Fitness & Health for you

Is Fasting Every Other Day For You?

2009-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of talk these days about eating less, calorie restriction and fasting. Not just because of Lent, but finding easy, or easier ways to have less food so that weight loss and weight maintenance can at last be achieved.Please post a comment below - tell us if you've been fasting, or thought about it. What was your experience? What have you learned?I wrote about this in March; here's the initial column on Fasting Every Other Day (click here).

Yes, there are a few research projects and studies about calorie restriction, and how it increases life span in rodents. It's not proven to extend lives in humans, however. That's where the scant research has been centered, on lengthening lives, not losing weight per se.
Here's a report from the University of California, Berkeley from 2005.

So, in consideration of the "Fasting Every Other Day" subject... it seems to be about eating anything and all you want one day, and then reducing intake, or fasting entirely the next. There's even an acronym for it, ADF, "Alternate Day Fasting." There was a study done by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular in 2007, here's a news report about it in Science Daily, click here. Again, this study was only on lab rodents, and stated that the forced fasting could control obesity and assist with Type II diabetes, but did not help for fat reduction or weight loss.

Here what I think: I do believe that eating fewer calories if you are overweight or obese is a good idea. Also, increasing physical activity is really great. However, I think calorie-lowering and increasing activity must always be in moderation. Having been on a lot of fasts in my life, and experiencing mixed results (sometime feeling starved, dizzy, etc.) it's not something I do much anymore.

Rather, I pray to God and ask Him to help me abstain from compulsive overeating. In effect, that amounts to mini-fasts. I do this throughout the day, in my efforts to always eat only just as much as my body needs - not what my desires or thoughts dictate.At night, to solve my nighttime eating challenge, I will have only a little amount and then do without any more even though I often want more. That's a "mini fast" in my estimation. Anything more than doing my best with God's help to maintain moderation is all I am capable of doing. Fasting every other day makes me too hungry to manage, and is not for me.

Sources : http://www.beliefnet.com/Blogs/index.aspx (by Dr Norris Chumley)

Can Coffee Help Me Lose Weight?

2008-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

A friend told me that drinking coffee would hinder my weight loss. Is this true?

I drink coffee, love it, and have lost 150 pounds and kept it off for over 15 years. I find it sometimes actually curbs my appetite, but everyone’s different. I am not a doctor or expert, but I have not read any study that says coffee will hinder weight loss, provided you don't load yours up with cream and sugar. Several studies have shown that a moderate amount, two cups a day or so, are not harmful. But more than that might cause problems, especially if you have hypertension (high blood pressure). As always, ask your doctor.

If you have questions for Norris, send them to: asknorris@staff.beliefnet.com

No single approach to weight loss works for everyone. We urge you to consult with your physician before making any significant changes in your eating habits or physical activities to ensure that what you propose for yourself is nutritionally sound, safe, and healthy.

Copyright by Norris J. Chumley, all rights reserved

Post-Workout shakes recipes

2008-04-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you know by now from my newsletters that I'm not the biggest fan of typical supplements... you know... the hypey types that claim you can "blast off 8000% more fat with this" or "build 2456% more muscle with our mega-mass volumizer insanity"

That stuff is just for people that love to throw their money away on worthless crap that might not even have what the label claims in the bottle.
Of course, I put my trust for some quality items in my friends at http://natural.getprograde.com/

As for post-workout shakes, my favorite is to actually make my own homemade shakes...
Here's one of my favorites:
**Choco-banana post workout shake**
- 1 frozen ripe banana, chunked
- 1 cup water
- One 6 -ounce container of chocolate or strawberry flavored yogurt (full sugar)
- 1 scoop quality whey protein (try to find one with no artificial sweeteners)
- 1 tbsp pure cocoa powder (if extra chocolate flavor is desired, and more antioxidants too!)

That's one of my favorites and pretty damn simple too. The ripe banana and the full sugar yogurt add a good dose of simple carbs to help replenish muscle glycogen after a workout (remember that post-workout is the only time of day I advocate a carb spike such as this).

And the whey protein and yogurt add some quick digesting protein to help kick start muscle repair as well. If you don't like chocolate, you can skip the cocoa powder and also use a different fruit flavor of yogurt. Also, if bananas aren't your thing, try freezing strawberries or another fruit. There are endless flavors you can come up with here!

On the topic of making your own supplements at home and saving a lot of money, my friend Jeff Anderson has an interesting website that shows you how to save mucho duckets by concocting your own supps instead of wasting your $$ on supps that you don't even know if they're legit or not...

sources :
Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://TruthAboutAbs.com http://BusyManFitness.com &http://AvalancheSkiTraining.com

Does tea really help fat loss? Or is it "Wu-tea scam"?

2008-04-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've seen tons of really clever ads all over the internet for all of these "Wu-tea" products claiming to be the miracle cure to fat loss.
I must admit, there's some savvy marketing behind these sites... they even claim things like "as seen on oprah" and try to claim all sorts of celebrity endorsements.

Here's the deal...
Most of these new tea products on the internet claiming to be a miracle cure for fat loss are nothing but plain old oolong tea. Some brands may have other teas mixed in too, but most I've seen are just oolong tea. The "Wu" in their names is just their clever way of making you think this is some new secret tea discovery.

Basically they just sell you oolong tea for outrageous prices, when you can go to your local grocery store or health food store and get a whole box of oolong tea for about $2 bucks.
But beyond the outrageously marked up price, does oolong tea actually help with fat loss?
Well, the answer is... slightly.
If you've read my Truth about Abs manual, then you know that I do recommend including a mixture of green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and black tea in your daily schedule to possibly help a slight bit with fat loss.

The fact of it is that drinking tea is not going to miraculously transform your body or "melt off bodyfat". It CAN have a slight thermogenic effect and possibly help you burn a few extra calories. Plus, there are tons of other benefits too, many of which are due to the high antioxidant content of teas.

However, let's get real... whether you drink tea or not isn't one of those major factors in how fast you're going to burn off body fat... it's just a very minor detail. The real factors are your lifestyle as a whole, your type of exercise program and intensity, the quality of your diet, and your mindset... all of which we focus on regularly in this newsletter and in my Truth about Abs program.

So what I'd recommend is...
Don't waste your money on the overpriced, overhyped Wu-teas that claim to be a miracle fat loss cure. I do recommend including white, green, black, and oolong teas in your diet for their numerous health benefits, but you can get them MUCH cheaper (sometimes at least 10x cheaper!) at your local grocery store instead.

Til next time,Don't be lazy... be lean.

sources :
Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal Trainer
Founder - http://TruthAboutAbs.com http://BusyManFitness.com http://AvalancheSkiTraining.com

Should I Weigh Myself a Lot?

2008-03-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

How often should I weigh myself on your program? My advice is that you weigh yourself once a month, on the same morning every month, before you've eaten anything, and preferably without clothes and after voiding. Keep a written monthly log..

And that's it.
Please do not weigh yourself more than once a month.I suggest this because I know firsthand what getting on the scale can do for a weight loss program. There were times I weighed myself several times a day. I'd go down in pounds on intense diets (as much as 5-10 pounds in a week), and up in water weight whenever I ate or drank liquids. Depending on what the scale dictated, I ate more or less. It made me crazy! I'd feel happy if it went down a little, so I'd eat some more, which made it go up. I'd feel really depressed if it didn't go down, so I'd starve myself, which often had no effect, which made me feel worse.

Weight change is cumulative and gradual. It's affected by the overall aggregate of what you eat, and how much you use up the nutritional energy you're consuming in the form of physical activity. When losing weight, the pounds don't go off steadily or predictably. Everyone is different. Allowing a month to let the wonderful work you're doing take effect is far more sane and safe than frequent, compulsive weighing..

Sources : Weight Loss with Norris

One thing you MUST do to get lean & ripped....

2008-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

So what's the 1 thing you MUST do if you want to get lean and ripped and stay that way for LIFE?You NEED to do this if...

*If you want to be able to eat 1000's more calories than most other people, yet stay lean on a regular basis.

*If you want to be able to lose body fat at any given time in your future faster than most people would ever dream of.

THE absolute most important thing you can do to stay lean for life is...

Build muscle!
There's just no way around it... the amount of muscle mass you carry on your body has a direct and positive influence on your metabolic rate, how many calories your body naturally consumes even at rest, and how easy it will be for you to get and STAY as lean as you want!Basically, more muscle = higher metabolic rateThat's why some bodybuilders can eat 5000-6000 calories/day and actually stay single-digit bodyfat lean.Over a decade ago, when I was 19 years old... I was a scrawny weakling weighing in at about 135 lbs of lanky bones... that's not an exaggeration either! I always struggled to gain even an ounce of muscle.

Over the years I learned some important principles about training, eating, and lifestyle... and at the age of 31 now, I've built up to a respectable 195 lbs... and am actually leaner than I was at age 19!I recently met another fitness professional who shared a similar story to me. His name is Vince Delmonte, and he used to be a scrawny punk as well...From talking to Vince, I found out that he used some of the same techniques I had used, and he was finally able to pack some serious muscle onto his frame. I was even more impressed with what Vince had accomplished...Changing his "skinny punk" ways, Vince changed a few key aspects in his workouts and his eating habits, and over the course of only 6 months, he packed on a whopping...41 lbs of rock solid muscle onto his frame!All with absolutely ZERO performance-enhancing substances... and without fancy supplements too.And that's not an exaggeration either... he even has the pictures to prove it (not even to mention becoming a champion fitness model after his transformation)

Check out Vince's impressive transformation pics here...http://buildcrazymuscle.com/
Now here's the cool part...Vince documented all of the techniques he used to pack on 41 lbs of muscle in only 6 months, and put it all together into a easy to follow program.He gave me a copy to review. I must say that it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to muscle building programs...But I can honestly say that this is about the best program I've ever seen if you want the quickest and most effective way possible to pack on serious muscle fast.

Go to the following page to check out Vince's entire program he has lined up for you and the special bonuses...http://buildcrazymuscle.com/

Build muscle, and get lean!
sources:
Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://truthaboutabs.com/ & http://busymanfitness.com/

How Do I Know When I Am Really Hungry?

2008-03-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

Where I work is a pretty boring place. I notice when I am bored I "think" I am hungry and I "think" I have a headache. It is hard for me to recognize the difference of true hunger and boredom hunger. Any suggestions or tips ?

You're on the right track of differentiating between boredom, habits, and hunger. It can be difficult at first, as many people who are overweight, like I was, don’t recognize the signals of being full. Many of us have never allowed ourselves to be hungry!

When I am actually hungry, I get several body messages. I feel slightly weak and low in energy. If I'm really hungry, I'm on the edge of a headache. My stomach feels empty. (Notice I said, "I feel" not "I think.") When that happens, I ask myself four things: When did I last eat? Is it time for me to eat again? (Both questions refer to the eating plan I follow, my own Joy of Weight Loss Food Plan.) Am I actually bored or tired? Am I thirsty?

I always eat every 2-3 hours. I have fruit snacks or a protein combined with a carb. This could be an apple or two small slices of cheese, on two crackers. Always, I find a big glass of water also helps lessen my hunger pangs. This will usually tide me over, and keep me energetic and alert.

Boredom masquerading as hunger is now easy for me to spot. If my head is full of thoughts and I am not doing anything, that’s an indicator. If I don’t have body signals, and I’m thinking about food, I do something instead of eating. Try going outside for a walk, calling a friend, or tackling a project you've put off for some time.

Perhaps your overweight problem is job dissatisfaction in disguise. Instead of snacking, call a headhunter or look at job boards! And ask God for help in eating, boredom, job hunting, and everything you do.

sources :
weight loss with Norris

Is Late Night Eating Your Downfall?

2008-02-23T22:47:00.000-08:00

Many people tell me that they are "good" all day, and then, at night, lose control. They’re the victims of compulsive, late night snacking or bingeing. Not only are they at a loss for control, they're at a loss for what to do about it.

Here's what helped me:

*I realize I don't have control over my compulsive eating habits, so I give the problem to God, surrendering, asking for help.

*I drink a glass of water.

*Or I drink some hot tea, herbal tea without caffeine, so I won't stay up. One-teaspoon of sugar if I have a sweet craving

*Or if I need something crunchy, I chew on carrot sticks.

*Or if I need something milky sweet, instead of ice cream (my former binge-food), I have a yogurt.

*Most of all, I realize I need love and affection. So I connect with my wife, cuddling or talking. Or I talk with my kids. Or I call or email a friend. Human connection is really, really helpful.

By the way, I don't buy the idea of "good all day, bad at night." I know that as children of God, we're always good, whether we make mistakes or not. Just because you have a problem doesn't mean you're not "good." You are good, you just may need help. And we all need help, all the time. We cannot get by alone!

sources :
Weight Loss with Norris (http://www.beliefnet.com)

How to end the fat loss confusion

2008-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

**The Mass Confusion That Dominates In Fat Loss & Fitness TodayBy Rob Poulos, Creator of the Fat-Burning Furnace System http://FatBurningFurnace.net People are confused more than ever about how to burn fat. They are confused about the best way to go about achieving the body they want. They are confused about what works and what doesn't, and the reasons why.

There are countless individuals slaving away in gyms and fitness centers around the country right now. They are working tirelessly, almost every day, on the treadmill, stair-climber, elliptical, etc. to burn those calories and fat. They also might be lifting weights several times a week for hours at a time to build some strength and muscle. They might even join a few aerobics or spinning classes too.They are probably also trying one of the latest diet strategies that promises miracle fat burning and weight loss. They could also be spending a lot of money on the latest and greatest dietary supplements that could be that miracle pill that will aid in weight loss.They are also carefully watching the scale as their main judge of fat loss progress.

If it goes up a pound or two, they may behave rashly and maybe even change up their entire workout or diet program! And of course there are others are doing variations on that same theme.After all, this is the kind of stuff that many of the popular fitness and diet gurus typically recommend to burn fat. But with so many different strategies and plans being pushed as the be all and end all, what happens is we tend to go overboard.And when that happens, we lose sight of what really matters in achieving lifelong fat burning, fitness and health…the principles than many people don't know about, most people have forgotten, and only a select few put to use to achieve lifelong health and fitness.

These are the same principles I used to drop over 40 pounds of unwanted body fat, keep it off, and revitalize my life!With any exercise or nutrition program, you'll probably lose some fat initially, but far too often the progress doesn't continue or doesn't come as fast as the person would like because they're using a temporary mindset. They're only focused on the short term and one specific goal. So they end up switching to something else, and the cycle continues until they've become consumed by this cycle of confusion.I believe that this is one of the biggest, if not the #1 reason for the lack of fat loss and fitness progress that is being experienced by the masses of exercisers and dieters in the world. They are jumping from one fad diet or exercise routine to another, while losing sight of what's really important, and what really works.

Simply put, they are exercising far too much, not nearly intensely enough, and trying to adhere to unrealistic diet recommendations.If instead they focused on a long term plan, a lifestyle as it's often called, and didn't worry about "losing 10 pounds by summer", they would find it far easier to do the right things most of the time. And those right things include brief, progressive, and intense resistance training, eating a diet full of nutrient rich foods, drinking tons of water, and getting plenty of quality sleep and rest.

The students of my Fat Burning Furnace method understand this and are reaping the life long health and fitness rewards because of it. Are you?Check out Rob's Fat-Burning Furnace System at his website:http://FatBurningFurnace.netRob Poulos is an expert fitness author and the founder and CEO of Zero to Hero Fitness. Rob created his "Fat Burning Furnace" system to help those looking to put an end to restrictive fad diets, long boring cardio workouts, and the need for super-human willpower for good.

sources :

Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://TruthAboutAbs.com & http://BusyManFitness.com

Is fruit good or bad for fat loss ?

2008-02-20T00:16:00.000-08:00

There's no debate that fruit is good for you with the large amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes. However, there does seem to be a debate out there about whether fruit is good or bad for fat loss.

Some people claim that fruit is mostly sugar, so it will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels and prevent fat loss.I disagree.I do agree that fruit juices and processed canned fruit are NOT good choices and CAN hamper your fat loss. However, whole fresh fruit is an entirely different story.Yes, fruit is mostly made up of sugar (natural fructose and other sugars). However, whole fresh fruit also contains a good dose of fiber to keep the digestion of those sugars at a moderate pace and control blood sugar.

A typical orange, apple, pear, or peach typically contains 3-5 grams of fiber depending on the size. In addition, the sugars in whole fresh fruit typically have much lower glycemic responses than processed sugars or refined starches in white breads and cereals. Also, it would be VERY hard for you to eat enough quantities of whole fresh fruit to ingest any significant amount of calories.

Consider that those typical sized oranges, apples, pears, and peaches usually average between 60-100 calories each.You could eat a couple cookies, cakes, or a donut and eat 500 calories without even thinking about it. However, to try to get 500 calories from whole fresh fruit, you'd have to eat 5-8 pieces of medium sized fruit in one sitting... this is pretty hard to do as that's a high volume of food in general for most people.

My point of this is that a couple servings of whole fresh fruit daily (preferrably organic if possible) are not going to ruin your fat loss efforts. In fact, it will usually help due to the fiber and high nutrient density of fruits, so they help to stave off cravings for other sweets.

My top rated fruits: any and all berries... blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc... they generally have some of the highest ratios of fiber to total carbohydrates, and also have the highest quantities of antioxidants.However, each type of fruit has specific nutrients that others may lack, so don't be afraid to mix up your fruit intake for variety and to keep yourself interested. A couple of my favorites are kiwi, fresh whole pineapple, yellow mangos, and whole pomegranate.

**Don't miss your complimentary No-Nonsense Muscle Building DVD shipped right to your door. There's a separate program for women as well, so check that out...
http://buildcrazymuscle.com/

sources :
Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://truthaboutabs.com/ & http://busymanfitness.com/

Fast Food Without Fasting

2008-02-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

The next time you're away from home or work and very hungry, here are some ideas to get you through the high-fat, carbohydrate, and high calorie fast-food race.If you find there's nothing to eat but fast food, choose the salad bar or eat salad instead of fried burgers. If you don’t feel like eating salad, have a grilled chicken or veggie wrap.

Instead of soda, save 200+ calories by drinking unsweetened iced tea or seltzer/club soda. Vegetable pizza is a better choice than sausage or pepperoni. Soup is often a good idea, but be careful of cream or milk-based ones. Choose vegetable or broth instead.If there's nothing but a diner or coffee shop, have a plain, baked potato instead of fries, and ask for your meat to be baked or grilled, instead of fried.

Skip the dessert--instead, have applesauce or a fruit cup. If there's only an ice cream stand, have some sherbet or frozen yogurt and eat a little less at your next meal. Or skip snacking entirely and have a healthier, more robust dinner.

If your only choice is an expensive restaurant, order the vegetable plate du jour or ask them to simply grill a cut of chicken or fish, served with a side of fresh vegetables. "Hold the sauces" tell them, Tell your server to "hold the sauce" or request to have it on the side so you can control how much you put on put on your food.

sources : Weight Loss with Norris (http://www.beliefnet.com/)