Did you know that there are 3 vegetables that can help you
burn away unattractive stomach fat?
3 Veggies That Fight Belly Fat < ===== Click Here
The author of this article, Mike Geary, is a Certified Nutrition
Specialist… who knows a ton about getting a flat belly fast.
Mike’s article is so good that it has 13,427 facebook “likes.”
Here’s that link again…
3 Veggies That Fight Belly Fat http://www.NewTruthAboutAbs.net
Best!
Monday, 29 November 2010
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Are Your Muscles Out of Balance?
Pop quiz: Which is worse, having a muscle weakness on both sides of your body--or on just one side? It's the latter, says Gray Cook, P.T., one of the world's top fitness experts. Click on the video to find out why, and to learn two simple self-tests you can use to identify problem areas. The upshot: Use Cook's advice to fix your flaws, and you'll be able to increase your size and strength faster than ever before.
While you're at it, take a close look at your diet, too--especially if you enjoy eating greens. We've found 20 salads that are worse than a Whopper. These meals might sound healthy, but they could be sabotaging your six-pack.
And just in case you do need to burn off a fast-food calorie bomb, click here for The Ultimate Two-Exercise Fat Loss Workout.
And don't forget to check out the Men's Health Podcast. Tune in to hear Men's Health experts and editors discuss fitness, health, nutrition, weight loss, and sex--and any other topic that matters to men.
For full-color photos and instructions of 600 more exercises, along with tons of workouts and useful fitness advice, check out The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises today. It's the most comprehensive collection of exercises ever created.
LADIES: There's a women's version of the book, too! Click here to see The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises.
Click here to sign up for the Exercise of the Week and other great newsletters directly in your inbox today!
More Fitness Videos
The Perfect Abs Exercise
The Ultimate Back and Abs Building Exercise
A Smarter Shoulder Exercise
Friday, 19 November 2010
Can Energy and Sport Drinks Really Make You Fat?
It's a subject that rears its head frequently.
There are plenty of energy drinks around that are marketed for
pre-exercise and post-exercise.
Some are good and some are bad. Some are no better than water
and some have "extras".
Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you?
Do they actually increase your energy?
Do they really have some sort of magical energy formula?
Will they help you lose weight?
To find out the truth check out this great article about whether energy drinks really make you fat.
There are plenty of energy drinks around that are marketed for
pre-exercise and post-exercise.
Some are good and some are bad. Some are no better than water
and some have "extras".
Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you?
Do they actually increase your energy?
Do they really have some sort of magical energy formula?
Will they help you lose weight?
To find out the truth check out this great article about whether energy drinks really make you fat.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Why Women Hate Your Underwear
\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Men's Health\Mens Health\shapewear.jpg)
If you've only stocked up on "more of the same" recently, you're in for a shock next time you hit the underwear department of your local retailer. Making a decision on what type of underwear to purchase is getting more complicated, thanks to an onslaught of new fits, fabrics and brands. The past year has seen a few trends that are entirely new (man-girdles or butt-lifters, anyone?) as well as the evolution of updated fits, bright colors and patterns, and performance fabrics.
The phrases found on underwear packaging today are decidedly different from the familiar terms from just a decade ago. And frankly, they share a lot of the same terminology found in women's undergarments: "shapewear" "enhancers" and "low-rise."
Although the purpose and function of men's and women's products differ, increasingly, the techonlogy is the same.
Men's underwear is in the midst of a revolution, says Michael Kleinman, founder of Freshpair.com. "The most prevalent element to hit even everyday underwear is the ability to do more than just be worn?it's all about underwear with function." The critical new categories gaining traction this year, he says, are styles geared toward shaping and enhancing. And they range from subtle to extreme.
Kleinman says the important thing to understand is that there's a product designed for every type of guy ? from conservative to fashion-forward, with fits and fabrics that address every possible daily activity.
Cotton basics ? boxers and briefs in neutral colors ? continue to sell well, but there's been a groundswell of newness in the market that, depending on how you like to shop, is either exciting or overwhelming. "Fits are tighter and the rise is lower," Kleinman says. "And we see customers are paying as much attention to how their underwear fits as they do their clothing."
Here, a few of the key trends for this year and next.
TREND: SHAPEWEAR
Women have worn garments to help compress their mid-section for centuries. It's now also the fastest-growing trend in men's underwear. From body-defining underwear to compression T-shirts, this category is rapidly growing, as men work to achieve the ideal shape (and conceal love handles). "It's a new generation of shaping garments," Kleinman says, "It's a stretch from the days of the girdle." He says the products resonate with men "because guys can't seem to get enough of them." Brands like Equmen, Ript Fusion, Spanx for Men, 2(x)ist, and Sculptees all offer garments that promise to help trim an inch or two from the waist, and ? in some cases -- help provide extra back and shoulder support.
Equmen Core Precision Tank Top ? This tank is designed like something an elite athlete might wear, with body-contouring technology that helps support the back while slimming the waist. The collection also includes short and long sleeve T-shirts, as well as several underwear styles.
Spanx for Men Compression Crew ? The brand originally designed for women is helping men, too. Look better, feel better, and thank women for asking the age-old question, "Does this make me look fat?" The collection also includes a tank and V-neck.
2(x)ist Form Trunk? A new body-slimming trunk with a high-rise waistband that provides a sleeker look to the midsection. The collection also includes a tank and brief.
1 | 2 | 3 | Next
3 Top Tips For Losing Weight Fast And Burning Away Fat
So you want to lose weight right? Get in shape. And feel as fit as possible without spending a fortune on a seldom-used-but-expensive gym membership. You’ve come to the right place.
Because these three simple tips are all you need to know. (Unless you enjoy spending hours and hours online looking for weight-loss tips that don’t work). So read on...
Here are simple weight loss tips to help you lose weight...
Weight loss Tip Number 1: Raise your metabolism
You have to burn calories if you want to lose weight. And the more calories you burn the faster you’ll lose weight. (As long as you don’t overeat the wrong things to compensate!)
And one way to burn calories is to increase your metabolism. This helps your body burn more calories and therefore fat. One of the ways you can increase your metabolism is by eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
This stops your body from conserving calories as fat between longer spaced out but heavier meals. Basically evolution means that your body will store fat if it doesn’t think it’s getting a meal anytime soon!
More frequent meals (but keeping total calorie intake the same) will get your metabolism working faster 24 hours a day. So instead of eating three six hundred calorie meals eat six three hundred calorie meals instead.
Weight loss Tip Number 2: Do some anaerobic exercise
Anaerobic exercises build strength and muscles rather than endurance. And adding more muscle to your body means that you can burn calories faster. Muscle burns calories approximately 20 times faster than fat cells. Plus here’s another reason to put on muscle.
It’s been scientifically documented that anaerobic exercise can increase your metabolism for 24 hours post-workout, whilst things like swimming or running may only increase it for 2 hours post-workout.
Weight loss Tip Number 3 : You can’t spot reduce spot
Don’t fall for the myth that you can reduce fat in one particular area of your body. It won’t work. And here’s why...
Our body only reduces fat when we burn more calories than we eat. And when this happens fat is burned off throughout the body. You can do as much exercise as you like but you’ll never see your abdominals, (which are already there) unless you get rid of the fat cell layer that covers them.
I hope these tips get you on the right path. It may take you some time to achieve your goals but don’t give up. And the sooner you start the better.
If you want help losing weight I can personally recommend this programme to help you. Click now to for the free report about blasting away the fat...
Because these three simple tips are all you need to know. (Unless you enjoy spending hours and hours online looking for weight-loss tips that don’t work). So read on...
Here are simple weight loss tips to help you lose weight...
Weight loss Tip Number 1: Raise your metabolism
You have to burn calories if you want to lose weight. And the more calories you burn the faster you’ll lose weight. (As long as you don’t overeat the wrong things to compensate!)
And one way to burn calories is to increase your metabolism. This helps your body burn more calories and therefore fat. One of the ways you can increase your metabolism is by eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
This stops your body from conserving calories as fat between longer spaced out but heavier meals. Basically evolution means that your body will store fat if it doesn’t think it’s getting a meal anytime soon!
More frequent meals (but keeping total calorie intake the same) will get your metabolism working faster 24 hours a day. So instead of eating three six hundred calorie meals eat six three hundred calorie meals instead.
Weight loss Tip Number 2: Do some anaerobic exercise
Anaerobic exercises build strength and muscles rather than endurance. And adding more muscle to your body means that you can burn calories faster. Muscle burns calories approximately 20 times faster than fat cells. Plus here’s another reason to put on muscle.
It’s been scientifically documented that anaerobic exercise can increase your metabolism for 24 hours post-workout, whilst things like swimming or running may only increase it for 2 hours post-workout.
Weight loss Tip Number 3 : You can’t spot reduce spot
Don’t fall for the myth that you can reduce fat in one particular area of your body. It won’t work. And here’s why...
Our body only reduces fat when we burn more calories than we eat. And when this happens fat is burned off throughout the body. You can do as much exercise as you like but you’ll never see your abdominals, (which are already there) unless you get rid of the fat cell layer that covers them.
I hope these tips get you on the right path. It may take you some time to achieve your goals but don’t give up. And the sooner you start the better.
If you want help losing weight I can personally recommend this programme to help you. Click now to for the free report about blasting away the fat...
20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper
I love Whoppers. I bet you do, too. Meat...good. Ketchup and mayo...good. Crunchy pickles...good. What's not to like?
I know what you're thinking: Dave, how could you of all people endorse the Whopper, a sandwich that perfectly encapsulates everything that's wrong with our nation's dining habits? Well, no one orders a Whopper thinking it's a sensible menu choice. It's an indulgence, an anti-diet food, and everyone knows it. Credit Burger King for being transparent with nutritional information.
Which brings me to my point: Just as you wouldn't order a Whopper because you're trying to watch your waistline, you'd never order a salad because it sounds like the most delicious item on the menu. No, it's a concerted effort put one of the healthiest foods on the menu into your body, flavor be damned.
Except, more often than you realize, that salad is the worst choice on the menu. Restaurants across the country have learned that "nutrition" sells, so they put these caloric calamities on the "light choice" side of the menu with cute little heart icons that make you think you're making a healthy selection. What they haven't learned, though, is how to make actual nutritious food. Here we've rounded up 20 examples of salads so bad, you'd be better off ordering that Whopper after all.
Eat This!
Burger King Whopper
670 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
1,020 mg sodium
Not That...
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chicken Caesar Salad
650 calories
9 g saturated fat
1,450 mg sodium
The good news here is that this dish has almost 300 fewer calories than it did when we published our first edition of Eat This, Not That! Romano's has been one of the most responsive restaurants in the past few years—a number of items we've featured on our pages and online have shrunk or all but disappeared in the wake of such exposure. The bad news is that this dish still has a ways to go before we're ready to deem it a reasonable choice. To be fair, it has 20 fewer calories than a Whopper. But the problem with this dish is in the sodium count—it comes with nearly three-quarters of your daily recommended intake. Not good.
For up-to-the-minute nutrition and weight-loss tips, follow Eat This, Not That! on Twitter!
Cosi
Cobb Salad
708 calories
55 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,328 mg sodium
Blame the bacon and Gorgonzola cheese for the hefty weight of this simple salad. The good news here is that it comes with 65 grams of belly-filling protein. The shocking news is that it also comes with 28 grams of sugars—that's about three doughnuts' worth. For the culprit there, look to the sauce: A sherry shallot vinaigrette. Now here's the scary thing about this salad: Cosi boasts on its website that they feature it on the "Our Lighter Side menu." That's strange, considering it's the worst salad they offer! For a much smarter, TRULY lighter side, opt for the Shanghai Chicken Salad, and save nearly 400 calories.
Eat This Instead!
Shangai Chicken Salad
313 calories
13 g fat (2 g saturated)
839 mg sodium
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chicken Salad with black beans, red salsa, cheese, and chipotle honey vinaigrette
720 calories
41.0 g fat (11 g saturated)
2,015 mg sodium
If you're seeking solace in salads at Chipotle, be sure to pass on the one and only vinaigrette on the menu. With 260 calories and 25 grams of fat, it has three times more calories than the most caloric salsa at Chipotle. Your best bet is to turn the tangy green salsa (just 15 calories per serving) into your dressing and spend the 245 calories you save elsewhere.
Eat This Instead!
Barbacoa Burrito Bowl with black beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomato salsa
410 calories
17 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,410 mg sodium
P.F. Chang's
Chicken Chopped Salad with Ginger Dressing
730 calories
48 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,280 mg sodium
The ginger dressing gives this salad a tangy Asian-style kick; it also packs in a whole day's worth of sodium. Order this salad as a starter and you'll be consuming the caloric equivalent of nearly three Snickers bars before your main meal even hits the table.
SPECIAL OFFER! Take control of your body, your mind, and your health by joining our community of 21 million monthly readers. Subscribe to Men's Health and Women's Health today with a special rate that saves you more than 65% off the cover price. You won't find a better deal—and you'll never feel more empowered!
Eat This Instead!
Spinach Stir-Fried with Garlic (large)
136 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
895 mg sodium
Wendy's
BLT Cobb Salad with Croutons and Classic Ranch Dressing
760 calories
51 g fat
2,090 mg sodium
Don't be totally shocked by this high calorie count—this salad is sporting two of the biggest culprits when it comes to diet-busting greenery. First, check the classic Ranch dressing. Any creamy dressing is going to be high in fat and calories. Replace it with vinaigrette and save big. Next, ditch the croutons, which are really just an extra load of totally empty calories and carbs.
Eat This Instead!
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with Roasted Pecans and Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
580 calories
27 g fat (9 g saturated)
1,590 mg sodium
32 Red-Hot Sex Secrets
Repetition is great—if you're learning Spanish, grooving your backhand, or making sure the sutures don't rupture. But it's death for your sex life, turning the pursuit of happiness into a holding pattern. Over Newark.
Well, enough of that stuff. It's time to accelerate your pulse with some good, clean, original sex. It doesn't mean risking arrest in a public garden—although it could—but it does mean injecting surprise into the proceedings. Yes, surprise—even if you think you know her body better than the quickest route to the local 7-Eleven.
We have 32 ideas to launch a voyage of sexual discovery unlike anything you've seen...at least since Cindy Lou let down her guard senior year. The difference now: You know what you're doing, and you have a partner who deserves your respect, attention, and devotion. So make the most of it. Now, repeat after us, "I will..."
Start Outside the Bedroom
The same old place is too conducive to the same old patterns, says Stella Resnick, Ph.D., a psychologist in West Hollywood and author of The Pleasure Zone. Explore some new erogenous areas: The kitchen. The bathroom. Quebec City. Your bodies will be in new places, making it unlikely that you'll follow old routines.
Compliment Her
And keep doing it...at least five times a day. It'll make her feel noticed, special, and appreciated, and she'll feel closer to you. "The more connected she feels, the more sexually inspired she'll feel," says Laura Berman, Ph.D., director of the Berman Center in Chicago.
Compliment what she feels good about and cares about—her hair, shoes, singing voice, work triumphs—says Gloria Brame, Ph.D., a sex therapist and the author of Come Hither: A Commonsense Guide to Kinky Sex. A confident sex partner is an adventurous sex partner.
Go Canoeing or Hiking
Add a distinct but manageable touch of danger to the day. It will stimulate dopamine in her brain, which may trigger her sex drive, says Helen Fisher, Ph.D., an anthropologist at Rutgers University and the author of Why We Love. Pick the right trip—a guided whitewater excursion, for instance—and learn all about both the risks and the precautions you'll take. She'll see you as the cause of the excitement, as well as the source of security. Book the right B&B for the afternoon dry-off and you're set.
Watch Porn Without the Sound
Sure, you'll miss the snappy plumber-housewife banter. But now you two provide the dialogue. You'll learn how to talk erotically, so it's educational. But it's also fun, you're both invested in it, and it can help reveal fantasies, says Ava Cadell, Ph.D., a sex therapist and the author of Love Around the House. And you'll probably find some way to kill time during the sex scenes.
...Or See a Chick Flick
Maybe porn isn't her thing. But Pitt, Clooney, or McConaughey might be, and for her, these guys are porn, Brame says. She'll be fantasizing about a man who's sweet and will treat her well. And when he kisses the flirty female lead, you kiss your lady at the same time. Show her that reality—her life—can be better than that.
What's the Best Way To Lose Weight?
So what’s the best way to lose weight?
Intermittent fasting? Counting calories? High protein diet? High fiber diet?
The answer depends on who you ask, and the truthfully, if it’s a legitimate diet - and when I mean legitimate, I mean none of these ridiculous diets, like the banana diet which apparently was huge in Japan for a while (go figure!) - most diets work…to a certain degree.
The difficult thing about diets is that everyone is different and we all respond differently to foods…so there really is no one size fits all. However, one thing is certain, you are what you eat and eating the right foods can make your weight loss efforts much easier. Here are a few tips that can make your diet a success.
It’s hard to see past the billion dollar marketing lies that our food industries throw our way, but the best way to bypass all the false hype and gimmick is to stick to real foods that don’t have labels on the them. If you can stick to eating real foods, you’re going to be significantly better off than 95% of the people out there. Because here’s the thing, no matter what diet your on, all successful diets have two things in common - reduce calorie intake and provide ample nutrients to your body. And the best way to do that is by eating real foods and avoid processed foods that have hidden calories and poor nutritious values.
Now even though I mention calories, don’t get me wrong…I HATE counting calories! And for the most part, it’s unnecessary if you’re eating the right foods. But, I do think that initially, if you’re coming off of a poor diet, knowing what foods have how many calories is a good thing. What is important is knowing how much of each macronutrient you need to consume on a daily basis. Macronutrients are the protein, carbohydrates and fat contents in you food. Much like counting calories, it first it’s a bit of work, but once you figure out how much protein, carbs and fats you need…it becomes a piece of cake to maintain. More importantly it allows you to know what you’re putting into your body, so you can take full control of your diet.
So how much of each macronutrient do you need to eat in a day?
I discussed the benefits of protein and how much protein you need to consume in a day, along with how to calculate your lean body weight, in a previous article, but here’s a another quick look at the general guidelines:
* Sedentary - 0.35 - 5 grams per lean body mass
* Moderately - Active 0.6 - 0.8 grams per lean body mass
* Active - 0.8 - 1.0 grams per lean body mass
* Very Active - 1.0 and higher per lean body mass
Now in caloric terms, protein has 4 calories per gram. So, as an example let’s say you weight 170 lb and have 20% body fat. That calculates to 136 lb of lean body weight. And let’s assume that your very active, perhaps doing the MAX Workouts program…hint hint…that would mean that you should be eating about 1 gram of protein for each pound of lean body weight, which would be around 136 g of protein a day. This equates to 136 g x 4 cal/g = 544 calories in a day. (Not much considering one Big Mac has roughly 580 calories…just to puts things into perspective.)
Personally, I feel that the biggest culprit of weight gain is due to excessive carbs. Now, before I get brushed off as another low carb guy…let me explain. First of all not all carbs are bad. In fact, unrefined carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruits are great for you, since it provides tons of nutrients and fiber. It just so happens that majority of the vegetables and some fruits happen to be low in sugar content and low in calories as well. So by default, if you eat mostly vegetables and some fruits for your carbohydrates, you end up eating a low carb diet. It’s grains and grain products that really ramp up your carb intake.
Whole grains have many health benefits, but unfortunately most grains on the market are not whole grains….they’re processed grains. Processed grains are in pretty much every product imaginable, from breads, pasta, rice to baked goods, packaged snacks and even healthy snacks. Grains are dense in calories and packed with sugar, and so when ingested it really increases your insulin activity. Insulin hormone is like the gate keeper to your fat storage, and since it acts as a storage hormone, it loves to store excess sugar as fat. So the less you get your insulin involved the better, both for you and your fat. And the best way to do so is by eliminating refined “grains” carb intake and make sure that your carbohydrate content mainly comes from unrefined carbs like vegetables and fruits.
So how many carbs should you eat?
Much like protein, it varies with each individual and their activity levels, but here are some ranges you can use as a general guide:
* At 200 - 300 grams per day you’re likely to steadily gain weight, especially if you’re sedentary or only moderately active.
* At 150-200 grams per day, you’re at the cusp of gaining weight and maintaining your weight is going to depend on your activity levels. You’ll more than likely need to participate in longer duration “cardio” based activities in order to maintain your current weight.
* At 100-150 grams per day, you should be able to maintain your weight, by being moderately active. However, if you participate in short duration but higher intensity activities (aka. MAX Workouts), you should be able to lose weight, while building lean muscle.
* At 50-100 grams per day, you should be able to lose weight steadily if you’re moderately active. And if you participate in short duration high intensity activities, as mentioned above, you should be able to accelerate your weight loss process.
* At 0-50 grams per day, your body starts to metabolize fat for fuel, so you’ll burn fat and lose weight more quickly. However, it’s not recommended for long term. It’s an effective initial start up phase, utilized by many low carb diets. The phase is usually 5 days to 2 weeks in length.
Again, these are just general ranges and it will vary according to each individual. And if you’ve been eating high amounts of carbs, you shouldn’t cut out carbs immediately. Instead, you’ll need to slowly ween yourself off of carbs until you get to the appropriate ranges.
Eating low carbs isn’t difficult if you’re eating the right kinds of foods. If you stick to eating unrefined carbs (ie. vegetables and some fruits), you shouldn’t have any trouble keeping your carb intake within ranges of 50 - 150 grams per day. It’s only when you start to include grains into your diet that you get into trouble. As mentioned earlier, grains are too high in sugar content and readily activates your insulin, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight.
It’s also important to note that your body has the ability to make up to 200 grams of glycogen (stored glucose) a day from proteins and fat. Much of that glycogen is stored in your muscle (and some in you liver) to be used for physical activities. So, even with low to zero carb intake, your body can make enough glucose to keep your glycogen levels in your muscles full for fuel.
Now in caloric terms, carbohydrates has 4 calories per gram. Using the same example as I did in the protein section…let’s say your goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of the program, which would be 145 lb. That’s about 2 lb a week, since the program is 12 weeks long. And let’s say that you decide to cut down your carb intake to a range of about 100 grams per day. This equals to 100 g x 4 cal/g = 400 calories a day.
So far, your total calorie intake is 544 calories from protein and 400 calories from carbs for a total of 944 calories
There are a few ways to calculate how many calories you need per day in order for you to achieve your goal weight. Some calculations require you to plug in your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and some also require you to plug in your lean body weight, and you can use any of these calculations, but a quick, easy and reliable method, is to multiply your goal weight by 10. So for this example, it would be 145 lb x 10 = 1450 calories a day. And since the total calorie from protein and carbs is 944 calories, the amount of calories left is 1450 - 944 = 506 calories. And this last amount of calories should come from fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so that equals 506 cal / 9 cal/g = 84.3 g of fat. So that means you can consume up to 84 grams of fat and still be within your weight loss caloric intake.
Now…fat is the most misunderstood macronutrient out of them all. I think it’s because of the name. Who wants to eat fat when they’re trying to lose fat…right? But here’s the key to eating fats and still lose weight. As long as you’re eating the right amounts of macronutrients - protein and carbs - eating fat actually increases you body’s ability to burn stored fat more effectively!
Fats can be divided up into these following categories:
* Saturated Fats - Stable fats found in foods like animal fats and coconuts.
* Monounsaturated Fats - Moderately stable fats found in foods like avocado and in many healthy oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and peanut oil.
* Polyunsaturated Fats - Least stable of the three main fats, making polyunsaturated fats very susceptible to going rancid quickly when heated. It’s found in grain products, soybeans, peanuts and fish oils.
You can include any or a combination of all of the fats mentioned above in your daily diet. The only type of fat that needs to be avoided at all costs is trans fats. It shouldn’t even be considered fat, since it’s not natural. It’s chemically manufactured and is added to food to extend shelf life. However, when ingested, it causes serious damage to your body. Long term exposure to trans fats have been associated with obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and chronic inflammatory diseases, just to name a few.
It’s important to note, that when you’re deciding to go on a diet, the total amount of calories you choose to eat in a day depends on your goal and how quickly you want to get to your goal. But here are some key points to keep in mind before you decide:
* Be realistic about your goals and approach it like a marathon slow and steady is the best and healthiest solution
* Cutting out too many calories is a sure way to cause you to rebound by over consuming afterwards, getting you on the infamous yo - yo dieting roller coaster
* Look at your diet as a long term goal and not something you want to achieve today.
* Calories are important, but it’s just as important (if not more so) to watch what you eat. Not all calories are created equal. Each food you ingest triggers hormonal responses that can either be helpful and healthy or negative and unhealthy.
* Weight loss should come as a result of a combination of both healthy eating and an effective exercise plan.
In order to figure out how many calories you need a day, you need to find our how much of each macronutrient you should be eating. And to help you do that, you can go to www.caloriecount.about.com to find out the nutrition content of each food.
So here’s a summary of the tips you can implement to help you succeed in your diet and weight loss efforts.
* Eat real foods and avoid all processed foods, so you can avoid hidden calories and poor nutrition
* Knowing your total caloric intake initially is a good way to have an idea of how much food you should be eating
* Know how much of each macronutrient (protein, carbs and fats) you need to eat
* Cut out refined carbs, especially grains and instead eat unrefined carbs such as vegetables and fruits
* Eating fat helps you lose weight as long as you’re eating the proper amounts of protein and low carbs
* Avoid trans fats at all costs
* Combine healthy eating with an effective exercise program to maximize weight loss
About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit https://maxworkouts.com
Intermittent fasting? Counting calories? High protein diet? High fiber diet?
The answer depends on who you ask, and the truthfully, if it’s a legitimate diet - and when I mean legitimate, I mean none of these ridiculous diets, like the banana diet which apparently was huge in Japan for a while (go figure!) - most diets work…to a certain degree.
The difficult thing about diets is that everyone is different and we all respond differently to foods…so there really is no one size fits all. However, one thing is certain, you are what you eat and eating the right foods can make your weight loss efforts much easier. Here are a few tips that can make your diet a success.
It’s hard to see past the billion dollar marketing lies that our food industries throw our way, but the best way to bypass all the false hype and gimmick is to stick to real foods that don’t have labels on the them. If you can stick to eating real foods, you’re going to be significantly better off than 95% of the people out there. Because here’s the thing, no matter what diet your on, all successful diets have two things in common - reduce calorie intake and provide ample nutrients to your body. And the best way to do that is by eating real foods and avoid processed foods that have hidden calories and poor nutritious values.
Now even though I mention calories, don’t get me wrong…I HATE counting calories! And for the most part, it’s unnecessary if you’re eating the right foods. But, I do think that initially, if you’re coming off of a poor diet, knowing what foods have how many calories is a good thing. What is important is knowing how much of each macronutrient you need to consume on a daily basis. Macronutrients are the protein, carbohydrates and fat contents in you food. Much like counting calories, it first it’s a bit of work, but once you figure out how much protein, carbs and fats you need…it becomes a piece of cake to maintain. More importantly it allows you to know what you’re putting into your body, so you can take full control of your diet.
So how much of each macronutrient do you need to eat in a day?
I discussed the benefits of protein and how much protein you need to consume in a day, along with how to calculate your lean body weight, in a previous article, but here’s a another quick look at the general guidelines:
* Sedentary - 0.35 - 5 grams per lean body mass
* Moderately - Active 0.6 - 0.8 grams per lean body mass
* Active - 0.8 - 1.0 grams per lean body mass
* Very Active - 1.0 and higher per lean body mass
Now in caloric terms, protein has 4 calories per gram. So, as an example let’s say you weight 170 lb and have 20% body fat. That calculates to 136 lb of lean body weight. And let’s assume that your very active, perhaps doing the MAX Workouts program…hint hint…that would mean that you should be eating about 1 gram of protein for each pound of lean body weight, which would be around 136 g of protein a day. This equates to 136 g x 4 cal/g = 544 calories in a day. (Not much considering one Big Mac has roughly 580 calories…just to puts things into perspective.)
Personally, I feel that the biggest culprit of weight gain is due to excessive carbs. Now, before I get brushed off as another low carb guy…let me explain. First of all not all carbs are bad. In fact, unrefined carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruits are great for you, since it provides tons of nutrients and fiber. It just so happens that majority of the vegetables and some fruits happen to be low in sugar content and low in calories as well. So by default, if you eat mostly vegetables and some fruits for your carbohydrates, you end up eating a low carb diet. It’s grains and grain products that really ramp up your carb intake.
Whole grains have many health benefits, but unfortunately most grains on the market are not whole grains….they’re processed grains. Processed grains are in pretty much every product imaginable, from breads, pasta, rice to baked goods, packaged snacks and even healthy snacks. Grains are dense in calories and packed with sugar, and so when ingested it really increases your insulin activity. Insulin hormone is like the gate keeper to your fat storage, and since it acts as a storage hormone, it loves to store excess sugar as fat. So the less you get your insulin involved the better, both for you and your fat. And the best way to do so is by eliminating refined “grains” carb intake and make sure that your carbohydrate content mainly comes from unrefined carbs like vegetables and fruits.
So how many carbs should you eat?
Much like protein, it varies with each individual and their activity levels, but here are some ranges you can use as a general guide:
* At 200 - 300 grams per day you’re likely to steadily gain weight, especially if you’re sedentary or only moderately active.
* At 150-200 grams per day, you’re at the cusp of gaining weight and maintaining your weight is going to depend on your activity levels. You’ll more than likely need to participate in longer duration “cardio” based activities in order to maintain your current weight.
* At 100-150 grams per day, you should be able to maintain your weight, by being moderately active. However, if you participate in short duration but higher intensity activities (aka. MAX Workouts), you should be able to lose weight, while building lean muscle.
* At 50-100 grams per day, you should be able to lose weight steadily if you’re moderately active. And if you participate in short duration high intensity activities, as mentioned above, you should be able to accelerate your weight loss process.
* At 0-50 grams per day, your body starts to metabolize fat for fuel, so you’ll burn fat and lose weight more quickly. However, it’s not recommended for long term. It’s an effective initial start up phase, utilized by many low carb diets. The phase is usually 5 days to 2 weeks in length.
Again, these are just general ranges and it will vary according to each individual. And if you’ve been eating high amounts of carbs, you shouldn’t cut out carbs immediately. Instead, you’ll need to slowly ween yourself off of carbs until you get to the appropriate ranges.
Eating low carbs isn’t difficult if you’re eating the right kinds of foods. If you stick to eating unrefined carbs (ie. vegetables and some fruits), you shouldn’t have any trouble keeping your carb intake within ranges of 50 - 150 grams per day. It’s only when you start to include grains into your diet that you get into trouble. As mentioned earlier, grains are too high in sugar content and readily activates your insulin, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight.
It’s also important to note that your body has the ability to make up to 200 grams of glycogen (stored glucose) a day from proteins and fat. Much of that glycogen is stored in your muscle (and some in you liver) to be used for physical activities. So, even with low to zero carb intake, your body can make enough glucose to keep your glycogen levels in your muscles full for fuel.
Now in caloric terms, carbohydrates has 4 calories per gram. Using the same example as I did in the protein section…let’s say your goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of the program, which would be 145 lb. That’s about 2 lb a week, since the program is 12 weeks long. And let’s say that you decide to cut down your carb intake to a range of about 100 grams per day. This equals to 100 g x 4 cal/g = 400 calories a day.
So far, your total calorie intake is 544 calories from protein and 400 calories from carbs for a total of 944 calories
There are a few ways to calculate how many calories you need per day in order for you to achieve your goal weight. Some calculations require you to plug in your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and some also require you to plug in your lean body weight, and you can use any of these calculations, but a quick, easy and reliable method, is to multiply your goal weight by 10. So for this example, it would be 145 lb x 10 = 1450 calories a day. And since the total calorie from protein and carbs is 944 calories, the amount of calories left is 1450 - 944 = 506 calories. And this last amount of calories should come from fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so that equals 506 cal / 9 cal/g = 84.3 g of fat. So that means you can consume up to 84 grams of fat and still be within your weight loss caloric intake.
Now…fat is the most misunderstood macronutrient out of them all. I think it’s because of the name. Who wants to eat fat when they’re trying to lose fat…right? But here’s the key to eating fats and still lose weight. As long as you’re eating the right amounts of macronutrients - protein and carbs - eating fat actually increases you body’s ability to burn stored fat more effectively!
Fats can be divided up into these following categories:
* Saturated Fats - Stable fats found in foods like animal fats and coconuts.
* Monounsaturated Fats - Moderately stable fats found in foods like avocado and in many healthy oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and peanut oil.
* Polyunsaturated Fats - Least stable of the three main fats, making polyunsaturated fats very susceptible to going rancid quickly when heated. It’s found in grain products, soybeans, peanuts and fish oils.
You can include any or a combination of all of the fats mentioned above in your daily diet. The only type of fat that needs to be avoided at all costs is trans fats. It shouldn’t even be considered fat, since it’s not natural. It’s chemically manufactured and is added to food to extend shelf life. However, when ingested, it causes serious damage to your body. Long term exposure to trans fats have been associated with obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and chronic inflammatory diseases, just to name a few.
It’s important to note, that when you’re deciding to go on a diet, the total amount of calories you choose to eat in a day depends on your goal and how quickly you want to get to your goal. But here are some key points to keep in mind before you decide:
* Be realistic about your goals and approach it like a marathon slow and steady is the best and healthiest solution
* Cutting out too many calories is a sure way to cause you to rebound by over consuming afterwards, getting you on the infamous yo - yo dieting roller coaster
* Look at your diet as a long term goal and not something you want to achieve today.
* Calories are important, but it’s just as important (if not more so) to watch what you eat. Not all calories are created equal. Each food you ingest triggers hormonal responses that can either be helpful and healthy or negative and unhealthy.
* Weight loss should come as a result of a combination of both healthy eating and an effective exercise plan.
In order to figure out how many calories you need a day, you need to find our how much of each macronutrient you should be eating. And to help you do that, you can go to www.caloriecount.about.com to find out the nutrition content of each food.
So here’s a summary of the tips you can implement to help you succeed in your diet and weight loss efforts.
* Eat real foods and avoid all processed foods, so you can avoid hidden calories and poor nutrition
* Knowing your total caloric intake initially is a good way to have an idea of how much food you should be eating
* Know how much of each macronutrient (protein, carbs and fats) you need to eat
* Cut out refined carbs, especially grains and instead eat unrefined carbs such as vegetables and fruits
* Eating fat helps you lose weight as long as you’re eating the proper amounts of protein and low carbs
* Avoid trans fats at all costs
* Combine healthy eating with an effective exercise program to maximize weight loss
About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit https://maxworkouts.com
Free Fitness E-book - Grab It Today.
Here's an excellent e-book that's free. It's worth getting and comes highly recommended.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)