Did you see the difference?
If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic. Sure, it certainly won't sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make - but they aren't going to keep theirs anyway.
Remember that the whole point of making a New Year's Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.
If your New Year's Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn't?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.
I'd love to team up with you - together we will transform your body in 2009!
Call or email to get started today.
Andy
For further information on boosting your metabolism, fat loss, improving health and functional fitness, call 491732 or check out my website at www.workoutsmarter.com
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
5 Secrets To Help You Stick To Your Weight Loss Program
Here are 5 motivational secrets to help you STICK to your weight loss program.
1. Pay yourself.
Give a friend or loved one £500. Every day you eat healthfully (or exercise), you get £25 back. For every day you miss your target, your friend donates your £25 to your least favourite charity.
2. Create "if-then" plans. Making an if-then plan--if I get off work, then I'll go straight to the gym--makes behavior automatic so there's less chance you'll slip.
3. Compete. Setting up a contest with a friend--such as agreeing that whoever loses more weight has to pay the other--can add competitive fuel to your motivational fire.
4. Use external monitoring. Keep a written record of how wellyou're doing. (Don't forget to take progress photos...those are more meaningful than body fat measurements on inaccurate handheld scales.)
5. Make social contracts. The buddy system is powerful. Find a friend in the same boat and make an appointment to work on your task together.
1. Pay yourself.
Give a friend or loved one £500. Every day you eat healthfully (or exercise), you get £25 back. For every day you miss your target, your friend donates your £25 to your least favourite charity.
2. Create "if-then" plans. Making an if-then plan--if I get off work, then I'll go straight to the gym--makes behavior automatic so there's less chance you'll slip.
3. Compete. Setting up a contest with a friend--such as agreeing that whoever loses more weight has to pay the other--can add competitive fuel to your motivational fire.
4. Use external monitoring. Keep a written record of how wellyou're doing. (Don't forget to take progress photos...those are more meaningful than body fat measurements on inaccurate handheld scales.)
5. Make social contracts. The buddy system is powerful. Find a friend in the same boat and make an appointment to work on your task together.
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