Once upon a time, it was all about calorie counting and nothing else mattered. Now, we’ve stepped things up a notch. While some people might roll their eyes at yet another fad that has been introduced by the weight loss industry – this isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to weight loss programs. They are gaining some real authority in the industry, and it’s for good reason. Through today’s article, we will take a look at just what these programs involve, and some of the best ones on the market for you to try. What is a weight loss program and how does it work? Well, a weight loss program does exactly as the name suggests – it gives you a program to lose weight! As simple as it might sound, this is the basis of one of these offerings. A lot of them will tend to provide a weekly food menu, and combine this with an exercise regime, to help you along your way. Of course, this is a weight loss plan in a very basic format and it’s worth mentioning that they all run very differently. It means that some of them might be very strict with the food and dietary recommendations, and even tell you the exact ingredients to turn to and the day to do this. Others meanwhile will work more with a numbers game; allowing you to decide what foods to eat so long as they satisfy the nutritional requirements that the plan has set. Of course, when we use the word “strict”, you shouldn’t become too worried. Sure, these plans can be tough, but at the same time they have been built to be rewarding so that you ultimately stick by them. There will be times where it feels all-but impossible to stick to the dietary recommendations, but the people behind this program will then throw a reward in to make sure that you keep going. What are the documented benefits? As you may have gathered by now, weight loss plans are certainly not equal. Each will have different offerings, and this means that it can be difficult to pinpoint exact benefits. As such, we’re not going to suggest that they help you burn more calories or anything else related to specific body goals. Sure, some of them might do this, but others might for example concentrate on helping you put together an exercise regime. What we can say about these weight loss plans is that they provide a structured meal or exercise plan, and this can be invaluable for a lot of people who need that direct plan to stick to. Not only that, but many of the modern weight loss plans are quite community focussed and will have a bank of other people in a similar position to you, usually at the other end of a forum. Alternatively, many have the experts available online or over the phone as well, which can help your plight. Finally, the majority of weight loss plans will give you a way to track your progress. This, coupled with the regimented way in which these programs work, mean that they tend to help people realize their weight loss goals much quicker than other methods. What are the most reputable weight loss programs out there? As you may have guessed, this is an industry which has grown substantially over recent years. It would be fair to say that there are five main players in the industry at the time of writing, and we will now break each one of these down to give you a fair comparison. Weightwatchers Out of all of the programs that we look at, Weightwatchers is arguably the most renowned in the world. It’s a huge brand, for the simple reason that it has been proven to work very well. When we speak about working well, the company are quite open about expectations. They say that you should expect to lose up to two pounds per week, which will make a phenomenal difference to your body. With Weightwatchers, everything is on the menu. They operate on a points structure, and even have 200 foods in their system which don’t have any points attributed to them. In other words, you can eat as many of them as you want and still reap the rewards. As well as inspiring your diet, Weightwatchers will also provide you with personalized fitness goals. Weightwatchers currently have a really attractive joining offer. There’s no joining fee, they will give you a month of the service free of charge as well as giving you a complimentary Blue Apron box. Probody Probody is another big brand and its reputation has only been growing over the last few years. It works in a much different, but very effective way, to Weightwatchers. It works by providing you a set of guides, videos, reports and tools to hand you plenty of weight loss data. Ultimately, Probody facilitates a flexible approach to weight loss. Using their tools and data, you can work out which foods and exercise plans are going to work the best for your body. Probody make no secret of the fact that they are big on data, with their calorie tracker for example being the largest on earth. It means that whatever food you put into your mouth, there’s a high chance you can find out its nutritional values in a flash. Probody has a free version, but even if you want to unlock everything including the videos, reports and tracker you will still pay just a one-off $37 fee. Visit the official Probody website to learn more! Visit the official Probody website to learn more! Jillian Michaels’ Program Next on the list is the Jillian Michaels program. For those unaware, Michaels is a high-profile personal trainer who has released books and appeared on umpteen television programs. In other words, she knows her stuff. The program will hand you personalised workouts, meal plans and tracking tools. All of this occurs in an easy-to-use app, which has won awards on the Google Play and Apple App stores. This is a program which is full to the brim of real-life stories, of people shedding the pounds. Some of these individuals have lost hundreds of pounds – all by sticking to the program they have been given. If you join the Jillian Michaels plan today you will pay $14.99 for just one month. You can save as much as 45% on this if you buy for 12 months, with this retailing for $99.99. For those of you who want to try the program for a short time, the product is available as a free 7-day trial as well. Kayla Itsines This next plan has also been put together by a personal trainer in the form of Kayla Itsines. The community that Kayla Itsines has formed is certainly impressive and you will be part of thirty million other people who are following her philosophies. Suffice to say, she must be doing something right to attract such a community! Itsines has tried to make things has versatile as possible by offering two programs. The workouts are 28-minutes in length, making them ideal for anyone who is short of time. The program is priced at $19.99/month, or you can save by switching to a $119.94 annual package. Di.et Finally, Di.et will cover all elements of your fitness regime in a bid to stay slim. et will tackle every element of staying healthy. You will be handed guides on your diet, your workouts, your supplements and your maintenance. The last one here is pretty important – it will tell you how to keep things going as others start to fall back into bad habits. Some of the past results with Di.et are hugely impressive. The product claims that it will help you lose up to 15 lb of body fat in 15 days, which in turn translates to as many as two dress sizes. The product is priced at $45, which is more than half the price of the standard $99. In addition, they offer a hugely generous 75-day money-back guarantee. Visit the official Di.et website and learn more! Visit the official Di.et website and learn more! ...
Helping You Choose The Best Legal Steroids For Weight Loss
It doesn’t matter what year we are in; weight loss is always going to be a hot topic. Whether it is now or in 50 years, it’s almost become human nature to find out ways to curb that waistline and ultimately look a whole lot better. Of course, technically there are ways to make this easier. For the purposes of today, we are not going to focus on calorie counting and all of the other “standard” methods that can help you lose weight. Instead, today is all about steroids and which ones can specifically help you in your battle to make the scale look better. Following on from the above, let’s now take a look at three steroids which are worth their weight (pardon the pun) in gold when it comes to cutting the fat. Option #1 – Anavar Also known as Oxandrolone, this is actually the mildest steroid on our list so far. If you are in the market to bulk, it’s certainly not going to work, but as we’re going to assume that most of you are in the cutting category it is a really impressive steroid. The reason behind its effectiveness is its anabolic rating (this is probably related to the choice of name as well!). It means that as you battle to lose weight, your muscle will be preserved. Not only that, but Anavar has been found to decrease the effectiveness of stress hormones in your body, and this is significant as these hormones can be responsible for making excessive amounts of fat accumulate. There is plenty more when it comes to this steroid as well. Anavar can boost your red blood cell production and this is crucial for those of you who train. It means that even more oxygen and nutrients are going to be delivered to your muscles, which can make them work harder and for longer. For those of you who are battling to rid yourself of belly fat, there is more good news. A study compared Anavar against testosterone and natural weight loss techniques, with the results highlighting that the other two options gave participants more subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. There is of course one problem (and this relates to all three of the steroids we will cover today). Anavarol is a steroid and as such, does carry side effects. We will talk more about this later, but on a more positive note there is a legal alternative available. This goes by the name of Anvarol, and is marketed by Crazy Bulk. It can be broken down as follows: Anvarol is completely legal and made from natural ingredients. This means that you are just not going to suffer from side effects when taking it. Despite the lack of side effects, prepare yourself for huge bursts in power and strength, as well as bigger and denser muscles. There’s no need to worry about nasty needles here – this is a capsule-based product that won’t impact your day-to-day life. CrazyBulk will ship this product completely free of charge. It tends to retail for $85. You can Buy Anvarol directly from the merchant by clicking here. #2 Winstrol Next on the list is Winstrol, or as some as you may know it as, Stanozolol. If you are in the market to lose weight and gain that elusive muscle, this should be your product of choice. The big difference between Winstrol and Anavar is the emphasis on the muscle-factor though. In short, Winstrol is much more potent, and it will work to boost the amount of nitrogen that your muscles retain, as well as make protein synthesis more efficient. Another impressive part of Winstrol is the way in which it will make more free roaming testosterone in your body. In other words, there is more testosterone available which can be used for muscle growth and fat loss – and obviously this is a pretty significant point. We don’t need to shout from the rooftops about the problems that this product has though – the side effects are the same as the previous steroid we looked at. It means that there is space for legal alternatives, and this is where Winsol steps into the picture: Winsol is another safe steroid developed by CrazyBulk, who are now the market leader when it comes to this niche of the fitness industry. Again, safety isn’t an issue, it’s comprised of natural ingredients meaning that your health isn’t going to be at risk in the slightest. All of the above doesn’t mean that the results are compromised. On the contrary, you can expect harder muscles and reduced body fat – all whilst relying on a capsule-based product. Shipping for Winsol is completely free and the manufacturers will usually provide a buy 2 get 1 free option. You can Buy Winsol directly from the merchant by clicking here.. #3 Clenbuterol Funnily enough, this final product on our list isn’t actually a steroid. Nevertheless, Clenbuterol is performance enhancing – and this is sufficient in our eyes. Millions of people around the world have tapped into its benefits. For weight and fat loss, it’s up there with the best. It is one of the best thermogenic fat burners in the world. By this, we mean that it will boost your body temperature, which will in turn increase your metabolism and allow you to burn more calories. There are other benefits of Clenbuterol as well. For example, it can suppress your appetite, meaning that you are not going to be gorging on all of the wrong foods. It will also boost your energy levels, meaning that you can work harder at the gym and burn even more calories. In short, it ticks so many boxes when it comes to weight loss, that it really doesn’t matter that it’s not strictly a steroid. Unfortunately, there is another similarity with Clenbuterol and steroids – the side effects. Again, they exist, which is why legal alternatives have entered the market. Clenbutrol is one of these, and can be highlighted as follows: Clenbutrol is again brought to market by CrazyBulk. It is completely safe to take, with no reported side effects. The product will help you burn fat through the exact same way in which the “real” alternative Clenbuterol works. In other words, expect increases in energy and your fat to disappear thanks to its thermogenic qualities. Don’t worry about needles or prescriptions here – this is a capsule-based product that can be bought off the shelf. Like most of CrazyBulk’s products, expect free shipping, multi-buy offers and more from the market leader. You can Buy Clenbuterol directly from the merchant by clicking here. Are there any side effects to these steroids? Something that we mentioned throughout today’s guide was that side effects tend to occur with all of the real steroids. Unfortunately, these don’t tend to be “minor” adverse effects either. For example, acne and hair loss can just be the tip of the iceberg, with cholesterol issues and high blood pressure being a couple of the more serious points. It has to be said that Anavar and Winstrol are both much less harmful than Clenbuterol in this regard, but the side effects still exist. For those of you wondering if it’s best to turn to an injectable form, this is something that we wouldn’t recommend either. In the case of Winstrol, it doesn’t matter how you consume it, you are still going to be putting your body under undue pressure. This is the reason we have preached legal steroids through this guide. They work in the same way, but the fact they are comprised of natural ingredients means that they are so much safer for your body. ...
Testosterone: The Holy Grail of Bodybuilding and Fitness
Few would disagree that testosterone is, and probably always will be, the buzzword associated with fitness. While things constantly chop and change in this industry, one thing which has remained constant is the power of testosterone and just what it can do to your body. For today’s article, we are going to take a look at some of the ways you can use exercise to boost your levels of testosterone, as well as finding out just how this will affect your body and if there are any “easier” ways to facilitate this growth. How to boost your testosterone with exercise First and foremost, how can you use exercise to increase your levels of testosterone? Fortunately, plenty of studies have been conducted around this, and there are certain types of exercise that really can boost your levels. Let’s take a look at them in-detail: Lifting heavy weights This first point really won’t come as a surprise. After all, weight lifting and testosterone has lived hand-in-hand since seemingly the beginning of time. However, you really need to turn to the heavy weights in a bid to reap the maximum rewards. The experts suggest that you turn to as high as 95% of your one rep maximum, and only use the compound exercises like squats, bench presses and deadlifts. If you can do these sorts of sessions two or three times per week, you’ll be onto a real winner. Sprinting Granted, sprinting might not be for everyone, but one study found that it takes just short bursts (and we mean really short, like 6-seconds) to maintain high levels of testosterone. Of course, you need to perform several sprints in a bid to get the very best out of it, but make sure your recovery periods are around four times longer than the time you spent sprinting. So, if you sprinted for ten seconds, make sure your recovery is at least 40 seconds long. Longer rests If we turn to the topic of longer rests for a moment, this is something that might surprise you. It has been found that longer rest periods between each of your sets will build more testosterone than shorter ones. In terms of specifics, you should be aiming for around 120 seconds between each set. If you have followed the advice in the first point about lifting really heavy weights, this is something that actually makes sense. Long cardio isn’t a testosterone answer We have preached weight lifting and sprints so far, but something that we most definitely won’t be recommending are long cardio sessions. It has actually been found that these can lower your levels of testosterone. The likes of cyclists have much lower levels of it, and in some quarters this is regarded as an advantage. The forced rep principle Another exercise method is forced repetitions. This again involves weight lifting, and this time you will be completing as many reps as you can. You’ll also have a spotter alongside you, who will help you complete those final few reps which you wouldn’t be able to do alone. It has been found through various forms of research that these forced reps are able to prompt higher testosterone levels than standard ones. Leg exercises can be key If you were to target just one area of your body for testosterone purposes, your legs would be it. A study looked at the differences in testosterone between people who worked their upper and lower body, and the results were resounding for the latter group. As such, make sure you turn to squats and deadlifts – with these two compound exercises being key to success. The effects of testosterone So, you’ve managed to incorporate all of these testosterone-boosting tips into your exercise regime, but what’s next? What exactly does higher levels of testosterone achieve? If we were to answer this question in the space of one sentence, it would be that testosterone has been found through countless forms of research to boost your muscle growth, whilst helping you to burn fat at the same time. From a fitness perspective at least, it’s a win-win. We should also add that this can all happen without any exercise (although the rewards are of course multiplied when the E-word is put into the equation). Unfortunately, to bring an extra layer of complexity into proceedings, you have to hike your testosterone levels to pretty significant heights to really witness the muscle-building effects. If you are still within the realms of normal, you won’t really notice a different. Scientists found that as long as your levels stay between 300-1,000 ng/dl, the amount of muscle you build won’t change greatly. Instead, you need to take this level up a notch (by like 20-30%). However, there is some good news. When it comes to fat loss, there is a more direct correlation with testosterone. Research by universities has found that the higher a person’s testosterone levels, the less fat they have. The same rule applied vice-versa – and this time there were no limits. The above is one of the reasons why steroids became so popular at one point. This was a quick way to rocket up your testosterone levels, and reap the muscular rewards. “Normal” activities don’t really take your testosterone far enough. The rise of testosterone boosters The previous section concluded by touching on the reasons why steroids were once so popular. Well, as you probably know, they also happened to have countless side effects associated with them. This is the reason why natural alternatives have entered the picture, aptly named testosterone boosters. These tend to be made from herbal ingredients, containing components that have been found to naturally increase testosterone. They usually do this through the likes of zinc, which has been found time and time again to boost testosterone, as well as adaptogens which help the body sleep better and react better to stress. The big difference with these products is that they are completely safe. Again, we don’t need to get into the list of terrible side effects associated with steroids, but the beauty about testosterone boosters is that they are comprised naturally. Natural ingredients immediately open up a safety net with products – although we would of course always recommend that you research a company providing such a solution thoroughly before pledging your money. Of course, the effects from these products aren’t quite as potent as steroids – which isn’t a surprise. Nevertheless, if you combine them with an exercise programme, you can reap some really good results. A lot of people have experienced terrific weight loss and muscle growth through using them, and the ingredients that form part of them are backed by established researchers. Now that we have got the introductions to these boosters over with, it might be an idea to point towards one of the market leaders in this field. It goes by the name of Testogen, and can be broken down as follows: What You need to know about Testogen Testogen is a completely natural testosterone boosting product. It has been proven to boost your strength, stamina and even help those of you with poor libido. The product is formed by a tried-and-tested combination of eleven different ingredients. All are safe, and have that elusive research behind them which proves they work in boosting testosterone. There are no nasty injections here, you’ll take no more than four capsules a day with your meals. It can slip into your routine at ease. The manufacturers are so convinced by their formula that they will provide all customers with a 60-day money-back guarantee. The product arrives with free shipping and starts from $59.99/ month. However, if you order in bulk, it’s possible to save up to $170. Buy Testogen directly from the manufacturer Testogen testosterone booster product reviews Buy Testogen directly from the manufacturer ...
How to Lose Weight & Still Maintain Performance During a Calorie Deficit
It’s one of umpteen buzzwords that seems to dominate the health and fitness industry nowadays, but in truth there’s plenty of reasons why calorie deficits are so popular. In short, it’s one of the very few methods out there that will scientifically work, every time. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you focus on having a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. So, what exactly is a calorie deficit? Every day we consume ‘x’ amount of calories in terms of food, while we also spend ‘x’ amount of calories through everyday activities and exercise. The problem is, most of us have a calorie surplus as we consume more than we burn. The result of this is that these additional calories are stored as fat. A deficit, on the other hand, is when you are burning more than you are consuming. In turn, your body needs more fuel, and gets it from any fat you have on your body. In terms of some hard and fast numbers, it can make for tricky reading. After all, to lose just one pound of fat in a week, you’ll need to cut around 3,500 calories. On its own, that figure is of course very high. However, split it into the course of a week and it’s just 500 calories per day. So, this is all well and good and in an ideal world, we would all be targeting this calorie deficit. Of course, it’s yet another one of those healthy techniques that is easier said than done and to add another level of complexity into the situation, it gets even tougher to maintain if you are training! Bearing this in mind, we have penned today’s article. Let’s now take a look at some of the ways you can maintain a calorie deficit whilst maintaining your normal life. You may have to alter your training choices If you are the type of person who trains at super-high intensities, with very few rests, now might be the time to reconsider your options. This is for the simple reason that your energy reserves are unlikely to last long, and your overall training benefits will decline. Instead, there should be a greater emphasis on quality. Try and opt for a lower number of sets, and ensure that you schedule as many rest periods as possible. This will at least allow you to conserve energy, so that your next set can be performed with as much energy expenditure as possible. It might all relate to meal timing One of the best ways to help you “cope” through a calorie deficit is about timing your meals appropriately. As we all know, one of the best fuels for the gym and your exercise regime is carbohydrates (ones of the complex variety, to be precise). It means that you should do your upmost to put together a pre-workout meal that contains them, with the result of this being that your muscles are provided with plenty of glycogen to give them help when they need it the most. One of the big problems about calorie deficits is that it’s much more likely for your muscles to lack glycogen. The consequence is that your performance will suffer, so consuming a pre-workout meal as above is one of the best ways to mitigate this problem. However, your meal timing isn’t just about before you work out. In addition, you need to be considering what to eat after your work out. This is all because muscles take time to recover, and when they don’t have much energy this recovery phase takes even longer. So, what should you turn to? This time, carbs are off the menu, and in their place comes whey protein. If you can turn to this alongside digestive enzymes it will be absorbed into your muscles at a much quicker pace, and your body can reap the rewards. The power of supplementation We have almost touched upon the idea of supplements in the previous section, when we started to talk about whey protein. In truth, this is only the tip of the iceberg, and to get the most from your calorie deficit period you should be looking to stock up on supplements. Before your workout, make sure you turn to taurine and Creatine HCI, both of which can stimulate you mentally. Another option comes in the form of Beta-alanine, which performs the job of keeping your muscle carnosine levels stable during training. Some athletes can also favor L-citrulline as this has been found to boost the flow of oxygen, and again make your muscles work that little bit harder when they are without the energy that they are perhaps used to. As you can see, supplements are something of a minefield, and if we were to hone in on specific ones we would choose Track and Trail. Both are brought to the market by Black Wolf Workout, with the former being the male version and Trail is for females. To break the product down specifically: The products are able to increase your energy levels, make you work harder during workouts and even boost your focus. They are designed to be taken before working out, meaning that you get a lot more out of your subsequent session. Unlike some products, there are no fillers here, and the product takes advantage of all the proven ingredients such as L-leucine, L-isoleucine and BCAAs. It even contains protein to help you recover afterwards! Both products retail for $44.95, which is a $10 discount from the standard price. Click the images below to enlarge and see the ingredients: Click here to check out the Black Wolf website for more information Black Wolf Pre-Workout Supplements Reviews Click here to check out the Black Wolf website for more information Have we mentioned the H-word yet? We’ve spoken about your food and supplement intake, so hydration is next on the list. The fact that hydration is a crucial component of any person’s basic health means that during training, especially during a calorie deficit, it’s also really important to get right. Even if you are slightly dehydrated, the amount of blood that is distributed through your money immediately drops. This can have a monumental effect on your exercise, as you’ll be without that elusive oxygen required for your performance. It’s worth mentioning that the most important period of the day when it comes to hydration is when you wake up. Your body has been without water for as long as eight hours, so making sure you drink at least half a gallon of water at this point is paramount for your training success. It can all come down to shut-eye Something else that is regularly covered in the media nowadays is sleep (or the country’s lack of it). As soon as your calorie intake decreases, sleep becomes an even more important factor in your life. This is because anabolic hormones tend to be at their highest as you sleep, meaning that you recover better. Ultimately, the longer you sleep, the greater chance you give this of happening. Something else which occurs during your sleep is the recovery of the central nervous system. This is crucial to your training, as it’s effectively what powers your performance when you start to work out. As such, make it your priority to supercharge your sleep schedule. Perform the classic tips, like stopping coffee in the afternoon, avoiding blue light and blacking out the bedroom, and watch the performance of your workouts soar. ...
Losing Body Fat: 8 Experts Have Their Say
It’s the question that is on the tip of most tongues nowadays; how exactly do you burn body fat? Fortunately, the health and fitness industry is absolutely full to the brim of experts who know what they are talking about. Something that’s even better is that the experts we’re about to cover don’t just talk about fads; they are established public figures who also have official qualifications in the health area. Bearing this in mind, let’s now take a look at some of the best suggestions that the most renowned health and fitness experts around the globe have when it comes to fat loss. Andrea Metcalf: Stay hydrated First on the list is Andrea Metcalf and the fact that she is a best-selling author should make her advice completely validated. She is the woman behind Naked Fitness, while she also has the official accreditations behind all this through an exercise science teaching degree and several other certifications. Her advice is simple; consume more water. This is something that is drilled into us from an early age, but Metcalf’s advice has some real substance behind it. She says that due to the boosts in energy that additional water to the body provides you, it’s something that can be invaluable as you bid to drop the pounds. Suddenly, just through a little extra hydration, you’ll find it easier than ever before to burn through calories. Christine Bullock: Turn back the clock Next on the list is Christine Bullock and if you have ever turned into Fit for Fashion TV, you’ll know all about her. She is a judge on that television show, while her 20-year career in the health and fitness industry has seen her do everything from claim certifications to launch hugely popular DVD series’. Bullock says that if she were to pick a suggestion to help you lose body fat, it would be to just turn back the clock. In other words, live like you would have had to do a century ago. This means walking to places such as the grocery store, and turning to fresh food, in a bid to bring the natural-factor back to your life. Ultimately, it will result in burning more calories, and better quality food entering your body. Ashley Borden: Stay in good circles The third member of our list is Ashley Borden, who is one of the most famous personal trainers in the world and has an abundance of high-profile clients. In addition, she has the ‘#1 Workout DVD’ award from Fitness Magazine, amongst a whole host of other accolades. Like a lot of the advice that is being focused upon today, Borden’s idea is pretty simple. It’s all about making sure that the circle you are in is on the same page as you. In other words, everyone is on the same wavelength and you are not going to be dragged down by unhealthy eating (and most probably, drinking) habits. Kathy Smart: Ditch the scales This is another individual who will be well-known amongst most of you. While she might be a best-selling author, the fact she also hosted the first ever gluten-free show to don North American TV screens says everything about her reputation. If we turn to her advice, she says that one of the worst things you can do is focus on the weighing scales. These can paint a completely inaccurate picture of your situation – as they don’t take into account your fat levels. You might think that you aren’t dropping your fat levels, when in reality you are and it’s your level of muscle that is making the scales stay constant. Gina Aliotti: Be creative Gina Aliotti is the next expert on the list, and happens to be the co-founder of DevotionNutrition.com. As well as this, she has a bachelor’s in food and nutrition and is a certified personal trainer, meaning that she holds all of the official documentation as well as being in the public eye. She recommends simply being creative with your cooking. She says that a lot of people fail with their dieting because their food is simply too boring. Instead of this, try and negotiate your cravings with creative means to cook food. Experiment with new flavors, and try and unleash senses that allow you to enjoy such food in a completely guilt-free manner. Susan Irby: Ditch the alcohol The next expert comes in the form of Susan Irby. With over 15 years of experience in this industry, she certainly has the history. Like a lot of the experts on our list, she has been largely in the public eye thanks to her appearances as a television host and also an author. According to Irby, alcohol is a big reason why people just can’t drop their fat level. Of course, this is something that most people are firmly aware of, but Irby says that you really should look to limit your intake to a maximum of two drinks per week. To do this, tap into something like cucumber mint water. While this might not provide the “kick” that accompanies alcohol, it does refresh your taste buds and hydrate you in a more exciting way than water will. It’s obviously completely natural as well. George Allen: Jump on the protein bandwagon For anyone who keeps tabs on popular health and fitness blogs, you’ll probably be fully aware about George Allen. This is the co-founder of MensAnswer.com, although he also has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics and a master’s degree in nutrition science which certainly helps matters. Allen advocates tapping into protein sources as much as possible. This is something that should become a permanent habit. Protein is something which helps you build muscle (and replace that fat), but an indirect benefit of it is that it can make you feel full for longer. Ultimately, you are less likely to dive for the cookie jar. Liam Burgess: The importance of meal prep With an ACE certification and as an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and also being an established author in some of the best fitness magazines around, it would be fair to say that Liam Burgess (co-founder of UseLegalSteroids) knows what he is talking about. In relation to burning fat, he says that the best advice is to stay on top of your meal prep. Always be mindful about what you can do to eat healthily, and how you can use time to your advantage. In other words, try and plan your meals several days in advance, just so you don’t fall into the trap of being in a rush to put a meal together. Usually, when this happens, you’re asking for trouble. ...
How to Get Shredded by Eating Exactly What Your Body Needs
You might put your body through the most vigorous training sessions, but when it comes to the crunch it isn’t as good as it really should be. This is the trap most guys fall into and in short, it’s down to what you are eating. Far too many of us don’t take our food intake seriously. In some cases, it’s because we just eat the wrong stuff and our fat levels skyrocket. In others, the opposite is true, and it’s because we aren’t eating enough calories so there is a calorie deficit and we will actually lose muscle. Following on from the above, hopefully it is clear just how important it is to eat the right food. Through the course of this guide we will now show you how to do this, including a specific diet, and some extra help to push you along the way. How much should you be eating? We’re going to first take a look at just how much you should be eating, and finding this out by studying your macros. Macronutrients can be classed as protein, carbohydrates and fat and as we all know, are absolutely essential for bodybuilding. At the same time, if you don’t eat the right amount of each, you’re not going to make that elusive progress. So, how do you know exactly what you should be eating? Fortunately, experts have devised various formulas over the years to calculate how many calories you should be eating, with one of the best being a simple multiplier. This multiplier varies depending on the type of person that you are, and can be broken down as follows. Firstly, take your body weight in pounds. From this point on, multiply the number by one of the following. x14 – If you are somebody who is active (and by that we mean you train at intensity, at least four to six times a week), you fall into this category. x13 – This is for those of you who don’t train quite as much (maybe two or three times a week) but have an active job. It also applies to anyone with a sedentary job, but manages to get to the gym four to six times per week. x12 – You might have a sedentary job, but you offset this by training two or three times per week. Or, you might just have a very active job. x11 – This is for anyone who does little exercise and has a sedentary job. Now that you have established how many calories you should be eating, it’s time to turn to protein. Fortunately, this is much easier than the previous one, and there are no multipliers which depend on how much exercise you are performing. This time, it’s simply a case of consuming 1g of protein for each pound of body weight. This means that for a 150 pound person, this means that they should be consuming around 150g of protein every day. Next, we’re onto carbohydrates. Again, this is a simple one, although you’ll be using the number that you’ve just established in the protein section for the base of your carbs. Take this number, and multiply it by four to get your carbohydrate intake. In relation to fat, the general advice is to turn to somewhere between 0.3g and 0.6g of fat for every pound of body weight. This is something that you can leave to your discretion somewhat; if you are looking to cut it can be closer to the 0.3g mark for example. For those of you questioning how many calories each of these macronutrients will provide, there are again very easy formulas. For every gram of protein you consume, you’ll get four calories. For every gram of fat you have, you’ll get nine calories. For every gram of carbohydrates you have, you’ll get four calories. Are there any diets out there which can get you to less than 10% body fat? The above is great if you want to tailor something which works exactly for your body. However, if you are looking to forget the math, and quickly find something that is going to shred your fat to record levels (sub 10%), then it’s time to read on. The diet that we will cover is only going to work for those of you who stick with it and ultimately, stay consistent. It’s based on consuming a limited amount of carbs – and only turning to them after a workout (when you really need them). We should clarify that this diet is not designed for those of you who are looking to build muscle. Sure, it contains protein, but the main goal here is to drop your fat levels, maintain your current muscle mass levels whilst retaining strength. Let’s now take a look at the diet in-detail. Breakfast – This will be formed from 4-5 . Feel free to mix up your vegetables. Snack: Between your meals, turn to a protein shake with a few almonds thrown in for good measure. Lunch: There are absolutely no carbohydrates here, with lunch comprised of a chicken breast and a cup of spinach. Snack: Between your meals, turn to a tablespoon of peanut butter and tuna. This will deliver you a healthy punch of protein for the afternoon. Post workout: Only turn to this meal if you have worked out. Consume a piece of salmon, brown rice or a sweet potato and a cup of leafy vegetables. Snack: To conclude the day, you can have an avocado coupled with cottage cheese, or another protein shake if you would prefer. For those of you who think that you might get hungry, there are a couple of points to note. Firstly, make sure that your water intake is high. This is going to curb your hunger cravings and stop you thinking about all those snacks that you just can’t have. In an ideal world, you would be looking to consume about 1 gallon of water. Additionally, there is room for further snacks. You can turn to as many green leafy vegetables as you want, and as many protein sources as you’d like. In terms of the latter, this covers the likes of fish and chicken. How is your training affected? For those of you who are concerned about the effects of this diet on your training, you don’t need to be. Any resistance workout will cope fine with the diet and there’s no need to adjust based on it. Can anything else help you along your way? If you stick to everything we have coupled, you should see your fat levels plummet in no time. However, for those of you who want to supercharge the results, there is an alternative. This alternative comes in the form of supplementation. This is an industry which has burst onto the scene over recent years, for the simple reason that supplements are now natural and hugely effective. In other words, the days of illegal steroids and painful side effects don’t exist. Once upon a time, you may have had to turn to something like Clenbuterol to accelerate your fat loss results. Fortunately, you can kiss goodbye to the dreadful side effects that accompanied that steroid, and turn to a natural replacement. The natural replacement goes by the name of Clenbutrol and has been put together by Crazy Bulk, the leading safe and legal steroids manufacturer. This is regarded as the best Clenbuterol alternative in the world as it contains a completely natural mix of ingredients, while the results are experienced in a matter of days. It can be summarized as follows: Pros As we’ve already alluded to, it’s made from a completely natural mix of ingredients which means that side effects are a thing of the past. It will increase your energy levels, allowing you to burn more calories at the gym, whilst also acting as a thermogenic so you burn more calories as you go through your day-to-day activities. You don’t need a trip to the doctor to obtain this product; no prescriptions are required. Shipping is free all around the world while if you buy two batches of the product, you will get an additional one free. Cons Unfortunately, Clenbutrol is only available through the official website of Crazy Bulk. Due to the reputation of the product, it carries a premium price tag. Customer Reviews You can Buy Clenbuterol by clicking here and visiting the official merchant website. To read more about the best legal steroids for bulking and gaining muscle mass, check out this article by Raymond. ...
3 Mistakes You Must Cut Out to Rid Yourself of Muscle Soreness
It’s one of the most frustrating parts of exercising. You keep pushing your body, making that elusive progress, only to hit a brick wall because of muscle soreness. It’s a problem that most certainly affects some of us more than others but once you do fall into the category, even getting out of bed can be a chore in itself. Fortunately, there are suggestions that you can take on board in a bid to stop succumbing to the effects of muscle soreness. Sure, it might still happen, and the fact that elite athletes still suffer from it means that nobody is ever going to be immune from the effects. However, there are various mistakes that are ever-so-common, and through the course of this guide we will take a look at the biggest three to hopefully ensure that muscle soreness is no longer dominating your post-training days. Mistake #1 – You pick and choose your exercises, by day Let’s start with a mistake that is most commonly seen in January. In other words, it’s a bit of a newbie mistake, which tends to be made by those guys who have made their New Year’s resolutions and are hitting the gym with a “bang”. If you are the type of guy who arrives at the gym and picks and chooses different exercises every day, this is the reason your muscles are sore. Sure, we’re all for adaptation, the process of changing your routine to promote further muscle growth, but there are times when this adaptation can be just too much. Changing your exercises every day falls into this category. This might be a strange concept to get your head around. After all, if your muscles are sore from completing an exercise, how are you going to complete it again? Well, try as you might, you simply have to, even if it means having a little time off (whether it’s a day or two). Your body needs a bit of time to get used to exercise movements, and once it has done this you will kiss goodbye to any soreness you may have once experienced. Some of you might struggle with this mistake, as there’s most certainly a fine line that needs to be met. You need to be providing different stimuli to your muscles, but not on such a regular basis that you are left with sore muscles after each and every session you complete at the gym. Mistake #2 – You cheat when it comes to your form If you have performed any sort of research on working out, you have most probably come across the importance of form. The general advice is that if you’re not lifting correctly, you’re doing no good whatsoever to your muscles. In fact, you’re probably just increasing the chance of injury. The best advice is to lift less, but do it with perfect form, in a bid to make those elusive gains. Despite form always being in the instruction manuals, you can walk into any gym in the world and see guy after guy performing exercise after exercise completely wrong. Most of the time these mistakes will come in the form of swinging the weight, rather than lifting, while another common problem is placing too much pressure on your back. In short, it doesn’t look good, and it most certainly doesn’t do any good either. As well as all of the above, bad form can also cause plenty of muscle soreness. This also has a knock-on effect when it comes to your future routines. If you find yourself exercising muscles which are susceptible to aches, there’s a very good chance you are going to “cheat” and place the resistance on those muscles which aren’t sore. This simply exaggerates the problem, and leaves you even further behind in the process. Remember, gyms are full of mirrors for a reason. Sure, some guys like to pose in them, but on the whole they are there to aid your form. Use them wisely, and keep checking to make sure that your body is in the right position for an exercise, and you are tapping into the right muscles when you follow through with the movement. Mistake #3 – As soon as soreness arrives, your activity drops Like the other mistakes we have spoken about, this next one can almost be understood. After all, if you are suffering from muscle soreness, the last thing you want to do is use the affected muscles, right? Well, as much as it might hurt, it’s time to battle through the pain barrier and at least try and exercise the joints in question. There’s a common saying in the fitness industry and it goes by the name of “motion is lotion”. It means that without this motion, your aches and pains are just going to be amplified. So, where specifically should you be moving? Well, the best advice is to focus on the joints which are situated both above and below the muscle itself. For example, in the case of your quadriceps, you should be looking to keep both your knees and hips completely active. At this point we should highlight that we’re by no means suggesting that you should be putting a monumental amount of stress on these joints – just a little will suffice just nicely. Light exercise is all you need in this regard and the upshot of this is that muscles won’t become stiff, which is one of the primary reasons why pain from soreness arrives anyway. When we talk about light exercise, don’t consider anything more than a walk or slow jog for twenty minutes. Obviously, the nature of the exercise is going to vary depending on the affected muscles, but in the case of the quads a run is going to be completely suitable. In fact, this light exercise will even cause a rush of endorphins, which should provide some rest bite from the immediate pain you are experiencing from the soreness anyway. ...
3 Cooking Oils to Transform Your Diet
If you have kept tabs on the health and fitness industry over recent years, it will have become blatantly clear that fats are well and truly in fashion. We’re not talking about cakes, fast food or anything else along such lines – but the healthy fats which can make or break a diet. If you’ve read any sort of superfood list over recent times you’ll have probably heard all about olives, avocados and flaxseeds to name a few. Most people will immediately head to the store and purchase these in their solid-form – but there is another option. All of us need cooking oils from time to time; it’s one of the core components of many of our meals. However, choose the wrong cooking oil and that once-healthy meal can suddenly turn to one that’s absolutely ablaze with calories. This is the reason this guide has been put together. Instead of turning for the standard cooking oils that can douse meals with a huge number of calories, we have today summarized three which are utterly healthy for you. Of course, like with any type of fat a degree of caution has to be taken into account, and we would immediately suggest that you only use these with a spray bottle to make sure you’re not adding too much to your diet. Extra virgin olive oil Let’s start with the old classic and in truth, most of you will have probably heard about the wonders of extra virgin olive oil. It’s been doing the rounds for years in the fitness sphere, and rightly so. One of the reasons it has garnered so much popularity over the years is because it was originally part of the Mediterranean diet, which has been tried-and-tested and found to benefit all sorts of areas of your body ranging from your kidney to your brain. The reason it is so beneficial is due to the monounsaturated fat level. Studies have found that this is able to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol that can be found in your body (or, for those of you who are scientifically inclined, it can reduce the “LDL cholesterol”). Regardless of the terminology you use, the most important thing to remember is that it can reduce the chances of suffering with heart disease. If we return to the topic of the brain, the results of one study have really raised a few eyebrows in the fitness industry. The study, which was performed on animals, found that olive oil can protect the brain from incurring symptoms which link with Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, slightly more research is required on humans, but the omens are certainly promising. So, why should your olive oil have the “extra virgin” factor? This is a foodie-term that relates to the quality. It’s much better than other types, although a word of warning relates to the way in which it burns. In comparison to other types of oil, “extra virgin” can burn more easily which means all of the important nutrients are more at risk as well. Ultimately, when you cook with it, you should make sure that it’s at a low heat to make sure you don’t lose anything that’s important. Avocado oil In some ways, there won’t be many surprised faces with this next suggestion. Avocados are one of the most popular “superfoods” on the block right now, although the main surprise with them might relate to the fact that this time it’s coming in oil-form (which isn’t as well-known). The way in which avocado is beneficial is because it allows you to absorb nutrients much more easily. For example, The Journal of Nutrition found that people eating salsa absorbed a lot more of the antioxidants from the tomatoes by consuming it with avocado oil. There’s plenty of scientific reasoning to back this up as well; with the fat in avocados making the absorption process much easier. Something else that’s interesting, and crucial for some of you, is the way in which you cook avocado. As we spoke about in the previous section, there are some oils which are not susceptible to high heat. Avocado oil is not one of these, with most suggesting that you can cook it as high as 500 degrees and not lose any of the valuable nutrients. However, rather than cooking with it, the tastiest suggestion is to again drizzle it over your stir-fry or salad, which can promote both delicious and healthy results. Flaxseed oil The final member of our list is another which you might have heard of, for all of the reasons we documented in the avocado oil section. Flaxseed is yet another one of the common members of the superfood top lists but again, few of us realize that it can be purchased in oil-form. For the last few years there has been a lot of talk about omega-3 fatty acids – and the importance of including them in your diet. Usually, it’s salmon and tuna that grab all of the headlines in this regard. Well, you probably know where this is going. Flaxseed oil is something that also contains them in abundance, containing something which specifically goes by the name of alpha-linolenic acid. This is something that is plant-based, which the human body just isn’t able to make. The beauty about this component is that because it is derived from a plant, studies have already shown that it prompts a 10% lower risk of fatal heart attacks. There is a slight downside to flaxseed oil though, and this is very similar to what we have already spoken about when it comes to extra virgin olive oil. This is an oil which burns exceptionally easily, to such an extent that most people don’t think you should even cook with it (we’re not quite in that boat just yet). The best advice is to consume it at room temperature, meaning that it’s best for salad dressings or for those of you who like to dabble in a morning smoothie. ...
7 Excuses That Are Stopping You From Hitting The Gym
Supposedly, it’s New Year, new you. Unfortunately, all we are hearing is New Year, same excuses. This might be the period of the year where the gyms are full to capacity, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that everyone is throwing themselves into their new regime. On the contrary, some guys just can’t wait to make up the next excuse on why not to go – and this is where today’s guide comes into the picture. We have put together the seven most common excuses when it comes to avoiding going to the gym. Suffice to say, if you can get over these, you’ll do your chances of long-term improvement the world of chances. Let’s jump straight into the list. “My gym is too busy and I don’t want to queue” In some ways, this is a legit excuse. After all, who wants to drag themselves to the gym after work, only to see that they’ll be waiting in line for the next piece of equipment. Unfortunately, particularly at the turn of the year when New Year’s resolutions are out in full force, this is something that regularly happens. However, in reality, this isn’t something you should be using to halt your fitness plans. It’s certainly frustrating, but don’t try and fool yourself and suggest there are no other options on the table. The likes of squats, pushups and pull-ups aren’t just adequate replacements – they are some of the best exercises you can do anyway. You can do these in a spare corner of your gym (it will certainly have at least some free floor space) or even your own home. Either way, let’s abandon this excuse once and for all. “My schedule is too tight to work out” Sure, life seems to have gotten busier. At the same time, we aren’t buying that you don’t have ten, lonely minutes to spare to have a quick workout. You might question whether or not really it is enough, but give us time. There’s been a huge development in the fitness industry over recent years, and it’s been going by the name of HIIT. Short for high intensity fitness training, this sort of training only needs around ten minutes to be truly effective. “Truly effective” means more worthwhile than lots of traditional exercise which has been drilled into us for so many years, as well. As long as you have a spare corner of your home, you’re good to go with this one. You don’t even need a gym. “I look good anyway, it’s fine to miss a few days” Firstly, it’s completely fine to skip a day. In fact, if you don’t, your body is going to tell you in the very near future that it’s time for a rest – and it won’t be pleasant. However, suggesting that you’re looking too good to workout is bordering on laughable. Unfortunately, this is proving to be something that’s increasingly common, with experts even coining their own phrase; the genetic invincible effect. It basically sums up those who don’t decide to take their health seriously as there are no signs of obesity. Let’s remind you that it’s also usually these people who face problems down the line. So, feel free to skip a day, but any more than this you are asking for trouble. Missing sessions will become a habit, and that’s the last thing that you need. Trust us. “I’m not sleeping enough to go to my workout” You can probably guess our response when it comes to this next issue. Go to bed earlier! In all seriousness, if you haven’t slept enough there’s every reason that you shouldn’t go to the gym. Countless studies have shown that a lack of sleep isn’t just going to impact the workout itself, but also for the whole day and your muscles just won’t repair as efficiently as they normally would. The crucial part of this excuse is defining just how much is “enough” sleep though. If you’ve only managed two or three hours, you’re right – don’t go, it’s going to do more harm than good. If on the other hand you are doing it so you don’t have to set your alarm at the weekend, this is questionable to say the least and a completely invalid excuse. “I’m injured” Just like a lot of the excuses we have mulled over, we will exercise a degree of caution whilst talking about this next one. After all, injuries need to be taken seriously and if you do have a genuine one, you need to sort it as a matter of urgency. If this means that you’re not going to visit the gym, then so be it. However, there are different types of injuries. Something that’s often confused with an injury is a “pain”. This pain doesn’t have to be necessarily bad, it might be because you are just a little sore from the previous days’ session. In short, this is no excuse. Even if you’ve pulled your glutes, let’s not forget that there are exercises which can affect other areas of the body. There’s nothing stopping you from performing pull-ups or pushups, and being completely unaffected. “I just don’t feel like going” Let’s now proceed to the lamest excuse in the book. Firstly, we should applaud you in some ways, as admitting that this is the real reason is something that far too many people aren’t willing to do. We do have some sympathy with this excuse, as it’s a very hard rut to get out of if you just don’t like and generally don’t want to go to the gym. We are going to leave you with the results of a study which will hopefully fine-tune your mind a little. In 2017, a study in Frontiers in Psychology concluded that people who placed their future as a priority were benefiting from a solid exercise regime. As such, before you give yourself the opportunity to hand this excuse in, start to think about your future and the true ramifications of “not feeling it”. Is it worth obesity or other health problems later down the line? Additionally, if you really don’t feel like your current exercise regime, what is stopping you from changing things up? If you don’t like cardio training, why not try weights? And before you ask, both can help you with weight loss if that’s your end goal. “It’s raining” We’ve purposely saved the very best excuse until the end. Hopefully you don’t fall into this category, but some guys just won’t make the effort to go to the gym for the simple reason that it’s too cold, or wet. Of course, it might be that little more difficult to get out from under the covers, but in reality this really is a wet excuse (pardon the pun). Sure, it’s hard to get out of bed when the temperature drops, but let’s direct you over to a study in 2017. This was based on soldiers who were ski-marching in the Arctic and it was found that they were burning more calories than any other military exercise of a similar intensity. In simple terms, you’ll burn more calories when it’s cold, so get out there and do it. ...
5 Mistakes You Make AFTER You Leave The Gym Floor
Nowadays, the magazines are obsessed with what you do on the gym floor, so much so that they tend to include booklets of all of the perfect exercises you should be turning to. Well, we’re not about to follow suit. Instead, we are going to take a look at what you should be doing as soon as you say goodbye to the gym floor. As soon as most of us reach the locker, we don’t turn back. We don’t think about how our body is going to react and instead, see the hard work as being completely over. While it’s true that the hard work might be over, that doesn’t mean to say that you don’t need to carefully consider your post-gym steps. Get these wrong and the workout you have just engaged in might be in complete tatters. Get them right, and you can supercharge your progress. Following on from the above, let’s take a look at five common mistakes that are made when you return home from your workout. Mistake #1 – You stay in your sweaty clothes This is one of those mistakes that nobody will admit to making, but unfortunately it’s very true for a lot of people. While some of us can’t wait to rid ourselves of the sweat-drenched clothes that we have been exercising in, others are happy to keep them on. Well, suffice to say, this is asking for problems. From a general hygiene perspective, sweat is something that attracts all sorts of nasty bacteria’s and naturally, this is something that you should look to avoid whenever possible. Something that a lot of people don’t realize is that sweat can create a chill on your body, and once this happens it’s very difficult to shake off. For those of you who don’t have time, or even the facilities, to have a shower immediately after your session – fear not. All this piece of advice is focusing around is the clothes themselves. If you can change your clothes, socks and shoes, you will at least keep your muscles warm and loose – both of which can help substantially when it comes to their development. On the subject of changing your shoes, you should always make sure you put on something that provides adequate support to your feet, for the simple reason that they require some TLC after being put under so much stress through the course of your workout. Mistake #2 – You don’t have respect for your body This is a fairly general mistake, but one that you need to put right as a matter of urgency. Some people fall into a trap when they start going to the gym – they just can’t stop. Of course, this isn’t everyone, but there are a select group which just really struggle to put a halt on things once they get going. This might sound great; after all, you’re working out, right? Well, it’s only great to an extent. The moment you start to compromise your rest days you start asking for trouble. You start to limit the amount of time your muscles have to develop, because they are constantly working out and not having any time to regroup. Also, and this should probably go without saying, if you are not giving your muscles any time to breath it’s only a matter of time before an injury is going to sneak up on you. As such, make sure you give yourself at least a day of rest between workouts. Mistake #3 – Hitting lazy mode as soon as you reach home Next on the list is something that we will have all been guilty of from time to time; hitting lazy mode as soon as we reach the front door after a gym session. Whether it’s having a movie marathon or anything else which involves you being pretty sedentary, it’s something that you need to avoid at all costs. Even though it might be tough, due to total exhaustion, there is complete reasoning behind this. You have been working intensely, and in a bid for your body to recover accordingly you still need some blood to be pumped around your body. This means that you need to turn to some light exercise, whether it’s just walking around the office or even doing some mild stretches. In other words, you don’t need to go overboard, but just do something to keep a bit of movement in your routine. Without this, the chances of injury increase, and your muscles will find it harder to get anywhere. Mistake #4 – Be wary of house chores This next mistake is one that will probably be music to your ears. Nobody likes household chores, and this next mistake is for those of you who do too many of them straight after you have done a workout. Let’s make something clear at this point, we’re not referring to the washing up or any other minor tasks. Instead, the chores in question are those which exert significant pressure onto your body. Anything involve bending, or stretching falls into this category – so naturally any garden maintenance tasks should usually be completely off the agenda until your body has recovered. The reason behind this is simple; your body is in a somewhat frail state after you have been to the gym. Your muscles have effectively been damaged, and they now need time to recover and develop again. By putting pressure on them through these chores, this just isn’t going to happen. This is again one of the big reasons why you simply must incorporate rest days into your workout regimes. Any chores, like those mentioned above, need to be penned in to those rest days. Or, if you really can’t manage to carry them out on one of your “free” days, at least leave a few hours (or as much time as possible) before getting out in the garden and putting more stress on your muscles. Mistake #5 – Not eating the right things, at the right time We will conclude proceedings on something that you will have probably been expecting. It’s a bit of a cliché, but particularly after you have just finished working out the phrase you are what you eat couldn’t be truer. The food and drink you consume is of paramount importance and to throw some specific timings into the equation, we would recommend consuming it between 20 and 30 minutes of the conclusion of your session. It’s at this point that you really need to think about logistics. If you’re not at home, make sure you pack plenty of healthy snacks so you can quickly dip in. These snacks need to mainly be protein-based ones, with the odd sprinkle of complex carbohydrates, so your energy is at the appropriate level. Don’t, under any circumstances, opt for fast food or any other fatty favorites. Remember, you have poured blood, sweat and tears into your last workout, the last thing you want is to put on all the calories you have just lost. On the subject of food and drink, you will hopefully know the importance of taking in enough water. Your session is where your muscles will have become really dehydrated, so now’s the time to make up for it. ...
How to Tackle The New Year Head on With Your Fitness Regime
It might be a new year, and it might be the time where you think that your fitness goals finally click into place, but it’s also the time where you need to ask yourself if they are really going to happen. Or, as every year has it, are the same mistakes going to creep in and you’ll be back to square one quicker than you know it? Unfortunately, far too many of us make fantastic-sounding New Year resolutions, only to see them fly up in tatters by the end of January. If you do fall into this group, the only consolation we can offer is that you’re certainly not alone, and we’re going to try and do everything we can to help you pass those first few milestones. Following on from the above, we have put together the following five points. These points will now look to address some of the common obstacles that hinder the typical person starting a fitness routine in January, and hopefully mean that your short-term plans can be extended indefinitely. Don’t forget about the smaller goals In the process of setting your big goals for the New Year, many people simply forget that these need to split into smaller segments. Sure, it’s going to be almightily satisfying if you manage to achieve your goal when the end of the year strikes. In the period before then though, things could get frustrating. Most days you are going to wake up realizing that you’re nowhere near your end goal, and you have a long time before you get anywhere close. In some cases, let’s not forget, that you might have to weight nigh-on twelve months to reach that elusive target. This is why it is crucial to split down the goal into smaller goals, so you can work on the back of the motivation needed to complete them. As well as the above, some people will decide that a big goal is just too difficult to achieve on its own. For example, if you were to lose 40 pounds in a year, it sounds a huge figure. However, if we were to tell you that you only need to lose between three and four pounds a month, suddenly things start to become easier and your motivation levels should rise as a result. Remember, when it comes to setting goals, always go with the SMART principle. This is tried-and-tested, and places a big emphasis on everything we have spoken about in this section. Buy into the era of the selfie To say that we’re in the era of the selfie would be a gross understatement. For some of us, it’s the photo which actually dominates our day-to-day life. However, when it comes to fitness they actually serve a very good purpose. For years we have been used to relying on the scales, but now might be the time to ditch this approach and turn to your trusty mobile phone. By taking regular selfies, you will quickly see visual evidence of where your weight loss journey is heading. This can turn out to be much more revealing as well, for the simple reason that the scale might read higher, even though your fat levels have dropped. A selfie meanwhile can show your tone a little more, and generally make you feel better about yourself. If you want to take things a little further, don’t hesitate to upload these selfies to social media either. This will immediately provide some accountability to your actions, while there was also a study in 2013 which showed that those people who added their fitness progress to Twitter actually lost more weight than those that didn’t. As such, it’s one of those matters where the science does the talking as well. It’s time to team up Going to the gym with your friend might seem a little too social, but there are huge benefits in opting for this approach. It’s all about having a degree of accountability. When you wake up in the morning, and everything rests on you, you won’t be letting anyone else down when you roll back over and go to sleep. When there’s a buddy waiting at the gym, such actions are far less likely to happen. This isn’t something which is purely based on theory either. A report in the American Society of Training and Development went as far as saying that by having someone with you during your workout progress you have 95% more chance of reaching your fitness goals. Clearly, this is a monumental difference. Of course, you’ve got to be quite selective of who your training buddy actually is. If it’s someone who is going to let you down, or someone who will always accept any excuses you throw at them, it’s probably a sign that they are not going to be suitable for this role. Instead, it needs to be someone utterly proactive who is really going to raise your game, and bounce off you. The 90 day factor It doesn’t matter who you are, competition tends to bring the best out of people. Of course, you might be the type of person who doesn’t like engaging in competition but even if you do fall into said category, it’s time to battle on and try to agree to this next suggestion. The basis of it is to schedule some form of competition around 90 days after the turn of the New Year. This is the optimum amount of time to provide yourself with the adequate motivation to plough on and continue with your fitness goals. By having this in the diary, you are far more likely to keep going and attempt to conquer your ambitions. However, there is a word of caution. It’s recommended to book in this event within the first week of January (or the earliest time possible). If you leave it later, you run the risk of not even having the motivation to book the event, never mind take part in it. The one big workout a month challenge If you’ve managed to work out consistently for a few months, you need a round of applause. There’s just one problem with this; you are probably going to start to get burnt out soon. In other words, the workouts which have served you so well over time will soon become boring, forcing you to lose interest and the rut to set in. As such, a solution is required. You need to try anything and everything to spice your workouts up, just so the boredom factor doesn’t come into play. One such idea is to invest in one big workout every single month. We don’t mean a heated gym session, or anything else that is remotely similar to your normal surroundings, but rather something that is completely out of the ordinary. To coin a few examples, it might be rock climbing or an obstacle course. Both of these options have something completely unique about them, whilst challenging your body immensely. At the same time, they aren’t something that you are likely to participate in every week, which is where they can step in and rescue you from your boring routine. ...
Huge and Injury Free: The Chris Snee Guide to Working out
When an NFL player talks, most of us feel inclined to listen. When said NFL player is former New York Giants lineman Chris Snee – all of us listen. This was one of the biggest units in the game during his peak – a man who weighed around 315 pounds and would comfortably bench press 225. Most people might imagine that his body may have gone into a state of disrepair upon his retirement, but that’s proven to not be the case at all. Sure, he’s dropped almost 100 pounds, but he’s also as lean as they come and he’s recovered perfectly from the injury problems that plagued him during the latter days of his playing career. All of the above means that he certainly has plenty of helpful fitness advice in his locker. Through the course of this guide, we will now tap into some of his know-how, documenting just how he has now managed to navigate all of his injury concerns, whilst still staying in optimum condition. A word of warning before we begin – some of his tips go completely against what you may have been told for years. The plank is simple, but so effective In the era of modern exercises and equipment, this first tip might sound a little surreal. However, according to Snee, the plank was one of the most important elements of his training plan. As we know, upon his retirement, Snee was plagued with injury problems. One of these occurred in his back – which is where the plank came in. By doing this exercise, he’s not only been able to sort out his back, but also do his core the world of good. Quite strangely, as soon as he completes his set of planks, his back immediately feels fine. In other words, it’s almost like instant pain relief. So, what exactly is a set? In the case of Snee, it’s anything between a minute and 90 seconds on the front, before repeating for the side. This is sufficient to alleviate any back pain, whilst also boosting your core. Ice baths aren’t a gimmick You see the “behind the scenes” footage and NFL players jumping in ice baths. For them, it seems real, but for Average Joe it’s not really something we ever consider. According to Snee, this needs to change. After every game, Snee would turn to something going by the name of the Game Ready. This is a premium ice machine and while you are unlikely to turn to such a contraption due to price, there’s nothing wrong with matching the system with an ice bath at your own gym. The beauty of these baths is that they will minimize any swelling from your exercise immensely. Snee found the biggest benefits in his knees, but in truth you can take advantage through your whole body. His philosophy was that there are so many areas of the body where it’s bone rubbing against bone – and this creates a whole magnitude of problems down the line. So, how should you carry out this next step? Unfortunately, it’s going to be painful, and involves immersing yourself in an ice bath for three minutes. It might be the longest three minutes of your life, but once the clock ticks down it’s time to swap it for warm water. Not only will this numb the pain that you’ve had to withstand for the past few minutes, but it will get the blood flowing again which can aid your body’s recovery. The best way to big arms? Lockouts So far, a lot of what we have talked about has revolved around Snee’s regime in relation to injury prevention. Next on the list relates to his immense size – and just how he got there. Let’s specifically talk about his triceps. When you hear people talk about the best ways to get the huge arms, lockouts barely come into the equation. According to Snee, who let’s not forget had huge arms, this is actually his best method. He says that heavy weights are key in this process, and using a bench can just accelerate your progress. The safety bar will be activated during this period, meaning that the bar is only going to drop about halfway down to your chest. In terms of the numbers, the intensity of this exercise meant that Snee only turned to them once per week. However, on that one occasion he would aim to perform five to six sets, containing up to 10 reps of the lockouts. Again, it was with a heavy weight. Not necessarily the one that matched Snee though – he was performing this exercise with 315 pounds for the first ten reps, and 455 pounds for the next five. It’s not all squats and deadlifts This is perhaps one of the most interesting pieces of advice that Snee has dished out. As we will soon come onto, trainers aren’t always right. Something that Snee disagrees with is that many always suggest squats and deadlifts – two exercises which are supposedly at the center of a solid workout regime. While there’s no doubt that these have their place in a workout, they don’t arrive without their own problems. Snee believes that by relying too much on the likes of squats and deadlifts, you can start to develop muscular imbalances. The upshot of this, as most of us will know, is that injuries like back pain can occur. So, what’s the workaround? According to Snee, what has worked the best for him is relying on single-leg exercises as opposed to ones of the double variety. By doing this, he can really balance out his body and mitigate the risk of injury. While he may have been quick to suggest heavy weights for some exercises, this is one case where he certainly doesn’t agree. Instead, it’s all about lunges and split squats – aiming to perform as many as twenty reps in each set. You are the person who knows your body the best Let’s conclude with some advice that some people might have always been told to ignore. We’re told that we should always listen to the professionals, but when it comes to choosing an exercise for your body you have every right to disagree. In fact, you’ll usually be right. Sure, a trainer might have textbooks on all the best exercises to help people achieve their fitness goals. Something they don’t have is inside-knowledge of how your body works though. Snee has openly admitted that he will turn up to a group fitness class and listen intently to what the trainer says. However, if they suggest a movement that doesn’t correlate with his ideas, he’ll tell them he’s not doing it. Of course, there’s got to be a reason behind this, it’s not because he “just doesn’t like it”. Instead, it’s usually due to the movement hurting some part of his body, like his back. He has the experience to realize that when something hurts, it’s time to take action immediately. If not, you can run into all of the injury problems that plagued Snee when he retired from sport professionally. ...
New Year, New You: The Newbie’s Approach to The Gym
As any exercise enthusiast will tell you, January is the worst month for going to the gym. It’s absolutely rammed full – with queues for machinery just adding to the misery. It’s full of people who are aiming for the “new year, new you” phase, and finally looking to get into shape. If you fall into said category, this guide is for you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with starting a gym routine, and you will reap so many rewards if you stick at it. However, in order to do so, you really need to avoid some of the common pitfalls that plague so many new members. Through the course of this guide we’ll mull over some of these mistakes, and help build you build a “new you” the right way. Stay away from the modern toys Nowadays, gyms are full of modern toys. For the established gym enthusiast, this isn’t a problem. They can resist when necessary, and turn to them on the few occasions its required. For the newbie, this seems hard to achieve though. They will be desperate to try the shiny new machines, and opt for these over free weights and established exercises that are guaranteed to help them get in shape provided they persist. When we talk about this new equipment, we’re referring to the likes of TRX belts and other “modern” stuff. Sure, there’s a place for these, and they can work well in some workouts. For the new person going to the gym though, there are far more powerful tools at your disposal which can really supercharge your progress. The likes of squats and deadlifts are tried and tested – so make sure you turn to them. The fancy equipment and exercises meanwhile, is designed for those established pros who need to tap into new stimulus in a bid to enhance their performance. When you get to said stage, then is the time to turn to them. For now, stick to the classic movements – they will serve you well. Your phone is your worst enemy In the age of the smartphone, you might not believe us. But please, leave your phone away from the gym floor – as it’s not doing you any favorites whatsoever. In short, it’s an out-and-out distraction. Receive a text message from your significant other? You need to respond. See the latest breaking news story on the sports app? You need to check it. Such distractions aren’t going to do you any favors and will stop your focus. Let’s not forget that it’s not just you who suffers here, but everybody waiting for that piece of equipment you’re hogging due to phone-abuse. At the same time, the gym isn’t a place for chatting. If you’re on the phone and exercising, we can bet that you really aren’t getting the most out of your session. Arriving as a group isn’t cool Every so often you will see groups of guys hitting the gym, cycling through the loud jokes between sets and generally making the gym aware of their presence. This presence is by no means positive though; people aren’t looking at them for their amazing ability to bench press huge numbers, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Sure, the gym can be a social environment, but there are limits. Big groups just don’t work, and you’ll also find that there are individuals in said group who are happy to dish out plenty of advice, despite their poor shape. In short, it’s just not giving you any benefits whatsoever. Going with a buddy is fine – studies have shown that this can actually help. Anything more than this is overkill though, and will hinder your progress. Start your new year resolution with good form If going to the gym is your new year’s resolution, at least make sure that you are implementing good form. It’s all-too common to see guys hitting the gym for the first time and just trying to cram as much weight on as possible. The result of this is form which is absolutely terrible; you’ll be rocking, swinging and doing everything with the weights which makes you something of a laughing stock. Also, let’s not forget that this isn’t going to make you stronger – it’s just going to enhance the chances of picking up an injury. Instead, opt for lower weights, but learn the form. Watch videos, talk to the right people, and just make it your goal to learn the correct way to do the exercises – rather than be the clown with the big weights. What is your goal? Finally, let’s talk about one of the big problems that plague everyone at the gym – but it’s going to affect newbies even more and really impact their motivation levels. So many people just rock up to the gym without really knowing what they want to do. What are your goals? Do you want to lose weight? Build muscle? Let’s get these goals down to a tee before we go any further. If you don’t do the above, you will cycle through exercises without really knowing where you are going. How will you know if it’s been a good session? What will you think after a month of going to the gym? To tackle all of this, it’s time to come up with a plan. Some of you might turn to a personal trainer, but if you do opt for this approach at least do some research and find a good one. During new year, there are far too many amateurs doing the rounds which aren’t going to help in the slightest. Or, do-it-yourself. Just because you have little past experience in the gym, doesn’t mean to say that you can’t devise a plan of action. There’s now so much material on the internet, that it’s almost inexcusable not to go alone. Or, just talk to friends – but let’s reiterate that these friends need to be in-the-know, not just guys who think they know what they are talking about. ...
4 Ways to Fuel Deadlift Progress When You Hit a Roadblock
There are certain exercises which are regarded as “core” ones in any serious gym routine and suffice to say, deadlifting falls right into this category. It’s one of those exercises that most of us hate but like most of that ilk, it’s also one of the most beneficial. Such benefits include targeting some of the largest muscles in the body, as well as prompting a calorie burn that is rivalled by few other exercises when it comes to bodybuilding. So, there’s no doubt that deadlifting is a must for the majority of bodybuilding workouts out there. Unfortunately, it’s by no means easy. It’s most definitely one of those exercises that has a “roadblock” point – the point where you just cannot surpass a certain weight. Considering the importance of the exercise on the body, this is something that you need to avoid. This is the reason we have put this guide together. We will now take a look at four ways to help you power through the deadlift barrier, and lift more weight than you ever have done in the past. Don’t underestimate a strong grip Sure, you’re never going to deadlift for the purposes of strengthening your grip. However, the deadlift exercise relies on your grip in a lot of regards – and there is evidence to suggest that if you have a stronger one you will also lift heavier weights. Bearing this in mind, the first step is to obviously grip the bar much harder. If there’s any sign of weakness in your grip, the lift will immediately feel much more difficult. However, unless you have an immensely powerful grip, there’s only so far you can go. It means that you need to specifically look to strengthen your grip via separate exercises. These could involve anything from pull-ups to hangs (of both the one-arm and double variety). Be aware of your lower body and how it is limiting the exercise This is probably one of the more recent problems to deadlifting, and it’s all related to modern-day routines. Now, more and more of us are sat behind desks for the bulk of a day, and this therefore causes the likes of tight hamstrings, glutes and hips. From a deadlifting perspective, this is just asking for trouble. Flexibility in these areas is crucial if you are going to get your technique down to a tee, so try and regularly stretch these areas to ensure that your body is adequately prepped for the exercise. Your deadlifts need to be given priority In truth, this piece of advice could be applicable for any core exercise (we’re talking about squats and the bench press as well). The fact that the deadlift targets so many different muscle groups immediately propels it in the priorities list. Not only that, but it also means that it’s much harder on your body as you will be working much more intensely. It’s a compound movement, and these need to be given special attention. It means that you need to be placing the deadlift at the start of your workout. This will mean that you have more energy to carry out the movement, and therefore be able to lift heavier weights (and benefit from that elusive progression that we’re trying to teach through this article). It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t based on myths either, various studies have shown that the order of your workout does have an impact on its effectiveness. Your technique is more important than ever before If you’ve conducted any sort of research on the fitness industry so far, you’ll have read all about form. It’s crucially important for any exercise, but when it comes to deadlifting this importance increases tenfold. The deadlift is a difficult exercise to master at the best of times. It’s very easy to get wrong, and it’s very easy to succumb to injury or just tap into the wrong muscle groups. If you do fall into this group, it goes without saying that you are going to struggle to progress with your lifts. To help with the above, try and follow the steps below to implement the perfect deadlift technique. Your set up for this exercise is crucial. You’ll need to stand with your feet less than shoulder-width apart, with the bar positioned against your shins (and hovering over the middle of your foot). Your shoulders also need to be in line with the bar, to make sure that the bar doesn’t need to move forward too much on the way up. Stand up as tall as you can, before gradually moving down towards the bar by pushing back your hips. At this point you should make sure that you don’t perform the squat movement, which is a common error. Your hips should move back as you lower yourself, with this prompting tightness in your hamstrings. Keep your head in the same position and place your hands onto the bar, in your grip of choice. Drive upwards with your body, making sure that you push through with your heels. You should also ensure that your hips and shoulders are working in tangent and progressing at the same speed. At the top of the exercise, squeeze your glutes together to complete this element of the movement. Now that you have got to the top, the hard work isn’t over. Don’t give in at this point, but instead break with your hips and sit back. You should be aiming to return to the exact same position you started from, with the bar sliding down your thighs to reach this. A final point is making sure each rep is separate. In other words, don’t try and “merge” them into one by bouncing your body – this is not going to bring any sort of progress and again increases the chance of injury. Remember, this is a “deadlift”, meaning that you are picking up a “dead” weight with no outside assistance. ...
Why Does Romance And Fitness Go Hand In Hand
Who says that there’s no room for romance and fitness training? There’s nothing farther from the truth. Fitness and romance can go hand in hand for young and old alike. The Overall Scenario We could go all over the map regarding fitness and romance. People frequent gyms in hopes of finding that right person and if it didn’t work, you wouldn’t have so many gyms around the country. Gyms are a great way to meet people who are proactive about their lives. They’ve shown they have the diligence and responsibility to care for themselves and a person like that is what every guy or girl needs. Being fit means being attractive. The opposite sex will zoom in on you when they see you’re carrying yourself well, and have self-esteem. Confidence beams from a fit person. The overall positive characteristics that being fit bring means hooking up with someone with a like mindset and lifestyle can lead to a relationship of benefit to both of you. It Starts Early Once you’ve adopted a fitness lifestyle, whether you’re hooked up with someone or not, there’s lots of room for romance and the opportunities are numerous. Let’s say you and your significant other are just starting out on a new fitness lifestyle. You can workout together and support one another. This leads to both of you encouraging each other and seeing the improvements in your lives. It’s a bonding that will last a lifetime. Both of you will feel good and look good and not be a burden to one another. You’ll both be showing responsibility and determinism that brings about a solid foundation for a relationship of admiration and success. If you’re just starting out, workouts that allow for some romance are together exercises. Walking together is a prime example. While walking you can address issues that make your relationship better. You can even stop now and then for that smooch on the lips. Matter of fact you can space the amorous endeavors for every milestone accomplished. For every mile you walk, you get in some smooches. That’ll make the the workouts more fun and appealing! As you progress in your fitness regimens you should look for more opportunities for the at the loving expression that keeps the fires burning. Swimming together is perfect for this. Bicycling too. Wearing like gear and letting people know you’re a couple might bring in some wisecracks or compliments but in the end, you’ll be more attached to each other and your romance should blossom. Meeting For The First Time It’s been said that first impressions are lasting impressions. Meeting someone at the gym who is fit can make your eyeballs bulge. Looking good is the first step and sooner or later you’ll meet someone who attracts you, and you are attractive to them. Don’t go overboard as appearances can be deceiving. The difference with bodybuilders and fitness people is that you know from the start that they are people who can make a goal make a commitment and stick to it. A person who can do that is someone you can admire. As you get into conversations and like activities, going out for a bite to eat or maybe a concert is in the offering. It depends on their leisure interests. It’s no doubt you’ll have a lot to talk about as fitness is both an art and science. It will be your anchor interests and sooner or later you’ll find out how much more you share. Once you’ve met someone you can roll with, it’s all up to both of you to make things go right. Since fitness will be your primary mutual interest, add some romance to it. We don’t have to go into how much fun sex will be with someone who is fit. Once you’ve gotten off the ground you may find that sex is not only rewarding but part of the overall benefit of a solid and honorable relationship. Go On Fitness Journeys For Amour There’s nothing like going on vacation to get the romantic fires burning. You don’t have to take a trip to the Bahamas, you can find fitness getaways in your own state. Hiking is the most popular. You’re outside in the woods together, alone, and the only things watching you are an occasional curious critter. If you do frequent beaches, you can exercise on the beach while knowing later that bottle of wine and chocolates are waiting for the both of you. You can even workout at night in some places. Just take a look around where you live where you and your significant other can go to workout and find time for some cozying up. You may find romantic hot spots that no one else knows about. There’s nothing like that secret place where you can suck face. If you go on a big vacation like on a cruise ship, all the better. These ships are built for romance and have fully equipped gyms. Schedule that romantic breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with your workouts. It should turn into an experience you both will never forget. Fitness And Romance Aren’t Just For The Young Don’t get the idea that fitness and romance are only for the young. It’s also for the young at heart! Seniors can indulge in romance and get fit at the same time too. Matter of fact, older people may be more creative in their fitness and amorous endeavors. There are stories in the news every year about seniors getting busted doing what comes naturally at their retir3ement communities. Older folks know how to cut to the chase. If they’re starting out on a fitness regimen, holding hands while power walking is a great way to keep the loving feeling going. Fitness training is good at any age and just because a person has some years on them doesn’t mean romance goes out the window. It’s good for folks to get in their smooching and hugging for as long as they live, and working out together is a sure fired way to keep the biscuits burning. Things To Enhance Your Romance And Fitness Adventures Oh things can get cuddly and silly when two people are in love. They often have their own pet names for one another and often giggle for no apparent reason. It’s just part and parcel to the affairs of the heart. Romance and fitness can be enhanced with just a few simple things. Yes, people might think there’s something wrong with you, but you’ll both be happy and that’s all that matters. One thing to do is have matching workout outfits and equipment. Wearing similar clothing such as sneakers and such will show a bond that both of you will appreciate. His and her bicycles is another approach. At many gyms the most popular people are couples. People admire a couple who enjoy both fitness and romance. It shows that the two can go together like peanut butter and jelly. Others get inspired and may ask you advice on how you’ve kept your romantic relationship going so well. Enjoy such admiration as you’ve earned it. Give sound advice and don’t be shy. You’re succeeding in life with your love one and other people noticing it is further validation. Overall The true test is that with fitness and romance your life can expand into wonderful horizons. Workouts need not be some endless chore. Instead, they can be moments of which true love either blossoms or is fortified. Not only will fitness make your heart healthier, it can make your love stronger. ...
Why You Shouldn’t Be Your Own Worse Enemy While Dieting
When it comes to diet, you don’t have to be your own worse enemy. Usually, a bit of study and practice can lead to dieting that is not only effective but safe and sane. Misconceptions About Diets There seems to be a diet guru for every neighborhood. You’ll see these people selling their special diets that promise to do everything to get you to lose weight to finding romance. It’s all bull. The only diet you need is the one your doctor and certified nutritionist prescribes. Your doctor will have collected enough data about your eating habits and its effects on your body and mind and sharing that with your nutritionist, you’ll have a plan tailor made for you. People will come up with all sorts of ridiculous diets. The ‘Apple’ diet where you eat only apples. Or some idiotic ‘Fish Only’ diet. These trendy diets are orchestrated for one reason, to get money out of you. The FDA is aware of these scams and diligently tries to keep them in tow, but every other week a new one comes out. The unsuspecting public, desperate for any cure will jump on these diets and end up either sick or losing money. The legendary showman P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”, and he was right. Our innate nature to be gullible is why these guru or celebrity diets are hawked 24/7. Raising Your Nutritional Awareness Believe it or not, it doesn’t take long to learn the basics of nutrition. Take into account that your body and mind already know what’s good for you. Cravings are a part of this. If you have a craving for a food that isn’t loaded with sugar and salt, it means your body and mind are trying to tell you something. If you just take a week to study basic nutrition you’ll gain a thousand-fold. You’ll see why certain foods are recommended and why certain physiologies should have more or less of something. You’ll learn the nutritional content of various foods as well as their fiber content. In no time at all you’ll be able to put together your own combinations of foods and beverages that will establish a regimen that you’ll find not only healthy and tasty but highly enjoyable. Quick Results If you eat right you will see changes within a day or two. One will be easier digestion and the other more clarity of thought. The old saying that we are what we eat could be changed to we are what we eat like. Our bodies and minds need specific types of nutrients in the right ratios and combinations. It calls for study and testing and following doctor’s orders. Once the body realizes that you’ve changed your dietary regimen to provide it with what it needs, you’ll see your hearing, eyesight, and other senses sharpen up quick. This is because the body and mind are getting what they need, not what you want. Choose to study nutrition. Choose to follow a nutritional regimen that benefits you and you’ll end up happier than you imagine. Changing Old Habits The toughest thing to do regarding dieting is the changing of old habits. Many people cram food down their throats all day, not even realizing what they’re doing. At the job, people bring in doughnuts and other sweets. They’re irresistible at times and before you know it, you’ve maxed out your daily caloric intake and that means fat. If you’re the kind of person who eats on an unconscious level, you’ll need outside help. Ask friends and family to intervene when they see you with that humongous piece of chocolate cake or when you’re downing a two-liter soda loaded with sugar. Do your best not to bite back at them, but realize they’re only there to help you. If things get too bad, make sure your local store doesn’t sell you the lacking in nutrition but high in calories goods. Take the extra time and effort to visit that fresh produce section of your local supermarket or local farm. You can eat a ton of lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains and not gain a pound. This is the big misconception people have that if they diet they have to starve. No such thing to get that out of your head right now. Read some success stories from others who were in your shoes. See how they overcame their bad eating habits. You’ll probably find out you’re nowhere near as bad off as they were. You may realize you’ve caught yourself in just the right time to prevent disaster. After a while, you’ll be able to determine which nutritional experts to follow. Take their advice to your doctor so that they can determine if you’re getting sound advice. All in all, it’s up to you to put the leash on yourself and your wild dangerous eating habits. Timing, Ratios, And Portions The three key behaviors you’ll need to modify involve your timing, ratios, and portions. This might seem too much of a chore, but in reality you can comprehend and apply this easily. Eating right means more than eating the right foods. It also calls for eating at specified times during the day. Small meals spread out over the day will allow your digestive system to make the most of each meal. On top of that, it will increase your metabolic rate so that you’ll be burning off calories even while at rest. This is the optimum way to eat. Ratios come in regarding the ratios of proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Eating too much of anything can throw your body off balance. You want to make sure that during the day you’ll be eating foods that supply the right ratios so that your body can best assimilate them. This will take some study and trial and error. Your nutritionist will evaluate this for you and once you’ve tried their prescribed regimen for a while, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t. Portions are the kicker. If you eat too much at every meal you’ll only get fat. It’s that plain and simple. Instead of piling on a plate of food that looks like a skyscraper, just take enough food to battle hunger but will stay with your for several hours. If your family and friends complain you’re not eating enough and are insulted you’ll have to stand your ground and explain to them. If they can’t or won’t comprehend this, then you’ll know you’re in dangerous company and you may have to change things up socially. It’s either make other people happy and die or make people uneasy and live. It doesn’t take much math here. The End Results Are A Healthy You Changing your dietary habits may call for an upheaval or two regarding yourself, family, and friends. It’s tough enough that you’ll have to put in so much discipline, but having to argue with people is a no-no. They’re either with you or not. Your team will be you and your medical professionals. So set your sights success and forge ahead with a smarter and healthier diet regimen. In no time, you’ll be thanking yourself and that’s all that matters. ...
The Older You Get, The More Bodybuilding You’ll Need
Getting older can suck. It’s like every other week something new breaks or goes offline. Doctor trips and medication may not be the best thing for you. With the rise of bone disorders like osteoporosis, people should consider bodybuilding as both a preventative measure to age disorders as well as a remedy. Getting Rid Of Stupid Gossip Some people should be taken outside and beaten with a stick when they make idiotic comments regarding bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is a form of resistance training that builds not only strength and endurance but also makes a person look good. People telling you you’re too old to bodybuild should just sit down and shut up. You’re never too old. Seniors today are prescribed resistance and bodybuilding training regularly. It’s due to our sedentary lifestyles that compromise far too many of our systems. Sitting On Your Ass All Day Is Deadly As we get older we get more complacent. We retire and feel like we don’t have to do anything but sit around the house watching television. This lifestyle will eventually kill you. It’s not good for your cardiovascular system, respiratory systems, and mind. Just a wee bit of walking or jogging can do wonders, but if you really want to see the big benefits, then resistance and bodybuilding training are for you. It doesn’t matter how bad in shape you are. If you’ve not exercised for 20 years, picking up bodybuilding will do wonders for you fast. Age had nothing to do with it. Studies have shown that people who were tested for muscle growth, endurance, strength when they were in their 20s can actually regain those benefits with a properly done bodybuilding and resistance training regimen. The human body is very resilient. It can take a beating and keep on rolling. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can’t roll with the younger people. There are competitions now for seniors who bodybuild. The professionals look so good they actually have thriving modeling careers. Even at 90 years of age, bodybuilding can be done with remarkable results. Changing Your Lifestyle Is The Start The biggest challenge regarding bodybuilding and age is the lifestyle changes you’ll need to adopt. No more sitting around and gabbing with the gang while you pound down beer after beer and humongous amounts of donuts. No. You’ve got to game change when pumping iron and the changes in your life will astonish you. The primary change is inactivity. Working with your doctor and trainer, they’ll work out a regimen that is safe and enjoyable. There will be schedules to stick to and changes in your everyday activities that might wrinkle your brow, but they’re all for the good. Dietary changes are the next big challenge. If you’re a fellow who is up in age and enjoys his wife’s cooking, changing that diet may lead to conflicts. In some cultures, one must eat what is presented and all of it. When it comes to bodybuilding and resistance training, this won’t work. It takes a special diet and regimen of when and how to eat that wins the day. Bodybuilding and weight training call for specialized diets. It doesn’t mean you can’t have that great spaghetti dinner, but you’ll have to eat just the right calories and ratios of proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. As a senior, you may require more of some and less of others. Fortunately there are products produced by professionals that cater to the older athlete and you can test which ones fit you best. It’s tough if you like those weekend bar-b-ques and kegs of beer, but soon as you see the results, you’ll be more accustomed to the changes and your life will go upwards. It Takes Time Although bodybuilding and resistance changing can bring about drastic results rather quickly, the older athlete might find that it takes some time. This goes double for a person who has lived a sedentary lifestyle. Take your time. It won’t happen overnight but you will feel and see results within the first week. Keeping your regimen going will produce further results that will not only astonish you but keep your interest up so that you won’t slack off. Keep Statistics It’s important to keeps statistical data regarding your workouts. This data is essential for success. Your doctor, trainer, nutritionist, will all be able to assess your status and improvements at a glance. They’ll inform you as to what is benefiting you and what isn’t. Don’t underestimate this data. It’s how you’ll know mathematically how well you’re progressing. Enjoying Your Training Of utmost concern is that you enjoy your bodybuilding training. It can be lots of fun which is why so many people get addicted to it. If you have a partner to workout with, all the better. Join a gym and socialize. Folks will encourage you and you do the same for them. It will feel like a team spirit that will maintain your enthusiasm and your self-esteem will skyrocket. With today’s top exercising equipment you can exercise and watch your favorite movies and listen to your favorite tunes at the same time. Take Pictures And Video Of Your Workouts Make sure you take videos and pics of your workouts. They’ll aid you in several ways. With bodybuilding and resistance training, it’s how well you do the exercise as you won’t injure yourself and you’ll get maximum gains. As you compare your pics and videos over the growing weeks, you’ll see the changes in your physique and know right off the bat which exercises work best. As time progresses you’ll feel so proud of yourself that you won’t stop smiling. People will be standing around with their mouths agape at the ‘old guy’ or ‘old gal’ who looks like they’re 30 years old but are in their 70s. Yes, the 70s. Take a look at the senior bodybuilders out there. It will shock you at how young they look. It’s all about rehabilitating the body so that it operates as it did when it was young and bodybuilding does this. Racking Up The Benefits Of Senior Bodybuilding The list of benefits for seniors who exercise is numerous. Posture increases, metabolisms go online, it prevents Diabetes II, it improves cardiovascular function, digestion, back disorders, cloudy thinking, skin tone, and much more. Giving the body what it needs nutritionally is half the battle and combined with a smart bodybuilding program means success across the board. No more asking for help in moving heavy objects around the home and office. People will be amazed at your strength. If you like playing sports, more muscle may put a dangers tag on your tennis serve or golf swing. You’ll not only be surprised at your new vigorous lifestyle but so will your friends and family. You may find yourself an inspiration to them all. In The End In the end, pursuing bodybuilding as you age will soon become so necessary to you, you’ll not believe how you could have gone on without it. Just because you’re older does not by any means mean you have to be decrepit and useless. No. The collective clinical data has been in for years and doctors will endorse such training to older patients. You’ll feel good, look good, and won’t need as much medical attention. Don’t end up like too many older people who are stuck in hospital beds in hospices and barely holding on. Be proactive and look into how you can incorporate a bodybuilding lifestyle for not only yourself but for your family and friends as well.a ...
The Only Way To Lose Fat And Not Destroy The World
Everyone loves a good monster movie. Godzilla, King Kong, Rodan, and the other Kaiju ( a Japanese word for giant rampaging monsters), are legendary characters who went from one end of the world to the other stomping on buildings and destroying everything in their path. As scary and monstrous as these movie idols have been over the decades, it’s nothing like when a person is forced to lose weight. People who have to lose weight can turn into monsters no movie can equal. If you or a family member or friend has been told by doctors to lose the fat, you’re probably quite familiar with what can happen to a person’s emotional state. The Agony If we’re suffering from an illness that is weight related, losing the excess fat means a total change in one’s lifestyle. The changes can be so drastic that it can cause a person to lose their cool. Doctors know some people can’t take the new orders to diet and exercise right. A debate or even a fight can break out when the physician dishes out the bad news. People get fat due to sedentary lifestyles and eating too much. It’s that simple. When people are used to pigging out and laying around on their asses it takes a miraculous motivation to get them into a healthy lifestyle. It can be as bad as pulling teeth. Some people will come up with the most ridiculous excuses to not engage n fitness and diet. They’ll claim how their parents are fat and eat all day and are healthy or how they have ‘big bones’ which makes them look fat. The bottom line is they’re either too irresponsible to maintain good health or they’re lazy or just arrogant. Ignorance plays a big part of this as well as kids aren’t taught the value of good nutrition and exercise in schools. Sodas, donuts, cakes, pies are loaded with calories. We often chug these things down because they’re so available and affordable. Not only that, but they’re tasty. It doesn’t take long for a person who falls into this trap to start putting on the excess pounds and ending up with medical complications that can lead to disability or even death. Diets And Danger Dieting is the first step to chaos and danger. There is nothing more dangerous on the planet Earth than a human being who is hungry. Humans will eat anything when they’re hungry and it’s led to wars and strife throughout history. Today’s modern man will possibly go into a nightmarish rampage if he’s asked to cut the calories. They’ll stomp their feet and get into arguments with anyone within arm’s reach. This is due to two things, not being able to handle hunger and the feeling of psychological loss when one’s favorite foods are forbidden. People reward themselves with that doughnut and cookie. Before they know it, they’ve crammed so many down that their bodies don’t burn off the excess calories and the fat just keeps piling on. The Real Deal About Fat You’ve probably seen the endless number of miracle fat cures and products on the markets. Celebrities will endorse these things and recommend everything from pre-made dinners to supplements. Let us be clear right here and now, it’s all a scam. The only way to lose fat is to not eat so much! It’s no more complicated than that. The body uses a specific amount of calories each day to perform its functions. Any excess calories go unused and are stored as fat. That’s it. Plain and simple. When a person eats far more calories than the body needs, a person gets fat. Bruning off the excess calories from exercise, but getting people to exercise is equally a challenge. People love to be lazy. Being lazy is a national pastime in the United States. This is why we have more fat people than any other country in their world. Being fat is the #1 cause of death in America. Excess fat causes diabetes, bone disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, it affects sight and hearing and sexual function. It’s only when a person laying around in the hospital on the edge of the unknown that they’ll finally realize they need to get rid of the fat and adopt a healthier lifestyle. No, Losing Fat Is Not Easy At First The minute a person realizes they’ve got to change in order to lose their excess fat, the dread and anxiety arises. It need not be so. If you understand nutrition you’ll soon discover that you can eat like a pig and not get fat. As a matter of fact, if you had to eat all the food that is healthy and nutritious during your day, you would wear yourself out. Only top athletes can eat that much nutritional food and not wear their jaw bones down. It’s because food that is high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals may be of more bulk than the regular calorie laden stuff people eat. You can eat a pound of doughnuts and end up with a 5,000 calorie a day diet. If you kept it up you would get ill which happens quite often in America. On the other hand, highly nutritious food can weigh 3 pounds but have a caloric count of 1,000 calories. On average a grown human male will need around 2,500 calories a day. A woman around 1,500. Knowing what your caloric intake should be is the starting point. Don’t compare yourself with other people. Let your doctor determine what your caloric intake is. Even if you’re 20lbs overweight, if you just start eating a wee bit less of your daily caloric intake you will automatically lose fat. It’s just that simple. Let The Rampaging Begin! If you have a friend or family member who now has to change their diet and lifestyle, you had better be ready for the rampaging. Some people just cannot handle hunger. They lose their minds and start terrorizing everyone and everything in sight. It doesn’t have to be this way if things are planned right. You can assimilate a new diet without missing a hunger beat. It comes from planning. If you have to give up cake for apples or peaches, then make sure you’ve got the fruits around within arm’s reach. Carry a bag of nuts, grains, fruits wherever you go. You can eat a ton of these kinds of foods and not gain a pound. As a matter of fact, you will lose weight automatically as these foods, eaten at r3egular intervals will increase your metabolism and you’ll burn off the fat. I Want To Eat What I Want To Eat! That declaration is what dooms so many people. Arrogance will do you in if you’re not going to see the writing on the wall that you’re in danger of being overweight. Being told you shouldn’t eat certain foods or dishes can send a person over the fence in hostility. This is something you’re going to have to get a grip on because if you don’t follow doctor’s orders, you might as well call it quits right now. Sure you would love to eat that big pile of lasagna your mom made. You know you have to eat all of it or she’ll be insulted. Yes, your wife’s rice pudding is tasty and a favorite and it makes her happy when you spoon endless amounts of it down your gullet, but in the end is she aware that she’s slowly killing you? “I work for a living and eat what I want!”, is another idiotic thing. It’s arrogance plain and simple. There’s no justification for eating like a pig if you’re eating foods that are high in calories, salt, and sugar. The only way you’ll lose weight and do so properly is through proper planning and following a strict regimen. You may be your own man, but that means you’ve no one to blame when you end up on the floor of the emergency room looking like a worn out Thanksgiving turkey. The Bottom Line The bottom line here is that you don’t have to go monster because you’ve got to lose weight. Proper planning will make the transition so smooth you might not notice the changes right off. A smart diet will avoid the pains of hunger and a good exercise program will ensure a healthy lifestyle that one can be appreciative of. So don’t be a monster, diet, and exercise right and you’ll be okay. ...
Why Women Should Take Up Bodybuilding Too
The female of the species will go to any lengths to look good. From pounds of cosmetics to wild hair styles. Some even use magic like on those 1960s sitcom television shows. The one area that has grown in the past 30 years has been bodybuilding. There are good reasons why women and girls should take up bodybuilding and resistance training and we’ll look at some. Fighting Misconceptions The bodybuilding and resistance training field has been busy for years trying to accommodate the females out there. It’s up against a lot of resistance as far too many magazines, websites, make fun of women and girls that have muscle. It’s due primarily to the competition levels of female bodybuilding. The women exercise for bulk and that makes them look too masculine. This, in turn, has girls and women afraid that if they start bodybuilding they’ll turn into manly looking women. That isn’t the case at all. Thanks to the professionalism of many of the world’s top bodybuilders and fitness trainers, today’s young lady, and older lady, can get major benefits from bodybuilding and still keep their feminine appeal. It takes some study to get past the misconceptions. It is due primarily to not looking in the right places. Many top sports stars and movie celebs pump iron. They use it in combination with their other exercise regimens. Done right, a woman can gain major benefits and we’ll see what those are right now. The Benefits Of Bodybuilding For Women When discussing the benefits that women can get from bodybuilding, the list is enveloping. There’s no downside to bodybuilding for women or anybody for that fact. The difference for women is that their bodies may require different exercises than men do as well as nutritional requirements. Once a woman has her regimen in order, the benefits will start appearing fast and furiously. First of all, bodybuilding gets the core muscles in order. The connective tissue such as ligaments and tendons get stronger. The posture improves drastically and from these improvements alone, the foundation for a more expansive exercise regimen can be established and lots of fun. Dramatic changes in a woman’s physiology can be felt and seen within a week of bodybuilding. Posture was mentioned earlier and in many cases, women regain extra height due to such improvements in posture. That’s all just for starters. If a woman wants to get rid of the excess fat and calories, bodybuilding is the key. Once the body gears itself to adapt to bodybuilding, a hundred positive things happen. Primarily the burning off of fat. Muscle eats fat. It’s ravenous. One’s metabolism rises so fast and revs up for the long term so well, that even while resting, the muscle keeps burning fat. This is why women who indulge in bodybuilding get hooked and stay hooked. Running, walking, and other aerobic exercises can boost metabolism, but nothing works like growing muscle. Looking better happens relatively fast too. A straightened posture pokes the chest out and makes the buttocks more pronounced. Having that tight booty is what all women want. They’ll end up having to fight guys off wherever they go. As the fat melts away, the real form of a woman emerges and people just admire the glow. Nutritional Benefits Of Female Bodybuilding Oh, there’s more to bodybuilding than pumping iron. The nutritional benefits of a solid and sane diet will work wonders and fast. It’s best to not only talk to your doctor about taking up bodybuilding but also get to know a nutritionist that is familiar with the needs of not only bodybuilders but female bodybuilders. This means a healthy diet. You’ll need more protein and in some cases more complex carbs. Vitamins play an important part in the dietary regimen too. Believe it or not, dieting right can be of astonishing improvement. Once you’ve adopted a more healthy diet lifestyle, within a week you’ll notice changes. Combined with weight lifting the improvements are double-fold. People will notice a difference and comment positively. Be Wary Of Idiot Products Ever since women started taking up bodybuilding, numerous products have come out that entice them to buy yet offer no help whatsoever. They’ll have catchy names and sport a celebrity on the cover. It’s all about making money off you. The best advice is to follow a strict, safe diet that grows muscle, improves metabolic rate, and makes you feel good all over. This goes double for bodybuilding supplements. You don’t need them. Just eat right and you’ll be fine. Take Your Time And Have Fun Bodybuilding need not be a chore. You can have a ton of fun doing bodybuilding. Yes, you’ll see guys in the gym grunting and groaning but they’re in it for a different reason. A woman may want strength but if she’s into looking good, bodybuilding involves precise exercises that sculpt the body. This is why you should study and train with a someone who knows what they’re doing. They’ll know where you need the most work done and why. To avoid malaise, you can play your music and have some fun chants and other inspirational banter. Listen to your favorite tunes or have your exercise partner cheer you on. After the first two weeks, you’ll get so addicted to bodybuilding that they’ll have to pull you away from the gym. The Payoffs Come Fast Even if a woman is obese, bodybuilding can produce favorable results within just 4 to 8 weeks. As the fat burns off the woman or girl can see where she can build up muscle in one area and not in others. Those fat wattle like arms will diminish soon as fat gets burned off and muscle takes its place. Cellulite’s worst enemy is bodybuilding. It doesn’t matter how much cellulite you’ve acquired, pumping iron will straighten out that problem within months. If you’re slim and want more muscle, you’ll not have to worry about cellulite. Just in time for those beach party adventures! It’s About Feeling Good And Looking Good Bodybuilding involves weight training, but the difference is that with bodybuilding you’re sculpting your body into shape so that you look good 24/7. It really doesn’t take that long to start looking good. Four weeks if you’re thin yet more if you’re chubby or even obese. You’ll need to keep statistics on which exercises you do and your measurements. Your trainer will insist on statistics and the stats are useful to your doctor as well. As you start to notice the positive changes in posture, muscle, skin tone, you’ll bet that others will notice the changes too. Their compliments will encourage you and do wonders for your self-esteem. The Endgame Is A Better You Doctors will recommend resistance training for women. Especially if after a pregnancy you want to get back in shape. Nothing works better than resistance training and using bodybuilding tactics and techniques will get results fast. In the end, within a few months, you’ll be so stuck on yourself staring in the mirror at the new you that you’ll be glad you decided to take up bodybuilding. ...
Fighting Bad Eating Habits
Okay, it’s time to take some responsibility. Yes, responsibility is a four letter word to some people, but when it comes to eating right, it’s all about you and you alone. Stuffing Your Face Far too often people don’t realize not only what they’re eating but also when and why they’re eating. Without thinking we can stuff that slice of pie in our mugs and then follow up with those three donuts and that’s just before lunch. Eating disorders are far too common in the U.S., and that can and does lead to illnesses and worse. It’s due to how we’re taught to eat while growing up. If you have the kind of family that loves to shove food in front of you, then you’ll acquire the bad habit of eating whatever gets within your grasp. It’s too often that families demand that a person eat everything on their plate even if that plate is piled sky high with calorie laden food. If a person doesn’t eat it all the people get insulted. This is wrong and has to stop. We don’t eat in America, we feast. What we eat for br3ekafast is more than half the population of the planet eats in a week. We do this several times a day at that. We end up fat and obese and suffering from a variety of dangerous illnesses. Learning how to eat for health is a new industry here. It’s tough to get people on the bandwagon but for their own good they had better start and do so fast. Food Isn’t Going To Run Away If you’ve ever seen someone wolf down their food, you might have wondered to yourself what the hell is wrong with them. They act like if they don’t gulp down all their food in a matter of minutes that it’ll get up and run away. Food doesn’t run away if you’ve cooked it right. Wolfing down food is not only unhealthy but it is dangerous. The number of people in America who choke on food is astonishing. They don’t take time to cut their food up right and chew it thoroughly. No, they’ll just pound in the food and hope for the best. The body needs to digest its food carefully. Digesting Means Chewing Digestion is one of the top functions of the body. It uses compounds and chemicals to separate the nutrients from the food so that they’re easily assimilated into the body. Our immune systems rely on our digestive tracts and that means if you’re cramming food down your throat without proper chewing, you’ll overtax your digestive system and you could end up in a bad way. Just look at the number of digestive medications that are on the shelves. There’s a digestive medication for everything and if we ate more sensibly we wouldn’t need 90% of them. It’s due to two things, greed and haste. In this case, haste does not make waste which is why so many people are full of, well, you know. Constipation can be a killer and people undergo emergency operations to alleviate themselves of clogged up undigested food. They wouldn’t have been in such a mess had they chewed their food properly. Too Many Calories The science and math about fatness is that you only get fat when you eat too many calories than what your body needs and you sit around on your ass. If you eat properly you won’t have such a problem. This means knowing the caloric content of the foods you eat. For example, just one doughnut has as many calories as three 1lb steaks! Not too many people can eat 3lbs of steak at a sitting, but they sure can wolf down a dozen doughnuts without breaking a sweat. Eating excess calories that lead to obesity is like putting a gun to your head and playing Russian Roulette. When the doctor prescribes changing your diet, it means changing your eating habits too. Nutrition Is The Cure All Since excess calories and a sedentary lifestyle are the root causes of obesity, it means you’ll have to eat fewer calories. It doesn’t mean eating less food. It means eating more nutritional foods. If you eat foods loaded with what your body needs to operate on and repair itself, you won’t feel hunger. Foods loaded with sugars and carbs and salt makes you hungry. You get addicted to them and have to constantly fuel the fires. Before you know it, you’ve crammed far more calories into your system than your body needs and it stores the excess as fat. Eating nutritionally doesn’t mean only eating veggies. Fruits, nuts, lean meats, all contribute to a well-balanced diet that will deliver the right amount of nutrients you need. Once you get started you’ll find that you’ll be growing a taste and appreciation for such foods. It may take some time, but once you’ve got a regimen going, you’ll be smooth sailing down the line. Do The Homework Don’t trust anyone’s opinion if they’re not a professional in nutrition and diet. Ask your doctor to recommend a nutritionist and stick to the regimen and diets given. You’ll find that not only is the change healthy, but it’s more affordable and tasty in the long run. It’s about studying a bit more about foods and how you can incorporate them into your daily diet. Fruits like grapes and strawberries are all favorites and you can eat a ton of them and not gain weight. Leaner meats without the calorie laden sauces and heavily salted, are easier to chew, taste better and are easier to digest. Meats take the longest to digest so you want lean meats that are prepared and chewed properly. If not, the meats will remain in your digestive tract and might lead to disorders like colon rectal disorders. Make Your Butt Happy It doesn’t take much to agree that there’s nothing more painful than trying to pass food that hasn’t been digested properly. So many people have constipation that it’s at epidemic proportions. Sitting on the toilet and grunting and groaning is not only painful and embarrassing, but it’s dangerous. Again, well-prepared foods, chewed properly, without the gooey like syrups and chemicals will allow for smooth passing of waste and your butt will be a happy camper. Sleep Better Another disorder that can arise from improperly ingested foods is insomnia. If one’s gut is tossing and turning all night, so will you. It can get so painful that a hospital visit will be in order. This is a lifestyle you do not want. What you eat and how you eat will determine how well you’ll feel and live. Sleep is just as necessary as eating and breathing and if your sleep cycles are disturbed to the point of hazardous disruption, you could end up in a worse situation than you’re prepared for. Gluttony is said to be one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, it’s one of the body’s biggest mistakes. Our digestive systems have developed over millions of years based on lack of food. A human can go a month or more without food because our digestive systems are engineered to make the most out of our food. There are instances of people living decades without eating anything more than a few fruits and grains. When you pile on tons of food, your body has to get rid of it via digestion. You’ll end up overtaxing your digestive system and the number of deadly complications is too scary to mention. The bottom line here is to eat like you were born with some common sense. Eat smaller portions of highly nutritional foods throughout the day and you’ll see the fat melting off a smoother digestive tract, and regularity that you can set an atomic clock too. The Eating Right Endgame With all this said and done, the endgame for you is to learn how and train yourself to eat properly. More nutrition, fewer calories, smaller meals and an active lifestyle. Once you’ve taken this advice under your wing, you’ll see remarkable changes in your life in a short time and in the long run, you’ll be glad you did. ...
How To Diet And Not Piss Off Friends And Family
The war is on. You’re at your family get together or at some friends social function. They don’t know you’re on a diet and when you inform them of this sometimes they lose it and a war starts. There’s no need for this and you do have ways to avoid such hassles and we’ll look at some. People, Food, And Self Esteem Some cultures take offense if you don’t eat everything on your plate. Get togethers are special occasions and it’s a sense of pride to pile on a guest’s plate as much food as possible. It’s worse for kids. Some cultures celebrate fat kids. The fatter your kid is, the more prestige you have. It shows that you’re providing for your family and grandparents like to brag about how fat their grandkids are. Women have it worse when they come from cultures that prize fat women. It’s attractive to many men and like with the kids, it’s a sign of prestige. All this is wrong and it gets deadly when practiced in the United States. In the U.S., getting fat is so easy you don’t even have to try. Just the television commercials for those triple-decker bacon cheese hamburgers is enough for a person to put on the pounds by default. Combine that with risky cultural or social eating habits and you have a recipe for fat disaster. Stand Your Ground Let’s say you’ve adopted a new dietary regimen. You’ll need to inform your friends and family so that they’ll understand you’re taking on a healthier lifestyle. This is where you separate the chaff from the wheat when it comes to those who really care for you. Our mothers love to feed us. They love it when they make your favorite dishes and you are expected to eat as much as they dish out and make all kinds of googly faces showing how much you love it. This alone is the ruin of a guy trying to lose the fat. He’s so worried that he’ll upset his mother that he doesn’t think twice about what he’s doing. It’s incredible how stupid some people can be. They’re more interested in their personal pride than in your chosen route to better health. Dad may hit the roof if you don’t gobble down Mom’s favorite dish. He knows there will be no living with her if you don’t greed up on her food. He wants peace in the house and making Mom happy is the only way to do it. The same goes for your own home. A husband whose wife feels like she can only keep him if she cooks non-stop or a husband who wants his wife all plump and juicy regardless of the unhealthy outcomes is far too common a problem. This is where you have to stand your ground. Announce as nicely as you can that you love their cuisine but you can’t eat as much of it or some of it due to calories or ingredients that go against doctors orders. Prepare for a fight though. Telling your mother or wife or friend there’s something in their food that is detrimental to your health is like using a super soaker filled with poison pointed straight at them. They’ll twist and turn and curse and writhe around like spoiled brats, but in the end, if they love you they will understand. If they don’t and a schism arises, keep cool and go on about your life. If they don’t cool down later, then you’ll know they didn’t have respect for your life choices and betterment, only their personal and social esteem. You have to make it clear that you’re moving on to a healthier lifestyle and that it’s torture not to eat the portions or types of food. Pour on the act that your life will be misery without their food, but you’ve got to follow doctor’s orders. If this doesn’t work, it’s time for the big guns. Put Your Foot Down If all else fails with family and friends and your new dietary lifestyle, then you’ll have to put your foot down. Do they want you alive and well or dead or sick? Tell them it’s not personal, it’s a matter of medical regimen. You have to emphasize that your family won’t do well with you in a hospital or dead. If they still can’t comprehend all this, you have to put that big foot down and state what you’re going to do, come-what-may. Don’t Buckle Under Pressure If after you’ve put your foot down your friends or family still won’t comply or understand then you’ll have to make one of those life’s tough decisions. Sibling rivalry can arise if you don’t eat all of Mom’s macaroni and cheese with crumb stuff on the top. Taking advantage of the situation, an unscrupulous brother or sister bent on gaining Mom’s favor might balk at you and cozy up to Mom to siphon off of her dismay. Yes, people will do all sorts of underhanded stuff, even family. Remember, it’s your life and you need to take the reigns and go in the direction for better health and well being. If such changes in your dietary lifestyle bring about so much anxiety, then you’ll just have to buck up and walk off the pain. In the short and long term, you find out it was the sane and responsible decision. They Think You Don’t Love Them Anymore Yes, people can be this silly and childish. Your choice to turn down a huge portion of food or a favorite dish will sometimes have the cook fall apart thinking that you don’t love them anymore. This is where most people wanting to diet right fall apart. Mom or the wife whining and crying can get to you after a while. They know they’re being selfish and emotional and that they’re using such a response as a means of controlling you. Men and women will use their cooking as a control mechanism. It’s as old as eating itself. When this type of response arises, you’ll have to go for broke and put an end to it. Let them do the pouting. In a few weeks or months when you stroll in at the family reunion or the neighborhood picnic and you look like you’re 20 years younger and buff, you’ll have them right where you want them. People will ask how you did it and you can proudly say you took on a healthy dieting regimen and stuck to it. The respect and admiration will shower over you. You’ll feel a sense of overwhelming accomplishment. You’ll be proud to look at yourself in the mirror, and you’ll feel like a kid again. The Bottom Line The bottom line to all this is that choosing a new dietary regimen calls for courage and diligence. Determination and perseverance are also the qualities you’ll need. As time goes by and you’re watching those excess pounds disappear and your shoulders are straight and broad and your butt looks like it should win an Olympic medal, you’ll realize that you made the right decisions to eat smart and healthy. Only you can take care of yourself and eating right is the first start, probably a tie with being more active. Don’t let others get under your skin and deter you from your goals. In the end, you’ll either be happy and healthy in life or sick and miserable. Just changing how, when, and what you eat can be miraculous for your overall well being and you’ll have you to thank for it. ...