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)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Can Coffee Help Me Lose Weight?
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
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
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 $$ on supps that you don't even know if they're legit or not...
sources :
Mike GearyCertified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://TruthAboutAbs.com http://BusyManFitness.com &http://AvalancheSkiTraining.com
That stuff is just for people that love to throw their money away on worthless crap that might not even have what the label claims in the bottle.
Of course, I put my trust for some quality items in my friends at http://natural.getprograde.com/
As for post-workout shakes, my favorite is to actually make my own homemade shakes...
Here's one of my favorites:
**Choco-banana post workout shake**
- 1 frozen ripe banana, chunked
- 1 cup water
- One 6 -ounce container of chocolate or strawberry flavored yogurt (full sugar)
- 1 scoop quality whey protein (try to find one with no artificial sweeteners)
- 1 tbsp pure cocoa powder (if extra chocolate flavor is desired, and more antioxidants too!)
That's one of my favorites and pretty damn simple too. The ripe banana and the full sugar yogurt add a good dose of simple carbs to help replenish muscle glycogen after a workout (remember that post-workout is the only time of day I advocate a carb spike such as this).
And the whey protein and yogurt add some quick digesting protein to help kick start muscle repair as well. If you don't like chocolate, you can skip the cocoa powder and also use a different fruit flavor of yogurt. Also, if bananas aren't your thing, try freezing strawberries or another fruit. There are endless flavors you can come up with here!
On the topic of making your own supplements at home and saving a lot of money, my friend Jeff Anderson has an interesting website that shows you how to save mucho duckets by concocting your own supps instead of wasting your $$ 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"?
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.comhttp://BusyManFitness.comhttp://AvalancheSkiTraining.com
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.comhttp://BusyManFitness.comhttp://AvalancheSkiTraining.com
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Should I Weigh Myself a Lot?
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
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
Monday, March 17, 2008
One thing you MUST do to get lean & ripped....
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/
*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/
Saturday, March 15, 2008
How Do I Know When I Am Really Hungry?
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
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
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