For healthy weight loss, one should eat 5-6 small meals a day, every few hours. If you feed your metabolism smaller amounts, more often, it will speed up, and you will lose weight.
However, if you’re a big meal eater, don’t fret, because you can still eat a good amount, just try to do it for your first meal of the day.
In the morning, your metabolism moves faster than it does in the evening. So you can make breakfast a larger meal without guilt, so long as it is healthy. An example of a good breakfast is one scrambled egg, a bowl of regular oatmeal, one banana, and a bowl of strawberries.
There is a common fallacy in the fitness arena that to lose weight you should eat as little as possible as rarely as possible. You actually need to eat less, but more often. For example one banana is not a well rounded meal. You can’t just eat a banana for breakfast and expect to get the results you want. It is also not enough to jumpstart your metabolism for the day. Your body needs more to start off with so it can get going for the day.
Also, each meal should have a blend of complex carbohydrates and protein. A banana is a good source of potassium, but it is hardly enough to constitute a “meal”. It is also just not enough to get you going first thing in the morning.
I use the banana example because all too often I overhear dieters say “I’m trying to lose weight, so I only grabbed a (insert any fruit here) for breakfast, maybe later if I get hungry I’ll have an apple.”
True, it is healthy to eat fruits, but they are not enough to constitute a meal, and you’re depriving your body of proper energy and nutrients if that’s all you’re eating for long stretches of time.
Your first meal of the day should be the biggest, and then gradually, as the day goes by, pyramid down the size of your meals.
If you don’t get home until say, 9pm one night, and haven’t eaten yet, this is not the time to go into the kitchen and cook up a big dinner. If you’re not getting around to eating until this late, you’ve missed the window for having a big meal. It’s time to grab something small and light, because your metabolism is working slower at night. A yogurt is a good thing to eat if you get hungry late at night.
To sum things up, when trying to lose weight, or just to eat healthier in general, you should start your day with a larger meal, then as the hours go by, gradually make them smaller.
The Way to Eat…if you want to lose weight.
It is common knowledge these days that the healthiest way to lose
weight includes three facets: cardio vascular exercise, strength
training, and proper nutrition. There are many different definitions
to proper nutrition, but basically, if you want to lose weight, the
bottom line is you have to burn more calories than you take in.
Not into counting calories or doing math about what you eat? Most
people aren’t. In turn, think of it in this sense: to lose weight it
means that your metabolism has to start moving faster.
Common symptoms of a slow metabolism include weight gain,
unexplained exhaustion, and little to no energy in your daily
activities.
Of course exercise is going to speed up your metabolism, but if
you don’t adjust your eating habits to go along with the exercise,
you probably won’t see the results you want to see.
What’s the best way to eat to speed up your metabolism? It takes
eating 5-6 small meals every two hours to get that metabolism
pumping!
Depending on your point of view this can be a lot or a little. A big
eater may consider this too little, and a daintier eater may consider
this too much. The bigger eaters will be left craving more after
their small meal, and the smaller eaters will think they can’t fit that
much food into one day. But however you want to look at it, this
way of eating promotes the fastest and healthiest weight loss.
Sure, it is going to take a while to get used to for anyone who isn’t
used to this way of eating, but after a while, your body and
metabolism will adjust and you will start to notice your pants
getting looser.
Common questions include:
when should I eat these meals?
The common rule of thumb is to always eat as soon as you wake
up, then, go from there.
Foods like fruits and vegetables are essential to proper nutrition but
alone do not count as a meal, because each small meal should
contain protein and complex carbohydrates. If you get hungry in
between, this is the time to incorporate your fruits and vegetables,
if they are not already going to be included in your small meal.
When you get hungry, that is your metabolism’s way of telling you
that it needs more food to keep going, if you don’t feed that
demand, it is going to slow down and leave your body depleted of
the proper nutrients and energy. This also Promotes weight gain.
On the other hand, if you feed it too much, it is also going to slow
down. Eating just the right amount every few hours is going to
keep your metabolism moving quickly and smoothly, and with a
good exercise program you are going to start seeing the results you
want.
Think of your metabolism as a paper shredder. If you feed it a few
sheets of paper little by little, it is going to stay in tact and keep
running smoothly. But what is going to happen if you feed it too
much paper at once? It is going to jam up and move slowly if at all.
If your metabolism does this, you will gain weight.
Another common question concerning this way of eating is: what
constitutes a proper every two hour meal? Below are a few
suggestions that if eaten at the proper times, will have you on the
fast track to losing the weight you want, without the hassle of
calculating calories, fat grams, etc.!
Suggestions for “every two hour meals”:
*protein bar or protein shake
*peanut butter(natural) sandwich (no jelly) on whole wheat bread
*handful of peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc. (not macadamia nuts)
*half cup of plain oatmeal and piece of 2% cheese
*one scrambled egg with piece of multi grain or whole wheat toast or bagel
*small salad with chicken
*can of tuna with 3 pieces of whole wheat melba toast
###
weight includes three facets: cardio vascular exercise, strength
training, and proper nutrition. There are many different definitions
to proper nutrition, but basically, if you want to lose weight, the
bottom line is you have to burn more calories than you take in.
Not into counting calories or doing math about what you eat? Most
people aren’t. In turn, think of it in this sense: to lose weight it
means that your metabolism has to start moving faster.
Common symptoms of a slow metabolism include weight gain,
unexplained exhaustion, and little to no energy in your daily
activities.
Of course exercise is going to speed up your metabolism, but if
you don’t adjust your eating habits to go along with the exercise,
you probably won’t see the results you want to see.
What’s the best way to eat to speed up your metabolism? It takes
eating 5-6 small meals every two hours to get that metabolism
pumping!
Depending on your point of view this can be a lot or a little. A big
eater may consider this too little, and a daintier eater may consider
this too much. The bigger eaters will be left craving more after
their small meal, and the smaller eaters will think they can’t fit that
much food into one day. But however you want to look at it, this
way of eating promotes the fastest and healthiest weight loss.
Sure, it is going to take a while to get used to for anyone who isn’t
used to this way of eating, but after a while, your body and
metabolism will adjust and you will start to notice your pants
getting looser.
Common questions include:
when should I eat these meals?
The common rule of thumb is to always eat as soon as you wake
up, then, go from there.
Foods like fruits and vegetables are essential to proper nutrition but
alone do not count as a meal, because each small meal should
contain protein and complex carbohydrates. If you get hungry in
between, this is the time to incorporate your fruits and vegetables,
if they are not already going to be included in your small meal.
When you get hungry, that is your metabolism’s way of telling you
that it needs more food to keep going, if you don’t feed that
demand, it is going to slow down and leave your body depleted of
the proper nutrients and energy. This also Promotes weight gain.
On the other hand, if you feed it too much, it is also going to slow
down. Eating just the right amount every few hours is going to
keep your metabolism moving quickly and smoothly, and with a
good exercise program you are going to start seeing the results you
want.
Think of your metabolism as a paper shredder. If you feed it a few
sheets of paper little by little, it is going to stay in tact and keep
running smoothly. But what is going to happen if you feed it too
much paper at once? It is going to jam up and move slowly if at all.
If your metabolism does this, you will gain weight.
Another common question concerning this way of eating is: what
constitutes a proper every two hour meal? Below are a few
suggestions that if eaten at the proper times, will have you on the
fast track to losing the weight you want, without the hassle of
calculating calories, fat grams, etc.!
Suggestions for “every two hour meals”:
*protein bar or protein shake
*peanut butter(natural) sandwich (no jelly) on whole wheat bread
*handful of peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc. (not macadamia nuts)
*half cup of plain oatmeal and piece of 2% cheese
*one scrambled egg with piece of multi grain or whole wheat toast or bagel
*small salad with chicken
*can of tuna with 3 pieces of whole wheat melba toast
###
Should I workout before or after I eat?
A lot of people ask, when is the right time to workout, before a meal, or after?
My first response is the general disclaimer: every individual is different. Some people find they get a better workout right after a meal, some people say before. To each their own.
But my personal advice is that one needs to find that happy medium between not being hungry and not being full.
In my opinion, you should never eat a meal and then workout immediately afterwards. You're going to spend your entire workout just burning off what you just ate, instead of making a dent in your calorie deficit. Also, in my personal experience, you don't get as good of a workout if you have a full stomach. You're going to feel sluggish and therefore not work to your full potential.
One also should not be starving when they workout. You need fuel to exercise. Would you take your car onto the expressway without any gas in it? Of course not. So it's best not to be extremely hungry when you go to workout.
You need to find that happy medium in between the two. Eat a reasonably sized meal, and wait an hour, then workout. By the end of your workout, you should be ready for another meal.(If you're following the small meal, every few hour routine, which I highly recommend for weight loss and strength building)
Find that happy medium between being hungry and being full and you will have a better workout.
Last but not least, exercise is pretty much always a good thing to do, regardless. I'm not saying do not workout if you're full. I'm just saying you're going to have a more energized and efficient workout if you follow this advice.
My first response is the general disclaimer: every individual is different. Some people find they get a better workout right after a meal, some people say before. To each their own.
But my personal advice is that one needs to find that happy medium between not being hungry and not being full.
In my opinion, you should never eat a meal and then workout immediately afterwards. You're going to spend your entire workout just burning off what you just ate, instead of making a dent in your calorie deficit. Also, in my personal experience, you don't get as good of a workout if you have a full stomach. You're going to feel sluggish and therefore not work to your full potential.
One also should not be starving when they workout. You need fuel to exercise. Would you take your car onto the expressway without any gas in it? Of course not. So it's best not to be extremely hungry when you go to workout.
You need to find that happy medium in between the two. Eat a reasonably sized meal, and wait an hour, then workout. By the end of your workout, you should be ready for another meal.(If you're following the small meal, every few hour routine, which I highly recommend for weight loss and strength building)
Find that happy medium between being hungry and being full and you will have a better workout.
Last but not least, exercise is pretty much always a good thing to do, regardless. I'm not saying do not workout if you're full. I'm just saying you're going to have a more energized and efficient workout if you follow this advice.
The Blizzard Workout
This weekend, in Maryland, we were hit with a blizzard, leaving many of us stuck in the house with nothing to do but sit around and eat. The only exercise most of us are getting is shoveling snow, which in itself is fantastic exercise. You are burning about 300 calories an hour handling that shovel, however this statistic is not cut and dry because while shoveling we are constantly taking breaks when talking to neighbors, getting a rest, etc.
In any case, if you're all done shoveling, or you are just tired of the cold and the mess, I have created this in-home workout you can do while you're in your living room watching TV. The mixture of cardio intervals combined with strength training each muscle group is going to burn lot of those "blizzard" or "superbowl" calories while creating lean muscle at the same time.
You don't even need a lot (or any) equipment. So there is no excuse to miss a workout just because you can't get your car to the gym in the snow. All you need here is a little bit of room and about 30 minutes.
Another great thing about this workout is it is tailored to pretty much any fitness level, it's not too hard, but not too easy, just intense. I personally do this workout on days when I can't get to the gym, and I just did it today.I don't know about you, but after being snowed in all weekend coupled with the superbowl yesterday, I really needed it.
If you don't know what something is, feel free to message me and I will explain it.
But without further ado:
*I've broken the workout up into 4 cycles, 2 sets per cycle, then one set per cycle. We hit every muscle group, get cardio blasts in, all the while finishing up in about 30 minutes.
*The idea here is to superset each exercise, with no breaks in between cycles.
cycle 1
*shadowboxing 2 min.
*simulated jump rope 1 min.
*squats 20x
*pushups 20x
(2 sets)
cycle 2
*jumping jacks 50x
*situps 20x
*walk stairs 2 min.
*dumbbell rows 20x (no dumbbells? use soup cans)
(2 sets)
cycle 3
*mountain climbers 20x
*pushups 5x
*stationary lunges 10x (5 each leg with dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm rows 10x (5 each arm-dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm shoulder press 10x (5 each arm,-dumbbell or soup can)
*shadowbox 1 min.
(1 set)
cycle 4-core concentration
*reverse crunch 15x/supermans 6x
*cross crunch 20x/table top 20 sec. hold
(2 sets)
*russian twists 1 min.
(1 set)
*cooldown and stretch
In any case, if you're all done shoveling, or you are just tired of the cold and the mess, I have created this in-home workout you can do while you're in your living room watching TV. The mixture of cardio intervals combined with strength training each muscle group is going to burn lot of those "blizzard" or "superbowl" calories while creating lean muscle at the same time.
You don't even need a lot (or any) equipment. So there is no excuse to miss a workout just because you can't get your car to the gym in the snow. All you need here is a little bit of room and about 30 minutes.
Another great thing about this workout is it is tailored to pretty much any fitness level, it's not too hard, but not too easy, just intense. I personally do this workout on days when I can't get to the gym, and I just did it today.I don't know about you, but after being snowed in all weekend coupled with the superbowl yesterday, I really needed it.
If you don't know what something is, feel free to message me and I will explain it.
But without further ado:
*I've broken the workout up into 4 cycles, 2 sets per cycle, then one set per cycle. We hit every muscle group, get cardio blasts in, all the while finishing up in about 30 minutes.
*The idea here is to superset each exercise, with no breaks in between cycles.
cycle 1
*shadowboxing 2 min.
*simulated jump rope 1 min.
*squats 20x
*pushups 20x
(2 sets)
cycle 2
*jumping jacks 50x
*situps 20x
*walk stairs 2 min.
*dumbbell rows 20x (no dumbbells? use soup cans)
(2 sets)
cycle 3
*mountain climbers 20x
*pushups 5x
*stationary lunges 10x (5 each leg with dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm rows 10x (5 each arm-dumbbells or soup cans)
*one arm shoulder press 10x (5 each arm,-dumbbell or soup can)
*shadowbox 1 min.
(1 set)
cycle 4-core concentration
*reverse crunch 15x/supermans 6x
*cross crunch 20x/table top 20 sec. hold
(2 sets)
*russian twists 1 min.
(1 set)
*cooldown and stretch
Weight Loss is a 3 Point Process
WEIGHT LOSS IS A 3 POINT PROCESS, THOSE POINTS ARE:
1. Healthy Eating
2. Cardiovascular exercise
3. strength training
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER POINTS WE MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, HERE ARE A FEW FOR EXAMPLE:
1. Variety: It is important not to go into the gym and do the same thing all of the time. The body thrives on variety. If you do the same thing all the time your body will plateau, get bored, and stop developing. Once a very wise man said, “I’ve been doing the same exact workout for 20 years and can’t seem to make any progress!”
He wasn’t so wise it turned out. He refused to change his routine. Therefore, his body refused to change.
2. Dedication: It takes dedication more than anything to achieve your goals. You have to be willing to put in the time and do what it takes to get the results you want. That is true with almost anything in life. You earn no right to complain about your body if you have done nothing to try to change it.
3. No quick fixes: Everyone wants to take a pill, drink a magic potion or just starve to lose weight fast. It does not work this way. Be good to your body and it will be good to you back. Feed it the proper meals and nutrients at the proper times and you will most likely feel pretty good. Feed it excess chemicals, fad crash diets, unneeded supplements or junk food, you probably won’t feel as good as you could. Also, you may lose weight initially, but in an unhealthy way, and it is more likely to come back just as fast in this case. Do it right!
1. Healthy Eating
2. Cardiovascular exercise
3. strength training
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER POINTS WE MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, HERE ARE A FEW FOR EXAMPLE:
1. Variety: It is important not to go into the gym and do the same thing all of the time. The body thrives on variety. If you do the same thing all the time your body will plateau, get bored, and stop developing. Once a very wise man said, “I’ve been doing the same exact workout for 20 years and can’t seem to make any progress!”
He wasn’t so wise it turned out. He refused to change his routine. Therefore, his body refused to change.
2. Dedication: It takes dedication more than anything to achieve your goals. You have to be willing to put in the time and do what it takes to get the results you want. That is true with almost anything in life. You earn no right to complain about your body if you have done nothing to try to change it.
3. No quick fixes: Everyone wants to take a pill, drink a magic potion or just starve to lose weight fast. It does not work this way. Be good to your body and it will be good to you back. Feed it the proper meals and nutrients at the proper times and you will most likely feel pretty good. Feed it excess chemicals, fad crash diets, unneeded supplements or junk food, you probably won’t feel as good as you could. Also, you may lose weight initially, but in an unhealthy way, and it is more likely to come back just as fast in this case. Do it right!
Song of the Month
From time to time I'd like to recommend some songs that are great to workout by. Sometimes a good song in your IPOD is all you need to give you that extra 'oomph', and maybe do an extra set or extra ten minutes when you would have quit otherwise.
That song for me this month is 'So Hard' by Rihanna. This song is great for cardio or weight training. I personally just finished my workout and put this song in last and I finished a little bit more than I had planned to finish.
Give it a try.
That song for me this month is 'So Hard' by Rihanna. This song is great for cardio or weight training. I personally just finished my workout and put this song in last and I finished a little bit more than I had planned to finish.
Give it a try.
Routine is the Enemy
ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY
Stuck in a workout rut? Bored of the same old exercises and machines? Maybe you are but you just don't realize it.
If you go to the gym and do the same routine, day after day, week after week, or even month after month, your program may be suffering.
When you do the same exact workout every time, you're basically just going through the motions, i.e.-killing time. If you are not getting bored, your body is anyway. And your results are likely to either be much delayed or suffer. Your muscles and body are going to get used to what you're doing everyday and adapt, thus making them think that's normal for everyday living. In order for muscles to grow, they need to experience change. It doesn't matter if your goal is to get bigger, define your muscles, or slim down, variety is key, and routine is the enemy.
In rare (admitted) cases, one may read this and say, "Well I have been doing the same routine everyday for 15 years and I never get bored and still achieve the results I want."
Perhaps that is true for you, every individual is different, but ask yourself this, "Have I really experienced a major change in my body over these last 15 years? Have I been able to get rid of these last ten pounds, or put up that extra plate on the squat? Have I really taken my body to the next level of fitness? Maybe I can bench 300 pounds but can I complete a boot camp class? Did it take you those 15 years to achieve your results? Do you really want to delay your results for that long?
One may say, "Yes I do the same thing every time I come in and I am much stronger at that exercise than when I first started, so how have I not made any progress?" I do not doubt this is true for a minute. But let me explain my point.
Let's make a John Doe example.
John Doe has been working out at so and so gym for 20 years. John has done the same exact workout routine every time he has come into so and so gym for 20 years. His workout consists of a chest press, a squat, and a back row. Every workout he does 3 sets of 10 of each exercise, and over the years he has been able to increase the weight on his exercises considerably. Has he gotten stronger? Sure. He has gotten stronger at those exercises. He has gotten better at a skill.
John Doe has not necessarily taken his physical fitness level up a notch. And I'd be willing to bet he looks pretty much the same way he did when he first started. Maybe he's a little bigger, maybe he's not. Either way, his "same thing every workout approach" is hampering his progress with his own physical fitness. The body plateaus when you do the same thing all the time, it doesn't think what it's doing is different anymore, so it is not going to change.
Why not change John's bench press to an incline dumbbell press? Change the back row to a pull-up? Why not make the workout more efficient and calorie shredding by supersetting the chest press with the squat? Why not play around with the rep scheme? Instead of doing 3 sets of 10, try 4 sets, one of 5, one of 8, one of 12, and one of 20? How about just two super slow sets? Another nice alternative for resistance-training exercises involves changing the sequence in which you perform the training exercises. By fatiguing the muscles in a new order or pattern, you are requiring them to adapt to a new training stimulus.
Kicking it up a notch does not have to mean just adding more weight; it could mean a variety of things. Change your workout. Make your body more equipped to handle more things physically, in and out of the gym. There are literally thousands of ways to mix up your workout.
The bottom line is if you're bored in the gym, your body is too. If you can't get that last ten pounds off, you may need to play with the intensity on your treadmill jogs. If you can't get that extra plate or two up on your barbell bench press, you may need to take a break from it and try dumbbells for a while, just to shock your muscles. When our muscles are shocked, they change and become stronger.
Other benefits of keeping variety in your workout are that you are less susceptible to injury, you can become a better athlete, and the mainly, as stressed earlier, you can avoid boredom. When we're bored we are less likely to workout.
Keep in mind that doing the exact same workout, day after day is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people enjoy a predictable, consistent routine. They don't mind the possibility of experiencing a training plateau and are content to maintain their health and fitness levels with a comfortable exercise habit. However, many individuals need to push themselves to new levels and try different activities to stay enthusiastic and excited about their workouts. Many individuals want to reach their peak physical condition and get in better shape, not stay in the same shape. By varying their exercise routines, individuals can not only stay physically challenged, but mentally stimulated as well.
Another bottom line is, if you do what you always do, you'll get what you've always gotten.
Again, variety is key, routine is the enemy.
Stuck in a workout rut? Bored of the same old exercises and machines? Maybe you are but you just don't realize it.
If you go to the gym and do the same routine, day after day, week after week, or even month after month, your program may be suffering.
When you do the same exact workout every time, you're basically just going through the motions, i.e.-killing time. If you are not getting bored, your body is anyway. And your results are likely to either be much delayed or suffer. Your muscles and body are going to get used to what you're doing everyday and adapt, thus making them think that's normal for everyday living. In order for muscles to grow, they need to experience change. It doesn't matter if your goal is to get bigger, define your muscles, or slim down, variety is key, and routine is the enemy.
In rare (admitted) cases, one may read this and say, "Well I have been doing the same routine everyday for 15 years and I never get bored and still achieve the results I want."
Perhaps that is true for you, every individual is different, but ask yourself this, "Have I really experienced a major change in my body over these last 15 years? Have I been able to get rid of these last ten pounds, or put up that extra plate on the squat? Have I really taken my body to the next level of fitness? Maybe I can bench 300 pounds but can I complete a boot camp class? Did it take you those 15 years to achieve your results? Do you really want to delay your results for that long?
One may say, "Yes I do the same thing every time I come in and I am much stronger at that exercise than when I first started, so how have I not made any progress?" I do not doubt this is true for a minute. But let me explain my point.
Let's make a John Doe example.
John Doe has been working out at so and so gym for 20 years. John has done the same exact workout routine every time he has come into so and so gym for 20 years. His workout consists of a chest press, a squat, and a back row. Every workout he does 3 sets of 10 of each exercise, and over the years he has been able to increase the weight on his exercises considerably. Has he gotten stronger? Sure. He has gotten stronger at those exercises. He has gotten better at a skill.
John Doe has not necessarily taken his physical fitness level up a notch. And I'd be willing to bet he looks pretty much the same way he did when he first started. Maybe he's a little bigger, maybe he's not. Either way, his "same thing every workout approach" is hampering his progress with his own physical fitness. The body plateaus when you do the same thing all the time, it doesn't think what it's doing is different anymore, so it is not going to change.
Why not change John's bench press to an incline dumbbell press? Change the back row to a pull-up? Why not make the workout more efficient and calorie shredding by supersetting the chest press with the squat? Why not play around with the rep scheme? Instead of doing 3 sets of 10, try 4 sets, one of 5, one of 8, one of 12, and one of 20? How about just two super slow sets? Another nice alternative for resistance-training exercises involves changing the sequence in which you perform the training exercises. By fatiguing the muscles in a new order or pattern, you are requiring them to adapt to a new training stimulus.
Kicking it up a notch does not have to mean just adding more weight; it could mean a variety of things. Change your workout. Make your body more equipped to handle more things physically, in and out of the gym. There are literally thousands of ways to mix up your workout.
The bottom line is if you're bored in the gym, your body is too. If you can't get that last ten pounds off, you may need to play with the intensity on your treadmill jogs. If you can't get that extra plate or two up on your barbell bench press, you may need to take a break from it and try dumbbells for a while, just to shock your muscles. When our muscles are shocked, they change and become stronger.
Other benefits of keeping variety in your workout are that you are less susceptible to injury, you can become a better athlete, and the mainly, as stressed earlier, you can avoid boredom. When we're bored we are less likely to workout.
Keep in mind that doing the exact same workout, day after day is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people enjoy a predictable, consistent routine. They don't mind the possibility of experiencing a training plateau and are content to maintain their health and fitness levels with a comfortable exercise habit. However, many individuals need to push themselves to new levels and try different activities to stay enthusiastic and excited about their workouts. Many individuals want to reach their peak physical condition and get in better shape, not stay in the same shape. By varying their exercise routines, individuals can not only stay physically challenged, but mentally stimulated as well.
Another bottom line is, if you do what you always do, you'll get what you've always gotten.
Again, variety is key, routine is the enemy.
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