Day 2 – woke up with very thirsty feeling. Maybe the food or maybe I went to bed late last night. Got up around 8:10am, starting drinking water and read protocol “Quick Start Guide”, I found out I had to take 4 tablets per day – 2 in the morning and 2 at night.
Category Archives: Fitness
I did it
Finally, it started snow last night. It has been a very mild winter so far. I don’t complain about it. But last night, it at least had 6” of snow. I did not even know if I could get up and go to gym. But I did it. I went there and did about 40 min work out. I felt good.
Talking about Sculpt sexy curves, pronto!: Workouts: Self.com#slide=2
Want to shed inches all over? A weighted wand works like magic. Try this plan and (ta-da!) a sleeker physique will appear.
By Amanda Vogel
From the December 2008 Issue
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1568178630
A Man’s Guide to Getting His Woman In Shape
by John M Berardi, April 21st, 2009.
Guys, let’s face the facts. If you plan on spending the better part of your life banging away at the iron, you’re going to want your woman to join in on the fun.
Sure, you might not always want her as a training partner. But you’ll definitely want her paying some attention to her health and her body composition. And that’s not just because you want a hot chick on your arm. I’m guessing you’ll also enjoy the benefits that come along with fitness, including increased self-esteem, increased self-efficacy, and a generally more positive outlook.
So, you’ve got two choices in life. Either choose a mate that already works out and is fit — in which case, you should probably start chasing women on one of a host of health and fitness forums.
Or you can choose your woman based on some other criterion. And then, if she’s open to your assistance, show her how to get in awesome shape by exercising and eating right. Of course, in this article, I’ll focus on the latter, sharing some strategies for helping your woman get into the best shape of her life.
Exercise
I love this quote:
“Movement is medicine for changing a person’s physical, emotional, and mental state.”
Indeed, recent research has demonstrated that exercise is more effective in treating depression than antidepressant medications! Beyond that, we all know that exercise helps us lose weight and build lean muscle. Hummm… exercise helps reshape the body, brighten the spirits, and sharpen the mind. I’m sold!
The biggest question I get about exercise is: “What type of exercise is best for my woman?” Well, for starters, any exercise is better than none. The best exercise is the kind of exercise she’ll actually do. But if she wants to really reshape her body, she’ll need to do mostly high intensity exercise.
Two types of high intensity exercise work best.
- Strength training
- High intensity interval/conditioning training
Strength training
While most women think of strength training as something reserved for bodybuilders and strongmen, nothing could be farther from the truth. While strength training can be done in the gym with weights, it also can be done with dumbbells, sandbags, old tractor tires, exercise bands, or even her own body weight. And all of this can be done at home, at a local park, or at a community centre. The real key is challenging her body through six key movement patterns:
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Twisting
- Squatting
- Bending
- Lunging
Here’s an example strength training program that would be great for most women, regardless of their level.
Workout 1
Warm-up – 2 minutes of rowing
| Exercises | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | |
| 1A Barbell corner press | 3 x 8/side | 4 x 6/side | 5 x 5/side | 6 x 4/side |
| 1B Barbell corner row | 3 x 8/side | 4 x 6/side | 5 x 5/side | 6 x 4/side |
| 2A Standing seesaw press | 3 x 8/side | 4 x 6/side | 5 x 5/side | 6 x 4/side |
| 2B Pullups* or assisted pullups | 3 x 8/side | 4 x 6/side | 5 x 5/side | 6 x 4/side |
| 3A Machine flyes | 2 x 10 | 2 x 8 | 2 x 6 | 3 x 5 |
| 3B Seated cable row | 2 x 10 | 2 x 8 | 2 x 6 | 3 x 5 |
*With weight if possible
Warm up
Corner press
Corner row
Seesaw press
Pullups
Machine flyes
Seated cable row
Workout 2
Warm-up – 2 minutes of rowing
| Exercises | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | |
| Tri-angle lunges | 3 x 9/leg | 3 x 12/leg | 4 x 9/leg | 4 x 12/leg |
| Single-leg dumbbell deadlift | 3 x 12/side | 4 x 9/side | 6 x 6/side | 9 x 4/side |
| Pistol squat | 2 x AMAP* | 3 x AMAP | 4 x AMAP | 5 x AMAP |
| Ab rollout (Swiss ball) | 3 x AMAP | 3 x AMAP | 3 x AMAP | 3 x AMAP |
| Weighted plank | 3 x ALAP** | 3 x ALAP | 3 x ALAP | 3 x ALAP |
*AMAP = As many as possible **ALAP = As long as possible
Warm-up
Tri-angle lunge
Single-leg dumbbell deadlift
Pistol squat
Ab rollout
Weighted plank
Workout 3
Warm-up – 2 minutes of rowing
| Exercises | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | sets x reps | |
| 1A Dumbbell snatch | 4 x 3/side | 4 x 4/side | 4 x 5/side | 5 x 3/side |
| 1B Dumbbell vertical thruster | 4 x 6 | 4 x 7 | 4 x 8 | 5 x 4 |
| 1C Dumbbell iron cross | 4 x 8 | 4 x 10 | 4 x 12 | 5 x 6 |
| 2A Renegade row | 3 x 6/side | 3 x 7/side | 3 x 8/side | 4 x 6/side |
| 2B Dumbbell T-pushups | 3 x 4/side | 3 x 5/side | 3 x 6/side | 4 x 4/side |
Warm up
Dumbbell snatch
Dumbbell vertical thrust
Dumbbell iron cross
Dumbbell Renegade row
Dumbbell T-pushup
Conditioning work
In addition to strength exercise, your woman should also include some conditioning exercise, often referred to as cardio. Now, although most people think of long jogs, bike rides, or the Stairmaster, this type of exercise is not all that effective. Indeed, high intensity interval exercise, in which you work really hard for 20-90 seconds, rest, work hard again, rest again, has been shown to be the most effective form of conditioning work.
Here are two videos demonstrating one of my favourite forms of conditioning exercise, interval circuits.
Circuit #1
Circuit #2
Circuit #3
Although in these videos our model Amanda is doing 10s of work and 10s of rest, this is only for illustrative purposes. Typically, she does 30 seconds of work and then takes 30 seconds of rest for the first and last circuits. And she does 40 seconds of work and then takes 40 seconds of rest for the second circuit. She’ll also do between 6 and 12 rounds, depending on work:rest time.
So the workout might look like this:
Tire flip – 40s
Rest – 40s
Ball toss – 40s
Rest – 40s
Ball smash – 40s
Rest – 40s
KB swing – 40s
Rest – 40s
Ring pull ups – 40s
Rest – 40s
That’s 1 round and takes about 6 minutes or so. She’d repeat this about 6 times, for a 36 minute workout.
Here’s another awesome form of conditioning work: 20:10 sprints.
20:10 treadmill sprints
- First, Amanda does a 5 minute warm up.
- Next, she sets her treadmill at an incline of 15% and a speed of 8 mph.
- Then she runs for 20 seconds.
- Next, she recovers for 10 seconds (jumping off while the treadmill is still going along).
- Again, 20 seconds of running.
- And 10 seconds of recovery.
She typically continues this for 5 total minutes. Then, she takes a 5 minute rest. And does it all over again. In total, it’s a 15-minute workout. And believe it or not, this workout is way more effective at burning fat and improving her conditioning than 45-60 minutes of walking or jogging!
Thus, my recommendation: in addition to the 3 weight training workouts per week, add in 1 circuit workout and 1 sprint workout, at least at first. Eventually, if she’s interested in getting really lean, she can add more. But for now, this should get it done.
Other exercise
You probably think of your exercise time in terms of single workouts, e.g. “60 minutes three times per week”. I encourage you to think of it in terms of total time per week.
Research I’ve done in conjunction with the University of Wyoming has demonstrated that 5 hours per week is the magic number. Anything less fails to produce results while 5 hours or more of exercise produces great results.
So far, we’ve compiled about 3 and ¼ hours of exercise with the three 45 min weight training sessions, one 45 min circuit session, and one 15 min sprint session. To reach the 5 hour threshold, and to help your lady recover from this high intensity work, have her finish her week with some very low intensity cardio work: Walk around the block. Go for a bike ride. That’s the sort of stuff I mean. Lower intensity yoga counts too. 30 minutes 3x per week should do the trick.
The total program might look something like this:
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
| Weights 45 min Walk | Circuits 45 min | Rest | Weights 45 min Walk 30 min | Sprint 15 min | Weights 45 min
Walk 30 min | Rest |
Nutrition
Just as exercise is medicine, so is food. And just as it’s possible to dig your grave with your own knife and fork, it’s also possible to prevent and treat disease as well as improve your body with your utensils.
Unfortunately, most people are never very honest about what their knives and forks are doing. In fact, a speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil approach is usually taken. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard one of these lines, I’d be a very wealthy guy.
“I eat really well…”
But…
“…I’m still 20lbs overweight.”
“My diet is perfect…”
But…
“…I often feel sluggish and my energy is low.”
“I make good nutritional choices…”
But…
“…I’ve got high blood pressure, cholesterol, and type II diabetes.”
Obviously these are all lies. If you ate really well, your diet was perfect, or you made good nutritional choices, these would not be problems. So, the best way for your lady to get started in improving her diet is to follow these five rules:
1. Eat about 4 – 5x a day and don’t wait so long between meals.
Research has demonstrated that those people who eat more frequently tend to have better blood sugar control, lower stress hormone production, lower body fat, and more lean muscle. But their food has to be the right stuff.
2. Include lean, complete protein at every meal and snack.
The ideal amount of protein per day for an exercising individual is 1 gram per pound of body weight. For a 140 lb woman, that’d be 140 g of protein. To make this easier, every time your woman snacks or eats a meal, she should include some protein.
3. Include veggies at every meal and snack.
The ideal amount of veggies each day is about 8 servings. Now, the every meal thing isn’t necessary. But it’s quite tough to get all these servings if you don’t include some cooked, raw, juiced, or blended veggies with each meal.
4. Include a variety of healthy fats.
Our food supply today contains a fat balance that’s out of whack. To get our fat intake back to where it should be, we need to include things like olive oil, avocados, flax oil, fish oil, raw nuts, etc. each day.
5. Consume carbohydrate-rich foods only after exercise.
Carbs aren’t the enemy. But they should be controlled — especially for women — since it’s easy to over eat them. The best strategy to control carbs is to eat mostly whole grain carbohydrates (like amaranth, quinoa, whole grain oats, etc.) and to save them until after exercise. Since exercise increases our body’s ability to effectively utilize carbohydrates, the ideal time to eat some whole grains is within the first few hours post exercise.
These “rules” are a great start. But they won’t get the job done alone. In fact, there are two other secrets to helping your woman build a great physique.
Other Food Ideas
The first is a lesson we can take from the Okinawans, called hara hachi bu. In Okinawa, heart disease and stroke rates are lower than in North America. So are cholesterol, homocysteine, and blood pressure measures. Rates of cancer are lower — especially breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancer. Hip fractures are lower and dementia is rare. Plus the Okinawans tend to live longer.
What’s their secret? Hara hachi bu. Roughly translated this means eating only until you’re 80% full. And no more. Now, this isn’t a dietary suggestion. Rather, it’s part of their culture. Anyone who stuffs themselves is considered a glutton. In the end, many experts believe that this cultural practice, in conjunction with the Okinawan diet rich in fruits and veggies, fish, and legumes is the secret of their success.
The other thing that’ll help your lady look her best? Making sure that your portion sizes don’t impact hers. Here’s something few guys think of: If you and your woman live together and dine together, chances are she automatically overeats simply because you two are chowing together.
Think about dinners out. You’re served the same portions. Yet you’re likely not the same size. Do you really think that your lady needs to eat the same amount as you? Only if she wants to weigh the same as you, I guess. And the same goes for meals at home. I bet you serve meals on the same size plate for both of you. That’s another recipe for overeating.
To help prevent your portions from influencing hers, there are a few strategies you should adopt immediately.
First, when at restaurants, ask if they’ll accommodate small potion sizes. You get the normal size, she gets the smaller one. And if that doesn’t work, here’s something my lady does. She orders what she wants. Then she tells the server to split it into two, boxing up one half for later. This way she gets two meals for the price of one.
Next, at home, make sure you have two different size plates: One large one for you. And one small one for her. Then you can fill both plates, neither looks sad and empty, and each of you eats an appropriate portion.
Supplements
Many experts suggest that supplements aren’t necessary when the diet is complete. Unfortunately in North America, the diet is pretty much never complete. Can you believe that 68% of the population is deficient in calcium, 90% in chromium, 75% in magnesium, 80% in vitamin B6, and 95% in omega-3 fats?
In fact, in a recent study, even athlete diets didn’t measure up. In this project, the diets of 70 athletes were analyzed for vitamin and mineral intake and not a single one met the recommended daily amount. All of them were deficient in between 3 and 15 nutrients.
Beyond this, other research has shown the following:
- Less than 3% of men and 5% of women get the minimum number of fruits and veggies per day (3-5 servings).
- On average, women get only 80 g of protein per day (when their needs are closer to 120-140 g) and men get only 120 g of protein per day (when their needs are closer to 170-190 g).
I’m definitely not one to heavily promote nutritional supplements. However, with the deficiencies above, folks have to either improve their food intake tremendously or they have to start supplementing their diets with things like:
1. Protein supplements (link to our supplement page): 1-2 scoops a day works well for women
2. Fish oil supplements (link to our supplement page): 4-6 capsules a day is typical for my female clients
3. A good, broad spectrum multi-vitamin (link to our supplement page): 1-3 capsules depending on the potency
Also, for women, I recommend the following
4. Branched chain amino acids (link to our supplement page):I prefer my female clients sip a BCAA drink during exercise to help promote high performance and more complete recovery.
5. Sleep enhancement: Although this isn’t a requirement, I find that many women who start training hard have a hard time falling asleep and/or sleeping through the night. Phosphatidylserine help quite a bit depending on the circumstances.
These are some of my top strategies for helping you get your woman into awesome shape. Trust me, these strategies work fantastically if they’re consistently applied.
However, don’t be one of those a-hole boyfriends or husbands that’s chronically pestering your partner to make unwanted lifestyle changes. Only introduce these if she’s actually interested in making a change.
And for more on the nutrition and supplement side of things, PN V3 has everything you need to know. You can get yourself a copy, at a special discounted price, right here:
Categories: Advanced Diet and Sports Nutrition Blog, Newsletters
Feed Your Workout the Right Fuel
By Davis Joy
eDiets Contributor
eDiets Contributor
When it comes to getting the most out of your workout, your diet is almost as important as the workout itself. Your body uses food to fuel itself through a workout session; with the right fuel, your body will burn fat and carve sleek, toned muscle. Just like your car, which will perform differently depending on the type of gas you use, eating certain types of food can boost the results you get from working out.
Before You Work Out
Skip the low-carb craze if you really want to see results — carbs are the body’s main source of fuel. Fitness experts recommend you "feed" your workout by eating carbohydrates with a little protein about an hour before you exercise.
Michelle Tavick, a certified personal trainer for Bally’s Total Fitness, agrees that eating carbohydrates before exercising is essential. "In general, something with more carbohydrates than protein and fat is good before you work out because carbs put glycogen (muscle sugar) into your muscles, and your body uses that during the workout for energy," she says.
After You Work Out
For about an hour after an exercise session, there’s a window of opportunity to feed your starving muscles — this is known as the "golden hour" because it’s the time your muscles are most hungry for nutrients. Your body will use the meal you eat during the "golden hour" to repair and carve muscle.
To do this, your body needs protein and some carbs. "After the workout, having protein powder in juice is good because you have the carbohydrates that will help carry the protein to the muscles more efficiently," Tavick says.
Workout Superfoods
Before you start an exercise regimen, be sure to stock up on these superfoods for your workout:
Keep a dozen eggs in your fridge — they’re loaded with protein. And do eat the yolk. Nutrition experts say that while the yolk contains cholesterol, it’s only in trace amounts — not enough to drive up your levels. Plus, the yolk is filled with nutrients.
Potatoes are one of the best sources of carbohydrates around. You’ll get about 30 grams of carbs in a 4-ounce potato. Skip the fatty extras and boost antioxidant levels by topping it with a spoonful of salsa.
Chicken is packed with protein and has roughly 35 grams for a 4-ounce breast. Opt for grilled or baked chicken instead of fried and peel off the fatty skin.
PAGEBREAK Peanuts, if eaten in moderation because of their high fat content, are fine. Peanuts contain rich nutrients such as potassium, zinc and vitamin E.
Oatmeal is another excellent source of carbohydrates. Just add hot water and eat ii before you work out for a nice burst of energy. For extra vitamins, add some fruit.
Pasta is packed with roughly 50 grams of carbohydrates per cup. Add a little tomato sauce for the perfect pre-workout meal.
Whey Protein is a type of protein powder that’s extremely high quality. Whey protein is beneficial because it delivers protein directly to the muscles. Plus, studies show that eating whey before exercise boosts weight-loss efforts by supporting fat burning and helping the body gain lean body mass.
Beans are fantastic because they’re high in fiber. They’ve got lots of vitamins and minerals; they’re a source of protein and carbohydrates; and they’re healthy for your body and extremely low in fat," Tavick says.
You can have a smoothie before and after exercising. A pre-workout smoothie should have more carbs than protein. After exercising, it’s more protein than carbs. Bananas, yogurt, whey protein and fruit are all great in a smoothie.
Remember, when it comes to exercising for weight loss, you’ve got to eat. Skipping meals and exercising on an empty stomach will only hinder your efforts at getting a toned, tight body; it’s like running a car on empty — you’ll ruin the engine.
Your Best Abs Yet: Awesome 8-Point Plan
By Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE, RTS1 Raphael
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
I always see people do a double take on men and women who have washboard abs. Awe-inspiring rippled abs signify an extreme level of conditioning — plus a pretty good-looking bod.
Everyone always talks about getting a six-pack, but in reality, it’s an eight-pack.
Internationally acclaimed research scientist Michael Colgan provides the following description of the eight-pack from his book The New Power Program:
"The eight-pack is a long, thin muscle whose fibers run vertically down the body from the breastbone and fifth, sixth and seventh ribs to the top of the pubic bone. The eight sought-after bumps poke out through a grid of flat tendons that run down the center and across the muscle at intervals."
You don’t really care, do you? Come on, be honest. You just want to know how to get them, don’t you?
You’ve come to the right place, but you might not like the answer.
If you think 100 or 1,000 abdominal crunches per day will give you an eight-pack, then you really need to read this. Here’s how it’s done:
1. NUTRITION: This is the most important component to achieving great abs. Nothing is more important than food.
First, you’ll need to control blood sugar levels in order to lose body fat. This is best accomplished by consuming five to six meals per day. Don’t mistake the definition of a meal for a six-course extravaganza. A meal might be an egg white omelet (with vegetables) and oatmeal with some blueberries in it, chicken with a 1/2 cup of rice and a large salad with some oil and vinegar, an apple with a scoop of protein powder or cottage cheese with some fruit.
PAGEBREAK Get the picture? I’m referring to them as meals, but they’re actually feedings. Each of the meals is comprised of protein, a little carbohydrate and a little fat. In some cases, the fat is built into the protein. In other cases, it’s added to the meal. For eDiets members, this is already accomplished in your meal plan.
2. RATIOS: It’s unlikely that you’ll get tight abs and a flat stomach by consuming 80 percent of your calories from carbohydrates. Ratios can vary quite a bit, but consuming more than 55 percent of your calories from carbohydrates is not optimal for fat loss. Many people do quite well on extremely low-carb plans, while others succeed on more moderate plans. As long as you eat no more than 55 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, you’ll be at a good starting point.
3. TIMING: I realize four to six meals sounds like a lot, but you must keep in mind that the body always seeks to store body fat. The body doesn’t care if you want to lose fat. In fact, your body would prefer to keep fat in order to accomplish its No. 1 goal of keeping you alive in case of future famine or drought.
Always consider the body from the inside out and not the other way around. In order to control blood sugar, eat every two to three hours throughout the day; eating every few hours and using the most effective nutrient ratios will help control blood sugar and assist in body fat loss.
4. CALORIES: I’ve received emails from people telling me that they?re perfect with their nutrition, ratios and timing, but they still can’t lose body fat. In every case, they’re still consuming too many calories. It doesn’t matter how healthful your nutrition program is if you’re eating too much.
It’s important that you determine maintenance calories first. Maintenance represents the amount of food you consume without any change in your weight. This will take some experimentation and some effort. You’ll also need to document your foods — total calories as well as grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
5. SLIGHT CALORIC DEFICIT: After you’ve determined maintenance, simply reduce your calories by 200. Our goal is to have you eating as much as possible while still losing fat and retaining muscle. I don’t want you eating as little as possible (thereby slowing the metabolism and losing valuable muscle tissue). The first week, you may lose 4 to 6 pounds of water. After the first week, you should only lose about 1.5 pounds per week. The goal is to preserve muscle and make your body a metabolic inferno. If you’re not losing up to 1.5 pounds per week (it will fluctuate week to week), you should reduce calories by another 100. Then, monitor your progress after one week — you’ll probably be right on track.
6. CONSISTENCY: You’ll need to be on this nutrition program six days a week with one day being somewhat of a time to cheat. Unlike many, I’m not a big fan of the "cheat" day. I find that people tend to use it as an excuse to gorge themselves.
So on Sunday, for example, you’re allowed to have some pizza and a bit of ice cream — but nothing extreme! When you pig out, blood sugar levels can be elevated for seven hours or more. This will absolutely halt your fat loss.
PAGEBREAK 7. WEIGHT TRAINING: At this point, you should be aware of the importance of resistance training. Just three to four workout sessions that last no more than 35 minutes to an hour will do the trick. For every pound of muscle on your body, you’ll burn 30 to 50 additional calories per day.
Part of your program should include abdominal exercises to strengthen and build the upper and lower abdominal region. This way, when you achieve your low body fat level, your abs will be tight and visible.
8. CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE: Perform moderate cardio exercise three to five days per week for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. During two of the days, you can exercise at a higher intensity level to accelerate fat loss, but only if you reach a sticking point. If you’re a beginner, then remember to increase exercise gradually.
Do this consistently; keep adjusting calories slightly (with the help of our nutrition support staff and the specific nutrition program you selected from the site); and change your routine every three to four weeks.
Want to bypass this formula and start losing fat sooner rather than later? Join eDiets and let us do all the work for you. We’ll structure a comprehensive diet and fitness solution that has you on your way to eight-pack abs.
As always, check with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program.
The Secrets of Staying Slim
By Burke March MS, RD, LD/N, CDE Susan
eDiets Contributor
eDiets Contributor
Is anatomy a matter of destiny? Are we born already programmed to be thin or fat? Is it true that some people can eat anything they want — in any amount — and not gain weight? What about the people who say that they never eat and still can’t lose weight?
I had a friend who was always hungry. She woke up hungry, was hungry an hour after breakfast and never skipped a meal. She could eat hamburgers with french fries and drink regular Coke. We all know someone who seems to be able to eat anything they want — and lots of it.
I had another friend who was always on a diet. She complained that she had a slow metabolism and was always 20 pounds heavier than she wanted to be. She complained that no matter what she did, she could not lose weight.
I used to have to keep these two girls far apart from each other!
How Can I Change My Metabolism?
Is there a secret to a fast metabolism? Is there a fast metabolism diet? Can you take a secret ingredient or elixir that will change your slow metabolism to a metabolism that will burn the calories magically and help you lose weight?
Well, you probably already know the answer to that one! If it sounds too good to be true, it surely is.
Bad Habits Die Hard
Lasting weight loss is one of the hardest goals to achieve. I say it’s even harder than stopping smoking. Habits are hard to break. Once formed, it takes a major effort to change a habit. Change isn’t easy. Change is something behavioral specialists make a career of studying.
PAGEBREAK Yes, the science of change is complicated. It’s not as simple as vowing, "Tomorrow, I’ll change!" At any one time, 50 percent of Americans are trying to lose weight. Weight loss is a billion-dollar industry because it’s not easy to lose weight — and it may be even harder to keep the weight off once you’ve lost it.
Giving up cigarettes may be a piece of cake compared with changing eating habits. If you smoke and you want to stop, you can just quit and go on living. There are no repercussions. There are great side effects to stopping smoking: improved health, lowered risk for cancer and heart disease and increased disposable income!
However, you cannot stop eating. You must eat to live. What you eat is deeply ingrained in your daily life. Choices made on a daily basis, meal by meal, are what govern our ability to achieve a healthy weight and stay there.
What’s the Secret?
I find that people at a party or at work will often joke, "Don’t eat that. Susan’s watching!" I find it both amusing and disconcerting that so many people have no idea of the secret to staying slim.
So here it is. It’s not one single secret, though. It’s a couple of secrets, and happily, the secrets are out!
By the way, my friend who formerly ate "all she wanted" went from a size 6 to a size 12, as she changed from a physically active person to one whose job kept her at her desk all day. The other friend, who for years couldn’t understand why she didn’t lose weight even though she dieted and restricted her calories, has now become a fit and trim woman who does something to get her heart rate up every day. And she is happily maintaining her weight loss and health. She’s making healthy food choices — that secret is important, too.
The Secrets to Staying Slim:
1. Research confirms that the biggest predictor of successful weight loss and maintained weight loss is — drum roll, please — exercise! Find some way to include physical activity into your busy schedule.
2. Practice your mantra every day: high fiber, low fat. When you have a choice, make it a high-fiber, low-fat choice. Choose whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein and skinless poultry.
PAGEBREAK 3. There are no "bad" or "good" foods. But, there are high-calorie and low-calorie foods. If you want to eat something that’s high in calories, then make it a small serving and don’t do it every day!
4. On the days that you want to indulge in high-calorie foods, choose low-calorie foods for your other meals! For suggestions, look at secret No. 2.
5. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Studies show that people who skip meals wind up eating more at the next meal and aren’t as healthy.
Eat healthy, get active and be the best you can be!
Banish Ugly Back Flab: 3 Exercises!
By Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE, RTS1 Raphael
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
An eDiets member (Laura) once asked me for a workout that would focus on reducing her back flab and tightening her back muscles. She felt her back looked flabby and was uncomfortable with the unsightly fat that seeped through the back of her bra.
I get hundreds of requests for improving the abs, hips, butt and arms, but hardly ever get any for improving the back. This request brought a smile to my face.
When someone begins to realize the importance of the back muscles from a practical and cosmetic standpoint, they have advanced to the next level of their fitness evolution.
When properly developed, it is absolutely amazing to see the beauty and artistic perfection of the multitude of back muscles. As I always mention, the ultimate key to a beautiful back and tight body is the combination of proper nutrition that places one in a slight caloric deficit, exercise and consistency. Luckily, Laura already had the nutrition part humming along with her eDiets program. She is also lifting weights twice a week and performing cardio three times a week.
All I needed to do was provide a specialty workout that she could perform twice a week along with her current program.
PAGEBREAK From a practical standpoint, building strength in the back, particularly the lower back, helps to prevent injury. How many times have you heard someone tell you they have a bad back? I hear it almost every day.
I’m providing a simple, yet practical understanding of the major back muscles. First I’ll briefly describe each major area of the back and then I’ll give you an exercise with one of our totally cool animations so you can practice on your own. The exercises focus on the major areas, but in reality, there are even more isolated areas of the back.
1. Latissimus Dorsi — The latissimus dorsi muscles (also known as the "lats") are the largest muscles of the back. The lats are large, fan-shaped muscles. If you spread your back and touch the outer end of each side of the back, you’re touching your lats. The function of the lats is to pull the arm down toward the pelvis. When properly developed, the lats will actually make your waist look smaller. Now, there’s some good incentive.
Here’s a great exercise for the lats:
Cable Two-Arm Lat Pulldown
Starting Position
Movement
Key Points
PAGEBREAK Other exercises that target the lats: Close Grip Pulldowns; Wide Grip Pulldowns; Chin Ups; One Arm Dumbbell Row; Seated Cable Row; Stiff Arm Cable Pushdowns.
2. Rhomboid Muscles — The rhomboids originate on the spinal column and attach to the middle area of the scapula. They get their name from their shape. The function of the rhomboids is to assist in squeezing the shoulder blades together. When even slightly developed, the rhomboids give the back a look of utter beauty.
A great exercise for the rhomboids:
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
Starting Position
Movement
Key Points
PAGEBREAK Alternative exercises for the rhomboid muscles: Rear Delt Raises, Seated Cable Rows, Dumbbell One Arm Bent Over Rows.
3. The Erector Spinae — For the most part, we’re referring to the lower back when we discuss the erector spinae. The erectors are a group of muscles that support the spinal column. The functions of the erector spinae group are to extend the spine as well as provide support for it. This area is extremely important to strengthen and very seldom exercised by the majority of the population.
A great exercise for the erector spinae:
Fitball Prone Trunk Extension
Starting Position
Movement
Key Points
Alternative exercises for the erector spinae: Machine Back Extensions, Dumbbell Deadlifts.
PAGEBREAK Attempt two to three sets of each exercise for 10 to 12 repetitions on two alternate days of the week and focus on precise form at all times.
Whether it’s a sleeveless dress you’ll be wearing, tank top or just need that extra strength to pick up your kids and groceries, then focusing on your back muscles is your ticket to success. As always, check with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program.
Starting Workout Again
Today was the third day my DD and I got up doing work out together. I can’t believe how out of shape I am after more than 6 months off. We did Arms & Abs on Monday and Legs on Tuesday. This morning, my arms are so sore, especially tricep. My quadrucep started aching. Geez, I am getting old.
My DD actually was not bad. She could not finish all sets, which was fine. She is cloe to 11, and still very young. She ended with 20 minutes run on tread.
I feel sore everywhere. But for my DD, I will continue to get up at 5:00 am to get it done. My DD feels better if I am there working out with her. I have to give her some credit. She wants to work hard, though she was carried away sometimes.
She was so excited to tell me 2 days ago that she would work really hard trying to make a pair team in her rink. Since the other skater is already 19, she needs to be in junior level in order to make the team. So she needs to have double axel and pass intermediate, novice and junior move. She had to do these all before next June. But she feels very motivated. As long as she wants to work hard, I would be happy with that.
Move your strength training outdoor
| by Selene Yeager | |
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My sweet rabbit hole... 