Expert Tip: Make it Simple

by John M Berardi

Sometimes “expert advice” isn’t found in one person, but in a set of principles. Starting today, we’ll be bringing you some expert tips and “What I Learned on My Fitness Vacation” stories as part of our expert profiles.

Today’s tip: Make it simple.

All day long, all across the web, folks are posting questions about why they’re not losing weight, why they’re not gaining weight, why their body comp isn’t changing. They’re frustrated, confused, and feeling helpless.

But if most of them just made things simple, progress would follow.

What does “make things simple” mean? Isn’t the body, y’know, complicated?

Well, we know that weight loss happens only when the body is in a negative energy balance (in other words, when there are fewer calories coming in than going out). And we know that weight gain happens only when the body is in a positive energy balance (in other words, when there are more calories coming in than going out).

From this knowledge, we can infer two things:

If you aren’t losing… you’re not in a negative energy balance.
If you aren’t gaining… you’re not in a positive energy balance.

Of course, it does get a bit more complex than this but again, most folks get lost in the details. So let’s keep it simple for now.

The energy balance spectrum. (Image from scienceinschool.org)


Weight loss

Assuming you’re eating PN style, training at least 5 hours per week, and still not losing, the explanation is simple: You’re not losing because, for whatever reason, you’re not in a negative energy balance.

So you must create one. How can you do that? Well, there are three viable ways:

Eat less
Exercise more
Eat less and exercise more

In the end, it’s pretty simple, no? Typically I recommend the following strategy (again, assuming you’re following PN style eating and training at least 5 hours per week yet have stagnated):

Increase exercise volume to 7 hours per week
If stagnation occurs again, decrease calories
If stagnation occurs again, increase exercise to 9 hours per week
If stagnation occurs again, decrease calories

Your upper limit of exercise volume may be 10-12 hours per week, so make sure to cap it there while manipulating calories the rest of the way.

Weight gain

Assuming you’re eating PN style, training at least 5 hours per week, and still aren’t gaining, the reason is simple: You’re not gaining because, for whatever reason, you’re not in a positive energy balance.

So you must create one. How can you do that? Well, there are three ways:

Eat more
Exercise less
Eat more and exercise less

(Note: when trying to gain weight, it’s important to maintain your exercise volume at about 4-5 hours per week as you still need a strong stimulus for muscle growth. Judging by the overall health status of the North American population, “Eat lots and don’t exercise at all” doesn’t appear to work very well for making you buff. So don’t take this argument to its logical conclusion.)

I recommend the following strategy (again, assuming you’re following PN style eating and training at least 5 hours per week yet have stagnated):

Increase calorie intake.
If stagnation occurs, decrease non-weight training calorie expenditure and make sure your weight training is stimulating growth.
If stagnation occurs again, increase calories again and continue to manipulate them as you don’t want your exercise volume to fall too much.

That’s it.

Most of the time, it’s just that simple.

Eat PN style. And really PN style, not half-assed “Oh, I sometimes eat vegetables.” Follow the Ten Habits. And be compliant.

Train at least 5 hours per week using adequate intensity and well chosen workout routines.
Follow the steps above as indicated for meeting your goals.
Lather, rinse, repeat until ripped and/or huge.

99.9% of all of the individuals I’ve worked with in my career who have properly followed the steps above have succeeded. Only those with serious medical issues don’t respond. So make sure that during the course of your own transformation, you remember these simple lessons.
And apply them to what you’re learning in the Precision Nutrition System.

Having learned them there’s absolutely no excuse for not getting closer to your goals.

KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Geddit? Hyuk.

Workout - 25 March 2009

Hi

Below is my workout for today, give it a shot!

Do each exercise back to back with the next exercise and then move on to the next rung. Rest as little as possible between rungs!

Click on picture for a larger view.

Workout - 23 March 2009

Hi All

Below is my “Ladder” workout I did yesterday.

All lifts were done with a 24kg (53lb) kettlebell. That’s 25% of my bodyweight.

Do all exercises in order using the prescribed reps and rest as little as possible between rungs, completing the circuit (ladder) as fast as possible.

Exercise 1 - KB Swing

Exercise 2 - KB Press (per side)

Exercise 3 - KB TGU

Exercise 4 - KB Goblet Squat

Exercise 5 - KB Dead Snatch (per side)

Click on picture for a larger view.

Weight Loss Challenge Jan 2009

Now that the new year has come and gone and you are working on your resolutions it is time to take your weight loss efforts to the next level.

The best way to do this is with a group of like minded individuals.I suggest that we all stick to the same eating plan, training plan and social group for 4 weeks and see who loses the most weight.

I shall provide you with the training program and the blog http://weightlosschallengejan2009.blogspot.com/ where we can all meet and talk through our challenges. The only thing that I can not provide you with is the eating plan (copyrights and all, you know), this you will have to get here http://eptsa.lylemcd.hop.clickbank.net/

This is what you need to do to join our weight loss challenge.

1. Email me your name, age, gender and weight.

2. Visit http://eptsa.lylemcd.hop.clickbank.net/to get your rapid fat loss book ($35).

3. Read the book and training plan (which I shall send you) this week.

4. Start the challenge on Monday 19 Jan 2009 with me and all my personal clients.

5. Visit our blog http://weightlosschallengejan2009.blogspot.com/ every day to see how I’m doing and get your questions answered.

6. Stick it out for 4 weeks and let’s see who loses the most weight.

The winner gets a new body, respect, and 3 months worth of training plans from me.

Let’s get to it!

The challenge is on…….

Keep Evolving!

Best Regards
Mark
http://eptsa.lylemcd.hop.clickbank.net/

Why Some People Can Keep the Weight Off

by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Anyone who's ever lost weight knows that the biggest challenge is often keeping it off once you've lost it! Much research has been devoted to identifying the habits of successful people in the weight loss game. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control1 adds to this literature. It turns out that following a few very simple rules vastly increases your chance of keeping weight off once you've lost it.

Researchers examined data from a mailed survey of US adults aged 18 or older and analyzed data on:

* The number of daily fruit and vegetable servings

* Minutes per week of physical activity

* Dining out behavior

* Confidence in one's own ability to successfully follow healthy behavioral strategies.

Here's what they found:

Eating at fast-food restaurants -- even as little as two times per week --was associated with significantly less success in weight maintenance. And adults who consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a week and racked up 150 minutes a week of activity were more successful at keeping weight off than sedentary folks who ate less than 5 servings of vegetables and fruits.

Here's the take-home point. The combined approach of staying out of fast-food restaurants, consuming five or more fruit and vegetable servings per day, and attaining 150 minutes (or more) of some kind of physical activity per week was a common successful strategy among those keeping weight off.

That's a strategy that's doable, health supporting, and obviously -- eminently successful.

Reference

Prev. Chronic Dis. 2008 Jan;5(1):A11. Epub 2007 Dec 15.

5 Tricks to Boost your Metabolism

by Carlo X. Alvarez


During the last few months, I have been researching data and testing different forms of training to find the ultimate weight loss formula. What I learned may surprise you. The bad news is there are no magic pills. The good news is long aerobic sessions are unnecessary and workouts don't need to last hours. To lose weight, resistance training is mandatory and boosting your metabolism is the ultimate goal.

What is your metabolism and how does it affect you? Well, metabolism is just a fancy word to describe the rate at which the body carries out chemical processes, which in turn burns calories. Here are 5 tricks that can help you boost your metabolism, lose some excess body weight, and improve your current training program.

1. Build Lean Muscle Mass with Resistance Training

Scientific research has shown that a commitment to a resistance training program yields significant results to boosting the metabolism.1 After any resistance training session, the metabolism operates at a significantly higher rate than cardiovascular training alone. While cardiovascular training should be a part of almost any exercise program, more emphasis needs to be placed on building lean muscle mass. In the battle of resistance training versus cardiovascular training, in terms of raising the metabolic rate, resistance training wins.

2. It's All About Intensity

It goes without saying that pushing it to the limit every time will yield better and faster results. Some ways to increase intensity in a resistance training workout are to increase reps, sets, tempo (rate at which reps are performed), and range of motion. Another way to increase intensity is to decrease rest time between sets.

3. Finish Your Workout with Interval Training

Interval training after a resistance training workout is a sure way to attack fat stores in the body. Since glucose stores are completely depleted after resistance training, fat is available to be burned. You can perform interval training on a treadmill, elliptical machine, exercise bike, or simply by running. It involves repetitions of high speed or high intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity. An example would be performing 15- to 30-second sprints with 45 to 60 seconds rest. The key to interval training is achieving an elevated heart rate of 75-85% of your maximum heart rate.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Water acts as a catalyst in many chemical reactions in the body. If hydration levels are optimal, the rate at which these processes are carried out (metabolism) will be more efficient -- meaning more calories will be burned! Divide your weight by 2.2. That's how many ounces of water you should drink per day.

5. Eat Often and in Small Portions

When the body is deprived of food, it goes into a state of starvation -- a survival mechanism that will ultimately slow the metabolism and conserve fat. Keep your metabolism boosted all day by eating a healthy protein and carbohydrate every two hours. Your "mini-meal" should be about the size and thickness of one hand. .

Reference

Schuenke MD, et al. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7.

Revolution - Counter Revolution

After the email I sent regarding planning your nutrition for the week I received an email stating a different option.

Below is your "Counter Revolution" from RD (Richard Delate)

1. Buy a weeks supply of KFC chicken breasts or chicken McNuggets (enough for 2 - 3 servings per meal)

2. Buy and prepare a weeks supply of crisps, chocolates, coke, fanta, beer or even gosh a cocktail or five.

3. Buy a weeks worth of pies, big macs, steers burgers and store them everyday

4. Buy almond frosted croissants, berry pies and mince pies (Christmas pies)

5. Buy white bread, macaroni and cheese, Lasagna; cannelloni, coco or strawberry pops

6. Treat yourself everyday to any meal that you wish to eat - the fattier & oilier it is the better.

7. FIRE THE PERSONAL TRAINER

Ok there we have it ... bye bye body beautiful and hello to body au naturel!

Planning is Everything

Here's what you must do on an off-day to improve your nutrition and chances for fat loss:

a) Buy a pack of chicken breasts. Grill them and then freeze them in individual tupperware. Take them out on a daily basis when they are needed for lunches.

b) Buy and prepare a week's worth of vegetables. Put peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and carrots in salads. Cut up raw broccoli florets, carrot sticks, and celery pieces for appetite suppressing snacks. Put all of these veggies in tupperware for the week.

c) Buy bags of apples, oranges, and grapefruits. Take 2 of each to work each day or leave the bags of fruit at work. Buy berries to be kept in the fridge at home.

d) Buy raw nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Avoid roasted nuts as most are roasted in unhealthy vegetable oils. Take bags of healthy nuts to work for snacks.

e) Buy only whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pastas, and high-fiber cereals.
Spread natural peanut butter on bread for quick and easy transportable substitutes for fast food meals.

f) Treat yourself once per week, but no more, to your favorite meal.

Break Out of Your Fat-Box

Every fat person lives in something I like to call a fat-box. Sadly, most weight-challenged people don't know it exists. And they pay a massive price in weight gain and low self-esteem. I can help you break out of your fat-box.

If you want to be forever thin, you need detailed information about your own fat-box, plus the proper tools for breaking out of it. The information below has worked for me (65-pound fat loss) and for many thousands of weight-challenged individuals. It will work for you too.

Fat-boxes are made up of attitudes, beliefs and old habits formed in childhood. They subtly and powerfully shape our bodies, our self-image and the way we relate to food and life in general.

Most weight-challenged people remain trapped in the gain/lose/gain cycle because they are unaware of this fact. Therefore, the issue is not whether a fat-box controls your weight but whether or not you will confront and break out of it.

Here's how.

First, identify the contents of your fat-box. Answer the following:

1. Who wants you to stay fat? Most weight-challenged people are surrounded by family and friends who "enable" their bad eating habits and weight gain.

2. How does staying overweight serve or protect you? From life, sex, your personal power, men/women, being visible, etc.

3. How has being overweight defined your personality, your relationships and your self-expression?

4. What would you do with your mind, your emotions, and your life if you were not constantly focused on food and fat?

Now, break out of your fat-box:

1. Imagine what you will look like when you drop all that weight. Write a description and place it on your fridge.

2. Imagine that you have all the power you need to face life as it is. How will this change your behavior?

3. Write a letter to the people who want you to stay fat. Tell them that you are breaking out of your fat-box and that they no longer have any say in who or what you are. Do not mail it. Read it out loud to yourself every day for 30 days. This is an extremely powerful exercise. Take the risk of feeling foolish and do it!

To be successful at breaking out of the fat-box you will need courage to face some fears. Most weight-challenged individuals are deeply attached to being overweight and discover great resistance when they get close to their ideal weight. Your task is to refuse to attack yourself or decide that you lack will power.

The problem is not your will but your deep-seated attitudes about who you are and can be. The solution is in learning to create a new image of you and your possibilities that is not defined by your old programs. With some work you will be successful at breaking out and being forever thin.

Now Hold On!

What goal - physical or spiritual - are you working towards?

Do you see it? Taste it? Smell it?

The only way to manifest your dream is if you hold onto your vision of it for dear life. Otherwise life's trials and tribulations will cause you to lose your willpower.

"Whoever's pain is bigger than his vision of his goal will lose his vision as he succumbs to the pain."-Rav Ashlag

Get clear on what you want today. Now hold on!

You need a Professional

Never doubt the importance of professional assistance. It may cost you a few bob but the end result will be well worth it!

Choose Evolution Personal Trainers as your professional of choice! It's the only way to achieve your health and fitness goals effectively.

The Little Frog

Once upon a time, a tiny frog fell into a giant bowl of cream. Unable to get out, the little fella kept kicking, kicking, kicking until finally the cream turned to butter, and he was able to jump to safety.

This is us. We are the frog. We can either give up hope when faced with impossible challenges, or we can kick, kick, kick until the curses turn to blessings. Rest assured, our Creator wants us to survive our battles, conquer our demons, and no matter how dark life may be, there is always Light at the end of the tunnel. Our challenge is to maintain our certainty and to continue fighting the good fight.Keep kicking today. Know that there is a solution to whatever it is that threatens to overwhelm you.

The Largest Lake on an Island in a Lake on an Island

You may know that the largest island in the world is Greenland, and even that the largest lake is the Caspian Sea.

But do you know the largest lake on an island? It's Nettilling Lake on Baffin Island in Canada. Or the largest island in a lake? It's Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, also in Canada.

And if you're a fan of obscure geographic trivia, you'll really like this one: the largest lake on an island in a lake on an island is Crater Lake on Vulcano Island in Lake Taal on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
(Source: elbruz.org)

10 Ways to Exercise as a Family

1. Go for pre- or post-dinner walks

Whether you head into town or just cruise the neighborhood, building a walk into your daily schedule ensures that it won't get put off. Brookline, Massachusetts, master Pilate's instructor Lisa Johnson and her husband take evening walks with 3-year-old Alex, who alternates time in and out of the stroller. To make walking more enticing, Johnson makes a sport of it. "At one house we look for a cat sitting in the window, at another we run up and down a short flight of stairs," she says.

2. Crank up the music and boogie down

Betsy Murphy of Coral Gables, Florida, holds disco nights with her four kids and several neighbors. She moves the furniture aside, fills the CD player with dance tunes, and lets the kids take turns using a flashlight as a strobe light. "They dance for three hours straight," Murphy says. "The older ones know all the words to the songs and really dance; it's hilarious to see the younger ones try to mimic them. Their favorite song is 'Brick House!'"

3. Make a game out of household chores

Pretend that dust creatures are invading earth and it's up to Captain [insert child's name] to save the day by capturing them with his broom, suggests registered dietitian Juliet Zuercher of Wickenburg, Arizona. "Make believe he's one of the Rescue Heroes, and have him save his teddy bears from the slimy pit of the floor by putting them safely in his toy chest," she says. Jodi Arlen of Bethesda, Maryland, turns folding laundry into a guessing game. "It started when my daughter would ask, 'Is that mine?' and it grew into 'Guess whose this is!'" she says. After her daughters, 3 years old and 20 months old, correctly identify the clothing, they help fold them.

4. Sneak workouts into other activities

Have your toddler walk instead of riding in the cart at the supermarket, and take the stairs or walk up the escalator whenever possible. Nancy Twigg of Knoxville, Tennessee, drives partway to her daughter Lydia's preschool, parks the car, and walks the rest of the way.

5. Turn TV commercials into fitness breaks

Invent silly names for simple exercises like squats, push-ups, and sit-ups, and then do them together till the show comes back on. "Call them princess sit-ups or Bob the Builder muscle builders," says physical therapist Peter Kofitsas, of New York City, who does the moves with his 4-year-old and 20-month-old daughters. You can also play "coach," in which you take turns "ordering" each other to "drop and give me five," or "follow the leader," in which one person leads the others in fun, simple moves like clapping, wiggling, and marching.

6. Have a weekly sports night

Every Wednesday, for example, get everyone up and moving. One game to play is the fit-deck shuffle. Create a series of playing cards featuring family-friendly exercises, such as bear-crawling or ape-walking. Each family member picks a card and performs the exercise pictured until all the cards have been dealt.

7. Walk or run for charity

Model the value of exercise-and of giving back to society-by teaming up with your children for a fund-raising race. When her husband and father-in-law participated in the Father's Day Race for Prostate Cancer, Jodi Zielinski, of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, took her 3-year-old daughter, Noa, to watch them run. When the race was over, she entered Noa in the kids' race that followed. "She didn't win but she had a great time," says Zielinski, who hopes to make it an annual family tradition.

8. Put kids to work in the yard

If autumn brings down leaves in your area, make a game out of catching them on a windy day-see who can catch the most yellow, orange, or red ones, suggests Zuercher. Then rake them into piles-give the kids child-sized rakes so they can help-and have fun jumping in them, or take turns completely covering one another in leaves.

9. Team up for gardening

Kids are great at digging up dirt, so let them turn over the soil and help you plant new bulbs. Research shows that gardening is as good as weight training when it comes to preventing osteoporosis, and if you're planting vegetables, it can make them more appetizing to kids. Dawn Schwartz, of Livingston, New Jersey, has her 3-year-old daughter, Samantha, help water the plants. "She loves to mush her hands in the soil," she says. In the summer, set up a sprinkler to water the lawn and challenge kids to duck the droplets.

10. Walk the dog

New research from North American Association on the Study of Obesity shows that dog-owners had more fun losing weight and were able to keep it off longer than non-pup-owners. Don't have a pooch? Go look for some. Somers, New York, mom Mary Rose Almasi gets her two kids, ages 5 and 3, to go for a walk after dinner by suggesting they go "looking for dogs." "Luckily, there are a few at the end of my long street. That's the carrot I dangle," she says. "It works like a charm."

The Water Myth

Written by Denise Dahdah, NetDoctor journalist

In recent years, drinking large quantities of water has become one of the mantras for healthy living. Every magazine has had its version of 'drink water and be healthy' or 'drink water and lose weight'.

But do we really need to drink the mythical eight glasses of water every day?

Doctors advise that we should drink at least 1.2 litres (2.5 pints) of water a day.

Human beings are made up of around 75 per cent water. Two thirds of our bodily water is found inside our cells, with the rest between the cells and in our blood.Water provides the medium in which all the body's chemical reactions take place and the solution in which foodstuffs are dissolved and transported. It helps regulate our body temperature through sweating.

A 2 per cent loss in the water surrounding our cells can result in a 20 per cent drop in energy levels. That's how important water is for us.Water is the most vital requirement for human life. While our bodies can survive without food for around three weeks, without water we can only live for three days.

Dr Keith Barnard, GP, says: 'The body tries desperately hard to retain water if there is no intake, so hardly any urine is passed. If a person is in a normal temperature and not exposed to the wind they could probably last longer than three days - maybe as long as a week.

'We cannot live long without water because we have no reserves of it in our body. So do you really need to drink at least eight glasses of water every day?

On average, your body loses 1-1.5 litres of water a day. If someone is undertaking a lot of activity, and therefore breathing and sweating more, they would lose more.

Dr Barnard says: 'It is not essential to always drink a set amount regardless of circumstances. The body is very good at regulating water. 'If you drink too much, your body will get rid of the excess, so you will pass urine more often and it will look almost clear. 'If you don't drink enough, your body will save water by concentrating your urine, which will look darker, and your brain will tell you that you need more water by making you feel thirsty.'

Another thing to keep in mind is that water is found in fruits, vegetables, milk and juices. Water from these sources will go some way to meeting your daily requirements, so people do not need to drink a full eight glasses of water on top of this (see Table 1).

Senior nutrition scientist Gail Goldberg says: 'There is a perception generated, for example by newspapers and magazine articles, that all our water requirement has to come from "water". 'My colleagues and I would never say that people should only drink water. It's a matter of individual choice and availability.'

The Macrobiotic Association of Great Britain (MAGB) says that a person following a macrobiotic diet does not necessarily need to drink as much water as someone who is on a regular diet.

Macrobiotic cook and teacher Bob Lloyd says: 'The type of foods we [people following a macrobiotic diet] eat contain a lot of water and are less dehydrating, therefore there is less need to drink.

'Can drinking water help you lose weight?

A reasonable water intake can help with weight loss. We need around half a cup of water for every 100 calories we burn.

Dr Roger Henderson, GP, explains: 'Drinking before eating may help you lose weight because the brain can generate energy from water and food. 'When water is used instead of food then none is stored as fat - as is the case with unused food - and excess water passes out of the body with no weight gain.

'Drinking before food helps to fill the stomach and increases the chance of weight loss by making the person eat less.'

So how much should you drink?

The minimum figures for the body's daily water loss are 500ml through urine and 700ml through breathing and sweating.

Doctors advise that to be on the safe side we should drink at least 1.2 litres of liquids (2.5 pints).

So, remember, although water is essential, you don't need to become obsessed about drinking eight glasses a day!

20 Little Ways to be a Big Loser

by Joe Mullich

Consuming just 100 fewer calories each day is enough to avert the 1 to 2 pounds the average person gains each year. To lose weight, you have to downsize by 500 calories a day—but you don't have to slash them all from your plate.

"You can eat 250 calories less and then burn 250 by walking for 30 to 45 minutes. Over a week, that will produce about a pound of weight loss," says Holly Wyatt, MD, a clinical researcher at the Center for Human Nutrition in Denver. You won't see dramatic changes immediately, but small tweaks like these will pay off over time.

1. Order two appetizers.According to a study at the University of North Carolina, the average hamburger is 23 percent larger today than it was in 1977. Choose a pasta dish and salad or soup from the appetizer column, instead.

2. Visit the vending machine.Nibbling on single servings is better than digging your way to the bottom of a megabag of chips.

3. Start with salad...and eat less during the rest of the meal, says a study from Pennsylvania State University. When salads were topped with low-fat mozzarella and low-calorie Italian dressing instead of high-fat alternatives, women ate 10 percent fewer calories over the course of the day.

4. Stick a fork in it.If you prefer your salad dressing on the side, dip your fork into it before stabbing your greens. That little maneuver could cut hundreds of calories.

5. Watch coffee calories.The fancy concoctions that are now the javas of choice for many people can contain as many calories as an entire lunch.

6. Walk and talk.When your cell phone rings, slip on your walking shoes and stroll the halls at work or hoof it outside. If you did this for 10 minutes every workday at a moderate 3 mph pace, you’d burn about 1,000 calories a month and lose 3 pounds a year.

7. Crack a nut.Dieters in a Harvard University study who ate a handful of peanuts or mixed nuts daily were more likely to keep weight off than a group whose regimen didn’t include the high-fat snacks.

8. Don’t just sit there.The average person burns 100 calories per hour sitting and 140 per hour standing. Get on your feet 2 hours a day while you work, and you could drop an extra 6 pounds over the year.

9. Sleep well, lose more.Insufficient shut-eye appears to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite. High levels seem to worsen bingeing and hunger; moreover, too little sleep could keep your body from burning carbohydrates, which translates to more stored body fat.

10. Double your protein.The high-protein, low-carb approach may help keep you from losing muscle along with fat, according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition. According to study author Donald K. Layman, PhD, of the University of Illinois, the amino acid leucine—found in beef, dairy, poultry, fish, and eggs—may help preserve muscle tissue.

11. Keep an exercise journal.Writing down your fitness achievements is a great way to track your progress, give yourself positive feedback, and maintain focus on your goals.

12. Eat dairy daily.A piece of cheese or a cup of milk or yogurt can rev up your metabolism, a University of Tennessee study found. People who cut 500 calories a day from their diets while eating yogurt three times a day lost 13 pounds over 12 weeks, more weight and more body fat than a control group who only cut calories.

13. Have an apple before dinner.How did 346 people in small-town Washington State lose an average of 17 pounds each in 3 months? With regular exercise, balanced eating, and an apple with every meal. The typical apple has 5 grams of fiber, which makes you feel fuller.

14. Be wary of white foods.That's the color of most high-calorie carbs—bagels, potatoes, breads, rice, creamed corn, and the like.

15. Drink water.Your body often mistakes thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated means you'll probably also stay satiated.

16. Act like a kid.Expand your definition of physical activity to include shaking your booty with your kids. It's a welcome break from the StairMaster and can burn just as many calories (about 120 every 20 minutes).

17. Munch a handful of M&M's.Just under half a pack of plain candies adds only 100 calories to your daily tally and can satisfy a sweet tooth.

18. Be picky about bread.Select loaves with whole grain listed as the first ingredient, and make sure each slice contains at least 2 grams of fiber.

19. Eat breakfast.A Harvard study found that people who did so every day cut their chances of becoming obese and developing diabetes by 35 to 50 percent, compared with those who ate breakfast only twice a week.

20. Brush your teeth after every meal.It doesn't just fight cavities: Brushing serves as a physical and psychological cue to stop eating. When you're on the go, a few Altoids or a breath strip can have the same effect.

The Basics of Fat Loss

by Alwyn Cosgrove

Here's the fat loss basics:

You need to create a caloric deficit - no two ways about it - you must burn more than you consume. The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise

Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Keep your fluid intake high (water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet.

Exercise - interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most bang-for-your buck. Steady state aerobic training just doesn't burn enough calories for your goals right now, and a bodypart training split will be less effective than total body training for fat loss.

Try to exercise at least six days per week - three days of interval based cardio and three days of resistance training.

Supplements: there is almost nothing that will make a difference. Sorry. Certain supplements can boost metabolism, or increase your energy somewhat and these may be useful - but in terms of real world "pounds of fat lost" I have yet to see anything that really made a difference.

A multivitamin and a fish oil supplement are vital though - but more for your overall health. a protein shake or meal replacement powder can be useful for convenience but are nothing more than high quality food.

Diabetes is a growing Epidemic

Diabetes is a growing epidemic worldwide. The increasing weight of the population and the prevalence of high sugar, processed foods have led to an increase in the incidence of diabetes.

There are millions of people diagnosed with this condition and millions more living with it undiagnosed. Due to the lack of strong symptoms at the onset it often goes undiagnosed and untreated until something else forces the person to the doctor.

Testing of the blood for blood glucose levels is the only reliable way to diagnose diabetes.

Read the complete article here http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/diabetes.php

5 Ways to Improve Your Performance on the Golf Course

When you go out to golf you're hoping for a good round. I know I do. How often does your outcome match what you hoped for? Do you usually shoot the scores you had envisioned before you teed off? If not, do you ever evaluate where and how you could have saved strokes and avoided those blow up holes?

I've got 5 easy tips for you to implement immediately that will shave 4-6 or even more strokes off your score the next time you play. Give them a try and see what happens.

Here they are:

First off you've got to put the proper fuel in your body before you leave home. Most golfers don't give it a second thought. They either don't eat at all before they leave home or they eat something that is not going to give them the long-term energy they're hoping for. So whether it's lunch or breakfast before you leave you need to consume a complex carbohydrate and a good protein source.

This combination will warrant the best use of your energy for the long haul.An example for breakfast would be a bowl of oatmeal and a couple of eggs with a piece of fruit or a juice. For lunch you could have a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with a piece of fruit. Lot's of lettuce on the sandwich and try to avoid mayonnaise or butter.

The second tip is to properly warm up your body before you even hit your first ball. I see so many golfers show up 5 minutes before tee time, hack a few balls and head to the first tee. Those golfers are headed for a double bogey right off the bat - but hey they're just getting "warmed up" right?A better approach is to give yourself at least 30 minutes before your tee time. First do some dynamic (movement oriented) stretches to prepare your body to perform. Things like arm circles, partial squats, toe touches, etc. Then take some half swings with a 7 iron. Now after that you're ready to hit some wedges. You'll find with this approach your hits on the range will be much better, which will build your confidence.

Drink lots of water even before you leave your house. Try to consume up to a gallon of Water before you get to the course. This will help you absorb and digest your pre-game meal and hydrate your muscles for optimal performance. Don't take this lightly. Dehydration causes energy loss, lack of focus and concentration and fatigue later in the round. And remember, that's before you even come to the course. Once you get their you should be drinking water every hole.

Don't wait till you get tight to stretch on the course. You should be constantly moving your body and stretching your joints while you play. I see and hear too many golfers complaining of tight lower backs or shoulders during the round. What amazes me is that with all that complaining they do nothing about it. Why? Think of your body as a machine. If the machine starts to break down - fix it. I mean stretch those areas while you're playing. You'll see a big difference in your swing mechanics late in the round.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don't make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective.

Snack while you play. No I don't mean the full meal at the turn with a beer. I mean bringing fruit and nutrition bars to eat every 4-6 holes. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients your energy levels stay balanced and you will avoid those mental lapses late in the round. How many times have you had a good score only to blow up late in the round? I'll bet more than a couple of times. I know I have. Treat your body like a Ferrari not a Ford Pinto.

Now some of these tips you may have been aware of and maybe a couple of them not. But do all of them and your score will show it. The above routine should be done every time you go out and play. This is called pre-game preparation and performance maintenance. You're an athlete (believe it or not) so treat you body like one and you'll be winning all the money. Just make sure to send me a percentage. No seriously. Stick to it and the sky's the limit.

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Article by Mike Pedersen. Mike is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country. He is also the author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf exercise membership sites. For more information on his just released golf fitness e-Book, visit golf-trainer.com

Detox Diets?!

by Craig Ballantyne

Are you on a Detox diet? They are quite the popular little plan these days...

So would a detox diet significantly improve my health? Nah, not really, although it can help someone that is eating Doritos everyday, but only of course, if they take up some long-term healthy habits as a result.

A detox diet won't suddenly reverse the bad health status of someone that has lived the Western Lifestyle for 40 years. It is what it is...2 days of not eating crap (although it's often 2 days - or more - of not eating anything, which has its own detractions...).

So detox diets might seem like a good idea, and might even give you piece of mind and help kick-start your new year's resolutions, but just realize that they are not a quick fix to your health problems. The long-term fix is dumping the Western Lifestyle, as I have said many times before.

Besides, if you think you can actually remove all the toxins in your body, think again. It can never happen. Every breath you take, every move you make, you are creating waste products in your body.

In fact, just this week, four Canadian politicians were tested for toxins and the results were alarming...and it wasn't just because they were politicians!

The tests revealed surprisingly high concentrations of toxins in their blood, all due to air pollution. So no matter how "great" your detox diet, you'll never be able to combat toxins that enter your blood through your lungs.

And many toxins are fat-soluble - meaning they are stored in our fat cells for months, and slowly released over time - not just 2 days.

You'll never truly detoxify...but enough of the science class, let's get to the bottom line on detox diets...

So is living on a juice diet for 2 or 3 days going to kill you?

No. Heck, that's probably healthier for you than a weekend in Vegas.

But is it going to add years to your life?

No, of course not.

So unless a detox diet is really off the wall unhealthy, they are generally neither helpful nor harmful.

All that matters is what you do on a consistent basis for the other 360 days of the year...year in, year out.

If you pick up motivation for healthy habits from your "detox", then maybe it can help you.

But if you go right off the detox and back to the Nachos and Bud, then what was the point at all?

You know what I'm all about - lifestyle change. It's nothing radical, its nothing fancy or magical.

If you want to succeed you simply have to make changes for good.

You aren't going to make all the changes overnight or be able to stick to each one the first time you try it (Hey, I'm still trying to get better and healthier everyday, and I've been at it for all of my adult life).

Hard truth: It might take you years before you perfect your healthy eating habits and kick your cravings.

But as you do, you'll have the rest of your life ahead of you for high-energy living thanks to healthy eating.

Eat well, live well!