1. Drink plenty of water.
Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This it self will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.
2. Start your day with a glass of water.
As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It’s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water. It is good for you.
3. Drink a glass of water before you start the meal.
Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.
4. Have another glass of water while you are having the meal.
Again this is another weight loss tips and way of making yourself full, another great weight loss tips, so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster. SIDENOTE: Water is such a remarkable thing, but seldom do we give it the credit that it deserves. Did you know that over 66% of your body weight is nothing but water’ It’s amazing! Water also plays a vital role in weight control, which is why I donated so much space to it, above.
5. Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks
especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.
6. Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons.
These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.
7. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.
Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber,which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.
8. If you do have a craving for fruit juice
then go for fresh fruit juice instead of these that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better,try making your own fruit juice taking care not to sweeten it with too many calories.
9. Choose fresh fruit to processed fruits.
Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber as fresh fruit and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened.
10. Increase your fiber intake. Like I mentioned,
the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can.
11. Go crazy on vegetables.
Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing pounds. Nature has a terrific spread when it comes to choosing vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables are your best bet. Try to include a salad in you diet always.
12. Eat intelligently.
The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence while beasts are driven by instinct. Don’t just eat something because you feel like eating it. Ask you’re self whether your body really needs it.
13. Watch what you eat.
Keep a watchful eye on every thing that goes in. Sometimes the garnishes can richer than the food itself. Accompaniments too can be very rich. Remember that it is the easiest thing in the world to eat something without realizing that it was something that you should not have eaten. Selective memory you know’
14. Control that sweet tooth.
Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories. It is natural that we have cravings for sweet things especially chocolates and other confectionary. Take this weight loss tips seriously and go easy on theses things and each time you consume something sweet understand that it is going to add on somewhere.
15. Fix times to have meals and stick to it.
Try to have food at fixed times of the day. You can stretch these times by half an hour, but anything more than that is going to affect your eating pattern, the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling which will make you stuff yourself with more than what is required the next time you eat.
16. Eat only when you are hungry.
Bonus How to lose weight fast tips here–> (make sure you are not just thirsty!)Some of us have the tendency to eat whenever we see food. We use parties as an excuse to stuff our selves. Understand that the effect of a whole week of dieting can be wasted by just one day’s party food. Whenever you are offered something to eat do not decline it completely bit just break of a nibble so that you appear to mind your manners and at the same time can watch your diet.
17. Quit snacking in between meals.
Do not fall for snacks in between meals. This is especially true for those who have to travel a lot. They feel that the only time they can get a bite to eat is snacks and junk food. The main problem with most snacks and junk food is that they are usually less filling and contain a lot of fat and calories. Just think about French fries tempting but terribly fattening.
18. Snack on vegetables if you must.
You might get the pangs of hunger in between meals. It is something that you can very well control. Or even better, try munching on carrots. They are an excellent way to satisfy those hungry pangs and are good for your eyes and teeth. True, you might end up being called Bugs Bunny, but its miles better to be called Bugs Bunny than fatso.
19. Go easy on tea and coffee.
Tea and coffee are harmless by themselves. It’s when you add the cream and sugar that they become fattening. Did you know that having a cup of tea or coffee that has cream and at least two cubes of sugar is as bad as having a big piece of rich chocolate cake’
20. Try to stick to black tea/coffee.
Black tea or coffee can actually be good for you. But personally I would like to recommend tea rather than coffee. The caffeine in the coffee is not really good for you because it is an alkaloid and can affect other functions of your body like the metabolism.
21. Count the calories as you eat.
It’s a good idea to have an idea of the calories that most food items have. If it is a packed thing then the label is sure to have the calories that the substance has.
22. be sure to burn out those extra calories by the end of the week.
If you feel that you have consumed more calories than you should have during the week, it happens you know,and then make sure that you work off those extra calories by the end of the week.
23. Stay away from fried things.
Fried things are an absolute no-no. The more fried things that you avoid, the lesser weight you will gain. Fried things are called so because they are fried in oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so stay away from it.
24. Do not skip meals.
The worst thing you can do while watching you diet is skip a meal. It has just the opposite effect of what you want. You need to have at least four regular meals every day.
25. Fresh vegetables are better than cooked or canned vegetables.
Try to eat your vegetables raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. And canned vegetables too are processed and are not nearly half as good as fresh vegetables. When you buy your vegetables it would be a good thing to see if the label says that it is pesticide free.
26. Nothing more than an egg a day. Eggs are not such a bright idea.
It would be best to reduce your intake of eggs to maybe three in a week. But for those of you die hard egg fans, you may have up to one egg a day but nothing more than that.
27. Make chocolates a luxury and not a routine.
Chocolates are not or at least they should not be a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them. Even the bitter chocolates are not good for you because though the sugar is less there is still the cream in them.
28. Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day.
This is a fine way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay and it helps you to experiment with a variety of dishes and there by you do not get bored of your diet.
29. If you can say no to alcoholic beverages please do.
Alcoholic beverages too are not good for you. Beer can be fattening and the rest of the alcoholic drinks may not be fattening by themselves but after a couple of swigs you will be in no position to watch your diet and your appetite too will be something to battle with.
30. Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking.
It’s always best to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but that does not mean that it should be the most filling meal of the day.
31. 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates.
It is a myth that you should try and avoid carbohydrates when you are on a diet. Rather the other way round I should say. Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates.
32. 25 to 30% of your diet should be proteins.
Various processes and activities are going on in our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up, recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see to it that 25 to 30 % of your diet consists of proteins.
33. Fats should only be 15 to 20 %. You need only this much of fat in your diet so keep it at that.
34. Try and adopt a vegetarian diet.
A vegetarian diet is undoubtedly better for those of us watching our diet. There are a lot of advantages of keeping to a vegetarian diet but I don’t want to sing an ode to vegetarianism now. What I would suggest is keep to a vegetarian diet as much as you can. Make a non- vegetarian diet a week end event or something if you find it impossible to give up eating all those animals.
35. Choose white meat rather than red.
White meat, which includes fish and fowl, is miles better than red meat, which includes beef and pork for those trying to lose weight.
36. High Fiber multigrain breads are better than white breads.
Remember how I told you to increase the fiber content in your food; well this is the answer to that. It is not only better in terms of the fiber content but also in terms of the protein content as well.
37. Reduce your intake of pork.
Pork is not something that can help you to lose weight. The fatiness of pork is the reason for this weight loss tips. So the lesser pork you eat the better chances you have of losing weight. And remember that pork includes the pork products as well, things like bacon, ham and sausages.
38. Limit your sugar intake. If you can’t have things unsweetened go for sugar substitutes. These things are just as sweetening but are certainly not fattening.
39. Graze 5 to 6 times a day. Instead of sticking to just three meals a day,
try grazing.Grazing means try having 5 or 6 smaller meals instead of three king sized meals. It is an excellent way of having smaller quantities of food.
40. Go ahead eat cheat food, but only for flavor.
There are many things which you have to avoid from your diet but which you may have an undying craving for. Do not avoid them altogether. You could call them cheat foods and indulge in them once in a while. But take care just to tingle your taste buds, don’t hog on them. Instead of that share them with others. In this way
41. Watch your fat intake.
Each fat gram contains 9 calories so by reading the total calories on a food and knowing the quantity of fat, you can estimate the % of fat, which should in no way exceed 30% of the food.
42. Go easy on salt,
as too much salt is one of the causes of obesity. Make it a point to really cut down on salt. Try to bring down your salt intake to half of what it was last year.
43. Change from table butter to cholesterol free butter.
If you have a choice why not go for it, any way it is healthier for you and tastes just the same. Bear in mind that these small changes can go a long way towards weight reduction.
44. Instead of frying things try baking them without fat.
Baking is by far a healthier method of preparing food than frying. Baking requires lesser oil or fat.
45. Use a non stick frying pan for your cooking so that you do not have to add oil
.The golden rule is to try and avoid as much oil as possible and a non stick pan is the perfect solution to this problem.
46. Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them,
or even better, eat them fresh. However if you do not like eating your vegetables as it is,try steaming them without adding anything at all. This is probably the healthiest way to eat cabbages,cauliflowers and a host of other vegetables.
47. Carry parsley with you.
Parsley is an excellent thing to munch on in between meals. Not just is it good for you in terms of vitamins, but it is also a perfect way of making your breath fresher.
48. Choose low fat substitutes or no fat substitutes.
There are plenty of low fat or even no fat substitutes available in the market so why not choose wisely. It is much better for you heart too. Many people just go for shopping and pick up whatever they can. They do not bother to find out if there are nay substitutes for the thing they are looking for. In the markets of today,you will be astounded at the range of goods that manufactures have to offer. In fact with all the hue and cry that is being made about weight loss,low fat substitutes and no fat substitutes are hitting the stands faster than mushrooms that sprout after the first rains. So the next time you head for the stores instead of picking up what you have always picked up, see if there are better substitutes. Remember that our bodies need nutrients and not just calories. Fats give us nutrients but with more calories than what proteins or carbohydrates do.
49. Avoid crash diets.
They are bad for health and you will gain what you have lost once you take a break. Crash diets are not a solution to weight loss. It might seem as if you have lost few pounds but the moment you give up on the crash diet every thing will bounce back with a vengeance. Take a look at it in this way. Do you think that it is possible for a person to survive on a crash diet for the rest of his or her life’ Certainly not! So at some time or the other, you will have to give up the crash diet and then you will see for yourself that a crash diet does more harm than good on the long run. Crash diets may have a lot to promise, but very rarely do these promises ring true. Crash diets are things people go on in order to wear an old dress or suit for a particular occasion. That’s the only purpose that they serve as far as I can see.
50. God gave us teeth for a reason.
Therefore we should develop a habit of chewing all food including liquid food and soft foods like sweets, ice creams at least 8 to 12 times. This is essential to add saliva to the food, as it is only in the saliva that sugar is digested. Often we find that whatever goes into our mouth goes down like lightning. We hardly give the saliva any time to act on the food. So does digestion take place like it should’Do we just stuff our tummies with food that doesn’t get digested or in other words that doesn’t yield the benefits that it should’
Milk And Bodybuilding - Do They Mix?
This article is very dear to me. I've taken it upon myself to reinstate Milk as the greatest supplement ever. Lately milk often gets a bad wrap among bodybuilders for several reasons... none of which I fully understand. Some claim they get fat, others claim it is too expensive (???) and still others complain of gastro-intestinal disorders. But in my eyes anyone who is not lactose intolerant is selling his gains short if he is not supplementing with milk and a lot of it. I always drank milk, I like it, but I never fully realized its potential as a supplement until I started using it as the cornerstone of my diet and started growing beyond measure. I made the greatest gains of my life on milk, an unrivaled 35 pounds in ten months. If you were to ask me now what I thought was the supplement that gives you the best value for money, I'd say milk. Going back to the 1940's, you'll find that our heroes of yore such as Clancy Ross and John Grimek accredited much of their gains to milk. Clancy Ross even went as far as saying it was the best thing ever to get big. Many of us long for a return to healthy, natural bodybuilding, so why not start by consuming the same things they did?
Convenience
You can get it at any store, it's reasonably cheap to use because it's 90 percent water, it easily replaces all the fattening cokes and sprites you gulp down, or the flat tasteless water you drink to try and meet you hydration demand. You can drink it in the morning, use it in your cereal, use it to water down your soup, but just as easily at night because it isn't heavy on the stomach and has a beneficial effect on your sleeping pattern.Protein
Drinking anywhere from 1 to 2 gallons a day, depending on how much working out I have to do and taking my protein cycle into account, I use milk mainly for the protein content. A liter of milk (just under 1/3 of a gallon) contains 32 grams of protein coming from two main sources: casein and whey. These are without a doubt the two best proteins available, and in combination with egg protein, supply a complete amino acid spectrum. I don't have to sell bodybuilders on the benefits ofwhey I suppose. It's the most bio-available protein in the world. It's fast acting and supplies the aminos of the greatest importance to bodybuilders in large amounts. Casein on the other hand is a slower acting protein that contains other essential aminos that provide the base of your body's Amino Acid Pool. By having a mix of the two, the casein influences the whey to act slower and so doing stay active in the body longer and increasing the possibility of absorbing more of it. And because of the aminos present in casein, there is more of a chance that the whey will be stored in muscle-tissue.If you calculate that 20 percent of milk protein is whey, then drinking 2 gallons supplies me with 30 grams of whey, which is how much most companies recommend you use post-workout. Now most bodybuilders get more protein from different sources, including powders, but getting in an extra serving free seems like a good deal. The total protein in 2 gallons is enough to cover the need of protein of any bodybuilder under 210 pounds. I like to be on the safe side and consume at least 30 to 50 percent more, but still, I couldn't go that high without milk.
Ask any nutrition expert, the best diet for bulking up is 50 percent carbs, 35 percent protein and 15 percent fats. Match that up with the content of semi-skimmed milk and you'll find that milk is the perfect nutrition. It could be the cheapest MRP there is. Per liter you get 440 calories, just below what most MRP's supply, giving you 48 grams of carbs, 32 grams of protein and 15 percent fats. Need more proof? What are most kids raised on in the early years of their life? Milk. You start out at a meager 8 pounds, and soon you grow out to a healthy toddler. If only you could keep growing like that, huh? Then why turn your back on the thing that did it? Cow's milk you say? Have you seen the size of the bovine stock? Those things are huge. Cows aren't entirely unlike bodybuilders, they used to be an example of health and then they started using steroids to get bigger. For a growing athlete, taking in as many calories as possible is essential, but you have to watch what you eat to. My milk intake supplies 1300 to 2600 calories a day, from one of the cleanest and purest sources left in a world of pre-packaging, diseases and genetically engineered food. That's anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of my calorie intake depending on the phase I'm in.
Calcium
What are the three most important minerals to a an athlete? Iron, Zinc and you guessed it, Calcium. That's the point of a sports nutritionist. Ask the body and it will say calcium, calcium and calcium. This is clear from the amount of calcium we need as opposed to other minerals and the priority it gets within our systems. If you ingest Calcium and Zinc and Iron (and I've seen one company dumb enough to combine them in one pill), the body will prioritize the calcium over the other two. Which is why sports nutritionists and most smart supplement companies advise athletes to take Iron and Zinc at a time when there is little or no calcium in the stomach. This goes for the Zinc containing supplement ZMA as well.
Calcium is known best of all as a promoter of healthy and strong bones. But it plays a critical role in performance as well. Too little calcium and you can't relax your muscles. Bad relaxation, makes for less potential energy and so on and ultimately for less than satisfactory contraction. Bad contraction equals bad workouts and no growth. Get the picture? By improving relaxation you avoid cramping, injury and twitching. Calcium is also very important in fat metabolization, so no cigar for the people who claim milk is fattening. It makes for less fat storage and better use of present macronutrients in the blood. Using the recommended FDA dosage has shown to decrease body-fat significantly in obese people. It's no secret that the RDV (recommended daily values) were established back in the 60's and 70's for a 2000 calorie diet. I don't know many bodybuilders that grow on a 2000 calorie diet. As a matter of fact I know very few who go below that when dieting. Also the amounts are outdated, so instead of the recommended 1000 mg you should be closer to 2000-2500 grams of calcium daily. Milk can help you get a large part of that. And it's safe to use on a diet too, because of the high calcium content and the not so fattening simple sugar lactose that makes up the carbohydrate portion of milk. And last but not least calcium lowers the blood pressure, may reduce stress and definitely improves the quality of sleep. If that doesn't sell you on milk, I don't know what will. But there is more...
Lactoferrin
It's a small peptide present in milk protein that is very expensive to filtrate and incredibly expensive if you plan to take in a certain amount of it. It's not at all a prominent part of milk, but as I'm fond of saying: every little bit helps. Its importance in immunity is clear, as it is highly present in mother's milk. I'm not going to expand too much on this subject as there are plenty of studies available on lactoferrin, and it's definitely not the most important fraction of milk, but I will say that it plays a key role in digestive functioning, immunity and in reducing cancer-risk. It's also disinfecting within the body and known as one of the greatest anti-oxidants since MSM.
Vitamin D
There is milk available with Vitamin D. Not many people know the relevance of Vitamin D and even less people supplement it, but Vitamin D is a classified steroid-hormone. The most versatile except for cholesterol. Vitamin D is mainly derived from radiation, such as sunlight. So if you are a beach bum chances are you don't need extra, but if you live in an area that gets pretty heavy winters, getting a little extra in this period may be wise. Nowadays the FDA recommends milk be enriched with Vitamin D to prevent bone diseases, but it's a highly anabolic hormone that may be of greater benefit than you think. The basic recommendation is 400 International Units, but as with Vitamin E, getting 800 or so makes more sense.
Milk and Bodybuilder
Well I don't think I need to say anymore do I? Trying to get as much milk as possible is good. Liquid protein if you will that allows you to sip in a few grams at any time during the day. For those of you who can bear it, drink it at room temperature, it's an excellent way of enabling yourself to chug down more of it easier. It doesn't keep as long, but even then it'll keep for three days after being opened and by then you should have chugged down three to six times that. If you are not fond of drinking milk but want part of the benefits, I think taking in a glass or three before bed will go a long way. If you want to be economic about your nutrition, milk should be your first priority. It will save a few bucks that could be used on other supplements or a weekend trip with your wife or girlfriend if you find they suffer under your hectic training regimen.How to take in more milk:
1. Drink it whenever you feel like it
2. Take it with your cereal
3. Mix all your protein, MRP's or weight gainers in milk
4. If you water down soup use milk
5. Cookies and chocolate increase desire for milk
Which milk to use?
Well, semi-skimmed or 2 percent is ideal in most circumstances, because it's practically a meal. It's ideal to be used with meals or shakes, or as a meal by itself. If you are severely underweight take full fat milk. At more than 30 grams of fat per liter it supplies 600 or more calories, as a weight gainer it's definitely the way to go. And naturally if you are on a diet, take in skimmed milk.
One warning though, avoid UHT milk. The high temperature it undergoes destroys much of the nutrients and makes what remains less than bio available. Euperised milk is best. This process can be likened to cold-processing in supplements. A process used to guarantee the best quality with the highest amount of nutrients in supplements. Others are good too, but I estimate you need twice the amount of UHT as you would from other sorts.
I really hope if one of my articles enlightens you, it is this one. You won't believe the anabolic properties of plain milk until you try it. Let's face it, if you have to spend your money on things to improve your bad nutritional habits that leaves little else for products that could really help you grow. A good diet for growing should have milk, eggs, bread, spaghetti and if at all possible red meat. These are the basics, and except for the meat, economically responsible.
So listen to mama and drink your milk, and soon you'll be
I've never been a fan of low-carb diets: our bodies and our brains need carbohydrates to work effectively. (Find out 6 more reasons your body needs carbohydrates here.)
Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equally. First of all, fruits, dairy and vegetables are all sources of carbohydrates. And when it comes to starches, there are indeed "good" carbs (we'll get to that in a sec) and the "bad" ones that, if you eat them all the time, can raise your risk of developing diseases like heart disease and diabetes. (We're talking about doughnuts, cakes and even refined white breads.) On the flip side, eating "good carbs" in place of refined ones can reduce your risk of these very same diseases-and may even help you to lose weight because they're generally rich in fiber.
Related: 7 Foods That Do the Weight-Loss Work for You
Here are 6 "great" carbs to keep in your diet.
Whole-wheat pasta. Because sometimes you just need pasta-and whole-wheat kinds offer two to three times more fiber than refined white varieties, but they're just as versatile and delicious. (Similarly whole-wheat bread and brown rice are healthier choices than their "white" counterparts.)
To cook: Follow the package directions!
Recipes to Try: Slimmed-Down Fettuccine Alfredo & More Skinny Pasta Recipes
Quinoa: Consider it souped-up couscous. A delicately flavored whole grain, it provides some fiber (2 grams per 1/2 cup) and a good amount of protein (4 grams). Note: Research shows protein can help you feel full for longer. Rinsing quinoa removes any residue of saponin, its natural bitter protective coating.
To cook: Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Recipes to Try: Pear-Quinoa Salad and More Low-Calorie Quinoa Recipes
Barley is available "pearled" (the bran has been removed) or "quick-cooking" (parboiled). While both contain soluble fiber that helps keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, pearl barley has a little more.
To Cook: Pearl barley-Bring 1 cup barley and 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Quick-cooking barley-Bring 1 3/4 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup barley. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Bulgur is cracked wheat that's been parboiled so it simply needs to soak in hot water for most uses-a perfect low-maintenance grain. It's also a good source of feel-full fiber: just 1/2 cup delivers 5 grams.
To Cook: Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water or broth over 1 cup bulgur. Let stand, covered, until light and fluffy, about 30 minutes. If all the water is not absorbed, let the bulgur stand longer or press it in a strainer to remove excess liquid.
Wheat Berries are the whole, unprocessed kernels of wheat. They're terrific sources of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc and, yes, fiber.
To Cook: Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones, and rinse with water. Bring 4 cups water or broth and 1 cup wheat berries to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour. Drain.
Popcorn. Because when you're craving pretzels or potato chips...you're certainly not going to reach for a bowl of oatmeal. Popcorn satisfies a snack craving and it's a whole grain. No, I'm not kidding: 3 cups of popped popcorn (what you get by popping 1 heaping tablespoon of kernels) equals one of your three recommended daily servings of whole grains and contains 3 grams of fiber.
To cook: Toss a heaping tablespoon into an air popper.
Do you avoid carbs when you're trying to lose weight?
By Nicci Micco
Nicci Micco is editor-at-large for EatingWell and co-author of EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners. She has a master's degree in nutrition and food sciences, with a focus in weight management.
The fitness industry is a crazy business, especially when it comes to abs. For example, if you want to reveal your six-pack, you generally have two product choices.
1. The too-easy-to-work method.
You know this better as "5-minute abs!" or some such hype. But if this approach were really effective, even Chris Christie would have a washboard.
2. The so-hard-it-has-to-work method.
Think 60 to 90 minutes of exercise, 6 days a week. Now if you have the time and energy for this kind of regimen, we commend you. But plenty of people are missing one or the other. And that's just reality, not a cop-out.
So we wondered: Could there be an ab-sculpting program that actually works and is doable for most people? For the answer, we turned to Mike Wunsch, C.S.C.S., and Craig Rasmussen, C.S.C.S., creators of Men's Health's newest fat-loss plan, 24-Hour Abs! The answer: "Absolutely," says Wunsch, who teams up with Rasmussen to design the workout programs at Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. "That's exactly how we make our living."
One important fact about Results Fitness: Even in a recession, this Southern California gym has expanded. Twice. Why? Because its trainers have developed a fat-loss formula tailored specifically for busy people. (Read: mostly everyone.) The requirements are simple: 30 to 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week. So how do these trainers do it when so many others have failed? They threw out the old guidelines. The new ones they've created are based on 21st-century science and the methods that work best with their clients. Now you can benefit, too.
Don't target your abs to lose fat
Back in 2002, we reported that it would take 250,000 crunches to burn a pound of fat, according to estimates from University of Virginia scientists. We're pretty sure those researchers published that statistic to make a point. But after almost a decade, the point still may not have hit home. "I'm amazed at the number of people who think that simply doing ab exercises will make their belly disappear," says Rasmussen. "That is probably the least efficient way to reveal a six-pack."
Do work every single muscle
"Muscle is your body's primary fat burner," says Rasmussen. Your muscles require energy to contract, which is why you burn calories when you exercise. But resistance training, unlike running or cycling, also causes a significant amount of damage to your muscle fibers. And that's a good thing. "Your body has to expend energy to repair and upgrade those fibers after your workout," says Rasmussen. "And a single total-body weight-training session can boost your metabolism for up to 2 days."
Target 300 muscles in just three exercises.
So you shouldn't neglect a single inch of your body. That goes double for the legs, a body part that plenty of men either train just once a week or simply ignore. Case in point: Syracuse University researchers determined that people burned more calories the day after a lower-body resistance session than the day after they worked their upper bodies. Why? Because your lower half houses more muscle. The upshot: "A busy guy's smartest approach is to train his entire body every other day," says Rasmussen. "That allows you to elevate your metabolism maximally all week long, even though you're working out only 3 or 4 days a week."
Don't start your workout with crunches
"You can do lots of crunches and situps and still have a weak core," says Wunsch. "We see that all the time." The reason: Classic ab moves like crunches and situps work the muscles that allow you to flex (that is, round) your lower spine. (In fact, there's new evidence out there that shows the crunch might be The Most Useless Exercise Ever.) True core exercises, on the other hand, train the muscles that prevent your spine from rounding. They also allow you to transfer force from your lower body to your upper body (in a golf swing, for example), and vice versa. Core exercises target the same muscles that crunches do, but they also include your hip and lower-back muscles. So what's a true core exercise? One that trains you to keep your spine stable and in its natural alignment. Besides the plank (more on that in a minute), scores of exercises qualify, including the side plank, mountain climber, and even the pushup.
Do start with core exercises
"We test everything in our gym," says Wunsch. "And we've seen that people achieve far better results when they do core exercises at the beginning of their workout instead of at the end." The reason: By training your core when your muscles are fresh, you achieve the fastest gains in strength, says Wunsch.
That's important for the average guy, Wunsch and his colleagues have found, because the core is the limiting factor in almost every exercise. "A weak core is what keeps most men from lifting more weight in the squat and deadlift and just about everything else," says Wunsch. "If we focus on strengthening their core first, they'll ultimately be able to lift heavier weights, which allows them to work more muscle and burn more calories. We're thinking about long-term success." To find out how your middle measures up, see Is Your Core Weak?
Don't spend hours on your core
While 5 minutes of exercise a day isn't enough to reveal your abs, it is about the right amount of time to dedicate to targeted core training. "We've found that just 2 to 4 sets of one or two core exercises is quite effective," Rasmussen says. "Our goal is to make you stronger, not more tired." A 5-minute core routine prior to weight training has a side benefit, too. "It revs up your core muscles so they fire better as you do other exercises," Rasmussen says.
Do master the plank
Flip through any issue of Men's Health and you'll probably find some version of the plank. This exercise may appear boring and easy—after all, you look like you're simply holding a pushup position but with your weight supported on your forearms instead of your hands. "The plank is easy only if you're doing it incorrectly or don't know how to make it more challenging," says Wunsch. What's more, he adds, the plank is key because it teaches you to make your core stiff. "That's a skill you need for almost every exercise."
So how do you perfect this exercise? Start by assuming a plank position, and then have a friend place a broomstick along your back. It should touch your head, upper back, and butt; this indicates that your spine is in proper alignment. If the stick doesn't make contact at all three points, simply adjust your posture until it does. That's the position you need to hold. Now to learn all the secrets to the perfect
Don't waste a second on the treadmill
"If you have only 30 to 40 minutes to devote to a workout, then every second has to count," says Rasmussen. "In those cases, our clients do zero running." His contention is that you can achieve faster fat loss with resistance training. How so? First, drop the assumption that running burns more calories than lifting does. A University of Southern Maine study found that a single set of a weight-training exercise torches as many calories as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same amount of time. So for every second you spend lifting weights, your body is expending high amounts of energy.
There's also the metabolism boost of weight training. "Resistance training has a much larger metabolic impact than long-distance running does," says Rasmussen. "Plus, your body is being given a stimulus to gain strength and build new lean tissue." One last efficiency benefit: Lifting weights through a full range of motion can improve your flexibility as well or even better than static stretching does, according to a University of North Dakota study.
Do keep your body moving
"Our goal is to pack as much physical work as possible into whatever time our clients have," says Wunsch. To that end, he and Rasmussen frequently implement supersets and circuits—strategies that save time without sacrificing results. To understand why, you'll need a few quick definitions.
Straight sets: This is a traditional weight-training routine, in which you complete all the sets of a given exercise before moving on to the next.
Alternating sets: These involve alternating between exercises that train your body using two noncompeting movements. For example, you pair an upper-body exercise that works the muscles on your front side—a pushup or bench press, say—with a lower-body exercise that emphasizes the muscles on your back side--the deadlift, for example. The idea is that you work a group of muscles with one exercise, but instead of sitting around for a full 2 or 3 minutes while that muscle group recovers, you perform an exercise that doesn't heavily engage those same muscles. As a result, you can cut your rest time in half or eliminate it completely.
Perform the deadlift with perfect form.
Circuits: These are similar to alternating sets, except that they involve three or more exercises. You can rest after each exercise in the circuit, or only after the last exercise.
How much time can these techniques save? A 2011 Spanish study found that men who trained with circuits achieved the same gains as those who trained with straight sets—yet their workouts were 42 percent shorter. But that's not to suggest you should hit the showers early. No, it means circuits and alternating sets can help you squeeze more total sets into the same sweat session.
Enjoy your training,
Freddy
WASHINGTON: Weight gain can be more dangerous for South Asians than for Caucasians because the fat clings to organs like the liver instead of the skin, said a study published Thursday.
The main difference between Caucasians and South Asians comes down to how much space there is to store fat in the body and where it holes up, said Sonia Anand, lead author of the study in the public access journal PLoS One.
"South Asians have less space to store fat below the skin than white Caucasians," said Anand, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University.
"Their excess fat, therefore, overflows to ectopic compartments, in the abdomen and liver where it may affect function."
When extra fats clings to the organs, it can cause high glucose and lipid levels, which are risk factors for heart disease.
That means South Asians with a weight and height ratio, or body mass index (BMI), that would be considered in the healthy range for Caucasians may merit screening for conditions like diabetes and coronary artery disease.
The Canada-based study recruited 108 people in all, some first- or second-generation immigrants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh and the rest Caucasian subjects whose ancestry could be traced to Europe.
They underwent a series of measurements and tests to assess body fat, cholesterol and sugar levels.
"Young, apparently healthy South Asians have greater metabolic impairment
compared to white Caucasians who tend to develop metabolic changes at higher levels of obesity and at a more advanced age," said the study.
South Asians tended to have lower HDL (or good) cholesterol, higher total body fat but lower levels of abdominal fat, fattier livers and less lean muscle mass than Caucasians of similar age, height and weight.
"This study helps explain why South Asians experience weight-related health problems at lower BMI levels than Caucasians," said Arya Sharma, director of the Canadian Obesity Network and a co-author of the study.
"For the clinician, this also means that individuals of South Asian heritage need to be screened for the presence of heart disease and diabetes at lower BMIs."
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