Weight Loss, Diet, and Fitness Information

NEW BLOG!!

2009-06-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

For all my old readers at this blog, please take the time to visit my new blog located at:

http://www.FitnessUncovered.com

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Can You Cheat To Lose?

2009-04-28T14:50:00.001-07:00

If there's one thing that most people struggle with on their diet program, it's staying away from the foods they are craving. You likely don't need me to tell you that when hunger strikes and a strong craving hits, you feel like you're in a losing battle.

It's only human nature to want the things we can't have, and a diet basically emphasizes this point. When you go on it, it's placing certain foods on a 'forbidden' list, which is precisely the same foods you'll likely start obsessing on immediately.

In some cases, you might even start filling the void with other foods, racking up quite the calorie intake along the way.

Therefore, it would only make sense that if you could figure out a way to eat the foods you crave, getting rid of that 'forbidden' list, you'd fair much better at sticking with your diet.

Recently I came across a diet program by Joel Marion, a personal trainer who's been in the fat loss business for years who is helping individuals lose weight through 'cheating' on their diet.

The primary reason why this works is because cravings will be gone, therefore you won't feel as much psychological strain as you would on a typical diet. Instead, you'll know you do get to eat foods you enjoy, thus it's not really even a diet at all.

The program has a good, easy-to-follow set-up as well, which helps things out. If you're someone who likes to eat, this is probably a good diet to check out. You aren't going to be able to always eat as much of any food you want each day, but there are times when you can eat what you want without worrying about calories, fat, carbohydrate, etc. It's sort of like a little piece of dietary freedom.

If you'd like to check out more what this diet is about, see his site.

=======> Cheat To Lose Diet Program

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Hoodia Thin - Weight Loss Supplement

2008-12-13T15:06:00.001-08:00

Many people who are in the market for weight loss will come across a product called hoodia thin at one point or another.

But what is hoodia thin and is it really that beneficial for you to be using?

For more information on hoodia thin and what you need to know before taking it, check out this informational article.

Hoodia Thin - What You Need To Know Before Buying

Battling Holiday Weight Gain?

2008-12-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

If you're trying to see a weight loss over this holiday season, you're going to have many factors working against you. Seasonal weight gain is something the vast majority of the population deals with every year, which is a big reason why we see gym memberships skyrocketing in the New Year.

Learning some effective coping strategies to deal with this holiday weight gain is your best defence against having to spend more time than normal dedicated to your cardio workouts in 2009.

Here's more on how to do this:

Weight Loss Over Christmas

Six Pack Abs - Habits You Should Have

2008-12-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

When it comes to getting six pack abs, there are a wide variety of exercises you can do. Crunch after crunch, you workout every day, hoping for results.

But, chances are, you aren't quite seeing the six pack ab results you're looking for.

Why?

You aren't forming some important habits that will make your six pack ab workouts a success.

Here are six smart six pack ab habits that you should not overlook if you want results.

Six Smart Habits for Six Pack Abs

Top Muscle Building Supplements To Consider

2008-12-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

If you walk into a supplement store and feel slightly bombarded with all the options you now have to choose from, don't feel too bad - many, many other people feel just the same way.

There are so many different muscle building supplements out there that it can get confusing as to which ones you should consider and which you should walk away from.

Not to mention that supplement companies spend millions of dollars each year researching what makes you buy and then implementing their findings so you will actually buy that product - regardless of whether or not it actually does work - and you're left in a supplement battlefield.

Therefore, getting a firm grasp over the basic muscle building supplements that will help you obtain your goals is critical.

To find out what these are, check out this post on The Workout Insider.

Top Muscle Building Supplements

Muscle Building Nutrition - Worrying About The Details?

2008-12-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

When it comes to building muscle on a weight lifting program, do you often find yourself messing around with finnicky calculations, spending hours planning out your meals, counting fat grams to the decimal, and so on?

If so, you may be wasting time.

This post on my new blog discusses why there are two main goals you need to really worry about when building muscle and how after that, you can RELAX.

Be sure to check it out.

Muscle Building Nutrition - How Exact Do You Need To Be?

Boost Testosterone Levels

2008-12-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

When it comes to building muscle as quickly as possible, taking steps to boost your testosterone levels is going to be important. Since testosterone is one of the most anabolic hormones in the body, doing what you can to promote its release will go a long way in helping you achieve your muscle building goals.

Here are five quick tips for helping you boost your testosterone levels.

How To Increase Testosterone Levels To Build Muscle Faster

Natural Hoodia - What To Know

2008-12-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

When browsing through the local supplement store for fat loss supplements, at one point or another you've likely come across a product called natural hoodia.

When asked what natural hoodia does, the supplement advisor may have stated that it literally removes any feelings of hunger whatsoever.

You, being the slightly agitated dieter that has had enough of always been starving all the time, figured this must be a fat loss supplement from heaven.

But, before starting to use natural hoodia, there are some critical things you need to know.

Be sure to check this information out before starting up on your natural hoodia supplement.

Natural Hoodia - What You Need To Know Before Using It

Can You Build Muscle With Body Weight Exercises?

2008-12-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Many people are getting more into incorporating body weight exercises into their program.

Body weight exercises are great because not only will they work the core muscles, but they'll also really assess your balancing abilities.

Furthermore, because body weight exercises do not use any equipment at all, you essentially can do them anywhere, making them a convenient option for home workouts, workouts while travelling, or just when you're short on time.

That said, you need to assess your main goals before incorporating in body weight exercises, as in some cases they will not be the most effective approach.

With more on that, please see this post:

Can You Build Muscle Using Body Weight Exercises?

Boost Will Power on Your Fat Loss Diet

2008-12-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

Want to know why you may suffer from a lack of will-power when it comes to sticking with your fat loss diet?

The answer could very simply be found with the approach you are taking to your diet program and the manner in which you're planning your meals.

To learn how you can make weight loss easier on yourself, check this post out.

Diet Will-Power and Blood Sugar Connection

Three Foods That Halt Hunger and Get You Faster Fat Loss

2008-12-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Tired of feeling so hungry on your diet that you are ready to eat anything that walks by?

Sadly, this is a common situation that many dieters face. Hunger is almost unavoidable on some diet programs, depending on the particular type of plan you are following.

Luckily, if you're smart with your food choices, hunger can be controlled reasonably well, making your fat loss diet that much easier.

Some simple ways to structure your diet to prevent hunger include:

Eat More Frequently

While eating more frequently doesn't necessarily boost your metabolism to that large of an extent, it typically does control hunger better.

Be Sure To Eat Protein At Each Meal

Protein has been proven to be the most satisfying nutrient, so try and consume it with each meal you eat for optimal hunger control.

Drink More Fluids

Finally, we very often mistake hunger for thirst, so be sure you are always drinking.

After you feel like you've had enough water for the day, drink another glass - just to be sure.

For more information on the best foods that will help prevent hunger, check this out.

===> Three Hunger Busting Foods That Help With Faster Fat Loss

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Is Muscle Soreness A Good Indicator of an Effective Workout?

2008-12-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

When it comes to your workouts, just how important is it that you are sore afterwards?

This is the question that many people find themselves asking, particularly when they wake up so sore they can hardly walk one morning and wake up feeling fine the next.

Was one workout far more superior than another workout?

Or, does muscle soreness factor into a good workout at all?

Here's what you need to know.

==========> Muscle Soreness - Is It A Good Indicator Of A Great Workout?

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Three Tips To Preventing Binging and Sticking with a Weight Loss Diet

2008-12-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

If you're goal is to lose weight and you're on a good weight loss program at the moment, one thing you want to work to avoid is binging. Whether we want to admit it or not, however, most of us have had a binge at one point or another.

While frequent binging is indicative of a serious problem, particularly if coupled with purging incidents, even weekly binges can put a halt to weight loss very quickly.

Thus, it's really in your best interests to do whatever you can to prevent these binges from taking place.

Here are some simple binge-busting diet tips to get you started.

Clean Out Your Pantry

Out of sight - out of mind. Perhaps the simplest way to prevent a binge is to just remove the problem food entirely.

Very few people will actually leave the house to go get whatever they want, so if it's not available, this is a very easy way to make sure you don't eat it.

Put The Food In The Freezer

The next thing you can do is put whatever food you want in the freezer (only works for some foods, however).

For example, if chocolate is your arch enemy, put a box in the freezer. Take out one piece each morning to have later on the evening when you can really savor it.

Doing so may make cravings completely vanish, and since the rest are still frozen, there is no chance of you eating those as well.

Never Let Yourself Get Too Hungry

Finally, the last thing to ensure you're doing with your weight loss diet is never letting yourself get overly hungry. It's when you do this that problems really start to happen and it's very likely that you will binge.

By keeping hunger levels under control, you will remain in better control over your food choices.

Don't underestimate the power intense hunger has over food decisions. When a growling stomach really wants food, it often gets what it wants.

So, keep these simple tips in mind to prevent binging on your weight loss diet program. The more you get the hang of saying no and taking control over the urge to binge when it hits, the more likely you will get the fat loss results you're looking for.

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Approaching Your Six Pack Ab Training The Right Way

2008-12-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

For many people, getting a set of six pack abs is one of the main focuses of their diet and exercise program.

Most of these people also think that the best way to go about achieving six pack abs is performing an endless series of abdominal exercises.

While this may be a good solution if you're looking to actually obtain stronger abs and strengthen the core, in terms of actually seeing your ab definition, it's not going to get you very far.

For more information on why this is and why you absolutely must be considering your goals when designing a six pack ab workout program, please see this post on my new blog.

Keeping Goals In Mind With Six Pack Ab Training

Or, if you would like to get started on your own six pack ab workout right away, have a look at Ab Expert Mike Geary's Truth About Abs program.

Fixing A Slow Metabolism - What You Can Do To Start Losing Weight Again

2008-12-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

Are you someone who has uttered the words, 'I can't seem to lose weight because I have such a slow metabolism'?

If so, then you need to seriously look at whether or not you actually do have a seriously slow metabolism, or if this is just an excuse for a lack of a proper diet program.

Here is a related post on what you need to know about slow metabolisms and what you need to start doing if you are in fact suffering from one.

Correcting A Slow Metabolism

Situational Overeating - Will It Cause You To Gain Weight?

2008-12-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season just over, many of you are looking back thinking that you should now spend this week putting in extra time at the gym and watching your diet a little more closely.

You stepped on the scale - you saw the damage.

And now the price must be paid.

But, is this really accurate? Did you really gain weight?

Understanding Situational Overeating

When you have an incident of situational overeating, as in the case of a Thanksgiving meal, you likely took in a great deal more calories than you needed and thus you saw a weight gain.

What many people overlook however, is just how hard it really is to add a single pound of fat in one day.

Considering the fact you'd have to add 3500 calories to your daily maintenance calorie intake (which for most people is 1500-2500 per day), and you'd have to consume between 5000-6000 calories of food.

For you non-calorie counters out there, that is A LOT of food - more food than many people could theoretically eat.

Furthermore, when the body is faced with a period of high calorie eating, it actually will start to speed up the metabolic rate, trying to burn off some of these excess calories as heat, or turn the increase in carbohydrates over to the muscle glycogen stores, helping refill them if they are at all depleted.

Therefore, the weight gain you are truly seeing the day after a very large meal is more than likely due to water retention from eating so much salt or increased muscle glycogen storage from the carbs you had taken in.

So, don't stress too much if you found you gained weight after the holiday meal. Your body will be doing whatever it can to return you back to where it was earlier and you should be able to continue on with your fat loss program just fine.

It's when there is consistent overeating above maintenance that you really will experience big problems with fat loss.

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One Big Reason You Might Not Be Losing Weight

2008-12-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Tired of not having results with your weight loss diet and fat loss exercise program? If so, you're like a number of people out there who are ready to throw in the towel.

Before doing so however, you should really take some time to assess a variety of factors in your weight loss program design and set-up that could be hindering the results you experience.

For most individuals, there is one small adjustment that they can make that will get results moving again and have them seeing success.

One big reason why many people do tend to falter with weight loss is....

Lack of Sleep

Having a lack of sleep not only will affect your performance at work and the mood you are in throughout the day, but it will also make fat loss that much harder.

The big problem here is that lack of sleep tends to increase levels of cortisol in the body, encourages the body to store excess body fat around the abdominal region.

Further, lack of sleep also tends to make us want more carb-rich foods, which again is obviously going to be promblematic when trying to stick with a diet.

So, over the next month, make a conscious effort to get more sleep. If you get six hours right now, aim for six hours and fifteen minutes. If you get seven, aim for seven and fifteen this week, seven and a half next.

Slowly work your way up until you're around 8 hours most nights. When dieting, this is one of the best moves you can make.

For more reasons why you might be struggling to lose weight, see this post:
- Suprising Reasons You Might Not Be Losing Weight

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Yet Another Reason Full Body and Upper/Lower Splits Are Best

2008-11-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

More and more people in the weight training industry are catching on to the fact that when it comes to developing workout programs, full body workouts or upper/lower splits are usually best.

Not only do these allow you to work the major muscle groups in a smaller time committment, but they also prevent overtraining from taking place.

The Big Problem With Body Part Split Workouts

One of the biggest issues that you'll notice with body part split workouts is that they often end up working some of the smaller muscle groups for than one session in a row.

For example, if you perform a chest workout on Monday and then do shoulders on Tuesday, on both of those days you are going to be hitting the tricep muscles. Therefore, this isn't really allowing them much chance at all to rest, which could cause big problems over time.

If you want a muscle to grow effectively, you must provide it with enough rest.

If you continue to break it down after it's been worked once, you're just going to get weaker, rather than stronger.

So, be extra careful with this.

All the compound lifts are going to be working smaller muscle groups as well, so you really don't need to be doing much more direct work for these in addition to your core lifts.

If you do, you could verge on the side of overtraining relatively quickly.

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Being Mindful Of More Than Just Muscular Fatigue

2008-11-29T16:31:00.001-08:00

For many people, when designing their workout program, whether designed for fat loss or muscle building, one of the primary things they focus on is being sure to give each muscle group 48 hours of rest.

This essentially means that if you do a chest workout on Monday, the soonest you should again work the chest muscles will be on Wednesday. Working them on the Tuesday would likely over load the muscle too much, without giving it enough of a chance to recover.

Most people have a good graps on this.

But, what many people fail to incorporate into their program is enough rest between training sessions period.

They will do a chest, shoulders, and arms workout on Monday, a legs workout on Tuesday, then do a Back workout on Wednesday, letting themselves rest on Thursday before repeating the cycle once again.

This seems like it should be okay - all the muscle groups are still getting 48 hours of rest, so they are following the right principle.

But, this isn't quite the case.

The problem is that the individual muscles are getting a good break, this much is true, but the CNS is not.

The CNS is what is going to really drive the system in the first place, and when it's fatigued, you won't be able to lift as much as you normally would regardless of how long any given muscle has had to rest.

So, be sure you also take into account total days off.

Ideally you won't want to go more than two days in a row lifting, otherwise you could start seeing CNS fatigue kicking in.

Make sure you don't overlook this critical component in your workout program planning.

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Simple Diet Tricks That Make Weight Loss Easier

2008-11-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the process of weight loss, many people don't really enjoy meticulously counting calories, tracking fat grams, measuring their food, and so on.

Essentially, it starts to make them feel as though their diet controls them, rather than the other way around.

When this starts happening, you really have to look at the trade off.

Yes, counting calories, tracking protein - all those things will help to ensure you do see weight loss results.

But, if you wind up not sticking with the program anyway, you really aren't any better off.

In that situation, it's far smarter to just get on a plan that you can live with that allows for more flexibilty.

By incorporating some simple diet principles into your program, you can do just that.

Here are a few to get you started.

===> Simple Diet Tricks That Naturally Help You Lose Weight

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Increase Testosterone Through The Right Weight Lifting Program

2008-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

You likely know by know that weight lifting in general will impact testosterone release.

Since testosterone is one of the biggest muscle building hormones, maximizing it is going to really work towards your benefit.

But, not all weight lifting workouts are the same when it comes to how much they will boost up testosterone levels.

In order to effectively see optimal results with regards to this, you must plan your workouts a certain way.

For more information on how to do this and build muscle faster, see this post:

- Research Study: Testosterone and Cortisol Response to Various Loading Patterns

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Men's Health Medicine Ball Workout

2008-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

At some point or another, you've likely come across a Men's Health Magazine. This popular men's fitness magazine is filled with information on how to make the most of your training and diet, along with other tidbits of information directed at improving your overall health.

One of the frequent contributors to Men's Health, Craig Ballantyne, has recently put together a really effective medicine ball ab workout, as shown on the following youtube video.

Medicine ball workouts sure are great when you don't have time to go to the gym, so they are perfect for the busy holiday season. You can do all three of his new TT Medicine Ball workouts in 10-25 minutes at home, in your bedroom, or even in your office. All you need is a simple medicine ball, although a soccer ball or stability ball will work for most of the exercises as well.

If you want a crack at these TT Med Ball workouts, you'll get freeaccess to the program in the TT Member's area when you grab yourcopy of Turbulence Training.

=> Turbulence Training Program

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Why You Aren't Losing Weight

2008-11-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

I get many letters from frustrated dieters wondering what they are doing wrong with their weight loss program.

They are making a conscious effort to include more fruits and vegetables in their plan; they are being sure they don't eat after 8pm; they are event reducing back on the amount of alcohol they are consuming in hopes this will be what really gets fat loss moving quickly.

But yet, still no weight loss.

What's wrong with this picture?

The problem is likely not one of improper food choices, improper food timing, or dietary adherance, the problem is that they are not counting their calories.

The first thing I'd ask anyone who is struggling with weight loss is if they know how many calories they are taking in.

Often, the answer you get back will fall into one of two groups.

First, they are either someone who has no idea whatsoever.

If this is the case, it's no wonder they haven't lost weight. Unless you have a starting point to work from - an idea of how many calories you're eating each day, you have no way to determine where to move from there.

That calorie intake is what determines whether or not the body turns to fat for fuel. If food is coming in, even in the form of very healthy foods, if it's more than the body needs at any given time, you aren't losing weight.

You must count calories before you complain about not losing weight.

Secondly, the other group of people are those who will tell you they're eating some stupidly low number like 900 calories a day. When this is the case, chances are their metabolism is running at turtle speed or slower and that's why they just aren't losing weight.

When this is the case, they're going to have to go through a process of diet breaks for diet refeeds, following by calculating a more appropriate calorie intake because obviously they are of the 'starve-yourself-to-lose camp'.

It's not a camp you want to be in.

So, before you start complaining that you can't lose weight, ask yourself whether you know exactly how many calories you are eating each day. If you don't, start there, then see how it goes.

Oh, and remember that calories consumed while standing do count, as much as we wish this weren't the case.

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Dehydration On Fat Loss Diets

2008-11-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

When on a fat loss diet, dehydration is going to be one thing you really have to be on the lookout for.

The big issue here is that because you are taking in fewer calories, you've likely reduced back on some foods that contain many of the potassium and potentially sodium that it needs.

When you then start losing water weight through exercise, you're also losing these electrolytes and if they are not replaced with an electrolyte containing beverage, you could be in severe trouble.

By learning the signs of dehydration you can help to prevent this from becoming a problem for you while you follow your fat loss diet.

Here is what to look for:
-headaches
-sudden feelings of fatigue or weakness
-feeling off balanced
-being dizzy
-having trouble talking

If you notice any of these present during your workout, rest immediately and seek help.

Many people also tend to think that the risk of dehydration is less so in the winter months when you aren't sweating as much, but this is by no means the case. You are still very much at risk for becoming dehyrated while it's cooler outside, so don't overlook this and think you're safe.

Dehydration is not a condition you want to mess with as not only will it impact your athletic performance but it could be extremely dangerous to your health if serious enought.

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