Juicing works - you bet:
Apart from the fact that juiced fruits and vegetables have very low
calories and no fat (just make sure you make them yourselves), they are loaded with a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes that help your body
to perform at its best. Our bodies spend a lot of time trying to detoxify, repair and protect cells. When we are undernourished our
bodies go into protection mode and store fat for survival. But, when your body is functioning at its peak
condition and getting all the nourishment it needs, it can focus energy on fat loss. Juicing
delivers a concentrated healthy cocktail straight into your body. No
extra effort is needed to break down the juice and so it is absorbed
quickly and starts working magic immediately.
Keys to weight-loss success while juicing:
Juicing vegetables and herbs while reducing fruit. Yes, of course
fruit makes it taste so delicious. Yes, fruit sugar is healthier
than refined table sugar… but it’s still sugar and will still cause
spikes in your insulin and if your body cannot clear those sugars out,
they will convert to fat stores. Also, watch how many carrots you use, believe it or not they have a lot of sugar as well.
Save juicing fruits for before and/or after your workouts. For the same reason as above, when you work out your body becomes primed for using glucose.
Skip snacking and start juicing. It seems that people always
get hungry between meals. The solution to avoid binging on things you
probably shouldn't be eating before dinner, is to juice up a big
green glass of nutritional goodness. Hopefully the liquid will tide you over until
your next meal, or at least it will get your brain thinking about
health-conscious snacks.
Snack while juicing. Not on cheese and crackers or anything
man-made but on the vegetables you are getting ready to juice. Sometimes
our brains like chewing and feeling food in our mouths and stomach's, so
give it that satisfaction while nurturing you.
Healthy habits don’t end with juicing. Whether you are having 1
juice a day or 5, remember that beyond your glass jar, you need
to be eating healthy all day long. It kind of defeats the purpose of
juicing for weight loss when you eat a big bowl of sugary cereal for
breakfast, pizza for lunch, and burgers and fries for dinner.
Fill up on fresh juice before meals or going out. Even though
juice is digested quickly and doesn't leave you full for long, your
hunger may be quenched by the nutrients more than the feeling of full.
Alternate your veggies. Two ways that this works: you don’t get bored and you get a variety of nutrients.
Add some chia seeds, avocado, or olive oil. Healthy fats and fibers are
not only good for you, but will keep you fuller longer. No one wants to
diet, or spend their time with someone who is dieting, who has a big hungry monster
in their stomach.
Create lasting habits:
Remember, juicing for weight loss is not a diet. Let juicing be your basis for a healthy lifestyle. If you are taking the time to clean, chop and
juice fresh fruits and vegetables then you should be making time to prepare
and cook healthy homemade meals.
Some people start cold turkey with a juice fasting session. Others like to test the
water with one, slowly adding more as they feel necessary. If you
prefer to start the day with a balanced, nutrition-rich eating plan, you will
find that having at least one glass of vegetable juice per day will make
it easier to reach your weight loss goals in the long run. Try
replacing your morning, afternoon, or before-bed snack with a juice and
you are well on your way!
Why not see what Mike Geary has to offer on such foods whilst dieting.
In the mean time why not try.
Morning-time:
1 beet
1 pink lady apple
1 small slice of ginger
Before dinner:
4 tomatoes
2 green onions
½ green pepper
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
Handful of parsley
1 peeled lemon
Before bed:
2 cucumbers
4 romaine lettuce leaves
Handful of mint
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Monday 9 September 2013
Sunday 27 November 2011
Foods to Avoid in Your Healthy Meals to Lose Weight
You all know that people tend to get excited about many things, but I have yet to meet anyone who’s thrilled about being overweight.
However, I've met people who are sick of the up and down roller coaster of so-called healthy meal plans for weight loss. Rather than dealing with more disappointments, most of these people just resign themselves to believe that being big is inevitable for them, that its part of their genetic make up.
Throw your hands in surrender after deciding to spend the rest of your life being overweight is not a realistic choice of a lifestyle. A decision like this can knock your self esteem to the ground and knock years of your life. So Come on, you owe it to yourself and your family and friends to have much more than that.
When you realise there is no magic formula for losing weight - if there were, everyone and their mother would have been fine. The best way to achieve weight loss success is to know what kind of foods to keep away from your diet.
Say "no" to processed foods
Obviously processed foods are cheap, packed with junk ingredients, convenient and easy to prepare. Sadly, these foods are generally bad for your health. Of course, you’d never know this by watching those hyped up television ads. Since processed food manufacturers aren’t going to give you the low down on the ingredients they use in processed foods, I’m going to do it for them.
Let’s start with trans fat. This nasty ingredient lowers good cholesterol, raises bad cholesterol, and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Considering heart disease is one of the leading killers of both men and women, trans fat is one ingredient you want to steer well clear of.
If you’re wondering where that double chin came from, the high fructose corn syrup used in some of your favorite processed foods may be partially to blame. This ingredient has been getting a lot of press lately because it is believed to be a major player in the rising obesity epidemic.
Don’t even get me started on the chemicals that manufacturer's use in processed foods. If I tried to name some of these chemicals, I’d be tongue tied for days. Anyway, you’d probably think I was reading the label on a can of insect repellant spray instead of the ingredients in your favorite fast meal.
Get rid of Sugar
The average person consumes about 150 pounds of sugar per year. When you think about the fact that sugar is in almost everything these days, it’s easy to eat tons of this stuff without even realizing it. So what’s all the fuss about? There isn’t enough time in the day for me to tell you about all the damage sugar can do to your health. However, I can give you a quick rundown.
Sugar contains nothing but empty calories. When you eat this stuff, a large portion of it gets stored in the body as fat. If your goal is to slim down, being heavy-handed with the sugar isn’t going to help. This is not even the worst of it. Sugar can also depress the immune system, feed cancer cells, cause bacterial and fungal overgrowth, contribute to heart disease, raise your risk of osteoporosis and make you look ill.
Artificial Sweeteners have to go
Before you run out and stock your fridge with a bunch of those zero-calorie diet drinks, there’s something you should know. The artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks and other low-calorie products are lab-created. Yes. You heard me right – mixed up in a lab like something out of a Frankenstein movie.
These chemical sweeteners can cause or contribute to a laundry list of neuropsychiatric disorders and chronic illnesses – depression, anxiety, migraines, mood changes, panic attacks, fatigue, vertigo, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors – should I go on? And if you think you’re going to shed a couple of pounds using artificial sweeteners, think again. These sweeteners stimulate your appetite and make you eat more food.
When you’ve tried diet after diet and not one of them delivers results, it can certainly make you want to give up. But you owe it to yourself and to your family to live the healthiest life possible. Processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners are the main culprits when it comes to weight gain. When you get rid of these foods from your diet, you give yourself a fighting chance to improve your weight loss.
However, I've met people who are sick of the up and down roller coaster of so-called healthy meal plans for weight loss. Rather than dealing with more disappointments, most of these people just resign themselves to believe that being big is inevitable for them, that its part of their genetic make up.
Throw your hands in surrender after deciding to spend the rest of your life being overweight is not a realistic choice of a lifestyle. A decision like this can knock your self esteem to the ground and knock years of your life. So Come on, you owe it to yourself and your family and friends to have much more than that.
When you realise there is no magic formula for losing weight - if there were, everyone and their mother would have been fine. The best way to achieve weight loss success is to know what kind of foods to keep away from your diet.
Say "no" to processed foods
Obviously processed foods are cheap, packed with junk ingredients, convenient and easy to prepare. Sadly, these foods are generally bad for your health. Of course, you’d never know this by watching those hyped up television ads. Since processed food manufacturers aren’t going to give you the low down on the ingredients they use in processed foods, I’m going to do it for them.
Let’s start with trans fat. This nasty ingredient lowers good cholesterol, raises bad cholesterol, and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Considering heart disease is one of the leading killers of both men and women, trans fat is one ingredient you want to steer well clear of.
If you’re wondering where that double chin came from, the high fructose corn syrup used in some of your favorite processed foods may be partially to blame. This ingredient has been getting a lot of press lately because it is believed to be a major player in the rising obesity epidemic.
Don’t even get me started on the chemicals that manufacturer's use in processed foods. If I tried to name some of these chemicals, I’d be tongue tied for days. Anyway, you’d probably think I was reading the label on a can of insect repellant spray instead of the ingredients in your favorite fast meal.
Get rid of Sugar
The average person consumes about 150 pounds of sugar per year. When you think about the fact that sugar is in almost everything these days, it’s easy to eat tons of this stuff without even realizing it. So what’s all the fuss about? There isn’t enough time in the day for me to tell you about all the damage sugar can do to your health. However, I can give you a quick rundown.
Sugar contains nothing but empty calories. When you eat this stuff, a large portion of it gets stored in the body as fat. If your goal is to slim down, being heavy-handed with the sugar isn’t going to help. This is not even the worst of it. Sugar can also depress the immune system, feed cancer cells, cause bacterial and fungal overgrowth, contribute to heart disease, raise your risk of osteoporosis and make you look ill.
Artificial Sweeteners have to go
Before you run out and stock your fridge with a bunch of those zero-calorie diet drinks, there’s something you should know. The artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks and other low-calorie products are lab-created. Yes. You heard me right – mixed up in a lab like something out of a Frankenstein movie.
These chemical sweeteners can cause or contribute to a laundry list of neuropsychiatric disorders and chronic illnesses – depression, anxiety, migraines, mood changes, panic attacks, fatigue, vertigo, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors – should I go on? And if you think you’re going to shed a couple of pounds using artificial sweeteners, think again. These sweeteners stimulate your appetite and make you eat more food.
When you’ve tried diet after diet and not one of them delivers results, it can certainly make you want to give up. But you owe it to yourself and to your family to live the healthiest life possible. Processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners are the main culprits when it comes to weight gain. When you get rid of these foods from your diet, you give yourself a fighting chance to improve your weight loss.
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Effective Whey Protein Weight Loss Support - USDA Report
ProHealth.com
July 16, 2011
Why do weight-loss results of high protein diets vary? Not all protein is created equal, according to a new, rigorously controlled Agricultural Research Service trial. Specifically, whey protein (from milk) looks like a winner in terms of weight loss & body fat-to-muscle ratio, even when calories are not reduced.
With nearly 68% of American adults either overweight or obese, finding ways to help people lose excess pounds is a national priority. Though the most obvious advice is to eat less and exercise more, this long-standing recommendation has proven unsuccessful for the lion's share of the population struggling to maintain a healthy body weight.
An alternative approach is to help people focus on consuming specific foods that promote weight loss. Some studies have suggested that high-protein foods might function in this capacity, although the data are conflicting.
Scientists speculate that there are several reasons for these inconsistencies, including the type of protein used (animal vs. plant).
A Six-Month Comparison
To better understand the relation between protein intake and weight loss, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service - the principal scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - recently conducted a rigorously-controlled human intervention trial comparing milk proteins (whey) vs. soy proteins in overweight and obese adults.
Their paper, published in the Aug 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, reports Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults.
Pounds and Fat Lost Even Without Calorie Reductions
Subjects (n = 73) were relatively healthy, other than having a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 38 kg/m2. As a point of reference, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers BMIs between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 as signifying overweight; BMI values above this level are indicative of obesity.
For 23 weeks, participants consumed either:
• Whey (milk) protein (about 104 g protein),
• Soy protein (about 104 g protein),
• Or carbohydrate supplements.
All supplements provided 400 kcal/day. Overall dietary intake was assessed every 10 days, and sensations of satiety and hunger were monitored daily. Prior to the start of the intervention and then monthly thereafter, body weight and composition were measured; fasting blood samples were also collected.
There was no effect of dietary treatment on overall caloric intake. Similarly, dietary treatment did not influence hunger, desire to eat, or the feeling of stomach fullness.
Nonetheless, by the end of the study:
• Body weight of the group consuming the whey protein was significantly (2%) lower than that of the group consuming the carbohydrate treatment.
• Moreover, body fat mass was 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) lower in the whey protein group compared to the carbohydrate group.
These beneficial effects were not seen in subjects consuming the soy protein supplement.
Whey Protein Reduced ‘Hunger Hormone’
Consumption of the whey protein (but not soy protein) also resulted in lower circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a stomach-derived hormone thought to stimulate hunger.
Both groups consuming protein supplements exhibited lower fasting insulin concentrations when compared to that assigned to the carbohydrate treatment.
The researchers concluded that different sources of dietary protein may differentially facilitate weight loss and affect body composition.
They also suggested that dietary recommendations related to weight loss, especially those that emphasize the role of protein, consider the source of the protein in helping meet weight-loss goals.
Source: Journal of Nutrition media alert, Jul 14, 2011.
Footnote: This subject is mentioned in on of my other posts The surprising truth about protein powders.
July 16, 2011
Why do weight-loss results of high protein diets vary? Not all protein is created equal, according to a new, rigorously controlled Agricultural Research Service trial. Specifically, whey protein (from milk) looks like a winner in terms of weight loss & body fat-to-muscle ratio, even when calories are not reduced.
With nearly 68% of American adults either overweight or obese, finding ways to help people lose excess pounds is a national priority. Though the most obvious advice is to eat less and exercise more, this long-standing recommendation has proven unsuccessful for the lion's share of the population struggling to maintain a healthy body weight.
An alternative approach is to help people focus on consuming specific foods that promote weight loss. Some studies have suggested that high-protein foods might function in this capacity, although the data are conflicting.
Scientists speculate that there are several reasons for these inconsistencies, including the type of protein used (animal vs. plant).
A Six-Month Comparison
To better understand the relation between protein intake and weight loss, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service - the principal scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - recently conducted a rigorously-controlled human intervention trial comparing milk proteins (whey) vs. soy proteins in overweight and obese adults.
Their paper, published in the Aug 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, reports Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults.
Pounds and Fat Lost Even Without Calorie Reductions
Subjects (n = 73) were relatively healthy, other than having a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 38 kg/m2. As a point of reference, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers BMIs between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 as signifying overweight; BMI values above this level are indicative of obesity.
For 23 weeks, participants consumed either:
• Whey (milk) protein (about 104 g protein),
• Soy protein (about 104 g protein),
• Or carbohydrate supplements.
All supplements provided 400 kcal/day. Overall dietary intake was assessed every 10 days, and sensations of satiety and hunger were monitored daily. Prior to the start of the intervention and then monthly thereafter, body weight and composition were measured; fasting blood samples were also collected.
There was no effect of dietary treatment on overall caloric intake. Similarly, dietary treatment did not influence hunger, desire to eat, or the feeling of stomach fullness.
Nonetheless, by the end of the study:
• Body weight of the group consuming the whey protein was significantly (2%) lower than that of the group consuming the carbohydrate treatment.
• Moreover, body fat mass was 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) lower in the whey protein group compared to the carbohydrate group.
These beneficial effects were not seen in subjects consuming the soy protein supplement.
Whey Protein Reduced ‘Hunger Hormone’
Consumption of the whey protein (but not soy protein) also resulted in lower circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a stomach-derived hormone thought to stimulate hunger.
Both groups consuming protein supplements exhibited lower fasting insulin concentrations when compared to that assigned to the carbohydrate treatment.
The researchers concluded that different sources of dietary protein may differentially facilitate weight loss and affect body composition.
They also suggested that dietary recommendations related to weight loss, especially those that emphasize the role of protein, consider the source of the protein in helping meet weight-loss goals.
Source: Journal of Nutrition media alert, Jul 14, 2011.
Footnote: This subject is mentioned in on of my other posts The surprising truth about protein powders.
Wednesday 11 November 2009
Are you suffering from the Portion Distortion Syndrome?
A couple years ago I was suffering from a condition that is not too commonly discussed, but does very often appear in many restaurants, parties and homes all over the world. Yes, you too may be suffering from this horrible condition and not even know it. What is this awful affliction? Well it's called: Portion Distortion, and it just may be what is holding you back from reaching your weight loss goals.
I can remember one particular occasion when I saw portion distortion at its very best. I was at a family party at a Spanish restaurant celebrating the Christening of my baby nephew Alex. Here I was chit chatting with guests and catching up with friends and relatives when I see the waiters walk out of the kitchen with what looked like the most insane servings of steaks, lobsters, chicken and salmon on each plate. At first I was thinking they were serving each plate on each table "family style", where the whole table could each enjoy a piece. I was wrong. One plate was for one person and the amount of food on each was downright scary.
I walked back to my table and said to my husband, "Holy smokes! Wait until you see the size of the portions!" My husband replied, "Oh Isabel, you exaggerate. You think one extra grain of rice on the plate is too much. I'm sure it's fine for normal people." There's a good question. Do we even know what a normal portion is anymore? Or a better question to ask ourselves would be, What is a healthy portion?
By the look on my husband's face when a huge mountain of chicken masala was placed in front of him and a lobster larger than my nephew on a 1 pound bed of 1 (I swear. That is no exaggeration) was placed in front of me, I knew he agreed this was not "normal" by any means.
Here's the sad and most unfortunate part. I would say that 75% of the people in the room ate the entire portion that was served to them. I realize each one of us is different, requiring different amounts for our body size and metabolic type, but no one and I mean no one needs 2 pounds of chicken, 20 ounces of steak, or 1 pound of rice in one sitting (sorry to break it to you). Could you eat this much over the course of one day? Of course you could. One meal though? Obviously not a healthy portion by any means.
Restaurants are not the only place where portion distortion creeps into our lives. We often do the same thing at home, serving ourselves one reasonable, healthy portion and then going again for seconds. If you are still hungry, then of course you shouldn't go hungry, but often it is not hunger that draws us back to the kitchen for more. It's the fact that the food just tasted good in the first place or that we ate so fast we didn't even get a chance enjoy the meal.
If you think too much food on your plate may be what's stopping you from seeing the weight come off, here are a few tips to help you battle the Portion Distortion Syndrome:
1. Eat Slowly. Yes, I know, In our fast paced society, it is a bit difficult to make the time to eat slow and enjoy your meal. I am not asking for a 2 hour lunch break here. All it takes is approximately 20 minutes for your brain and your stomach to register that food has arrived and calm your hunger. When we inhale our meal (and boy did I see some inhalers this weekend) in the first 5 minutes that it has been served, we do not give our bodies enough time to register the "I'm not hungry anymore" cue and of course we are left hungry and searching for more food. Give yourself a minimum of 20 minutes to eat before deciding if more food is even necessary. Savor each bite of food and chew it thoroughly (no inhalers, please!) For those of you that suffer from any gastrointestinal distress, you will actually find that this will greatly enhance your digestion just chewing your food more thoroughly and creating more digestive enzymes in your body.
2. When at restaurants or parties, take a good look at what is on your plate before you even pick up the fork. Figure out exactly how much of it would be healthy for you at this particular meal. This is what my husband did with his mountain of chicken and mashed potatoes. He said to me, "If I eat 1 and ½ pieces of chicken (there was 4 huge pieces on his plate) and half of these mashed potatoes, that is probably more than enough right?". Then he proceeded to cut exactly that much and put it over to one side of his plate and ate from there. If you just start attacking your plate the second it shows up in front of you, the whole thing will be gone (hopefully not including the plate itself) before you even realize it! The scary part is you won't even know how much you ate! We have all had those moments of total regret when our stomach is aching and we're asking ourselves "Why did I eat so much? Why didn't I stop sooner?" A better question to ask before this happens is "How much can I eat now and how much can I have again later?" Give yourself just 2 minutes to assess the portion that would be best for you and take the rest home. Not only will you prevent the stomach pains, but you will get to enjoy this delicious meal twice.
3. At home, put exactly what you intend to eat on your plate before you start eating. Take your time enjoying the food you have in front of you and don't make this an eating race with the rest of the table. I am often the last person finished at the table and I don't care. Why should I rush? Unless we have plans or somewhere to be there is no need for me to eat my whole dinner plate in 5 minutes. Not only do I enjoy my meal, but I enjoy talking to my family members during our meal and even put my fork down a few times to digest between bites (imagine that, putting the fork down). I know we are often influenced by the people eating around us and if everyone else is eating fast we have a tendency to follow. Keep at your own pace and have people follow your lead. I know when people eat with me they do have a tendency to eat much slower because I am not inhaling. You will influence others around you to eat healthier without even knowing it.
4. Always remember, there is more where that came from. Chances are none of us are going to suffer from a lack of food, especially when it comes to dining out and being invited to parties. There is no need to eat today like it is the last day that food is being served on this planet. You don't receive a special reward for "cleaning your plate" or finishing your meal the fastest. There is always more food available for your next meal (many times there is just too much food available) and we can always take food home with us or eat again in a few hours if we get hungry.
What did I do with my gigantic lobster and 1 pound mountain of rice? Actually my order was confused and I split my sister's salmon with her (which must have been at least 14 ounces) and we each had a healthy and satisfying piece with green beans and spanish rice on the side. The lobster and rice went home with another relative to serve to her entire family the next day.
Be careful of the Portion Distortion Syndrome. Use the above tips and I know weight loss will come much easier.
My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program
I can remember one particular occasion when I saw portion distortion at its very best. I was at a family party at a Spanish restaurant celebrating the Christening of my baby nephew Alex. Here I was chit chatting with guests and catching up with friends and relatives when I see the waiters walk out of the kitchen with what looked like the most insane servings of steaks, lobsters, chicken and salmon on each plate. At first I was thinking they were serving each plate on each table "family style", where the whole table could each enjoy a piece. I was wrong. One plate was for one person and the amount of food on each was downright scary.
I walked back to my table and said to my husband, "Holy smokes! Wait until you see the size of the portions!" My husband replied, "Oh Isabel, you exaggerate. You think one extra grain of rice on the plate is too much. I'm sure it's fine for normal people." There's a good question. Do we even know what a normal portion is anymore? Or a better question to ask ourselves would be, What is a healthy portion?
By the look on my husband's face when a huge mountain of chicken masala was placed in front of him and a lobster larger than my nephew on a 1 pound bed of 1 (I swear. That is no exaggeration) was placed in front of me, I knew he agreed this was not "normal" by any means.
Here's the sad and most unfortunate part. I would say that 75% of the people in the room ate the entire portion that was served to them. I realize each one of us is different, requiring different amounts for our body size and metabolic type, but no one and I mean no one needs 2 pounds of chicken, 20 ounces of steak, or 1 pound of rice in one sitting (sorry to break it to you). Could you eat this much over the course of one day? Of course you could. One meal though? Obviously not a healthy portion by any means.
Restaurants are not the only place where portion distortion creeps into our lives. We often do the same thing at home, serving ourselves one reasonable, healthy portion and then going again for seconds. If you are still hungry, then of course you shouldn't go hungry, but often it is not hunger that draws us back to the kitchen for more. It's the fact that the food just tasted good in the first place or that we ate so fast we didn't even get a chance enjoy the meal.
If you think too much food on your plate may be what's stopping you from seeing the weight come off, here are a few tips to help you battle the Portion Distortion Syndrome:
1. Eat Slowly. Yes, I know, In our fast paced society, it is a bit difficult to make the time to eat slow and enjoy your meal. I am not asking for a 2 hour lunch break here. All it takes is approximately 20 minutes for your brain and your stomach to register that food has arrived and calm your hunger. When we inhale our meal (and boy did I see some inhalers this weekend) in the first 5 minutes that it has been served, we do not give our bodies enough time to register the "I'm not hungry anymore" cue and of course we are left hungry and searching for more food. Give yourself a minimum of 20 minutes to eat before deciding if more food is even necessary. Savor each bite of food and chew it thoroughly (no inhalers, please!) For those of you that suffer from any gastrointestinal distress, you will actually find that this will greatly enhance your digestion just chewing your food more thoroughly and creating more digestive enzymes in your body.
2. When at restaurants or parties, take a good look at what is on your plate before you even pick up the fork. Figure out exactly how much of it would be healthy for you at this particular meal. This is what my husband did with his mountain of chicken and mashed potatoes. He said to me, "If I eat 1 and ½ pieces of chicken (there was 4 huge pieces on his plate) and half of these mashed potatoes, that is probably more than enough right?". Then he proceeded to cut exactly that much and put it over to one side of his plate and ate from there. If you just start attacking your plate the second it shows up in front of you, the whole thing will be gone (hopefully not including the plate itself) before you even realize it! The scary part is you won't even know how much you ate! We have all had those moments of total regret when our stomach is aching and we're asking ourselves "Why did I eat so much? Why didn't I stop sooner?" A better question to ask before this happens is "How much can I eat now and how much can I have again later?" Give yourself just 2 minutes to assess the portion that would be best for you and take the rest home. Not only will you prevent the stomach pains, but you will get to enjoy this delicious meal twice.
3. At home, put exactly what you intend to eat on your plate before you start eating. Take your time enjoying the food you have in front of you and don't make this an eating race with the rest of the table. I am often the last person finished at the table and I don't care. Why should I rush? Unless we have plans or somewhere to be there is no need for me to eat my whole dinner plate in 5 minutes. Not only do I enjoy my meal, but I enjoy talking to my family members during our meal and even put my fork down a few times to digest between bites (imagine that, putting the fork down). I know we are often influenced by the people eating around us and if everyone else is eating fast we have a tendency to follow. Keep at your own pace and have people follow your lead. I know when people eat with me they do have a tendency to eat much slower because I am not inhaling. You will influence others around you to eat healthier without even knowing it.
4. Always remember, there is more where that came from. Chances are none of us are going to suffer from a lack of food, especially when it comes to dining out and being invited to parties. There is no need to eat today like it is the last day that food is being served on this planet. You don't receive a special reward for "cleaning your plate" or finishing your meal the fastest. There is always more food available for your next meal (many times there is just too much food available) and we can always take food home with us or eat again in a few hours if we get hungry.
What did I do with my gigantic lobster and 1 pound mountain of rice? Actually my order was confused and I split my sister's salmon with her (which must have been at least 14 ounces) and we each had a healthy and satisfying piece with green beans and spanish rice on the side. The lobster and rice went home with another relative to serve to her entire family the next day.
Be careful of the Portion Distortion Syndrome. Use the above tips and I know weight loss will come much easier.
My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT
Hi Its Isabel:
Just a few weeks ago I told you how I spent the weekend filming some great fat loss nutrition videos. Well one thing I had to do before I started filming was go to the grocery store and buy several "bad" food items and "good" food items (Actually, I already had most of the good in the fridge, so that part was easy).
I walked up and down the aisles looking for foods that claimed to be "healthy" or "good for you", but listed ingredients on the label like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and artificial sweeteners.
Do you know what happened?
Before I knew it, I had a cart completely full. The number of products I found seemed endless. I couldn't believe all the false marketing claims all over these foods and needless to say, I ended up ridiculously angry by the end of this trip! (Don't worry. I abstained from throwing stuff around the store. I try and keep my composure in public.)
Why would I get so angry? Well it just makes me so mad to imagine all the people that have fallen for these false claims...all in an effort to eat healthy or try to lose weight. It breaks my heart actually (and no, I'm not exaggerating), probably because I used to be one of those people who thought they were doing the "right" thing but I had fallen for all of this false marketing as well.
Now it would take me pages and pages to list all the foods and ingredients I found in each of these products, but here
Isabel's "Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT" (and I'm going to hope that your favorite meal, snack or drink is not on this list):
1. Whole Wheat bread - all contain enriched flour and some contain high fructose corn syrup
2. Low Fat and/or Low Sugar Salad Dressings - canola oil, sugar (or some use artificial sweeteners instead...which is worse!)
3. Sports Drinks - high fructose corn syrup, not to mention all the nasty dyes that are used to make it all sorts of fluorescent colors
4. Dry Roasted Almonds - canola oil and some add sugar
5. Almost all Protein and Energy Bars - soy and sugar
6. Almost all High Protein and High Fiber cereals - soy and canola oil
7. Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal - sugar, soy, and artificial sweeteners
8. Diet and Weight Loss Shakes (and other diet shakes) - canola oil and sugar
9. 100 Calorie Snack Packs - enriched flour and artificial sweeteners
10. Flavored Yogurt - sugar or artificial sweeteners
Take a look in your fridge and in your pantry right now and see if any of your favorite foods contain ingredients that may just be stopping you from reaching your fat loss goals. Sometimes, seeing results or overcoming a weight loss plateau is as easy as getting rid of some of these so called "healthy" foods.
Now on to a happier topic...
I've got some great news!
I've been asked to speak at a LIVE, in person event, along with some of my favorite fitness authors and coaches. Not only is this an incredible honor, but it is a great opportunity for me to meet you and all of my other wonderful readers and subscribers. I'm so excited!
This event will be taking place in sunny Tampa, Florida January 16th - 18th, 2010.
The weekend will be jam-packed with activities, each day beginning with morning workouts instructed by premier bootcamp coaches like Craig Ballantyne and Scott Colby, followed by motivational and educational presentations in the Grand Ballroom from training, nutrition, and mindset experts like Joel Marion, Jon Benson, Vince Del Monte, Shawn Phillips, Holly Rigsby and ME...just to name a few!
And yes, there will be plenty of time to interact and socialize!
Tickets will go on sale next week and I know seats are going to be limited (all of the speakers, including myself, want to make sure we have enough time to meet all of the attendees). All you need to do right now is clear your calendar for January 16th - 18th and watch your email inbox early next week for the link to the early bird discount. I'll be sure to let you know the second these tickets become available.
Just a few weeks ago I told you how I spent the weekend filming some great fat loss nutrition videos. Well one thing I had to do before I started filming was go to the grocery store and buy several "bad" food items and "good" food items (Actually, I already had most of the good in the fridge, so that part was easy).
I walked up and down the aisles looking for foods that claimed to be "healthy" or "good for you", but listed ingredients on the label like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and artificial sweeteners.
Do you know what happened?
Before I knew it, I had a cart completely full. The number of products I found seemed endless. I couldn't believe all the false marketing claims all over these foods and needless to say, I ended up ridiculously angry by the end of this trip! (Don't worry. I abstained from throwing stuff around the store. I try and keep my composure in public.)
Why would I get so angry? Well it just makes me so mad to imagine all the people that have fallen for these false claims...all in an effort to eat healthy or try to lose weight. It breaks my heart actually (and no, I'm not exaggerating), probably because I used to be one of those people who thought they were doing the "right" thing but I had fallen for all of this false marketing as well.
Now it would take me pages and pages to list all the foods and ingredients I found in each of these products, but here
Isabel's "Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT" (and I'm going to hope that your favorite meal, snack or drink is not on this list):
1. Whole Wheat bread - all contain enriched flour and some contain high fructose corn syrup
2. Low Fat and/or Low Sugar Salad Dressings - canola oil, sugar (or some use artificial sweeteners instead...which is worse!)
3. Sports Drinks - high fructose corn syrup, not to mention all the nasty dyes that are used to make it all sorts of fluorescent colors
4. Dry Roasted Almonds - canola oil and some add sugar
5. Almost all Protein and Energy Bars - soy and sugar
6. Almost all High Protein and High Fiber cereals - soy and canola oil
7. Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal - sugar, soy, and artificial sweeteners
8. Diet and Weight Loss Shakes (and other diet shakes) - canola oil and sugar
9. 100 Calorie Snack Packs - enriched flour and artificial sweeteners
10. Flavored Yogurt - sugar or artificial sweeteners
Take a look in your fridge and in your pantry right now and see if any of your favorite foods contain ingredients that may just be stopping you from reaching your fat loss goals. Sometimes, seeing results or overcoming a weight loss plateau is as easy as getting rid of some of these so called "healthy" foods.
Now on to a happier topic...
I've got some great news!
I've been asked to speak at a LIVE, in person event, along with some of my favorite fitness authors and coaches. Not only is this an incredible honor, but it is a great opportunity for me to meet you and all of my other wonderful readers and subscribers. I'm so excited!
This event will be taking place in sunny Tampa, Florida January 16th - 18th, 2010.
The weekend will be jam-packed with activities, each day beginning with morning workouts instructed by premier bootcamp coaches like Craig Ballantyne and Scott Colby, followed by motivational and educational presentations in the Grand Ballroom from training, nutrition, and mindset experts like Joel Marion, Jon Benson, Vince Del Monte, Shawn Phillips, Holly Rigsby and ME...just to name a few!
And yes, there will be plenty of time to interact and socialize!
Tickets will go on sale next week and I know seats are going to be limited (all of the speakers, including myself, want to make sure we have enough time to meet all of the attendees). All you need to do right now is clear your calendar for January 16th - 18th and watch your email inbox early next week for the link to the early bird discount. I'll be sure to let you know the second these tickets become available.
Thursday 17 September 2009
How dieting can affect weight loss
Excess weight is often referred to by the term obesity. This is a condition where the body accumulates more fat than is being processed or burned by the normal metabolism. In many cases, this can be genetic but in most, there is obviously a diet problem that needs to be reconsidered. Obesity is measured in what is called body mass index or BMI according to the fitness and medical circles. BMI is arrived at by dividing weight by height and then squaring the result. A BMI of 25-29kg/m is considered overweight.
Obesity is dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. For instance, obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem, because the general mass media pushes the image of the slim model as the ideal. Clothes are also hard to find and one has to shop at special stores. More health problems include sleep irregularities and the risk of a stroke.
How does diet help? Researchers and nutritionists report that there is a correlation between weight loss and dieting. Education is key. Reading the labels when shopping is recommended. There are some foods which have a higher calorie content than others and knowing this will put one in the right track. By education, we also mean that you should familiarize yourself with the food pyramid. You can easily access this at the food pyramid website which is supported by the Food and Drug Administration.
Dieting does not always mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are taking precautions as to what you eat. That means cooking with oils such as olive oil which has healthy fats and does not encourage fat accumulation. Of course animal fats should be avoided if possible.
Obesity is dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. For instance, obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem, because the general mass media pushes the image of the slim model as the ideal. Clothes are also hard to find and one has to shop at special stores. More health problems include sleep irregularities and the risk of a stroke.
How does diet help? Researchers and nutritionists report that there is a correlation between weight loss and dieting. Education is key. Reading the labels when shopping is recommended. There are some foods which have a higher calorie content than others and knowing this will put one in the right track. By education, we also mean that you should familiarize yourself with the food pyramid. You can easily access this at the food pyramid website which is supported by the Food and Drug Administration.
Dieting does not always mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are taking precautions as to what you eat. That means cooking with oils such as olive oil which has healthy fats and does not encourage fat accumulation. Of course animal fats should be avoided if possible.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Eating Healthy while Traveling
Some great ideas by: Isabel
It's difficult enough these days to maintain a healthy eating plan, let a long keep a healthy diet while traveling.
Traveling Healthy, these days I am no stranger to maintaining a healthy eating plan while being on the road. I do a good amount of traveling myself, and my clients and readers are asking me all the time:
“Isabel, I am always on the go. How can I stick to my healthy eating plan and still have a life?”
If your days really have you running around from work, to parties, to picking up kids all over the neighborhood, here are a few strategies that really do work:
1. Make your trunk your refrigerator.
OK, but not literally, but I have known many people (including myself) to keep a small cooler in their trunk at all times. They fill it with healthy goodies at the beginning of the day (raw nuts, fresh fruits and veggies, even hard boiled eggs) along with some ice packs and extra tupper ware (just in case) and they’re off for the day. At the end of the day, they empty whatever is left and the ice packs go back in the freezer for the next day. This is also a great way to keep your water bottles nice and cold and not warm from the car heat.
2. Make your supermarket your Fast Food stop.
Instead of a quick trip through the drive thru, run into the local supermarket and pick up an assortment of dried or fresh fruits, healthy trail mixes, fresh veggies and natural peanut or almond butter. Most supermarkets now have wonderful salad bars and prepared foods like grilled chicken and salmon (better than any fast food joint) and healthy sandwich options (be careful with certain condiments like mayo that may be added). Eliminate the fast food joints from your choices of “quick stops” and look for the hot spots in town that offer healthier options.
3. Be the bearer of good food.
When going to a barbecue or social event, always offer to bring something. I always bring something and that something is always healthy. I know, if nothing else, at least I’ve got that to eat, although all of my friends and family know why I do this. Even if you contribute the healthy and lean beef burgers or turkey burgers, this may deter you from the not-so healthy hot dogs and sausages. Or how about a colorful salad or fruit salad?
4. Find the healthy places all over the world.
Before I go on any trip, I go online and find the closest Whole Foods or Health Food Store. If there are none close by, I find a major supermarket. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy myself on vacation (like the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed down South) or when visiting family and friends, but I make sure that all healthy principles do NOT go out the window. I keep it healthy and have a great time! (not one or the other)
There are always great ways to maintain your healthy weight loss plans even if your life has you traveling and on the road quite a bit.
It's difficult enough these days to maintain a healthy eating plan, let a long keep a healthy diet while traveling.
Traveling Healthy, these days I am no stranger to maintaining a healthy eating plan while being on the road. I do a good amount of traveling myself, and my clients and readers are asking me all the time:
“Isabel, I am always on the go. How can I stick to my healthy eating plan and still have a life?”
If your days really have you running around from work, to parties, to picking up kids all over the neighborhood, here are a few strategies that really do work:
1. Make your trunk your refrigerator.
OK, but not literally, but I have known many people (including myself) to keep a small cooler in their trunk at all times. They fill it with healthy goodies at the beginning of the day (raw nuts, fresh fruits and veggies, even hard boiled eggs) along with some ice packs and extra tupper ware (just in case) and they’re off for the day. At the end of the day, they empty whatever is left and the ice packs go back in the freezer for the next day. This is also a great way to keep your water bottles nice and cold and not warm from the car heat.
2. Make your supermarket your Fast Food stop.
Instead of a quick trip through the drive thru, run into the local supermarket and pick up an assortment of dried or fresh fruits, healthy trail mixes, fresh veggies and natural peanut or almond butter. Most supermarkets now have wonderful salad bars and prepared foods like grilled chicken and salmon (better than any fast food joint) and healthy sandwich options (be careful with certain condiments like mayo that may be added). Eliminate the fast food joints from your choices of “quick stops” and look for the hot spots in town that offer healthier options.
3. Be the bearer of good food.
When going to a barbecue or social event, always offer to bring something. I always bring something and that something is always healthy. I know, if nothing else, at least I’ve got that to eat, although all of my friends and family know why I do this. Even if you contribute the healthy and lean beef burgers or turkey burgers, this may deter you from the not-so healthy hot dogs and sausages. Or how about a colorful salad or fruit salad?
4. Find the healthy places all over the world.
Before I go on any trip, I go online and find the closest Whole Foods or Health Food Store. If there are none close by, I find a major supermarket. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy myself on vacation (like the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed down South) or when visiting family and friends, but I make sure that all healthy principles do NOT go out the window. I keep it healthy and have a great time! (not one or the other)
There are always great ways to maintain your healthy weight loss plans even if your life has you traveling and on the road quite a bit.
Saturday 22 August 2009
Eat more and Do Less Cardio to Lose that Unwanted Weight
By Isabel
Is the above statement too good to be true? That’s what Rory DeLuca thought. The 42 year old New Jersey resident, husband and busy father of 3 couldn’t believe what I was telling him when he came to see me in January 2006. Like most people, after the holidays, Rory was frustrated with his increased weight and was even more frustrated that his previous “weight loss” efforts were not providing any results. He told me he was trying to eat less and run 4 miles every day, but every time he tried to stick to that routine, his back would hurt because of the running and he would end up starving at the end of the day. You can imagine his surprise when I told him that he would have to eat a lot more and do less cardio to achieve the results he was looking for.
Alternatives to Cardio are Healthy Now, 3 months later, Rory has lost a total of 30 pounds and 9 inches off his body. His back no longer hurts and he is not starving. He eats tons of food all day and exercises less than an hour 5 days a week. So what is the secret to his success? Three very important weight loss principles that we can all incorporate.
1. Rory started strength training 3x’s a week. The key here is Rory was doing the right kind of strength training for his weight loss goal. He was not going from one machine to the next, doing 3 sets of 10 reps on each one. His strength training routine incorporated exercises that used his whole body so his heart rate was up the whole time. Try doing 3 exercises, back to back, using only free weights, stability balls and your own body weight, and you’ll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. No sitting on a bench and chich chatting in this workout. We keep the intensity high the whole time and the workout is complete in 45 minutes.
Incorporating strength training and reducing the amount of aerobic cardiovascular training was integral to his success. The ONLY tissue in the body that burns fat is Muscle. So the more muscle you have in your body, the more fat you’re burning at any given time during the day. The amount of muscle you have in your body also greatly affects your metabolism. So someone with more muscle mass will have a higher metabolism (This is why most men can eat a lot more than women). For example, one pound of muscle in your body requires approximately 50 calories per day. So if I had two people, both weighing 150lbs, but one was comprised of 100lbs of muscle while the other was comprised of 120lbs of muscle, the one with the more muscle mass is burning more calories all day long. That means that this person can eat more during the day and still maintain their weight and will also have an easier time losing weight. Aerobic training does burn calories while you’re doing it, but it does not do anything to increase the amount of muscle in your body, thus it does not help you to continue to burn calories when you’re done
2. Rory only did aerobic cardiovascular exercise using interval training. This concept could encompass a whole article unto itself, but basically, your body becomes accustomed to anything that you expose it to for long periods of time. Aerobic cardiovascular exercise makes your body more efficient at burning fat. But that’s exactly what you don’t want (If your car was more efficient at burning gas, you’d use less of it). Same with your body. If your body becomes efficient at burning fat, you burn less of it for the same amount of work. So instead of burning 200 calories for your 2 mile run, you may burn 150 calories for the same distance in 2 months. So you’ll have to increase the distance and continue to do this, just to burn the same 200 calories. This can eventually turn into running for an hour just to burn the same number of calories! I don’t know about you, but this is exactly what I don’t want to do.
Interval training refers to a series of intense activity separated with short rest periods. You want to make sure that you are constantly changing the intensity of your cardio workout during the whole workout, alternating from high intensity to low intensity. So a typical workout on an elliptical machine would be 5 min warmup, 1 minute at a high intensity (level 9or 10), then 2 minutes at a lower intensity (level 3 or 4). You would repeat this 3 minute round 3 or 4 times, gradually increasing the intensities once you feel like it’s getting easy. Cool down for 5 minutes, and that is a total of 19-22 minutes of cardio, not 1 hour! Keep your body guessing the whole time and it will not become accustomed to the same cardio workout.
3. Rory ate a lot of food all day long. Rory couldn’t believe his meal plan when I laid it out for him. He was going to be eating more than he was currently eating and couldn’t believe this was actually going to help him lose weight. The biggest difference would be what foods he would be choosing. Every meal was comprised of a healthy protein, carbohydrate and good fat. Lots of eggs (whole organic eggs, not whites), poultry, meat, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, olive oil, and raw nuts and nut butters. In order for his body to burn fat, it had to believe it wasn’t starving and the only way to do that was to feed it well.
So what can you do to achieve the same great results?
1. Incorporate both a good strength training routine and interval cardio routine to your workout regimen. Don’t just do one all the time. Your body needs muscle to keep your metabolism high, and it also needs cardio to keep your heart strong, so find a good balance between the two.
2. Incorporate a strength training routine that focuses on whole body movements. No sitting on machines, please. Unless you are rehabilitating an injury, you want to keep your body moving the whole time. What do you think burns more calories, a squat with a shoulder press combination or sitting on a leg press? Just try to squat and raise your arms overhead a few times and you’ll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. Keep your body moving through the whole workout and you’ll be sweating just as much as during your cardio.
3. Eat consistently throughout the day. We’ve all heard it before: Eat five meals a day to lose weight. Well, guess what? It works, as long as those meals incorporate healthy food. Eat a protein with each meal. That is the biggest mistake I see. People are not feeding their muscles with enough protein. Remember, you want to keep your metabolism cranking all day and the best way to do that is to feed your body and to keep your muscle mass high.
Hopefully, this will help you to reduce those countless hours on the treadmill and stop starving yourself to lose a few pounds. I don’t know about you but if eating all day and doing less cardio is going to keep me at a healthy weight and in shape, I say AMEN to that!
Is the above statement too good to be true? That’s what Rory DeLuca thought. The 42 year old New Jersey resident, husband and busy father of 3 couldn’t believe what I was telling him when he came to see me in January 2006. Like most people, after the holidays, Rory was frustrated with his increased weight and was even more frustrated that his previous “weight loss” efforts were not providing any results. He told me he was trying to eat less and run 4 miles every day, but every time he tried to stick to that routine, his back would hurt because of the running and he would end up starving at the end of the day. You can imagine his surprise when I told him that he would have to eat a lot more and do less cardio to achieve the results he was looking for.
Alternatives to Cardio are Healthy Now, 3 months later, Rory has lost a total of 30 pounds and 9 inches off his body. His back no longer hurts and he is not starving. He eats tons of food all day and exercises less than an hour 5 days a week. So what is the secret to his success? Three very important weight loss principles that we can all incorporate.
1. Rory started strength training 3x’s a week. The key here is Rory was doing the right kind of strength training for his weight loss goal. He was not going from one machine to the next, doing 3 sets of 10 reps on each one. His strength training routine incorporated exercises that used his whole body so his heart rate was up the whole time. Try doing 3 exercises, back to back, using only free weights, stability balls and your own body weight, and you’ll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. No sitting on a bench and chich chatting in this workout. We keep the intensity high the whole time and the workout is complete in 45 minutes.
Incorporating strength training and reducing the amount of aerobic cardiovascular training was integral to his success. The ONLY tissue in the body that burns fat is Muscle. So the more muscle you have in your body, the more fat you’re burning at any given time during the day. The amount of muscle you have in your body also greatly affects your metabolism. So someone with more muscle mass will have a higher metabolism (This is why most men can eat a lot more than women). For example, one pound of muscle in your body requires approximately 50 calories per day. So if I had two people, both weighing 150lbs, but one was comprised of 100lbs of muscle while the other was comprised of 120lbs of muscle, the one with the more muscle mass is burning more calories all day long. That means that this person can eat more during the day and still maintain their weight and will also have an easier time losing weight. Aerobic training does burn calories while you’re doing it, but it does not do anything to increase the amount of muscle in your body, thus it does not help you to continue to burn calories when you’re done
2. Rory only did aerobic cardiovascular exercise using interval training. This concept could encompass a whole article unto itself, but basically, your body becomes accustomed to anything that you expose it to for long periods of time. Aerobic cardiovascular exercise makes your body more efficient at burning fat. But that’s exactly what you don’t want (If your car was more efficient at burning gas, you’d use less of it). Same with your body. If your body becomes efficient at burning fat, you burn less of it for the same amount of work. So instead of burning 200 calories for your 2 mile run, you may burn 150 calories for the same distance in 2 months. So you’ll have to increase the distance and continue to do this, just to burn the same 200 calories. This can eventually turn into running for an hour just to burn the same number of calories! I don’t know about you, but this is exactly what I don’t want to do.
Interval training refers to a series of intense activity separated with short rest periods. You want to make sure that you are constantly changing the intensity of your cardio workout during the whole workout, alternating from high intensity to low intensity. So a typical workout on an elliptical machine would be 5 min warmup, 1 minute at a high intensity (level 9or 10), then 2 minutes at a lower intensity (level 3 or 4). You would repeat this 3 minute round 3 or 4 times, gradually increasing the intensities once you feel like it’s getting easy. Cool down for 5 minutes, and that is a total of 19-22 minutes of cardio, not 1 hour! Keep your body guessing the whole time and it will not become accustomed to the same cardio workout.
3. Rory ate a lot of food all day long. Rory couldn’t believe his meal plan when I laid it out for him. He was going to be eating more than he was currently eating and couldn’t believe this was actually going to help him lose weight. The biggest difference would be what foods he would be choosing. Every meal was comprised of a healthy protein, carbohydrate and good fat. Lots of eggs (whole organic eggs, not whites), poultry, meat, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, olive oil, and raw nuts and nut butters. In order for his body to burn fat, it had to believe it wasn’t starving and the only way to do that was to feed it well.
So what can you do to achieve the same great results?
1. Incorporate both a good strength training routine and interval cardio routine to your workout regimen. Don’t just do one all the time. Your body needs muscle to keep your metabolism high, and it also needs cardio to keep your heart strong, so find a good balance between the two.
2. Incorporate a strength training routine that focuses on whole body movements. No sitting on machines, please. Unless you are rehabilitating an injury, you want to keep your body moving the whole time. What do you think burns more calories, a squat with a shoulder press combination or sitting on a leg press? Just try to squat and raise your arms overhead a few times and you’ll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. Keep your body moving through the whole workout and you’ll be sweating just as much as during your cardio.
3. Eat consistently throughout the day. We’ve all heard it before: Eat five meals a day to lose weight. Well, guess what? It works, as long as those meals incorporate healthy food. Eat a protein with each meal. That is the biggest mistake I see. People are not feeding their muscles with enough protein. Remember, you want to keep your metabolism cranking all day and the best way to do that is to feed your body and to keep your muscle mass high.
Hopefully, this will help you to reduce those countless hours on the treadmill and stop starving yourself to lose a few pounds. I don’t know about you but if eating all day and doing less cardio is going to keep me at a healthy weight and in shape, I say AMEN to that!
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