Burn Fat Build Muscles

Want Total Fitness and Fat Loss? Try Cross Training

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:56:00 +0000

When people think of fitness and fat they usually don't think of these things correctly. Especially the fat part of the equation. You can have your weight just about perfect for your height, but that doesn't mean you are fit and not fat. It is the fat content of your weight that decides that. You might have 20% body fat and less muscle. This means you are overweight. I will tell you how cross training can reverse those numbers.

Now, some fat is needed for your body. It protects vital organs, insulation for
you when it is cold out, and can be burned by your body for energy when needed. So, a bit of fat is good. An excess amount of fat is very bad and can lead to many problems. Excess fat has been linked to diabetes (along with a bad diet), gout, high blood pressure, gallbladder issues, and worst of all, coronary artery disease and clogged arteries. This will lead to a major heart attack down the road.

One way to avoid excess fat is with a good diet, of course. Plenty of raw fruits and lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and lower fat content beef. You need the calories, in your diet, to burn for energy. As you get older you need a lesser amount of calories to function unless you are cross training or working out a lot. A rule of thumb is for every 3500 calories you take in, unless you burn it off, is worth a pound of fat. A Big Mac is almost a thousand calories. It won't take long to go way past 3500.

The only way to keep those pounds off is either to eat like a bird or exercise and workout to burn them. The more exercise, the more you can eat what you like. Exercise does not have to be this hard, painful, and sweaty experience. If you workout this way, you will not keep it up. It won't be fun and you will quit.

The answer to this exercise issue is cross training. It help keep exercise time fresh and not boring. It keeps you interested and having fun. You add some cross training exercises to your normal workout to keep it a bit diverse and fresh. If you are a lifter, cross training will help save on your muscles and possible muscle damage or injury by having you do something different and fun besides lifting weights.

The 3 most common cross training activities that people choose are swimming,brisk walking or jogging, and bicycling. I choose bike riding because I enjoy it, I can cover and see a lot of new territory, and it is low impact on the knee joints. To start, whatever one or ones you choose, you start at a certain distance and then extend that out as you get in better shape.

Cross training, like cardio training, builds up your endurance, your lungs, works your heart and makes it stronger, keeps the cholesterol out of your arteries, and it burns tons of calories.

After I ride, I treat myself to an ice cream or a couple of beers. I don't worry about the calories. Here are the 3 main benefits of cross training:

1. Increases your endurance,beneficial to your heart and lungs and arteries. It is also said that it increases your relaxation level lowering blood pressure too.

2. The muscles you do use depending on the form of cross training you do, strengthens them also. Gives you more definition of your muscles and helps you to lose fat and get leaner.

3. All the different methods of cross training are very low impact on your joints. They will cause very little if any aches, pains, or injuries.

In conclusion,cross training has so many benefits and no drawbacks at all. I incorporated it into my exercise routine and enjoy it quite a bit. I think you would also.

Thanks For Reading,
Scott

I hope you include cross training in your mens fitness workouts.

Fat Loss 101 - Believe That You Can

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:52:00 +0000

When you watch infomercials and see before and after pictures there is a disclaimer at the bottom that states 'results may vary' or 'results not typical'. This is because one of the three items was missing; commitment to make better choices, a technology that works, or a belief that you can. If you commit to making better choices and find a technology that works; then all that is missing is the belief that
you can.

I find the vast majority of people when looking for the best fat loss plans or best fat loss programs truly don't believe that they can change. Believing and wanting to change are two different things. It is easy to want. Saying I want to lose body fat is easy. Believing that you can is another. Everyone wants something very few ever get what they want.

It is not uncommon for someone to start a fat loss program with the best of intentions. They believe they can use will power to get them through the program. In reality will power only buys you a couple of days. In fact will power usually doesn't kick in until day three or four and quickly fads away between days eight and fourteen. Most fat loss programs target this two week window. The marketing is designed to feed upon the individuals emotional needs and achieve a fast result. The programs are designed to provide fast results to strengthen the belief that you can do it. Resolve gets tested. Excuses begin to arise. Distractions become obstacles. It is at this point that distinguishes those who can and those who won't succeed. It is the person who has a strong enough belief in themselves that will go on to be successful. The person that truly doesn't believe they will succeed will not. Think of the first two weeks on a fat loss program as a jump start to developing a habit. On average it takes 28 days to make a habit. It is going to be your belief that you can and your commitment to make better choices that will allow you to press on after will power is no longer the driving force.

There are hundreds of books and resources discussing the power of belief so I am not going to go into all the science and research. What I am going to tell you is that if you have doubt in yourself and you do not believe you can be successful you are selling yourself short and I truly believe you will never be happy or satisfied with who you are. Remember this quote "whether you think you can or can not, you are right".

When starting a fat loss program make sure it meets the criteria "A Technology that Works". If the program meets the criteria then it is up to you to bring a commitment to make better choices and a belief that you can. If all three are present you will succeed.

6 Great Tips for Fat Loss

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Exercise alone will not lead to fat loss. Exercise must be accompanied by sound nutrition. The success of any fat loss program is dependent not on the number of workouts you get per week, but the quality of food you eat. Support your fat loss efforts by incorporation the follow 6 Great Tips for Fat Loss.

1. Eat every 2-3 waking hours

It is important to focus on fueling the body for the results you
want. In the case of fat loss you will be looking to fuel the body every 2-3 waking hours. Use hunger as your guide. If your start the day off with a healthy breakfast you will find with in 2-3 hours you will be hungry again. This pattern will repeat through out the day as long as you are eating healthy foods. If you find yourself feeling hungry sooner then increase the protein intake for each meal. Don't confuse hunger with boredom. Often people with nothing to do will hunt through the kitchen in search of something to eat. Don't fall into this trap. Two tips to prevent you from falling into the trap: 1. find something to do, 2. drink water.

2. Don't count calories

Counting calories isn't fun. I do recommend food journaling as a means of keeping you accountable and knowledgeable about what you are eating, but it is not necessary to count the calories. The key is to adjust your mindset when it comes to portion sizes. Use visualization to help you determine portion sizes.

3. Don't drink you calories

Don't forget to account for the calories in drinks. Juices, coffees, teas and alcohol contain additional calories. If your goal is to lose fat; you need to be accountable for these hidden calories. The extra calories consumed in most beverages come from sweeteners. Sweeteners will impede the body's ability to burn fat.

4. Start the day with breakfast

Eating a healthy breakfast to start the day will start the day off on the right track. It gets the fat burning engine running. Skipping breakfast to save calories is a flawed strategy. People who skip breakfast, in an effort to save calories, are more likely to be famished by lunch time. Therefore, consuming more calories at lunch than they would have if they eaten breakfast.

5. Cheat once a week

Eating healthy is good for our bodies, but sometimes we need a mental break. It is okay to give into a craving from time to time. Give yourself permission to cheat on one meal per week. This concept allows you to post pone bad eating choices through out the week. So go ahead and choose one meal to indulge in your favorite foods.

6. Focus on single ingredient foods
Look at it this way: avoid processed foods. Nature has served man well for thousands of years. There is no need to venture far from the life giving foods that are naturally provided for us. Processed foods do more harm that good. Make a concerted effort to avoid them whenever possible.

Here are two examples of processed foods (comment below if you know what they are):
Item 1: Whole grain oats, modified corn starch, sugar, salt, tripotassium phosphate, wheat starch, vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness.

Item 2: mechanically separated turkey, turkey, water, sugar, salt, potassium lactate, natural smoke flavor (canola oil, natural smoke, natural flavoring), sodium diacetate, sodium phosphate, natural flavoring, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.

Integrate these six tips into your fat loss regimen and you will be well on your way to a leaner sexier you.

Some Weight Loss Tips to Lose The Extra Pounds

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:36:00 +0000

Want to lose those extra pounds? Well, you're not alone on your dilemma. According to the WHO website, obesity statistics worldwide have reached 1.4 billion in 2008 (adults), while around 40 million children aged no more than 5 years are found obese in 2010. Here are some healthy weight loss tips to shed those excess fats.

Watch what you eat.
This is probably the most common tip, but one that is constantly failed by many. If you
want to lose weight, it's important to take control of your diet and nutrition. Knowing how much calories you consume per day can be a bit tiresome at first, but the knowledge can help you a lot in the process. Keeping a food diary is ideal to take note of your daily food consumption - you'll be surprised with how much and what types of food you consume per day!

Make lifestyle changes.
Are you a couch potato, or you're simply too "tired" to do some physical work to exercise regularly? While weight loss diets may be effective for some time, you can't make the most of your weight loss plan if you keep on doing your unhealthy habits. Besides, diets are not the answer to your weight loss goal - they're very short-term to start with. Making changes on your lifestyle and daily habit is the key towards a healthier and more effective weight loss. Cut down on your fats, carbs, and calories (and make this your long-term goal from now on), and start incorporating workout programs (or alternative activities you can do) to continuously burn down fats or simply maintain your ideal weight.

Find or create your support group.
Sometimes, your own motivation and enthusiasm aren't enough to keep you going. Take a support buddy with you or join a group that also has the same goal as yours - to lose weight. Continuously updating and motivating each other to reduce weight and maintain healthy lifestyles can really help you a lot on your objective. You can even find some modern and highly effective tips shared by other people who face the same problem.

Should you go into weight loss supplements?
Weight loss supplements such as MuscleWerks D-Fine 8 are fine, to some extent. There are some reminders you have to keep in mind should you decide to take this route. First off, many of these products are effective, but that doesn't mean you need to depend entirely on their weight loss benefits.

If you continue on your unhealthy lifestyle and food consumption, the effects of these products are only temporary. Besides, they are just intended to supplement your nutrition plan, exercise program, and your lifestyle. Before you buy any product, make sure to check their effectiveness and reported disadvantages. Only go for government-approved products sold at reputable shops online or locally.

And of course, don't forget to consult with your GP to know if you are fit and safe to use such supplements.

Weight Loss and Hemorrhoids

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:29:00 +0000

Losing weight definitely can feel impossible at times. The motivation and dedication is always there to begin with, but unfortunately it seems to wane after a little while. What things make it easy for some people to lose weight and keep it off? What do they know about weight loss that you don't?

Get started on your weight loss journey by identifying what you want to achieve. Do you want to lower the likelihood of recurring hemorrhoids? Do you want to fit into your old skinny jeans? Do you want to achieve a
target weight? Is it your goal to raise your energy level and get in shape?

Make sure you keep track of your progress. Make sure you check your weight only once a week. If you weigh yourself too often, it can be a detriment to your self-esteem. Always try to write down everything that you consume in a food journal This should include any snacks and beverages. It may turn out that writing down what you are considering putting in your mouth can help you make a more positive and healthy choice.

Keep healthy snacks with you in case you get hungry during the day to prevent yourself from slipping up. If you haven't eaten all day, you can easily find yourself wandering into a fast food restaurant. Planning your meals out and packing a lunch will save you money and help trim your waistline.

Every successful and healthful weight loss plan combines reasonable exercise and a balanced eating plan. You will actually have more energy if you set aside time to exercise regularly every week. If the thought of a structured exercise regimen is a little daunting, think about an activity that you enjoy and go with that. Some fun and entertaining exercises that will help someone lose weight are walking with friends, learning how to salsa, or even just taking a hike.

When you have a kitchen full of tasty but unhealthy foods, it's hard to stop yourself from eating them. The healthier the foods you have available in your kitchen are, the more likely you are to choose them instead of sugar laden junk! Keep your kitchen filled with healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, and low-fat proteins. If you do not have junk food in your cupboards you will be less likely to over-induldge. If you eliminate junk food from your home and replace it with healthy food, you will cease making bad choices.

Enlist the aid of your friends and family members. Having many supportive people around will motivate you to keep going when you feel like quitting. Make sure there are people that you can talk to when you're worn out or having a hard time. Your support system can be a huge help all the way through your weight loss journey.

Healthy Weight Loss Programs

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:17:00 +0000

People who are overweight and want to lose those extra pounds are most likely in search of a plan or program to follow. However, healthy weight loss programs for losing weight differ, or should anyway, from some of the more, shall we say, spirited claims for losing weight.

There are so many weight loss programs out there, they have become trivialized. And a new fad diet seems to come along every day. Every form of media serves as
a marketing tool for the latest craze in weight loss or fitness. Truthfully, there are many good ones. There are also some that could be downright dangerous to your overall health.

Nothing beats common sense when choosing a program. That, and knowing yourself and what sort of changes you are willing to make. Most any good program will help an individual lose weight. The trick is sticking with the program. Remember, the process of losing weight should be about long term changes that keep the weight off for good and allow you to live a healthier life. If you go through some form of dietary torture for two months and lose 30 pounds, it is doubtful you will stick with that kind of radical change for long.

The best programs seem to be those that offer education, incremental and flexible changes in dietary consumption, varied exercise routines and long term goal setting. And, people need and want to understand the process their minds and bodies will undergo while making changes. Staying motivated is a huge issue, and the more educated a person is about nutrition and fitness or how well a particular program educates the consumer, the more likely the individual is to achieve their long term goals. This is not rocket science. It is just about being a cautious, well informed consumer.

Even among the many very good healthy weight loss programs out there, each one may have systems or variations that make them good for one person and not another. Gather as much information as you can on the program, study it, then decide if it fits you and your goals. Don't rely on someone else to influence your decision. Do the necessary research yourself. Get informed before jumping headfirst into a cloudy pool!

Most really good healthy weight loss programs have quite a bit of flexibility. It should not be too hard to find one that is right for you. As in almost all other areas, we know a great deal more today about nutrition, health and fitness. Know what you want to achieve, know what works best for you, be informed and then Go! Be happy!

The Best Fat Loss Diet - 3 Quick Fat Loss Tips + What is the Right and Systematic Fat Loss Program?

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:03:00 +0000

What is the best fat loss diet out there in the market? Let's take a look at the points that you should look for while you are searching for it. One of the main reasons why too many people get disappointed when they cannot find the best fat loss diet in the market today, is because they have not got good advice. They are also not going about their weight loss program in a right and
systematic way.

Many people spend half of their lives trying to get the weight off their bodies, until it becomes an obsession. They find themselves shedding weight and then suddenly they find themselves putting on weight yet once again. And then they have to go through the same procedure of shed weight, put on weight. This disappoints them so much that they stop their search for the best fat loss diet and decide to stay fat with all its accompanying health problems.

Nevertheless, there are many ways and methods in which you can lose weight properly, and these strategies have been scientifically researched and proven so they are definitely not scams. Some good weight loss programs have the best fat loss diet ideas, and these tips and tricks can be easily followed by anybody.

1. You need to exercise

Remember that any really good weight loss program is going to need you to exercise. Any program that says that you do not need to exercise, and you can lose plenty of weight, just by taking their medicine supplements, and miracle cures is definitely a scam. Regular 30 minute sessions, every day is going to show amazingly good results.

2. Get rid of all those extra calories

Of course, the best fat loss diet is going to make sure that you get rid of all those extra calories, and that weight has to be replaced by tough muscle. That can only be done by exercising. Make exercising a fun activity, because if you think that it is a chore which needs to be done, it is going to be extremely boring, because your mind is already made up against it. But if it is something you enjoy, you are going to enjoy doing more of this activity for weight loss.

3. Do not look for an excuse

If you happen to be a busy mom or a high-powered executive, you have no excuse not to lose weight, because you are too busy. There are 10 minute workout programs, which are interesting and amusing. So, your weight loss program should have plenty of these power exercises, which should not be a burden upon you.

Your best fat loss diet program should have a number of easy to make recipes, which should

be fast to cook and good to eat. A monotonous diet is definitely boring and nobody is going to enjoy eating the same old stuff every day. The cuisine should be varied, healthy, tasty, and best of all, should not leave you feeling hungry for more.

Your focus should be on staying healthy, and not in becoming as thin as a stick. Fashion ideas of "thin is beautiful"are causing a lot of eating disorders at the moment. Your job is to find an excellent diet program, which helps you to reduce weight and stay healthy, fit and fine!

If you have been struggling achieving your weight loss goals, you might want to switch things around for yourself.

Quicken Your Metabolism With the Best Diet Fat Loss Tip

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

If you stuck on your path of achieving your desired body then you must be looking for a good weight loss tip. I guess, you already read many tips related to fat loss and also tried many. But nothing works for you. Do not lose hope. There are other well known diet fat loss tips that you may not gone through. One of these will surely help you. So, let's take a look at
them.

How often do you eat?

Have you ever experimented with your eating habits? I mean do you eat larger meals at a time? Do not take this question lightly. This may be the hidden key to the door of success. If you eat large meals your metabolism functions slowly and you gain body fat. But if you eat smaller meals then your metabolism becomes faster. This is really good for your health. It gives you energy and helps in building muscle rather than adding fat.

So, take meal in smaller amounts throughout the day. This helps in burning calorie. Excess calories are one of the reasons behind overweight. Excess calories means that you are eating more than needed. It is better to take the same calorie throughout the day rather than taking at once. This is probably the easiest to do tip.

Besides dieting you should also do exercise. If you only eat frequently without any exercise then you will not be able to lose fat. Exercise and diet must work together to get the desired result. Exercising is one of the best diet fat loss tips. It helps in burning excess fat and building muscle.

Best Fat Loss Diet - Extreme Tips To Burn Fat Really Fast

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:58:00 +0000

Most diet plans would often require a degree of sacrifice in your part since it would require you to give up some things you love. It doesn't mean you have to skip all the best tasting dishes or deprive yourself of a meal. Contrary to some of the most popular practices, you don't have to suffer to lose weight. There are some moves from the best fat loss diet you have to simply make in order to reach your
goals easily.

1. Be picky when it comes to the ingredients. Some of the food items in dishes are not entirely bad since they can be loaded with the right nutrients too. It is also important for you to remember that not all fast are unhealthy. The same thing goes for cholesterol.

When you are buying ingredients, make it a point to look at the labels. Don't buy items that are high in trans and saturated fats. You should also put back items that are rich in sodium.

2. The best fat loss diet is not just about choosing what you should eat, but it is also about eating the right portion. Be strict to yourself during the first 6 weeks since you want your body to form good eating habits, after this period, you can reward yourself one delicious but sinful dish a week.

You have to make sure that you are going to eat a small portion. To make sure you'll do it, ask a friend to share it with you. Having a lot of options though they are in small portions can help you beat back psychological hunger.

3. Snacks are your friends. They will keep hunger pangs away for a few calories. Just make sure you will always have a wise choice within reach. Vegetable sticks are really popular, but they are unappealing to some people. Aside from them, you can try plain yogurt, air-popped popcorn and mixed nuts. You should obviously stay away from sodas, fruit drinks and alcohol.

The best fat loss diet is pretty manageable especially if you see the advantages to sticking with the healthiest choices.

The Best Weight Loss Workout At Home - Weight Loss Fitness and Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Keeping ourselves healthy is very important. It enables us to function well in our day-to-day activities. One way to keep ourselves healthy is keeping our bodies in shape by having regular exercise. But for other people going to the gym to have the best weight loss workout and exercise may become troublesome and time-consuming especially for our working mothers and
for people who are busy with work or study. Good to know, you do not need a gym or exercise materials to aim for a healthy body because even in our homes there are activities that you can do trim out that excess fats. Here is some of the best weight loss workout that you can do at home. These are simple fitness and exercises plan for workout at home, and doing this with some music on may even be enjoyable and fun.

Just keep on walking. Brisk walking is found to have positive effects on health and one of the best weight loss workout. It is so easy to do and a great fitness and exercises plan for workout at home.

You can roam around the house, or up and down the plight of stairs. You can do this while listening to your favorite song, in this way you will not be too bored doing this exercise. Remember that this is brisk walking and you have to feel you heart beats fast, sweat out but will not be out of breath. This fitness and exercises plan for workout at home only needs you for it to be done regularly. If you have a treadmill in your home, you can opt for that also. While watching your favorite television show, have your exercise on the treadmill and you won't know it that you're already having the best weight loss workout.

Another easy fitness and exercises plan for workout at home are crunches, pushups, and squats. These are best weight loss workout that you can do in one corner of your house. Good for abdominal, arms and leg muscles, you can do this by tens and alternately or whichever you like. If you are just starting your fitness and exercises plan for workout at home, do not strain yourself, go light with yourself and later on as you keep on doing the exercises regularly, your body will get used to it and eventually what you thought as an impossible exercise for you, will be executed while having fun at that.

Dancing is also one of the best weight loss workout. Lose weight and enjoy yourself as you sway to the music. Turn the volume up of the music and dance your hearts out. Anyways you are doing this fitness and exercises plan for workout at home, so you will not be seen and judged by others whether you are a good or not-so-good dancer. You can also watch some videos online which you can follow the easy steps, sweat out and burn fats. Best weight loss workout at home can never get this fun, especially if you have some dancing buddies.

Maintaining our health is our own responsibility, not that of the doctor's or by someone else. Whether you are a busy person, this should not be a reason for you to neglect your body. After all, health is wealth. Find the best weight loss work out that will fit to your lifestyle, not tomorrow but do it, now.

If you cannot do it in the gym, then utilize the fitness and exercises plan for workout at home. In the end, it will be you who decide, and it will be yourself and your family that will benefit.

Weight Loss Advice For Women Over 40

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:51:00 +0000

For some reason when women reach the age of 40, weight loss starts to become a lot harder. There are many reasons for this, but that does not mean that losing weight is impossible as you age. There are certain things you can do help you find success in weight loss and the following article will share some of those ideas. Continue reading to find out how you can lose weight if you are 40 or
over.

One thing that is very important for everyone when it comes to weight loss is sleep. Sleep is needed for many reasons. When you sleep you give your body and your mind time to rest and get ready for the following day. It is important that you sleep at least seven hours a night. Your body needs this time. Studies show that the decisions you make when you are fully rested are much better, and this also includes decisions pertaining to weight loss.

What you eat is very important to weight loss. Many women start fad diets hoping for weight loss. These fad diets do help you lose weight, but they do nothing towards keeping the weight off. You cannot eat a certain way for a short amount of time, lose the weight and then go back to your old way of eating. You must change your mindset about eating. Start to switch out your unhealthy foods for healthy foods. You must make a lifestyle change if you want to lose weight and keep it off. Start to eliminate the bad foods like fried foods, sugary foods, foods that are processed and anything else that is not healthy. Instead, eat foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, beans and whole grains. By changing your diet and eating proper portions of healthy foods, you will be much more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Along with healthy eating, it is also important to exercise. Exercise is not only good for weight loss, but it is crucial for overall health. Exercising will make you feel better mentally and physically. Aim to take part in cardiovascular exercise most days of the week for at least half an hour. Any exercise that gets your heart rate elevated and keeps it there is considered cardio. You can walk, run, dance, participate in sports, roller skate or any other activity that you enjoy. Along with cardio exercises, you also need to do strength training exercises. These exercises are good for your muscles. The amount of muscle mass you have affects the number of calories you burn while at rest. Any repetitive exercise with weights or using resistance will help you. Try to do strength training exercises a few times each week.

Best Weight Loss Advice You've Never Heard

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:15:00 +0000

9 "Oh, wow!" strategies to help you shed those pounds.

You’re ready to lose some weight. But you're tired of listening to all that stale, tried-and-true weight loss advice, like eating more vegetables, limiting portions, and exercising more.

Maybe what you need is a fresh idea or two. So WebMD asked diet experts to
come up with some lesser-known diet tips that could make the most jaded dieter drop that cookie and vow, "Oh wow! I'll try that today."

Here are nine diet tips you may not have not heard yet. Some involve different ways to eat, or adding certain foods to your diet. Others involve learning new behaviors or strategies to help you stay on track.

Weight Loss Tip No. 1: Variety Is Overrated

Who hasn't heard the advice to "just take a bite of everything" if you're at a buffet?
But as it turns out, variety doesn't deserve its good reputation, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago dietitian and author of The Flexitarian Diet.

"We know that variety makes you eat more," she says, citing several published studies and her own experience in counseling weight loss patients.

For example, researchers in France found that study participants ate more french fries when they were offered catsup and mayonnaise along with them. And when they were given the option of having cream or whipped cream with their brownies, they ate more than when the brownies were offered plain.

Other researchers have found that people who have been able to maintain weight loss tend to eat diets with limited variety.

Weight Loss Tip No. 2: Have Barley for Breakfast

"Barley is the new oatmeal," says Jackson Blatner.
Barley got its hunger-fighting reputation after Swedish researchers found that eating barley or rye kernels for breakfast kept blood sugar on an even keel. That's because the carbs in barley and rye kernels are "low glycemic index," meaning they raise blood sugar more slowly than some other carbohydrate foods. This helps you avoid a spike, and then a drop, in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling famished.

One caveat: "Buy hulled barely, not pearl barley," Jackson Blatner says. The Swedish researchers used minimally processed hull barley, and they can't vouch for the same effects for more processed forms, such as pearl barley.

Weight Loss Tip No. 3: Beef Up Your Lunch Salad

One of the most common mistakes dieters make is to eat a vegetable salad with little or no dressing for lunch, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, professor of nutrition at Boston University and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Then they are starving by mid-afternoon," she says.

A salad is a great choice, she says, if you add some protein and a little fat to help keep you feeling full longer.

Top your greens with a 3 oz piece of chicken breast, and you've added about 26 grams of protein but just 140 calories. Add about two tablespoons of light salad dressing, and your salad may be filling enough to get you through the 3 p.m. hunger slump without hitting the vending machine.

Weight Loss Tip No. 4: Stock Up on Frozen Vegetables

Sure, fresh vegetables are delicious and nutritious. But faced with the need to scrape a carrot, wash and slice a zucchini, or cut broccoli into florets, many of us say, "Too much trouble!" and reach for chips instead.

To make things easier, stock your freezer with frozen vegetables, Blake tells dieters.
"They are already clean, chopped and ready to cook in the microwave," she says. "It's like having Rachael Ray in the freezer."

An even better way to be sure you eat more vegetables: Cook the frozen veggies ahead of time. Microwave the whole bag of green beans, for instance. Then keep them in the refrigerator, ready to dump into canned soups, add to a salad, or just eat by the handful.

Weight Loss Tip No. 5: Make Yourself a Party Tray

The type of party tray Jackson Blatner is talking about is a big vegetable platter, maybe with some low-fat dip on the site -- the kind you put on the buffet for weight-conscious guests.

But this one is just for you and any interested family members. Keep it in the fridge at eye level, encouraging you to snack healthy and avoid the higher-calorie contents of your refrigerator.

Several studies have found that we tend to eat more when food is within easy reach. Secretaries who placed candy on their desks ate about 48% more than when the candy was 6 feet away, according to research by Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University.

Weight Loss Tip No. 6: Turn Down the Thermostat

Spending time in a chilly house -- about 61 degrees Fahrenheit -- may boost the fat-burning power of the "brown fat" in your body.

Brown fat is considered "good" fat, as opposed to regular or white fat, which stores calories and tends to accumulate. Researchers believe that lean people have more of the brown type of fat, and that the amount of brown fat a person has declines with age.

Scandinavian researchers found that exposure to these chilly temperatures boosted the metabolic rate of brown fat 15-fold, helping burn more calories.

But Jackson Blatner cautions not to expect too much: "It's not going to be any kind of a miracle," she says. And beware if you're the type who eats more when you feel cold.

Weight Loss Tip No. 7: Downsize Your Dinnerware

Experts say they've seen it again and again: The larger your plate, the more you're likely to put on it. So serving your meals on smaller plates can help you eat less.

But don't throw out those dinner plates, Blake suggests. Use the smaller, lunch-size plates to serve dinner, and use the dinner plates for salads.

Weight Loss Tip No. 8: Go Out for Treats

If you're the type who overdoes it on sweets and snacks, Jackson Blatner suggests, make yourself work a little for your favorite indulgences. Don't keep them in the house, but give yourself permission to go out and get them when you really need to.

Want a brownie? You have to go to the bakery. Craving a frozen yogurt? You must find the nearest frozen yogurt shop.

"The more hassle tasty treats are, the less likely you are to eat them," says Jackson Blatner, who does this herself and finds her sweets consumption has declined without making her feel deprived.

Weight Loss Tip No. 9: Try on Your Skinny Jeans Every Friday

Find a pair of pants that is tight, but not impossible to zip, Blake suggests to her weight loss patients. "Every Friday morning, try them on," she says.

Why Friday? Weekends are typically a tougher time to stay on diets, she says. And the Friday morning try-on will motivate you to watch your eating during the weekend.

"If they are loose, you will say to yourself 'I am making progress, I am staying on track during the weekend,''' she says.

And if they're snug? That will provide motivation to stick to your diet so they'll fit better next week, she says.

Guaranteed Weight Loss - 2 Exercises That Guarantee You'll Lose Weight Fast

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:03:00 +0000

Guaranteed weight loss with just 2 exercises? I guarantee you'll lose weight pretty fast if you do just these 2 exercises as outlined. It's not easy, but it's definitely not hard. As a bonus, it'll go by quick. Only minutes a day.

So if you're truly ready to lose weight, I got the answers for you.

Guaranteed weight loss exercises

1. Jumping on a mini-trampoline

This exercise is great for a few reasons. It's probably the best exercise for cell strengthening and rejuvenation. It's low impact. You can do it at home. It works the whole body. Finally, it gives you versatility on how to workout.

The versatility is key. The best way I've found to lose weight fast is by doing mini-workouts that train your metabolism to burn faster. The more often you do these mini-workouts, the more your body starts to increase it's metabolism permanently.

I do these mini-workouts by jumping on the trampoline during tv commercials. So instead of lying or sitting around waiting for the tv program to come back on, I make that time useful for me. Each 1 hour tv show has about 22 minutes of commercials. If you were to just watch 2 hours of tv each night, you'll get in an easy 44 minutes of cardio... 22 mini-sessions of 2 minute commercials.

This isn't hard, but it does require discipline. Within a week your metabolism will be working a lot faster and more efficient... allowing you to burn calories at an accelerated rate throughout the day.

2. Hindu Squats

This is a great exercise to work up a sweat with. Basically what you do is this... you squat up and down to the point where your fingers touch the ground, while you keep your back straight and slightly leaning forward. You keep a pretty fast pace of about 1 squat per second.

Your goal is to do at least 100 non-stop. Now, don't worry if you can't do that many or even come close to 100 at first. It'll take time. So just do this to begin with. Each day, do 100 hindu squats. That's it. You can do it in however many sets and reps you want. Just shoot for 100 repetitions total for the day.

Do these everyday. This will build up your endurance and lung capacity in a hurry... allowing for a greater efficiency of fat burning.

How much weight you lose depends on your dedication... but if you follow that outline above... you're guaranteed a weight loss.

If you're sick and tired of getting the same old boring and tired weight loss advice guaranteed to lose 10 pounds... you know, like "Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, exercise more, and blah blah blah"... then you found the right person. I'll make weight loss easy and enjoyable for you... AND NOT BORING!

How to Prepare a Weight Loss Plan

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Many of you on weight loss diets eat less in order to lose weight. It will definitely make you lose weight but unfortunately, you will not lose it permanently. As soon as you come off the diet and begin to eat normally again, the weight will start to creep in at an even faster pace and before you know, you'll be back on square one.

There is no such thing as a fast weight loss plan in which you will lose permanently. Yo yo diets, fad diets, one meal a day diets, low calorie diets only lead to one constant thing - and that's consistently losing out on energy you need to work and carry out daily chores. You start to feel lethargic and drained out. So it is important to remember the concept of
eating well for our body, mind and soul.

After all, the human body is like a machine... there is nothing magical about the way it works. It requires three things to keep it going: food, exercise and rest.

SUPPLYING THE RIGHT FUEL A lot of people avoid carbohydrate foods like bread, pasta and rice in the belief that they are fattening. But actually they are precisely the foods to be eaten - the source of energy.

Healthy eating and a balanced diet is the key to controlling your weight without losing energy. The body runs better on some fuels than others. Eg: Most of the Energy we use comes from carbohydrates. But the body actually prefers to use fat for energy and saves the carbohydrates to feed the brain.

So when the body has vast stores of fat that can be used, why is obesity such a problem?

Unfortunately, it is our today's lifestyles, diet, long hours of sitting work and lack of exercise which allows for fat built up in our bodies.

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT?

1) Decrease the caloric intake by 250 a day.

-Have complex carbohydrates which allow gradual release of energy and keeps your blood sugar levels constant so you don't suffer from sugar cravings, hunger and weakness.

-Stick to a low fat diet.

Fat has twice the calories of carbohydrates.

2) Increase your output or the energy used by 250 calories a day. -You can easily achieve this by 30 minutes of cycling or jogging or an hour's brisk walk.

-Remember - To burn your body fat, you must exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes each day.

Therefore, the key to lose body fat safely and permanently is a low fat diet relatively high in complex carbohydrates and protein combined with an appropriate exercise regime.

EAT YOUR BREAKFAST LIKE A KING To start off your day with a high carbohydrate meal is very important. It gives you the energy needed to perform as well as boosts your mental ability.

You can try the following:

-any high fiber cereal with no added sugar
-unsweetened muesli
-low fat yogurt and fruit
-wholemeal toast
-oatmeal porridge with fruits
-dried fruits like apricot, figs, prunes, dates
-English muffins or low fat bagels with no spread

Desk Job Jitters: Easy Ways To Avoid Over-Snacking

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:43:00 +0000

Work is a dangerous environment for your waist line. It is really easy to over eat and over snack
because you aren't moving around that much, your job is typically repetitive work and you sit all day.

Sound familiar? I bet at least part of that statement applies to you.

If it does, then these tips will give you some alternative snacks and some ways to keep you from over snacking.

1. First and foremost, always plan ahead and bring your own snacks. With a
little pre-planning you can take the guess work out of snacking and pick the most filling choices.

2. Eat a large healthy breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You require the most energy in the morning, so eat more food. You have all day to burn it off! NEVER skip breakfast! You set yourself up for failure automatically.

3. Leave your loose change at home and only carry big bills. This will keep you away from the horribly unhealthy vending

4. Stay consistent with your eating... eat 5-6 smaller meals a day. Trust me, once you start on this, you will never leave. Eating 6 small meals/snacks a day will boost your metabolism, keep your hunger under control and keep your energy levels high.

5. Keep a glass of water next to your desk. Drink it frequently. Hunger signals get mixed up with thirst signals. When you feel hungry, take a few big gulps of your water.

6. Keep hard peppermint candies in your desk- peppermint stimulates energy and soothes digestion. Make sure you suck on it and don't bite it!

7. Chew mint gum. Same principle as above. Keeps your mouth "occupied".

8. Try to stay as active as possible. You definitely don't want to be thinking about food all day!

9. Keep your stress levels under control... when in doubt, take a couple minutes, shut your eyes and breathe!

10. Don't give in to peer pressure. Believe it or not, when you stop eating junk food, everybody and their brother will start tempting you and trying to get you to break down. This is because they are feeling guilty because you have the will power to stop and they don't.

11. Drink healthy teas such as green tea, yerba mate, oolong teas, etc. These contain anti-oxidants and other nutrients designed to help you in your weight loss journey.

What are some great alternative snacks?

1. Apple slices and Almond Butter... yes I said almond butter. It's much healthier for you than peanut butter. It can also be found everywhere.

2. Celery and Almond Butter (Natural peanut butter, only if you can't find almond butter)

3. Raw veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, green peppers, carrots, snap peas, and hummus to dip them in.

4. Small handful of raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios

5. Healthy beef jerky or turkey jerky

6. A protein and fiber mixed drink... (1 scoop of whey protein, 1 scoop of fiber powder mixed in water and ice if you have a blender)

7. Any raw fruit or vegetable combined with a small handful of nuts.

8. Healthy, protein bars... be very careful with these because the majority are not healthy at all. Make sure that you know how to read ingredient labels.

Your goal for a snack is to balance your carb, protein and fat ratios so that it keeps your blood sugar hormones at bay. You want to avoid the blood sugar crash. Which sucks the energy right out of your body.

Like I mentioned earlier, the key to stop over-snacking at work is proper planning. Add these tips to your lifestyle and see what happens!

Top 3 Fat Loss Tips - So Simple You'll Kick Yourself When You Hear Them

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 23:22:00 +0000

More than ever people are becoming increasingly overwhelmed with information on fat loss and whatever the latest scientific research can conjure up. We are just constantly bombarded with conflicting information everywhere we look about 'our health and bodies'. We have never lived in
a more body-obsessed society than today.

Writing our top 3 fat loss tips was always going to be tough because we want to avoid adding to the 'noise' that is fast becoming the
overwhelming BS spilling out of the mainstream media and so called fitness experts.

What's more, because of all the conflicting information people are just more confused than ever before. Just when we think we have a firm grasp on what works for fat loss we're hit with the next big craze sweeping the western world.

In a latest comment made by Thomas Plumber (Health and Fitness business entrepreneur) he said that in all his 33 years in the health and fitness industry, this profession has moved on more in the past 3 years than it had done in the previous 30years.

Scary thought really and is one of the reasons the general public just can't keep up.

So the last thing we want to do is add to that noise that you hear every day. Instead we are going to give you real, honest, common sense, zero BS advice.

The information that we are going to give you has taken us 10years to compile. It's that effective, that every time we coach a client we are using these 3 things sometimes in various formats but still using the same foundations.

We prefer to break the information down into 3 categories.

1) Motivational Mindset,

2) Optimal Nutrition

3) Effective Exercise

And when used in that order they are the most effective. Like baking a cake, the ingredients must be exact to the recipe otherwise it won't turn out the way you want it to.
We are going to give you the most advanced, effective and cutting edge pieces of advice, holding nothing back.

Here we go...

1) Motivation Mindset

This is hands down the biggest fat loss tool you must master to stand any chance of getting the body you desire and ultimately feel how you want to feel (whatever that maybe).
Without the correct mindset there is no real purpose behind eating healthier and exercising. Without it, it's just a waste of time.

Why?

1) You'll either not stick to, because when the going gets tough and shit happens in your life your health will go to the back of your priority list.

2) You'll not give as much to your program as you need to because you won't know your WHY?
Every week we ask our clients when they come to the studio... Why are you here? This question is to provoke an answer and get into their heads why they are working out in the first place.

This is huge; just imagine going into every single workout and knowing exactly what your goal and purpose is? Those that know the goal give more and achieve more... FACT.

So Tip number one... Get a purpose. Set a goal. We're not talking about wanting to drop 20lbs. That goal is far too vague. You need REAL aims and feelings to back up your goal/s.

How you wish to feel will always be stronger than how you want to look. You could drop 20lbs but if you're still unhappy with your body then that won't make a blind bit of difference to you.

However if you wish to feel healthy, strong, happy, in control of your lifestyle and body then these are far more personal to you. All you have to do is match a goal with how you want to
feel. For example if you want to feel 'happy' what would make you happy?

As well as your goal you must have self-belief and 'actually' believe you can achieve them. There's NO POINT in setting goals that you don't truly believe you can achieve.

You need to whole heartedly believe that you can achieve your goal and that nothing will stand in your way.

2) Optimum Nutrition

Nutrition is the minefield of fat loss. One expert says one thing and another says something completely contradictory.

For effective fat loss when it comes to nutrition the rule of thumb is to control our blood sugars levels and avoid insulin spikes.

Insulin spikes are caused when we consume too much sugar at one time, e.g. when we consume more than 5grames of sugar per serving. Our body has to deal with this and releases a ton of insulin transporting all this sugar now in the form of glucose to our body's cells to be used as energy.

However over time our cells reject this glucose because prolonged exposure to too much glucose causes us to become insulin sensitive therefore the excess glucose is turned to fat and stored.

Another kicker is that the more excess insulin you produce due to a high sugar diet or consuming fake sugar like aspartame found in diet drinks and low fat foods, the excess insulin is turned into fat as well. Also resulting in lowering your blood sugars levels making you crave MORE sugar, and the cycle continues.

There really is no getting away from it!

Aim to avoid or reduce low fat foods that contain high sugar servings, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, pastries, chocolate, milk, cream, alcohol, diet drinks, fizzy drinks, cordial juices, fruit juices, biscuits, raw sugar and dressings. Remember if it contains more than 5grams of sugar per serving... Get rid.

Opt for more wholesome natural foods such as: Rye bread, oats, grains, legumes, vegetables, quinoa, coconut milk & oil, raw honey, full fat natural biolive yogurt, blue berries, raspberries and black berries etc.

3) Effective Exercise

All exercise is NOT created equal!!

If you really want fat loss results you need to boost your body's energy requirement.
Resistance training is the most effective way to burn fat because when done correctly at a high enough intensity it will release something called cartomine. Cartomine is like the passport control for your muscles; the more of it that is present in your muscles the quicker fat can pass through and be burned as fuel.

An added benefit is that resistance training increase's metabolic rate, which is the rate your body burns calories. The quicker your metabolic rate the MORE energy your body requires.

Pair this with a balanced healthy eating plan and your body will need more energy, thus taking it from your fat stores.

To produce an effective enough intensity level we recommend you do superset set resistance training.

So a workout of: 45 seconds of squats, followed by 45 sec of push-ups is very effective. You reduce the recovery period down and up the intensity level. You could also do HIIT Training (High Intensity Interval Training) at the end of your resistance training i.e. 20seconds of sprints followed by a 20sec rest and repeat for up to 4-5minutes.

So there you have it, 3 of our top fat loss tips to help you finally wade through the vast amount of information out there and achieve fat loss results beyond anything you will have experienced before.

Mindset - Set believable, feeling orientated REAL goals that mean something to you.
Nutrition - Cut out or dramatically reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates for maximum effects on for fat loss.

Effective Exercise - All exercise is not created equal. Complete Superset resistance training exercise to increase metabolic rate and burn fat.

To make all of the 3 above more effective we suggest seeking out the professional support and motivation of a coach with the same principles in your area.

There is no secret pill, magic potion or underground fat loss advice; it just comes down to science, principles and common sense.

To your Health and Happiness

David Wilkinson and Helenlee Whalley

Five Great Muscle Building Foods

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:45:00 +0000

Here are some great muscle building foods. Try them and you will find that investing a few minutes in the kitchen is equally important to develop muscles.

TOAST WITH AVOCADO

With this recipe you will start the day right and
helps beat mid-morning hunger.
INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons mustard.
2 slices whole wheat toast.
1/2 avocado, peeled, sliced.
1/2 thinly sliced tomatoes.
1 teaspoon of oil
extra virgin olive.
4 leaves of fresh basil chopped.
1/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed.
Salt and pepper to taste.

HOWTO PREPARE:

Spread the toast with mustard and top with slices of avocado and tomato. Drizzle with oil. Add the basil and flax, and salt & pepper to taste.

Nutritional content per serving: 394 calories, protein 11g carbohydrate 44g 21g of fat (2.5 g saturated) 14g of fiber, 112mg of sodium.

TUNA SALAD AND CELERY

With its generous protein content, tuna is the perfect snack between breakfast and lunch.
INGREDIENTS:

2 cans of light tuna is low in salt.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
1/4 cup chopped onion and apple.
2 tablespoons plain yogurt.
Ground black pepper to taste.
Celery 14 washed.

HOW TO PREPARE:

Drain the tuna and pour into a bowl. Add vinegar, onion, apple, yogurt and pepper. Fill celery stalks with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to eat. Makes seven portions.

Nutritional content per serving: 50 calories, protein 7g, 4g carbohydrates, 1g fats (saturated 0g) 2g fiber, 80mg sodium.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Tasty morsels of meat that bring a huge dose of protein.
INGREDIENTS:

4 peppers (green, yellow or red).
1/4 teaspoon of extra virgin olive.
1 lb of lean beef.
1 egg white.
1/2 cup chopped onion.

2 tablespoons canned corn.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
Pinch of ground black pepper.
3/4 cup tomato sauce.
1 teaspoon of sauce
horseradish (optional).

HOW TO PREPARE:

Heat oven to 375° F and bgin beheading and cleaning peppers. Then drizzle with oil on the outside. In a large bowl, pour the meat, corn, egg, onion, parsley, black pepper and a third of the tomato sauce. Mix well. Place the peppers on the tray (cut side up) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven. Mix remaining tomato sauce with horseradish and sprinkle the peppers. Let 10 minutes. You will have four servings.

Nutritional content per serving: 217 calories, protein 27g, carbohydrate 16g, 6g of fat (saturated 2g) 4g fiber, 96mg sodium.

ROASTED NUTS

This mixture is the perfect home for mid afternoon. It has it all: healthy fats, proteins and antioxidants.
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of unsalted almonds.
2 cups unsalted pecans items.
1 cup unsalted nuts games.
1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper.
2 teaspoons dried rosemary.
2 teaspoons dried oregano.
2 teaspoons of paprika.
2 teaspoons ground black pepper.
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
2 tablespoons olive oil.

HOW TO PREPARE:

Heat oven to 300° F. Meanwhile, pour the nuts and herbs in a bowl and mix. Add the oil, spoonful by spoonful, and stir well. Spread the mixture on a baking plate in an even layer. Let it cook for half an hour or until golden. A tip: remove it from time to time so that the nuts are evenly toasted. After removing from oven, let the mixture cool before storing in an airtight container. Makes 20 servings.
Nutrient content (1/4 cup): 240 calories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 6g, 24g of fat (2g saturated), 59mg sodium.

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

There is evidence that eating protein before training favors muscle growth. You know, do not skip the snack.
INGREDIENTS:

1 stalk of chopped celery.
1 tablespoon chopped onion.
1 tablespoon pine nuts.
1 teaspoon (but generous) hot mustard.
1 teaspoon of fat free sour cream.
1 teaspoon of yogurt.
Pinch of ground black pepper.
2 chicken breasts shredded.
4 slices of bread.
2 large lettuce leaves.

HOW TO PREPARE:

In a large bowl,mustard, combine the celery, pine nuts,onion, sour cream, pepper and yogurt. Divide the mixture on two slices of whole wheat bread. Top with lettuce. Note that you will have two servings

Nutritional content per serving: 267 calories, protein 28g, 31g carbohydrate, 5.5 g of fat (saturated 0g), 11g of fiber, 410mg of sodium

These muscle building foods are fantastic for packing on pounds of muscle. it is important that you supplement your long hours in the gym with the right nutrition. Follow these recipes and you will see better muscle building results in no time

Best Muscle Building Tip

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:38:00 +0000

Muscle building is all about the right weight training and correct diet. With proper training, even a skinny person can flex his muscles within a few months. Muscle building is not only about looking great, but it is also about healthy living.

Muscle building improves the metabolism rate of the body naturally, thereby boosting your calorie expenditure even while you are resting. Moreover, strong muscles are good for
the bones, joints and spines. Risk of
injuries can be minimized by increasing muscle mass.

Tips for Building Muscles

Increase Calorie Intake

You cannot build muscles without gaining weight. Hence, you have to shed all inhibitions of overeating. Your muscle mass will increase only when your total energy expenditure is less than your total calorie intake. Adding calorie dense foods to the daily diet will help to meet your enhanced calorie requirement. However, while adding calories to you daily diet make sure you are not increasing consumption of saturated fat. Divide your daily calorie requirement into six meals.

Eat More Protein

In addition to increasing your daily calorie intake, consume sufficient amount of healthy protein each day. Your muscles can grow only with increase in protein synthesis. The higher is the protein reserve in the body, the larger will be the size of the muscles. Apart from muscle building, protein is also needed for numerous other activities of the body. To make sure that sufficient protein is available for muscle building, you must consume maximum amount of protein. For each pound of your body weight, you need about a gram of protein to build muscles. Lean meat, chicken, eggs, milk and dairy are the best forms of proteins that can be included in your muscle building diet.

Weight Lifting

After balancing your daily calorie requirement, it is time to build muscles through weight training.

Weight lifting helps to increase the size of the muscles and facilitates fat burning. Weight with which you can complete not more than 6 to 8 reps smoothly is appropriate for muscle building. As your body becomes conditioned to weight lifting, you will start gaining muscles gradually by lifting heavier weights.

Target the large muscle groups

To increase muscle synthesis, work the muscles of the chest, legs and back, the large muscle groups of the body.

Lift Every Alternate Day

Muscle synthesis occurs while you are resting after weight lifting session. Full body workouts every alternate day is usually recommended for best result.

Night Munchers Beware: 12 Strategies To Stop Late Night Eating

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:13:00 +0000

The late night snack... diet killer...instant weight gainer... weight loss program sabotager... we become our own worst enemy at night.

Why do you not want to snack at night? Mainly because you are going right to bed and everything that you will be eating will be stored as fat. Basically what I'm trying to tell you is whatever you eat at night will go straight to your butt, thighs and
belly fat pretty much instantly. I know that is definitely not what you want!

Your body doesn't need energy at night so it's gonna do the next best thing... store it for later!

It's easy to control your diet during the day, but as soon as evening turns into night, you turn into a night munching machine. Looking for that perfect snack that will satisfy your endless craving. This type of snacking will completely ruin a perfect day of dieting if you don't learn to deal with it.

So why do we get the munchies late at night? This isn't an easy question to answer because there are multiple reasons:

So why do we get the munchies late at night?
This isn't an easy question to answer because there are
multiple reasons:

You are bored
You are lonely
You are trying to satisfy your sweet tooth
You have a habit of eating while you watch TV
You are studying/reading

So how in the world do we break this habit?

According to various weight loss authors, it takes 8-9 days to break this habit. Once broken, late night eating will diminish about 75% of the time.

Here is a list of strategies that will help you to curb your late night eating:

1. This is the easiest tip... Wait 15 minutes. If you start craving ben and jerry's ice cream, wait 15 minutes. It takes about that much time for the temptation to go away. If you still have the craving, move on to step 2

2. Drink a cup or two of water. We will often confuse thirst with hunger.

3. Suck on hard mints. Hard candy is low calorie and peppermint helps to energize the body and sooth digestion.

4. Brush your teeth: This is a great strategy because the last thing that you want to do is to eat after you have brushed your teeth.

5. Drink Herbal Tea: Drink Chamomile tea or peppermint tea before you go to bed. These are soothing and relaxing for the body.

6. Do something to occupy your hands: Paint your nails, play video games, knit, keep your hands busy and you can find off the urge to night munch.

7. Burn sweet smelling candles: Research shows that inhaling their aroma can curb your late night cravings and fool your hunger.

8. Treat yourself to a soothing bath.

9. Remove unhealthy snacks out of your house. I do this one. You eventually get tired of looking and just go without :-)

10. Eat healthy snacks before bed. Some examples are raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red peppers and hummus together as a snack. Make sure that you add a bit of protein or a small amount of fat ( A small handful of raw almonds is a perfect combo of fat and protein) , You can also make a protein and fiber shake.( A scoop of healthy whey protein and a scoop of fiber powder mixed in water and ice if you want. )

11. Eat 6 small meals at regular intervals. Eating small meals throughout the day will help burn more fat and keep your appetite under control by leveling your blood sugar. Your metabolism will also get a boost.

12. Last but not least, Use Emotional Freedom Technique to stop your food cravings. This powerful technique is cheap and easy to learn. You can go here for more information:

http://products.mercola.com/eft-try-it-on-everything/?aid=CD423

For best results, starting adding one of these strategies a week and really make it part of your lifestyle. Soon, you will be able to kiss the late night munchies good bye!

My Top 3 Fat Loss Tips

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:19:00 +0000

There are so many guides, tips and articles out there regarding fat loss that I wanted to try to clear some things up as best I could.

I have tried to cut away at any unnecessary info and give real basic, and I mean bottom line basic info that is essential. There are many other factors involved in fat loss, for example I haven't even mentioned exercise, I simply want people to
grasp the basics before moving on. Obviously exercise is fantastic but even that is not entirely essential to drop fat (can of worms here but it's not).

So in my humble opinion, here are my three top tips to starting to shift the fat.

1. Calories in vs calories out.

Ultimately the very, very bottom line when it comes to fat loss is calories in vs calories out. You must create a calorie deficit!

If you are unsure what a deficit is, imagine you run a business. Your income each month is £1000 and your out goings each month are £2000, that leaves you with a deficit of £1000 and you are losing money.

The same applies to your body. Your metabolism describes the rate at which your body burns calories, if your daily metabolism, known as BMR, is, let's say 2500kcals (calories) and you only consume 2000kcals each day then you have created a 500kcal deficit. This means you will lose "weight".

Now "weight" is a very unspecific term, this can include anything from muscle, fat, water and your internal organs. So while a calorie deficit is vital it is however not the only thing that matters, if you want "fat" loss rather than purely "weight" loss then the quality of those calories taken in matters very much.

2. Quality of calories.

As mentioned, this is a bare essential, no frills guide. I do not want to confuse you further; I instead want to cut away the unnecessary and instead only focus on the essential.

There is a long winded, ongoing debate in the fitness industry to decide "Are all calories equal?"
What this means is, is a gram of sugar the same as a gram of rice and so on, or are the better quality calories more beneficial.

While you probably feel the answer is obvious it is not actually as clear cut as you think. As mentioned above, if you have a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Therefore if you ate 2000kcals of rice crispies and burned off 2500kcals each day, you would in fact lose "weight".

So what's the issue?

The problem lies in the nutrient content in the food you choose, if say for example you eat 200g of carbohydrate from rice, potato, vegetables etc you are getting way more nutrients than you would from the same amount of rice crispies or pop tarts.

This lack of nutrients in the long run will leave you malnourished and will also lead to muscle loss as the sugary carb choices do not contain amino acids and other nutrients that are found in rice etc.

If you do this and you do lose muscle, you now make fat loss even more difficult, as muscle is the bodies most efficient fat burner. You will also develop a body know as "skinny fat" this is where you lose muscle and fat at the same time and instead of becoming lean, you in fact look just as overweight, only slightly smaller. Basically you will be a clothes size smaller but still not look better naked.

So a calorie deficit is essential but quality of those calories does matter.

3. Cheat

Many people start "diets" and convince themselves they must live like monks, they will not touch or look at another sweet ever again!

Two days later you've ate a packet, your diet is over and you'll start again next Monday, because you can't start a diet on a Wednesday can you?

The crazy thing about this scenario is that the sweets you have just eaten probably actually benefitted you!

As mentioned it part one, you need a calorie deficit, this deficit over a prolonged period however causes a drop in a hormone called Leptin.

If you don't know about Leptin, this hormone helps regulate your appetite and controls your metabolic rate, remember this is the amount of calories you burn each day. More Leptin equals more calories or fat burned lower appetite. Less Leptin and the opposite occurs, increased appetite and reduced fat burning.

This explains why, when on a crazy restrictive diet you will get hungrier and hungrier each day until you eventually pig out.

So what's the solution?

To combat this a re-feed is needed, otherwise known as a cheat meal.
Keep in mind that out of the all macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein) Carbohydrate causes the greatest increase in leptin. So in fact, that pizza, or pack of sweets you ate has actually boosted your leptin levels, meaning fat burning will speed up and appetite will drop.

No need to self destruct after all!

To summarise then, keep things very simple, eat less than you burn off, choose good nutrient dense food and once per week have one meal of absolutely anything you fancy.

As mentioned there are so many more variants involved in the fat loss process but if you get these three in check you will give yourself a great foundation to start seeing noticeable changes in your body.

The Top Fat Loss Secret Everybody Should Know Before Starting A Fat Loss Program

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:06:00 +0000

When you think about the number one top fat loss secret, you might be thinking about a certain way of training or miracle foods that promote astonishing results. However, the secret is really about learning what works best for your body transformation and being consistent in your weight loss endeavor. There is a common ground that everyone shares when trying to
lose fat. This article will cover the four most effective secrets.

Top Fat Loss Secret #1 - Snacks

Choices... Eating snacks is necessary for weight loss. But the choices you make in selecting those snacks will determine the outcome of your results for weight loss. When deciding what to snack on, you should consider what would be a healthier choice, a candy bar or a carrot. Making the right choices for your snacks is a top fat loss secret that will have you seeing great results.

Here are some unhealthy snacks that most people fall victim...

Chips
Cookies
Pastries
Pop tarts
Candy
Chocolate
Pretzels.

These kinds of snacks will spike your insulin level and will shut down the fat burning process in your body. Unhealthy snacks like these are high in simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates raise your blood pressure and are stored in the body, either in your muscles or as fat.

When your body stores carbohydrates as fat, it will not be able to burn fat. Therefore, these types of snacks should be eliminated from your diet. Eat fruits or vegetables instead. This top fat loss secret can help you with your hunger cravings as well. Since vegetables and fruit contain a lot of fiber, you will feel full longer than with junk food.

Top Fat Loss Secret #2 - The Power Of Planning

Planning is the number one top fat loss secret that can make or break your success. Not only should you plan your fat loss lifestyle, you have to stick with it. Here are several key areas of fat loss you should plan...

Diet
Exercise
Rest

Planning Your Diet will take knowledge of what foods will promote weight loss and the time you should eat those foods for the best results. Some people prefer to cook all their meals first thing in the morning so they don't have to spend time in the kitchen later. Since diet is 80 percent of your weight loss success, you will see great results by consuming the right kind of food which will promote fat loss.

Planning Your Exercise is also important to weight loss. Having a planned exercise routine to follow will increase your fat loss results and keep you focused on your goals. Think of your plan as a map of where you started, where you are and where you want to go.

Planning Your Rest is an important area you should not ignore. Make sure you give your body plenty of time to recuperate after an intense workout. Sleeping is a big part of weight loss. Here is one of the reasons, natural human growth hormones are released when you are in REM Sleep. This is powerful for fat burning and building muscle.

Top Fat Loss Secret #3 - Find a Good Fat Loss Program

This will take a little bit of research and time. Finding a fat loss program that works is not something that has to be done in order to lose fat. However, it certainly will speed up the process when you have a good program to follow by taking all the guessing out of the equation.

One helpful tip to know if a program might be a scam is, If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if they are offering unbelievable results in very short time, stay away. No program can offer magical results with little effort on your part.

Top Fat Loss Secret #4 - Early Morning Cardio on an Empty Stomach

There has been a lot of controversy on when is the best time to workout for weight loss. From my experience, there is one time during the day when you will burn more fat than any other. That period of time is in the morning and on an empty stomach. This top fat loss secret will have you burning more calories from your stored fat. The reason is your blood sugar is low and your glycogen storage are depleted. This means, your body main source of energy will come from stored body fat, and not carbohydrates.

For some people, this may be a problem. Here's why, having a low amount of energy while performing cardiovascular exercises can cause a feeling of light headed or weakness. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to put 100 percent into a workout.

Fortunately, there is a solution for those who feel too weak to workout in this state but can still reap the rewards of weight loss, The answer is consuming a high protein low carb source before your workout. The best time to take in protein is about 30 minutes before your early morning workout to fuel your body. The key is not to eat carbohydrates before the morning workout. This will shut down the ability of your body to use the stored fat as fuel.

For a good protein source, I recommend a fast absorbing protein like a whey protein shake. Protein will help maintain your muscle mass and give you that little bit of energy that might be lacking in the morning.

You may have known about this information but never really understood why it is so important for fat loss. Overall, I found that the most misunderstood top fat loss secret is about how and why high protein and low carb is so important in your diet.

Chicken vs Beef (One Burns More Fat Than The Other)

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:05:00 +0000

So I just finished skimming through yet another lame article in a popular fitness magazine full of misinformation.

A brief summary of the article:

Chicken is so much better and healthier than beef! It contains less calories per ounce, has way less fat, and
doesn’t contain heart-disease-causing saturated fats!

Where they get these writers from, I don’t know. Now let me tell you why this article is
completely WRONG.

First, there are many cuts of beef, like a juicy eye of the round roast for example, that are practically as lean as chicken. Even more, these cuts are actually LEANER than certain parts of a chicken, such as the legs or thighs. And if you’re eating the skin of the chicken, there’s no comparison!

So that point is irrelevant.

If you really want to go super lean and cut out all the fat (which there really is no reason to do… that point up next) then both chicken and beef give you options. Bottom line, there are lean and fatty versions of both depending on the part of the animal you’re eating and how it’s prepared.

Apart from that, as we all hopefully know by now, there’s NOTHING wrong with fat. Fat is simply another nutrient that our bodies NEED and just like carbs and protein, there are “good” fats and “bad” fats.

This particular writer attacked the fat in beef as being very, very bad. Sorry, but that’s just incorrect.
Their argument was that beef is loaded with saturated fats, which are bad bad bad! Well, first of all, more than HALF the fat in beef is unsaturated.

And here’s another fact beyond that—not all saturated fat is bad. The problem with most saturated fats is that they have been shown to be linked to heart disease when consumed in higher quantities.

That said, the main saturate found in beef (especially organic grass fed beef) is stearic acid—a saturate whose consumption has been shown to decrease plasma and liver cholesterol by reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption.

That’s right, saturated fat that lowers cholesterol.

Also, stearic acid intake helps to prevent arterial clotting and the formation of fatty deposits within arteries to fight off heart disease. Hmmm, someone didn’t do their research.

Even more, grass-fed beef is also high in CLA, a unique fatty acid that has been shown to specifically target and burn belly fat.

So, while chicken is certainly a great, healthy, lean protein source, don’t forget the beef! There are plenty of lean options, and if you’re eating grass-fed beef, the fat is actually VERY good for you—full of an array of health-promoting and fat-burning benefits!

Enjoy that information? Then you’ll love what I just posted for you here:

==> This 30-second trick FLATTENS your belly

Do NOT Eat This For Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? While it certainly can be a solid, healthy option, most are heavily processed and absolutely TERRIBLE for you.

For example, I was just at the store and took a look at a brand of “heart-healthy” instant oatmeal (their claim), the “Maple and Brown Sugar” flavor.

First, there is no maple in it. There is also no brown sugar in it. Instead, it’s packed with artificial ingredients, colors, and flavors. It’s also packed with regular sugar and
I’ve even seen some varieties with the “flavor” gel packets full of high fructose corn syrup…talk about royally screwing up oatmeal!

This product also has a significantly higher glycemic index than regular “old fashioned oatmeal” due to its instant nature where it’s been pre-cooked via high-heat processing. This high heat processing also robs the oatmeal of many important vitamins and minerals, making it an overall less nutritious product.

So, if you’re going to go with oatmeal, please stay away from the instant, processed, sugar-laden versions.

Instead, the best choice is plain ol’ steel cut oats. While they take a few extra minutes to cook, it’s certainly worth it for the lower glycemic index, extra fiber, and greater vitamin and mineral content…all while avoiding all that processed garbage.

Steel cut oats will also leave you feeling fuller, longer, and you’ll probably find that you enjoy the more firm texture and nuttier flavor a LOT more than mushy instant oatmeal anyway.

Want to know a bunch of other foods that KILL belly fat? I share a ton of them with you at this link:

==> The Top Foods That Burn Fat

Why This “Healthy” Lunch Is A Fat Loss DISASTER

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:35:00 +0000

More often than not, what we typically think of as a “healthy” meal generally is far from it thanks to LOADS of misinformation from the media, the food industry, and lo and behold even the ADA.

Fortunately, as a subscriber to this newsletter we are regularly empowering you with current, research-backed information to help you make the RIGHT choices about what you choose to ingest—choices that will ultimately help you achieve your
ideal body much faster.

For today, we’re going to help debunk some more nutrition misconceptions by analyzing a meal that a good friend of mine (we’ll call him Bob) truly thought was a great choice for someone trying to managing their weight.

The meal: A grilled chicken sandwich with a baked potato
Now, while on the surface that may look “pretty healthy” compared to a Big Mac with fries, if your goal is to burn fat (which Bob’s is), it’s definitely what I would consider a fat-burning DISASTER…

Why? Well, let’s take a look at the individual components of this meal.
First, when I dug a little deeper I discovered that Bob’s grilled chicken sandwich is being served on a regular ol’ bun… white bread. Heavily processed wheat, and even wheat in general, is one of the worst things you can consume while trying to shed unwanted fat. As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, even the “brown” versions of bread (wheat, rye, etc.) are generally heavily processed—sneaky manufacturers just add food coloring to give them the “whole wheat” appearance so they LOOK healthier when indeed they’re not.

My basic rule for fat loss is to avoid bread—with the occasional exception of sprouted grain bread, like Ezekiel bread… or a high-fiber, true 100% whole wheat bread. Even then, I’d limit those items to twice a week.

Then there is the baked potato. And while Bob does enjoy his baked potato on the conservative side (without all the sour cream, bacon, and cheddar), with just a bit of butter it still packs 300 calories and over 60 grams of high glycemic, insulin, and blood sugar boosting carbs. Add that to the heavily processed bun and in just one meal Bob is eating nearly ONE HUNDRED grams of what are some of the WORST carbohydrates possible.

A much better lunch option would have been grilled chicken with a medium sweet potato and a heaping serving of green veggies. Now, that’s not much different than his original grilled chicken sandwich and baked potato lunch, but it stands head and shoulders above it from a fat loss perspective.

Of course, the goal is not to avoid all carbs… nothing wrong with carbs. It’s just about making better carb choices. And the truth is you can still eat PLENTY of carbs when you teach your body how to optimally “deal” with them.

In fact, I had a product developed specifically for my personal use, and now you can get access to it, too. I use this with every single carbohydrate-containing meal I eat, and it really gives me an edge:

==> What I Use Every Single Time I Eat Carbs

The 4 BEST Foods To Eat Before Bed

noreply@blogger.com (ABDEL MAYA) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:31:00 +0000

You may have heard that eating before bed is a big-time “no no” for those looking to lose weight. In fact, you’ve probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight… even worse!

Well, there’s good news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles.

In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can
actually INCREASE your fatloss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality protein.

Carbohydrate consumption causes a significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat-burning. That’s a recipe for disaster in the late evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately, slow-digesting protein isn’t.

Instead, slow-digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.

Here are some of my top pre-bedtime choices:

1. Animal and Marine Protein (not red meat) – Animal and marine protein sources such as chicken, turkey, and fish are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy… a double win! Red meat has a significantly higher insulin response so it’s best to avoid in the evening.

2. Cottage Cheese – Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release; a solid pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you’re using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars.

3. Green Vegetables – While these aren’t considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories, are high in fiber, and they’re very filling. Often times when I get a late night craving, I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my hankering… a diet savior!

4. A Slow-Digesting, Low-Carb Protein Shake – I use a slow-digesting protein shake before bed literally every day. It’s become somewhat of a ritual and a great, tasty way to end my day. The vast majority of my clients have grown to love the habit as well… who doesn’t love dessert before bed? I normally blend the shake with almond butter to get some healthy fats in there, and man, it tastes good with the right protein powder.

WARNING: Avoid taking a simple whey protein powder before bed… research has shown that it causes more of an insulin release than white bread! Instead, you need a time-released blend that includes a blend of slow-digesting, high-quality proteins.

==> My #1 Choice For A Slow-Digesting Pre-bedtime Meal
Put these tips to good use today!