My Fitness Blog

Exercise: Essentials of Healthy Aging

2012-03-23T07:30:00.000+08:00

Getting older should be about relaxing and taking it easy, right? Not exactly. Exercise is a necessary part of healthy aging. You will benefit from just about any type of exercise as you age, as long as you're not at risk of injury. Low-impact exercises are often the best choice, especially when coupled with weight-bearing exercises. Here are some options to keep you fit, flexible, and feeling energized. Choose at least one exercise from each group:

Cardiovascular exercise

Cardio gets the heart pumping and blood flowing, and may leave you a little sweaty and breathless. Good cardio exercises to try are:

Swimming
Walking or light jogging
Water aerobics or other water classes or exercise
Biking
Hiking
Tennis
Golf (minus the carts)

Balance training

Keeping muscles stretched, flexible, and limber will help you feel better, and working on balance can prevent falls. Strengthen balance and flexibility with:

Pilates
Frequent stretching
Yoga
Tai chi

Strength training

You don't need to become a bodybuilder, but strengthening muscles can make everyday chores and activities easier, plus it helps your bones. Boost muscle strength using:

Elastic resistance bands
Light free weights or dumbbells
Weight machines
Using pieces of furniture or walls at home for resistance

How Exercise Helps Overall
Exercise keeps you moving, healthy, and feeling energized. But staying active also benefits your mind, spirit, and body by:

Keeping you independent and able to take care of yourself at home
Helping you stay strong and fit so you can play with grandchildren
Helping you sleep better
Preventing weight gain and contributing to the loss of extra pounds
Reducing the risk of falls and broken bones
Improving your self-confidence and feelings of happiness and self-worth
Lowering your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and diabetes
Keeping your brain and memory functioning well

Making Exercise Part of Your Schedule
It can be tough to make exercise a habit and a regular part of your day, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Make a commitment to exercise, and use these tips to help you ease into a workout program:

Talk to your doctor. Make sure it's safe for you to start an exercise routine, and learn which exercises are best and how much you can push yourself.
Get equipped. You'll need sturdy, supportive shoes for whatever exercise you choose, whether it's walking or biking. Also make sure you have clothing that's comfortable and will help wick away sweat.
Make the time. Set aside time every day for exercise, even if you start just by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or with a walk around the block. Gradually work your way up to longer workouts on most or every day of the week.
Turn chores into exercise. You don't have to hit the gym for it to count as exercise. Scrub your house from top to bottom, mow the lawn, or tackle big projects like cleaning out clutter in closets, the basement, or garage.
Get motivated. Consider getting a workout buddy to keep you on track or hiring a personal trainer to develop a program. A trainer will encourage you to stick with it and help you chart your progress.
Make it fun. Exercise doesn't have to be an exhausting, sweaty chore that you dread. Enjoy your workout! Go dancing, swimming, bike with your friends, or take up a new sport or game. While you’re exercising, listen to music, chat with a friend, or just escape into your own thoughts.

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to work in small bits of exercise each day and how you’ll come to enjoy it and look forward to it. Everyone wants to stay healthy, active, and independent as they age, and regular exercise is the key.

From http://www.everydayhealth.com

[LBF 2.0] The Desire For Chocolate...

2012-03-22T19:00:00.000+08:00

I found the secret to rescuing a disaster date. I was living in London at the time and enjoyed an occasional
lunchtime date in the green city parks. Most were fantastic as we would wander through the gardens enjoying some rare sunshine. Occasionally a date would start dying a slow death, as some do...But as it got awkward, I found that if I produced a delicious chocolate wrapped in red foil to share...All of a sudden, the universe would correct, the stars would realign and the date would recover itself. It was then that i started to understand the importance of chocolate...:)

Another example - My sister goes on strict diets, no sugar at all, nothing....except for chocolate. Apparently it doesn't count...but it does? Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate. Have you ever taken a sliver of dark chocolate, placed it on your tongue and taken a sip of your favorite red wine? Amazing! but it does count...

Chocolate is funny. It has high antioxidant qualities(great for you) but it's full of hydrogenated fat (really bad for you)...Dark chocolate can help high blood pressure but white chocolate has no nutritional value at all...Its GI is low but it's mildly addictive. So, if you need chocolate, then its high quality dark chocolate, and only one piece every few days - and consider it a cheat......But what if you could eat chocolate that had all the positive
things...but none of the negative?

In the next email, I'll give you a chance to find out how.

Chat soon

Greg Mac

Q&A: Cholesterol-Lowering Snacks

2012-03-22T08:30:00.000+08:00

Q: I can't stop snacking between meals, but I want to try to eat things that will help me lower my cholesterol (instead of raising it!). What would you recommend?

A: The good news — or the bad news, depending on what you're snacking on — is that "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is sensitive to diet, though less sensitive than triglycerides and good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Fortunately, the same foods that can help lower LDL may also improve HDL and triglycerides. So instead of snacking on chips and doughnuts, consider these healthier options:

Nuts and seeds

Sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, pine nuts, flaxseeds, and almonds are particularly high in plant sterols, which can help reduce LDL. But it's easy to overdo it on nuts and seeds (and they are calorie dense), so I suggest limiting your total intake to about one ounce, or 1/4 cup, a day if you are also trying to lose weight.

Apples

Research shows that eating two apples a day can slow down the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and help prevent plaque buildup. The protective antioxidants are in the apples' skin, so don't peel them.

Oat bran

An important source of water-soluble fiber, oats have long been recognized as a potential cholesterol-lowering dietary component. The soluble fiber in oat bran binds with bile acids in the intestine to block the absorption of cholesterol by the body. According to a study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, antioxidant compounds found in oat bran called avenanthramides can also prevent white blood cells from sticking to the artery walls, which is an important step in preventing plaque formation. So why not have a bowl of unsweetened oat cereal as a midmorning or mid-afternoon snack? Not only is it filling, it's good for your heart.

Grapefruit

Studies show that the phytochemicals called liminoids in pink and red grapefruit make them powerful LDL busters. But this snack is not for everyone. Because grapefruit can interfere with the breakdown of certain medications, including statins and calcium channel blockers, don't eat a lot of grapefruit or drink the juice as a snack if you're on these medications.

The 4 Pillars of Good Health

2012-03-21T08:00:00.000+08:00

This is an article I received in my email this morning. It sums up the conclusion I made in my last blog post. Just in case you don't want to read the whole article, this is the most important paragraph.

"True health isn't just physical. In reality, there are four pillars that are integral to how you feel, who you are, and what you can accomplish in your life. It’s a combination of physical, emotional, psychological, and social."

As a matter of fact, I could add another to the list of four pillars of good health - spiritual - which is very important for me as a Muslim (or even those embracing any other religion, for that matter). For the purpose of life as understood by the Believing Muslim can be simply stated in only two words: Obey Allah.

"I was recently speaking on a panel about health and fitness when a question was shot from the audience: What is your biggest health mistake that you never shared with anyone?

The inquiry was almost so personal that I wasn’t sure how to answer. I could talk about flaws in training or misguided beliefs about dieting that permeated my early experiences in this field. But in a moment of complete honesty, I understood the problem that needed to be addressed.

As you know, I’m a big advocate of setting resolutions year-round. I don’t like the concept of waiting to make a change. Life is fluid; we shouldn’t need an event to be the catalyst to improve. That should be something that we strive for every day. Assessing our lives does something that is rare: It provides an opportunity for honesty and accountability—two aspects that are hard for adults when it comes to personal behaviors.

The question at the panel left me with two options: Focus on a mistake that blames the industry, or look inward and accurately assess what I do poorly. I chose the latter, hoping that my message would create a heightened sense of self-awareness and lead to a better plan for improvement.

I am bad at being healthy.

That’s what I told the panel. Sure, I wasn’t identifying a specific mistake, but as I explained, my condemnation has nothing to do with my physical health. I consistently exercise three to four times per week, I eat healthily most of the time (I do sneak in cheat meals where it fits into my diet), and I don’t take many unnecessary risks that would put my body in danger.

I also don’t sleep enough, work around the clock, don’t see my friends as much as I should, could check in on my parents more, and probably should find more time for my amazing (and very understanding) wife.

True health isn’t just physical. In reality, there are four pillars that are integral to how you feel, who you are, and what you can accomplish in your life. It’s a combination of physical, emotional, psychological, and social.

And just like training, if any of those areas are weak, you should focus on that area and make it stronger.

For many people, the physical aspect is what’s lacking. We convince ourselves that being social, working, and spending time with the family supersedes the need to exercise or make smart dietary choices; but if you don’t have a healthy body, you are limiting the life you can have. It’s that simple. Everything starts with your body—but that’s not where it ends. If you spend all your time focusing on your body, you miss out on all the other aspects of life that make your time worthwhile.

The best advice I can offer is to constantly take inventory of your entire life, find areas that need improvement, and take action. Call friends today that you haven’t reached out to in a while. Find more time for sleep. Work harder if you’ve been coasting on the job. (Or work smarter if you’re always burning the midnight oil) Tell your parents you love them. Surprise your significant other with something completely unnecessary but totally worthwhile. Make time for your hobbies and the activities you enjoy. Or treat yourself to a day of complete relaxation so you can recharge.

Be honest with your assessment and then train your weakness.

The process might be humbling, but it’ll do more for improving your life than any diet or fitness plan. It will give you the awareness of the type of life you want to create and the gaps between who you are and what you want to be.

While perfection is not a realistic goal for anything in life, simply being aware of what you could be doing better and working towards that balance will help you live a healthier, happier, and longer life."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/the-4-pillars-of-good-health

Progress Update I

2012-03-20T07:00:00.000+08:00

It has been 4 weeks since I started my quest towards a fit and healthy lifestyle. Although it was tough to follow the plan (I admit that at times the plan was thrown out of the window), now I feel GREAT! I can feel and even see the difference physically and emotionally. People are also noticing the change. Furthermore, numbers don't lie. My stats at the beginning was I weigh in at 90kg (BMI 30) with waist circumference of 41 inches (body fat percentage 12.3%). Today my weight is 85kg (BMI 28.4) with waist circumference of 40.5 inches (body fat percentage 11.9%). The weight reduction was more the first 2 weeks but then it seemed to slow down. Anyway, let me update you on what I have done so far.

Drinking More Water
I have been religiously following the recommendation on drinking at least 1 US gallon (=3.78L) of water per day. I always have a water bottle with me almost everywhere I go. In the beginning, my wife was worried to see me drinking a lot of water even before bedtime. There's always a bottle with a sipping straw by my bedside. Why with a sipping straw? They say if you use a straw to drink you tend to take a bigger gulp. Another advantage is no spillage.

My daily routine is to finish off a 1-liter bottle in the morning. I usually drink as soon as I wake up, during "wirid" after "subboh" prayer, during my workout, before and after breakfast. Then I would bring a 1.5-liter bottle to work to finish off before I arrive home. Subsequently, another liter in the evening before and after dinner. That would make 3.5 liter of water. Considering the amount of water in foods, I would have consumed more than 1 US gallon of water per day. Not only drinking more water will help me lose weight, it will also keep hyperuricaemia and crystallization of kidney calculus at bay. Kinda killing three birds with one stone!

Eat Healthy
I have also modified my diet tremendously. Although I did not totally change what I eat, it was still difficult. I don't change my Eastern diet to a Western one. Yes, I still eat my staple food, rice. I still eat my favorite dishes with the ubiquitous coconut milk. In contrast, my wife avoids eating rice almost completely. This the part where resisting temptation is hard. Temptations are everywhere whether at home, at work, during grocery shopping or when dining out. I managed to resist most of the times albeit sometimes I would succumb to temptation!

These are the healthy changes I have made to my diet and eating habit:

Portion control - The fact is if you want to lose weight, you must create a caloric deficit either by cutting calorie intake (eat less) or by burning the calorie off (exercise). I have managed to reduce the size of my meal. Although I am not strictly counting calories per se, I still need to be aware of how much calorie I consume to prevent my body go into starvation mode. Moderation is the name of the game. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassalm has even advised us not to eat before you are hungry, and to stop eating before you are full. If you must eat fill 1/3 of your stomach with food, 1/3 with water and leave 1/3 empty with air.
Avoid skipping meals especially breakfast - Initially, I plan to eat only 3 meals a day even though I know many nutrition experts recommend 6 meals a day. It turned out that when I have smaller meal for my main meals, naturally I will feel hungry within 3-4 hours. So I snack in between meals.
Increase fruit and vegetable consumption - Now I always make sure the fridge is stocked up with variety of fruits (orange, apple & grapes) and vegetables (iceberg lettuce, carrot, tomato & cucumber)
Avoid sugary beverages and sweet snacks - This is my greatest triumph. I have always had a sweet tooth. I love sweets and chocolates, basically anything sweet. I also love my cordial drinks like Sunquick or Ribena during meals. All these add up to the calorie intake without satisfying the hunger, I figured. Drastic measures need to be taken. So I got rid of all my sweets and chocolate stash at work. And now I only have plain water with my meals.
Snack on healthy food like nuts, fruits and even vegetables. Sometimes I snack on crackers and cheese (low fat soft variety) with vegetables.

Exercise
This is hard as well, at least at the beginning. But once I get to the routine of it, it becomes much easier. First, I had to figure out which type of exercise routine that I can fit within one hour and which I can sustain for life, hopefully. After researching online, interval training - a type of exercise which consists of activity at high intensity for a period of time followed by low intensity exercise for a period of time - is in-trend. It would fit in my busy schedule too. Typically, I would do a 15-minute interval training on the elliptical trainer and another 15-20 minutes circuit weight training with dumbbells. Combined with stretching and cool down, it would take about 45 minutes. Enough time to have breakfast and get ready for work in the morning. Fortunately, my house is only 5-7 minutes drive to work.

I really hope I can maintain this healthy lifestyle for life. However, there's another factor to the equation - emotional well-being. I hope Allah will bestow me happiness and a prosperous, long, healthy life.

[LBF 2.0] Destroying Cravings

2012-03-19T21:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Ever suffered from a craving?

You might identify with this...love the monkey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdhiQs29zgs
Nothing breaks an iron will like a craving...
=================
Types of cravings
=================
You get three kinds of cravings
- physical
- allergic
- emotional
This email is all about physical cravings.
Dairy, wheat and other allergens or intolerance's can cause major cravings.
We'll go through those in another section.
--------
A craving is your body's way of waving a big red flag to tell you it's missing something...
Perhaps it's missing vital nutrients to repair cells or energy to make hormones.
Or maybe it's an addiction, like caffeine.
Lets have a peek at a few.
=====
Sugar - Candy, sweets etc
=====
I'm sitting here at my desk, its 11:24pm...I should be asleep but all i can think about while i type this is a packet of jelly beans...
Sugar craving can mean you are missing nutrients from a range of foods.
Of this is the case crank out some better quality food for example fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean meats...
Its also an addiction. Eating sugar releases hormones that make us feel happy. (Dopamine and Serotonin)
They weren't lying about a 'sugar high'.
Go through this again if necessary
http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/nutrition/the-glycemic-index-93
Eating sour foods, like sucking on a lemon can occasionally cure a sweets craving.

Using healthy sugar substitutes also helps.You can find examples here.
http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/nutrition/sugar-substitutes-kicking-the-habit-88
I'm off to find a lemon...
=============
Carbohydrates - Pastries, pies, bread
=============
Ever been on a low carb diet and felt as miserable as a cat stuck in the rain?
Well that's serotonin, or the lack of it...
Serotonin controls your happiness and carbohydrates provide building blocks for it.
A low carbohydrate diet will leave you feeling miserable and craving carbs.

Ways to counter this are easy
- Eat carbs every day directly after you exercise. Your body will use them better for energy and not store them as fat.
- Use 5HTP - this will supply building blocks for serotonin without eating carbs.
- Eat high quality carbohydrates like quinoa over poor quality refined white flours. Other high quality carbs are buckwheat, sweet potato, wild rice and beans like lentils and chickpeas.
========
Caffeine
========
Can you get going in the morning without a cup of coffee? or four?
Then do you carry on with more coffee, tea and sodas throughout the day?
Its the caffeine roller coaster - bouncing you up and down throughout the day causing havoc with your adrenals.
Getting off caffeine can be tough. Try finding a substitute hot drink if coffee is your vice. There are many caffeine free teas you can pick from.
Also keep you blood sugar stable so you don't need a energy boost.
If you don't want to go off it cold try keeping tabs on how much you are drinking and slowly reduce.
Withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability, tiredness and brain fog are common.
Just realize these will pass and so will your dependence.
If its soda that's your vice I have included some 'soda substitutes' to this mail.
======
Hunger
======
If you are eating enough but you are still hungry, try adding a bit of fiber.
I use glucommanon, a fiber that swells to 50 times its size. Just take some fiber before your meals with a very large glass of water.
Nb - this is not a substitute for eating real food. Don't starve yourself!
=========
Chocolate
=========
I don't try and fight this one.
I just try moderation.
See the next mail for more on this...
===========
Fried Foods
===========
You are craving carbs or fat.
See above for carbs.
If you are craving fats, its most likely you will be missing Omega 3 oil which you can find in flax seed oil or fish oils like Norwegian salmon.
====
Meat
====
Craving meat can be that you are missing amino acids or Omega 3 oils.
Try adding fish oil capsules as a supplement everyday. They are full of omega 3 and research has found that this accelerates fat loss.
Amino acids are found in protein, so lean meats like chicken or fish will replace that craving.
===========
Salty foods
===========
Salt is sodium.
In isolation it creates all sorts of problems like high blood pressure or diabetes.
We consume way more salt than we need but we still end up craving it.
When I end up with a salt craving I tend to look at two things.
1. Are other minerals like potassium and magnesium missing in my diet?
2. Am i very stressed?

If the answer to 1 is yes, try using Himalayan rock salt instead of iodized table salt.
And if the answer to 2 is yes, your adrenal glands might be crying out for help. They are stressed and struggling. We'll go through adrenals in depth in another mail.
=========================
Crisps and crunchy snacks
=========================
This is mixture of carbohydrate, salt and Omega 3 oil cravings.
If you find you are crunching through crisps or similar food at a rate, you may find you are using them as stress relief. Try xylitol chewing gum for a substitute.
-------------------------------
*** Instant Craving Removal ***
-------------------------------
Cravings are one of my biggest stumbling blocks.
I am still a slave to them...
You need a plan before they hit you, otherwise you will cheat...
Usually eating the healthy versions of what you crave on a daily basis is enough to close the gnawing hole.
For me, I've built up a secret shake that I take every day.
This is not the normal protein shake that you get at most health shops.
I started experimenting a few years ago when I ran out of protein shake powder.
Over the years its grown and grown into the King Kong of shakes.
It counters every aspect of any physical craving I might have....and its tastes good.
I drink one of these shakes every day and use it to crush cravings.
This recipe took me years to get right.
If you are interested in it, I'll be giving you a chance to get this recipe in a future mail.

Chat later

Greg Mac

P.s. On a side note, not only have I found the cure for the
toughest craving of all but who knew it was actually the secret to
a hot date...we'll deal with this next.

[LBF 2.0] The Food Factory [Part 4 of 4]/

2012-03-18T19:30:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Today's email is for those who spend money to save time.

You have built up a complete shopping list for the week and a plan to preprepare the meals.

Already you have a much better chance of sticking to your diet.

The last step of this, is getting somebody to do your shopping and prepreparation for you.

If this idea appeals to you, you hand over your list and instructions to someone who delivers the preprepared meals in Tupperwares once a week.

If you live in the United States it can be done for about $60 per week.

The question you need to ask yourself is this:

Would I pay that to save myself three or four hours of work every week.

If so, you are going to need to find someone to do this for you.

The best place to advertise is on Craigslist.

Just place an advert under domestic gigs.

You will get a lot of responses and you need to weed through the rubbish.

But you may just be surprised at what you can outsource.

If this idea grabs you at all, just try out the advert and see what you get.

Have fun!

Later

Greg Mac

[LBF 2.0] The Food Factory [Part 3 of 4]

2012-03-17T21:30:00.000+08:00

Whew, so that's the planning work done!

Now lets get into how you can save time in the kitchen. Have you ever heard of batch processing?

I got this example from Tim Ferris: If you were producing t-shirts...And you knew that to produce 50 would take 1 week. How long do you think it would take to make just 1 t-shirt?

Answer: 1 week

Why?

In production, the setup and scheduling of the machine is what takes the most time.

And it's the same when you produce your meals.

Think about if you boiled four eggs separately at different times.

Compare this with boiling all those eggs at the same time.

It's four times faster.

Batch preparing is the secret weapon to save time in the kitchen.

And you can do this with your meals.

All in all you can get your whole week sorted out in one evening.

Ideally you set aside a few hours each week where you preprepare all the meals.

Once done, you save them in Tupperware containers - ready.

Then when the meal time arrives, just take out the containers, do what's left and eat the meal.

Let's use the Pesto chicken as an example.

Prepreparaton:

1. Cut the chicken breast into thin strips
2. Smother the chicken breast in pesto and paprika.
3. Store the chicken in a Tupperware container and freeze.
4. Cut up the asparagus and broccoli.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes
6. Store all the vegetables in a Tupperware and keep in the fridge.

Day of the meal

1. Defrost the chicken breasts by sticking them in the fridge the night before.
2. Put the vegetables and chicken onto a cooking dish
3. Mix
4. Put in the oven for 20 min

Total physical preparation time 3:00 minutes

Sure....3:00 minutes if you got distracted by something, otherwise I think you could do this in 1:00 minute flat.

If I have a delicious meal almost ready made, waiting for me in my fridge, I don't pick up fast food at the end of a long tiring day.

3 or 4 hours and you have a week's meals ready to go.

=====================
IMPLEMENTATION TASKS
=====================

For every recipe you have, decide what can be preprepared.

This includes sauces, salad dressings...the works

Write Prepreparaton instructions for each recipe, as I've done for the Pesto chicken recipe.

This is important if you are going to do next step...which is reducing the 3 or 4 hours to a few minutes a day.

chat later

Greg Mac

[LBF 2.0] The Food Factory [Part 2 of 4]

2012-03-16T07:30:00.000+08:00

Michel,

How did the planning go? I hope you chose some delicious meals for your week!

Talking of delicious meals, have you ever decided to try out a new exciting recipe?

Only to find that what seemed so simple, suddenly got really tricky?

I certainly have!

Incomplete shopping lists, meaning that I'd have to go back to the shops...

Not knowing how much to buy...

Some great meals were accompanied by a great big headache!

Now imagine this happening at every meal for a whole week...

We'd never be able to stick to the diet!

Today, I want to make sure this doesn't happen to you.

You need to know exactly what you need to buy. And how much of it you need to buy.

Not just for one meal, but for all the meals in your week.

That means just one trip to the shops and you've done your week's shopping.

OK, lets get started.

Firstly print out the food list page. You might need 2 or 3 copies. (printable food list attached)

Now take a look at your weekly planner. For each meal on your planner, you need to refer to its recipe and write down all the ingredients in the ingredient column on your food list page.

Then write down the amount of that ingredient you need. There is a column for units eg cups, tablespoons etc and there are columns for number of units. Some ingredients will be needed in more than one recipe.

This is an example of a list that's filled out:
http://lbfurl.com/foodlist.jpg

When you have finished writing up all your amounts,

add them up and fill in the total in the column provided.

And there you have it - everything you need for a week.

If you want to have a shopping list, print out the shopping list PDF and fill out the information from your foodlist.

Here is an example of a week here.
http://lbfurl.com/Shoppinglist.jpg

Keep this attached to the weekly planner.

Now anytime you want to do an easy shop for a week, the shopping list is already created.

This is setup work that you will have to do once only.

When you have this built, you can re-use it any time you want.

========================
IMPLEMENTATION TASK
========================

Use the attached two PDF's to build your shopping list

I'm going to give you a day to get this set up.

The next mail you will get from me is on Saturday and we are going to talk about batching and how it can save you hours of work.

Chat later

Greg Mac

[LBF 2.0] The Food Factory [Part 1 of 4]

2012-03-15T07:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Today we start putting together your automatic food system.

Ever been to a factory?

I used to work for a cellular service provider.

On occasions I would head down to the plant and if I got a chance, I would have a look at the production line.

A whole ton of bits and pieces would come in at the one end...

And a box with a cell phone would emerge on the other side.

It was just one big machine and a guy who made sure that it ran smoothly.

So that started me thinking...

Imagine we had the same kind of system for 'healthy' meals.

If we figured out all the raw ingredients to put in on the one side, how could we make automatic healthy meals on the other?

80% of your fat loss success depends on your diet...

I needed to come up with 'a Food Factory'...

A conveyor belt to make the ingredients into meals as efficiently as possible.

The next few emails are going to explain just how to do this.... I won't lie, there's some work upfront to set it up.

But once its up and running, it'll save you time and energy - as well as helping you stick to your diet!

Just to be clear

The Food Factory is not a diet

Its a system to make any diet work

So lets get started...

You need to begin by choosing the meals you will be eating for one week.

You don't need more than 15 recipes.

Within one week I tend to rotate 2 breakfast choices, 3 lunch choices, 5 dinner choices and 5 types of snacks.

It makes it much harder if you try and think of a new recipe for every meal.

(This is where expandable recipes shine!)

So get thinking and fill in the planner for the coming week.
(printable planner attached)

Once you've decided on your meals, it should take less than 5 minutes to fill in.

You can take a look at an example of mine here.
http://lbfurl.com/planner.jpg

========================
IMPLEMENTATION TASK
========================

Print out the PDF attached.

Fill in your planner

Once this is done, we can start the factory moving!

Chat later

Greg Mac

Exercise: How To Start Running

2012-03-15T06:30:00.002+08:00

Patience is a new runner’s best trait.
- Andrew Kastor

You think running is straightforward. Just put one foot in front of the other, then repeat quickly -- right? Not so fast. As anyone who’s laced up can attest, running is simple only until you actually start doing it. Once you hit the road or hop on a treadmill, questions begin to pop up: How long should I go? Is walking OK? Am I even wearing the right shoes?

The answers matter. Running torches calories, strengthens your heart and lungs, and releases feel-good endorphins. But it can also take a toll on your body and lead to injury if you don’t follow the rules. Here’s the right way to get started.

First Steps

If you’ve never run before, don’t worry, because the best way to begin running is to walk. “Walking strengthens the muscles and tendons so your body can handle running’s impact,” said Andrew Kastor, head coach of the High Sierra Striders in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Don’t rush this adjustment phase. One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is thinking that all cardio is the same, and if you’ve strengthened your heart and lungs with one activity, you’ll be fit enough to jump right in to another.

Unfortunately, your body doesn’t work that way. Even if you’re a pro on the bike or have logged long hours on the elliptical, you should still ease into running. “You need to give your joints and ligaments time to catch up to your heart and lungs or you risk injury,” said Kastor.

Your best bet is to gradually build up to 30 minutes of brisk walking two to four times a week. Regardless of your starting point, you should be able to reach this goal in two weeks. Then you can try “run-walking,” where you alternate between five minutes of running and one minute of walking. Keep up that cycle for 30 minutes, and perform the workout up to four times a week for three weeks.

If you’re feeling good by the last week, bump up the run segment to nine minutes. You can keep the one-minute walk break indefinitely (many runners do), or shift to 30 minutes of continuous running.

Going Farther
Some runners obsess over distance and brag about how many miles they cover. But if you want to build endurance, it’s actually easier to work with time. Generally speaking, you can safely increase your total running time by 10 minutes each week -- divided across all of your workouts or added on to one long weekend run.

Another way to make sure you’re not running too much too soon is to use the 10 percent rule. Multiply your total weekly running time by 0.1 to determine how many additional minutes you can add the next week. So if you’re running 30 minutes three times a week and logging 45 minutes on the weekend (a total of 135 minutes), you can increase your exercise time by 13 to 14 minutes total the following week.

Ramping up the time or your speed too quickly can lead to frustration, bruised egos or worse, injury, so keep these runs at an easy, conversational pace. Faster running puts added stress on the musculoskeletal system (your ligaments, tendons and other connective tissue), so you want to develop endurance before you work on your speed. Building up slowly at a manageable pace allows your body to acclimate to the activity. “Patience is a new runner’s best trait,” said Kastor.

Form Matters
Your running form is like your fingerprint: It’s going to be different from everyone else’s. But even though each person’s running style is unique, there are general rules that most experts agree on. They can be summed up by two simple cues: run tall, run relaxed.

Running with good posture puts less stress and impact on the joints, which reduces injury risk and increases efficiency, meaning you can run longer with less exertion. While running, keep your chest up and your shoulders down. Your feet should land underneath your hips, positioning your body in a straight line from your head to your toes. Avoid leaning forward from the waist, which can tax the lower back.

Keep your hand unclenched to prevent unnecessary tension. Because running is forward motion, if your arms swing across your body, energy is wasted; so tuck your elbows into your waist and your arms will naturally move forward and back. Finally, listen for the sound of your footfalls; if they register heavy, try landing more softly.

Sticking With It
After you become comfortable running, you’ll want to find new ways to keep your workouts fresh and interesting. Try exploring new routes, climbing hills (a 4 percent incline on the treadmill works, too) or interspersing short bursts of faster running into your 30-minute routine.

Joining a running group is also a strong motivator -- one that comes with huge side benefits. You’ll have other runners to commiserate and celebrate with, no shortage of training advice, and people available to answer questions you might otherwise be afraid to ask (“What do I do if my nipples bleed?”). They’ll also have the skinny on local races. Find an online group or ask at your local running shoe store.

Whether you’re running in a pack or on your own, be sure to take care of your body after your runs. Some new runners stretch their hamstrings then call it day. This is a mistake, says Kastor. Our quads and hip flexors -- the muscles along the front of the hip -- tend to be tight as well, especially for those of us who spend most of our nonrunning hours sitting at work. Keep those muscles loose, and you’ll run more efficiently and more comfortably.

Essential Gear
Running in your cross-trainers is like pounding in a nail with a screwdriver: You’ll probably get the job done, but there’s a much better tool available. Running shoes are specifically designed to handle the impact forces produced when you run. What type of shoe is right for you will depend on various factors, including your body weight, how often you run and the height of your arch.

New runners should head to a specialty running store and ask the staff for an evaluation. An experienced shoe salesperson will evaluate your needs and make footwear recommendations for you. The best shoe is the one that fits well and feels good.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/556067-cardio-101-how-to-start-running

Lose Belly Fat Workout - Week 2

2012-03-14T08:00:00.001+08:00

This is what I have been doing for the past week.

Welcome to Week Two and congratulations for making it into the second week of exercise.

Last week should have been quite difficult and you should be tired with a little bit of muscle soreness and stiffness. All these things are good.

Below you will find this weeks workout, nutritional plan and weight loss motivation.
Week 2 Interval Training Program

5 Min Warm up
6 Sprint Intervals - 30 Seconds each
6 Rest Intervals - 60 Seconds each
5 Min Warm Down
Do the routine 3 times in the week with a rest day in between each workout

Tips: Try pushing yourself fairly hard on the first sprint interval. This will give you an idea of the intensity you need to keep for the sprint intervals.

Be wary of how you feel, you don't want to push yourself over your limits at this point.

Although the graph of the workout says 9 for your intervals, still take it easy and just judge what your body is able to cope with.

Week 2 - Nutrition Goals

Eat at your Resting Metabolic Rate
Flatten out your sugar intake

Tips: Sugar is the main reason people put on fat. This week I want you to concentrate on removing foods high in sugar. Read the articles below on low glycemic solutions for your diet

Week 2 - Mental Exercise Goals

Review your Goals daily
Recover well when you fall off the wagon

[LBF2.0] Day 7: Interval Music

2012-03-14T08:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Lets get into week two.

You can find week two's workout here:

http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/category/week2
(You can find the tabs for each week at the top of the page...)

Sometimes its the hardest week because the initial motivation starts to die down.

But not here.

We have some very cool stuff for you this week.

We're starting with the interval Mp3 first up.

Hope you enjoyed using it, it makes a huge difference.

Unfortunately i can't give you more of these interval mp3's but instead I am going to show you how to make your own... ...or if you don't really have the time you can pick them up in a special package here:
http://lbfurl.com/spo.php

==============================
Option 1: Making Them Yourself
==============================

First of all you need to download Audacity.

Its an awesome sound editor and its free.

http://lbfurl.com/ngt.php

You are going to need the mp3 encoder as well so download it at the same time.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/exportmp3.html

Then open an mp3 that you own and select the parts to make a rest period and a sprint period.

Here's how:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorial_ed_beginner2.html

If you feel like you are getting the hang of it, try mixing a few of the clips together or use the volume envelope to make things smoother.

Once you have got your mix together export it as an mp3.

This should be a single version.

I put together one of these as an example.
http://lbfurl.com/ewq.php - Rest Phase
http://lbfurl.com/xcv.php - Sprint Phase

The name of the group is Kaskade and I think I have broken a few copyright laws doing this, but have a listen anyway.

If you want to use the beeps in your mix you can download it here.
http://lbfurl.com/bpe.php - Beep

Now to download another great program - MP3 Merger.
http://www.shchuka.com/software/mergemp3/

With this you can can add a number of loops of the intervals together.

Finish it up and export it, and it should sound something like this.
http://lbfurl.com/lop.php

A bit of work to get right but your very own interval timer that takes advantage of all the benefits of music.

==============================
Option 2: Buying Interval Mp3's
==============================

So lets get you all hooked up with the best interval training system on the planet.

IntervalMP3 has a variety of workout music CD's focusing specifically on interval training.

They take advantage of all the science we have been talking about for the last week.

It's what I use for my intervals.

The normal special is a consolidated set for $19.95.

This would be perfect except you would still need to build the workouts using the construction kits.

So I have organized that these will be preconstructed for those who buy.

All eight weeks workouts prebuilt.

Sorted for the rest of Lose Belly Fat Workout.

There are also a whole range of other intervals, like tabata and escalations.

So that should cover any other workout you would want to do.

Get IntervalMP3 - it's the best out there for getting results with your intervals.

Get IntervalMP3 here:
http://lbfurl.com/spo.php

Onward and upward

Greg Mac

Eat Healthy: The 10 Most Filling Foods

2012-03-13T08:00:00.000+08:00

Even for the healthiest of eaters, good intentions can fly out the window when your stomach begins to rumble. If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, finding the right kind of foods — healthy foods that will fill you up for the longest amount of time — is essential. If you are trying to lose weight you get hungry every three to four hours. You’re supposed to feel hungry that often, so eating low-energy density foods, meaning those high in nutrients, can really help. High-protein foods, high-fiber foods, and healthy fats are filling foods.

Snack on Sweet Prunes
Prunes are also a high-fiber food, which means they help you feel full longer and feature healthy antioxidants. It's not only a filling food but also it's a sweet, satisfying snack.

Go Crazy For Nuts
Filling, but not sweet snacks such as pistachios, almonds, pecans, nuts, and seeds — all of which have plenty of healthy fats in them — will help you feel full longer because of their fat and protein content. You have to keep the serving size reasonable about 1/4 cup per day. Try combining nuts with dried fruit for a high-fiber snack, or include them in a side dish to help manage weight.

Fill Up First on Vegetables
When you get hungry, eat vegetables — which are low in calories — in place of higher-calorie food items. These high-fiber foods will help you feel full longer and stay slender. Salads are a classic filler, but you can also add extra veggies to cooked dishes for volume.

Get Going with Oatmeal
Oatmeal is very high in fiber and low-energy density. A warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning can help you feel full longer and manage weight. Oatmeal can be a little bland on its own, but you can liven it up by adding low-fat milk, sliced fruit, and a sprinkling of nuts for an indulgent yet healthy breakfast.

Start Your Meal with Soup
If you have soup before a meal, you’re going to eat less. That’s vital to help manage weight and enjoy eating out. Opt for a broth-based soup full of high-fiber foods rather than a creamy, salty concoction. Homemade soups are great to make when you have time, and then freeze for a quick meal when you need it. Go for variety of hot and cold soups.

Go For a Dip
Snacking on vegetables is a classic strategy to manage weight, but you’ll feel full longer if you allow yourself a little savory dip to go along with those carrot and zucchini sticks. The flavor and the fat will keep you feeling full longer and can help your body absorb nutrients like beta-carotene more effectively. Try a little salad dressing, or whip up a batch of creamy, delicious hummus.

Load Up on Lean Protein
Try to include protein in your meals or snacks if you want to feel full longer. Foods high in protein will help satisfy your hunger. In fact, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is an effective strategy to manage weight for some people. Animal and plant proteins all add to your sense of fullness. Savor a meal that combines protein with high-fiber foods.

Count on Beans and Other Legumes
They are nutritious, filling high-fiber foods that can be included in a number of different types of entrees and healthy snacks. Because beans can add up to a lot of calories if you eat more than a serving or two, you might want to combine them with vegetables and whole grains for a more complex meal that will keep you feeling full longer. And best of all, beans and legumes are inexpensive.

Don't Skimp on Potato Skins
The humble potato — with its skin on — is uniquely comforting, and also happens to be one of the best sources of potassium you can include in your diet (followed by bananas). Eating the skin is what makes the spud a nutritious, high-fiber food that’s also filling. Tasty toppings like herbs, chives, or a zesty salsa will add to your sense of satisfaction.

Pick Some Fabulous Fresh Fruit
Many fruits are high-fiber foods. They’re also high in water content and flavor — and very satisfying for their low calorie counts. An apple, or a serving of grapes or berries, all make the list of most filling foods. Keep fresh fruit on hand for an easy snack when you’re trying to lose or manage weight.

Modified from an online newsletter http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health-pictures/satisfy-your-appetite-with-these-delicious-choices

[LBF 2.0] Day 6: Whooshes and Stalls

2012-03-13T07:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

One week completed.

Now you have a decision to make.

Do you move onto the next level of exercise, or stay where you are.

If this week was tough but you managed to complete all three workouts, then move up.

If you only managed to get halfway, or found it too tough, then stay on week 1.

Don't think of this as a race, its not about getting to the end fastest.

Its about working with your body, not against it.

---

Before we get into whooshes and stalls, I have a big favor to ask.

I am trying improve this course, for that i need you!
http://lbfurl.com/cxj.php

There are just a few questions and it will take less than three minutes.

Your help is greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance, you rock!

==================
Whooshes and Stalls
==================

At this point you may be tempted to go weigh yourself.

Just to see whats happened...

You may have lost weight,

perhaps stayed the same?

and if you are like me you might have gained weight!

There is nothing quite as depressing as having put in a weeks worth of effort...

Tough workouts pouring sweat...

Perfectly measured and controlled meals...

And to stand there in my pajamas... on a cold dark Tuesday morning...staring disbelievingly at my evil scale... as it tells me that i had put on two kilograms!

All hope is lost

However...

Now is not a good time to be making decisions as to whether its working or not.

It is much better to wait three or four weeks, and I'll tell you why.

Fat loss happens in fits and starts

I mentioned the whoosh effect a few mails ago.

Although there is no hard scientific proof it appears that in some people the body retains water in place of the fat that's lost

So you could go for the next two or three weeks, weighing exactly the same, even though you have lost a ton of fat

Then all of sudden your weight will suddenly decrease almost overnight

I got this information from Lyle Macdonald, its a bit technical but have a read anyway.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

I told you scales were bad news :)

chat later

Greg Mac

Exercise: Strength Training

2012-03-12T10:30:00.000+08:00

Back in those days when I was exercising regularly (which seems a long time ago), I have always included strength training with machine weights, dumbbells and barbells in my exercise routine. Some people don't like lifting weights. Many people have misconceptions about strength training. That's why they avoid doing it. They presume strength training is just for bodybuilders. Here are some of the misconceptions:

Strength training bulks you up so that women will look masculine if they do it. Unless you are on anabolic steroid, it won't make you bulky.
No pain, no gain. Strength training hurts. If you experience more than a little soreness after strength training, check your technique.
Strength training is for spot reduction e.g sit ups for flatter stomach. No such thing! You have to burn the fat surrounding the muscles to get a flat stomach.
Strength training doesn't help in weight loss. More muscle means higher resting metabolic rate. Muscle is like a furnace which helps you burn more fat and lose weight more easily.
Children shouldn't do strength training. Age-appropriate strength training will helps children develop strong muscles and bones.
Old people can't do strength training. It actually helps maintain muscle strength and bone density. It also helps to maintain balance.
You must be fit to do strength training. You can begin strength training even if you are not aerobically fit. Aerobic and strength training are part of a complete fitness program.
You need special equipment to do strength training. You need some form of resistance to do strength
training. You can still do push ups, sit ups, squats or lunges using your body weight as resistance. Free weights, dumbbells and resistance rubber bands are cheap, affordable resistance equipment.

What's the most effective ways to do strength training?

Sessions: Experts recommend three training sessions per week for beginners. A session should last 20 minutes to one hour, which include time for warm up and cool down. You should rest a day between workouts to allow for muscle recovery. Each session should target 2 to 3 muscle groups.
Warm up & cool down: You should do 5-10 minutes warm up with aerobic exercise before lifting weights. After you finished the session, you should stretch your body to prevent injuries and improve flexibility.
Number of repetitions: What is your objective? If you want to tone up and increase muscle strength, go for higher number of reps (12-15) with lighter weights. This will also boost your endurance. If you want to build muscle mass, go for lower reps (4-8) with heavier weights.
Focus on form: Concentrate on perfecting your form. Avoid arching your back and rocking to gain momentum. Use proper breathing technique. Exhale through your mouth when lifting, inhale through your nose when lowering weight. Avoid breath holding. Use the full, natural range of motion when lifting weights. Avoid going past your body's natural limits to prevent injuries.

Everybody should include strength training in the exercise routine. To sum up, the health benefits are:

Increased muscle strength and tone.
Better flexibility, posture and balance.
Increased resting metabolic rate.
Increased bone density.
Improved self-confidence, which is the pièce de résistance!

[LBF 2.0] Day 5: Expandable Recipes

2012-03-12T08:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Lets chat about those recipes I mentioned two days ago.

When you were a kid did you ever own one of those reversible jackets?

You know the ones which you could wear both ways.

They were cool because variety is the spice of life.

Now what would these have to do with recipes?

Well I would like to introduce you to the idea of the expandable recipe.

It's like the Swiss army knife of recipes.

So what is it?

It's a recipe with a base that stays the same but...

you can change a variety of things with it to make it into a new meal....or ten new meals.

So what does this do?

Firstly it's easy to prepare.

It's also easy to plan for.

It's convenient.

But most importantly, you don't go stir crazy eating the same meal again and again - its always a little different.

I've attached an example of one of my favorite expandable meals.

It's called pesto chicken.

I've had a ton of ladies steal this recipe off me, mainly because they thought that it was an easy way to get their husbands and boyfriends to eat vegetables.

Something about healthy vegetables being a way to a man's heart....no? that can't be right?

At the base of the recipe there are three components:

1. The protein
2. The vegetables
3. The pesto

Now the protein in the recipe is chicken, you can easily swap this out for some tender beef, gammon (slice the fat off) or even fish(try it with some pink Norwegian salmon).

The vegetables you start with are cherry tomatoes, broccoli and asparagus but you don't have to stick with these.

Last night I made it with hand picked red pepper, green beans and broccoli, but it doesn't stop there.

Try sliced zucchini's, fresh carrots, squashes...it really doesn't matter

Lastly is the pesto, the normal pesto I use is basil pesto but there are a ton of different types to pick from, last night we used a sun dried tomato pesto.

Delicious.

So one meal becomes an unlimited variety of meals.

I'll try to add a few more recipes over the next few days.

Enjoy

Greg Mac

[LBF 2.0] Day 4: Fat Loss Fast Food

2012-03-09T23:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Today's a short mail, but basically a primer for everything we are going to do next week.

Yesterday I mentioned that I thought bland food was not the biggest problem with diets.

I mean, how could it be?

A lot of the healthiest meals on the planet are delicious.

But they take a bit of planning and effort.

The stars need to align in order for us to get the right ingredients, enough time and enough motivation to cook the right meal.

I usually make to Wednesday or Thursday, at that point it all falls down.

A bad day at work, a motorway jammed like sardines with cars, an urgent unplanned crisis of some sort, a double booking....it doesn't matter...

Something will destroy my frail plans.

================
Fast food works.
================

But its not because it tastes good, sometimes it doesn't.

Macdonalds? Think about those golden arches...

Is that Big mac the best burger you have EVER eaten?

It works because it's easy.

There's no admin.

There's no planning needed.

It's spontaneous and easy and deep down this appeals to us.

I ran a survey to try to figure out where most people fell down with their fat loss.

Out and out everyone complained about the food being boring.

But when I dug deeper I found that the biggest failing point for everyone was their execution of their diet.

Everybody planned to eat properly.

Most tried to but it took too much work.

And when they stopped taking time to prepare, the tasty healthy food options dried up.

Skip this bit and of course your diet is boring, there's nothing to eat.

Next week we will go through 'The Food Factory'.

'The Food Factory' is going to be what pulls you out from all your previous diet failures and makes you a winner.

It's work upfront but as soon as its done, it makes preparing food easy as pie.

If you do the whole system right it puts the hardest part of fat loss on automatic.

Fat loss fast food....

And the right food is 80% of the whole fat loss equation.

Get it right and your chances of success are great.

Can't wait

Almost one week done!

Tomorrow you'll have a one day reprieve from me.

You'll discover how to use expandable recipes the day after tomorrow.

Chat later

Greg Mac

Eat Healthy: Nuts

2012-03-09T18:30:00.000+08:00

I have been reading a lot about nuts lately to find a good alternative snacks. I almost go NUTS!

There are good nuts and there are bad nuts. Good nuts can be bad as well if consumed in excess because nuts are calorie-rich food. And sometimes the so-called bad nuts can be good nuts. Are you nuts already? One thing for sure different varieties of nuts provide numerous health benefits. In addition to being good source of protein and fiber, they contain healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, mono- or polyunsaturated fat), plant sterols, vitamins (vitamin E, folate), minerals (calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus) and antioxidants. However, some nuts are better than others. Not all nuts are created equally.

Whether you are aiming for weight loss or want to improve your health, eating nuts can be part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation and as a substitute for junk food snacks. For maximum nutritional impact, choose nuts that are free of added salt, oils and sugars. You should also keep to a healthy serving size of 1 oz (1/4 cup about 160-200 cal) on most days a week. Healthy serving is dependent on the unique size and shape of the individual nut: almonds - 20 to 24; Brazil nuts - six to eight; cashews - 16 to 18; hazelnuts - 18 to 20; macadamias - 10 to 12; peanuts - 28; pecans - 18 to 20 halves; pine nuts - 150 to 157; pistachios - 45 to 47; walnuts - 14 halves. Say who's gonna count their nuts?

So what types of nuts to eat? Each nut has its own advantages and disadvantages. I am not going to go through each and every different varieties of nuts here but from my observation through reading health and diet websites, 3 types stand out; almond, walnut and pecan. The other variety of nuts like pistachio, macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, chestnuts and legume like peanuts also have their own
Almonds
Almonds, a healthy nut, offer a wealth of nutrients. A 1/4-cup serving of almonds contains 45 percent of the daily recommended intake of manganese and vitamin E and serves as a good source of magnesium, copper, vitamin B2, selenium and phosphorus. Almonds also contain more calcium than cows milk. Almonds may help lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against diabetes and colon cancer, help with weight loss, produce energy in the body and help prevent gallstones. Almonds are best eaten raw.
Walnuts
Walnuts pack a nutrient punch and offer many health benefits. Just 1/4 cup of walnuts provides 94.6 percent of the daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat the body needs to protect cardiovascular function and promote improved brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids also offer anti-inflammatory benefits that may help with asthma, arthritis, eczema and psoriasis. Walnuts also serve as a source of copper and manganese. Walnuts may prevent and control high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, decreases the risk of weight gain, promotes bone health, help prevent gallstones and help promote better sleep due to their melatonin content.

Pecans
Incorporating pecans, a healthy nut, into the diet provides at least 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, folic acid and a variety of B vitamins. A 1-oz. serving of pecans offers 10 percent of the daily recommended intake of fiber. Pecans may lower cholesterol, protect the central nervous system, prevent coronary heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Research indicates that eating pecans can help control weight by giving study participants a feeling of fullness and increasing the rate of metabolism.

I hope I have changed your perception about nuts. Whether you eat them as staple food or add them in a salad or even eat them as substitutes for unhealthy snacks, they are nutritious and good addition to a healthy balanced diet. I have gone NUTTY about nuts! I eat them as replacement snacks for my sweet-tooth cravings.

[LBF 2.0] Day 3: Diet, diet, diet.....

2012-03-09T06:30:00.000+08:00

Michel,

So I asked you to eat at your resting metabolic rate(RMR)?

Pretty tough to for week 1.

Sorry about that...

It was designed for one thing really, just to show you how many calories of no value we eat.

I like pizza, mmm, let me rephrase that - I LOVE pizza.

The problem is that one large deep dish pizza will blow my RMR out of the water for the whole day.

Now what do I get for that meal?

For me - it tastes great.

For my body - not a great deal except for a boatload of calories I can't use (ever felt tired and ill after junk food?)

By restricting your calorie intake to your RMR you have no choice but to eliminate a ton of food choices.

Tasty food, yes....but not good if you want to lose belly fat.

But now I have given you a headache.....lots of admin.

It's going to take a while to work out the calorie count of every piece of food you plan to eat.

You are not going to be able to eat out.....ever

And you are going to have to carry a scale with your everywhere...

And this course is supposed to be about reducing admin?

So you need a cheat for this week

Something that you can use wherever you are, even eating out

Something that is totally admin free

and you can download it here:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide

Its a cheat sheet for portion sizes

Here's a quick preview,

Your protein source should be about the size of your palm. (Not including fingers!)

The rest of your meal (insert vegetables here) should add up to about the size of your fist.

Some other quick measurements:

Your salad dressing, sauce, butter etc should be about the size of a poker chip (One of these per meal).

I know its not perfect but this will improve your eating in a big way.

==============================
The food tastes like cardboard
==============================

Are you thinking this RMR limit might be a little too restrictive for you?

That the food will be bland and boring?

I'll bet you are!

Its the no.1 thing people always complain about when trying to lose weight.

I don't think it needs to be that way though....

What do you think is the #1 reason people fail with their weight loss efforts?

Think about the answer. You may or may not get it. But give it a shot anyway.

We'll chat about this tomorrow.Greg Mac

p.s

If you have the time to work out your calories, here is a great
free tool you can use.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-food-calorie-counter

[LBF 2.0] Day 2: The Weigh In

2012-03-08T08:00:00.000+08:00

Michel,

I hope yesterday's workout was good.

Feeling a little stiff is expected.

If you are a lot stiff then you overdid it a bit.

Did you use the music?

I hope so, it will really make a huge difference to putting your results on autopilot.

If you would like to pick up the whole eight weeks worth you can find it here.
http://lbfurl.com/spo.php

Otherwise in a week or so I'll show you how you can make your own.

Speaking of pilots...

===============
Crashing Planes
===============

A few years ago i was learning to fly a plane.

I was coming in for my first instructions on landing and i was nervous.

So as the small black strip of runway appeared on the horizon. I tried to steer the plane down to it,
at which point my instructor freaked and stopped me.

"When landing you use the throttle for controlling altitude, you use the joystick for direction..."

Huh? It took a while to get it through my skull but it eventually made sense.

Each lever has its specific purpose.

Joystick = Direction
Throttle = Altitude

And it's the same with weight loss.

There is often confusion as to the specific roles diet and exercise have.

And its important to understand the significance of each lever.

Diet controls the amount of weight loss.

Exercise controls what percentage of that weight loss is fat.

(OK, there are definitely exceptions, but none that will apply to what we are trying to do here.)

=======================
Weight loss vs Fat loss
=======================

Weight loss is what you measure on a scale.

But this isn't only fat, it contains muscle, water and lots of other stuff.

Fat loss is what makes you look good naked.

If you read the article on measuring fat loss, you know that weight loss doesn't mean fat loss.
http://lbfurl.com/jjz.php

So how do you measure your fat loss?

Well, if you have access to a set of skin fold calipers and know how to use them, perfect.

If not,

I have a little cheat for you.

You will need a scale and a measuring tape.

There's a link below for a body fat calculator.
http://lbfurl.com/bfc.php

You can use this link to work out and estimate body fat percentage and your resting metabolic rate.

Just click on *Main* if the panel doesn't open automatically.

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Measuring progress
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You need somewhere to measure your progress.

To help you I have managed to get hold of a piece of software that will assist you.

Its called the Body Transformation Tracker.

You can download it here:

http://lbfurl.com/btt.php

Activation Code: FXNTR-RG-46584-E5452

You can log your measurements here.

The ones i would recommend keeping would be your weight, body fat percentage, neck, waist and hips if you are a lady.

Not all of these measurements will go down at the same time because of a little phenomenon (its nicknamed the whoosh effect but more on this later in the week)

But a downward trend on any of them is a good thing.

This will give you a better, more realistic view of what you are trying to achieve.

Now, next week same time, lets measure again.

Give it a try.

Greg Mac

20/2/2012
Gender Male
Height 173cm
Waist 41 inch
Weight 90kg
Body Fat Percentage 12.3%
Resting Metabolic Rate 2353 Calories/day

Exercise: H.I.I.T

2012-03-06T20:00:00.000+08:00

I used to be able to do 1 hour of aerobic workout. I actually loved STEP aerobic, which was popular at the time. After aerobic, my exercise routine continued for another hour of skipping/rowing/treadmill and weight circuit training. I was as fit as a fiddle back then. That was more than 20 years ago. Now I have aged and have to be realistic with my exercise routine. In addition, I don't have the pleasure of time. I need an exercise routine which is suitable for my age, short in duration and effective way to burn fat.

So what is the type of exercise that could fulfill those criteria? I am not going to join a gym or get a personal trainer to do interval training. As I said, I have no time to go the gym. Let this blog be my motivator. I hope it will also motivate others too. After reading about the current trends in exercise, I decided that interval training is in-trend. Interval training is basically exercise which consists of activity at high intensity for a period of time followed by low intensity exercise for a period of time.

There are many websites and blogs debating about long duration cardio training versus interval training. Cardio training used to be fad. Just like fashion, trend comes and goes. The acronym is H.I.I.T which stands for high intensity interval training. HIIT is shorter in duration than cardio workout but burns 9 times more fat. It's the afterburn effect! You continue to burn calories even after the exercise.

HIIT is all about speed & intensity. Intensity is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 is no effort at all and 10 is maximum effort as if your life depends on it. The whole point is to get out of breath. However, if you are just starting out HIIT after years being a potato-couch, don't go all out. Let your body ease into pace of an interval sprint. There's a difference between pushing hard and pushing over the limit.

The 30-second workout is ideal to start with for a beginner. This is an example of a beginner interval training program.

3 min warm up
6 sprint intervals - 30 seconds each
6 rest intervals - 60 seconds each
3 min warm down
Do the routine 3 times a week with a rest day in between each workout
Make sure that you stretch, warm up and warm down properly for every workout.

This is just for starter. Once I am comfortable with this routine, I will notch up a gear by increasing to 12 repetitions. Wish me luck!

Lose Belly Fat Workout - Week 1

2012-03-06T07:45:00.000+08:00

This is the program I enrolled online. I have modified it to suit my level of fitness, my preferred type of exercise and my leisure time. HIIT is an instant hit for me. It's short burst of exertion gives me a boost in the morning and my body can't get enough. It wants more. So I ended up doing the interval workout for 2 consecutive days already this week. But today I left out the strength training with weights to allow for muscle recovery. Hope I can keep this up! (I wrote this blog while cooling down for a shower after the workout)

Welcome to the program.
Ensure you have signed up and watched the intro video before starting here

The key to this program is to get comfortable with the new changes before you move on. Each week will add more requirements and get progressively harder so it is better to be fairly comfortable with the current weeks goals before you move on.

Special Note for week 1: This week starts off with a 90 second break, If you need longer, then rest longer. It is not unusual for people to start off with one 15 second sprint interval and 3 minutes of rest - and that is the whole workout.

The concept of weekly workouts is only to give you structure, please move through this whole workout at your own safe pace.

Start at a point where you can manage and slowly improve - you don't need to move to week 2's workout untill you are ready.

Good luck, heres wishing you all the fat loss you deserve.
Week 1 Interval Training Program

5 Min Warm up
6 Sprint Intervals - 30 Seconds each
6 Rest Intervals - 90 Seconds each
5 Min Warm Down
Do the routine 3 times in the week with a rest day in between each workout

Tips: Use the Interval Workout Music Download.

As this is your first workout just test yourself out, instead of trying to hit 9's or 10's in intensity. There will be plenty of time for that.

NB: You are just trying to get your body used to the intervals, do not go all out, ease into the exercise.

Week 1 - Nutrition Goals
Eat at your Resting Metabolic Rate

Tips: This week its important to bring your energy supplies down to a managable level

Week 1 - Mental Exercise Goals
Define your Goals
Review your Goals daily

[LBF 2.0] Day 1: Welcome

2012-03-06T07:30:00.000+08:00

Michel,

Welcome to the Lose Belly Fat workout program(LBF).

Real glad you're here.

To start with I've got a great tool for you to download:

- it's going to make the workouts feel easier,
- it's going to make you exercise more intensely and,
- it's going to get you results faster,

but before we get to that...

I know that LBF will be some of the best training you will ever be exposed to.

This course is going to ROCK YOUR WORLD.

LBF will change the way you approach your fitness and fat loss.

Not only that, but a few of these ideas can help in the rest of your busy life as well.

END RESULT: You get the inside track to the lean body you want.

----

OK lets hit the ground running

*** Week 1 Workout: ***

http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/week1

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IMPLEMENTATION TASK
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Certain types of music can turn an average boring workout into a fat busting, passion fueled explosion of activity.

These are the types of workout we are after.

We will talk a lot in the next week about the physiological effects music can have on your body.

There is an mp3 interval music add on to this workout, unfortunately its not free but you are welcome to try the first week on us.
http://lbfurl.com/klz.php

Use it for all three interval training routines this week.

We'll go through the science later.

In the meantime just get the benefits of using it.

Nice and easy

Talk to you tomorrow

Greg Mac

Exercise: No Pain, No Gain

2012-03-01T12:30:00.000+08:00

This is by far the hardest part of my get-fit-and-healthy plan to execute but I have got to do it by hook or by crook. No pain, no gain! I have got to get myself out of this unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. Most of my friends are taking up or are already doing all kinds of sporting activities like cycling, running marathon, swimming, tennis, badminton, bowling, golf and one is even training for triathlon. I don't see myself running a marathon or participating in a triathlon in the foreseeable future. However, I can see myself either getting fit and healthy or getting a heart attack. Nobody wants the latter to happen. God forbids!

So I figured..... to avoid the worst case scenario, I have got to change my lifestyle for the better.
Plan 1: drink more water is going well. I am definitely drinking more water than before. As a result, I also have to go to the toilet more often.
Plan 2: healthy eating is also in progress. I have begun with having regular 3 meals a day, reducing portion size, eating fruits, sandwich & apple lunches, avoiding sweet drink & snack temptation (though I am guilty at times). In fact, I have already ditched my favorite cordial drink i.e. Ribena during meals. That has definitely reduced my calorie intake. But there is a long way to go. Realizing that eating a healthy diet is where healthy living starts is a good beginning.
Plan 3: exercise is just starting. I have some rough idea of how to execute this plan. At first, I am going to take it slow and steady so that my body can get used to the stress and strain of exercise. After all, I am not young anymore. I will start with riding the elliptical rider (which has been our towel hanger!), weight training with dumbells, jumping rope, cycling & visiting the golf driving range/putting green more often.

I am still in the process of reading about the forms of exercise & the kinds of food that could promote fat burning & weight loss. So in the meanwhile, let's just imagine the body you have always dreamed of like the image above. That's the final objective! (so that you could fit in a G2000 shirt) Come on! Be real! I'd be happy just to lose that belly fat.

To be continued