Keeping Fit is A Daily Battle

As a sports nutritionist, I am concerned about the lack of awareness and confusion people have over the best way to lose weight. In the 1990’s, we were erroneously told that all fat was bad for us. Now, carbs are being blamed for America’s increasing waistline. Even some athletes have fallen into the low-carb trap. I urge you not to make this same mistake. If you want to lose weight, build muscle, have tons of energy, and even improve your skin and sex drive – you need to eat carbs. It’s true – carbs are good for you! You just need to know when and how to eat them.

First, let’s dispel some myths about low carb diets like the Atkins diet. It is estimated that nearly 60 million Americans have tried to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta and cereal. Even Burger King is cashing in on this trend by selling a bunless burger! Still, the average person’s weight in this country continues to increase.

What is going wrong? Low-carb diets do not work long-term because they contain too many calories. They also require you to avoid carbohydrates for the rest of your life, which quickly leaves most people feeling deprived and unsatisfied. Eating should be pleasurable, not stressful. Even worse, low carb diets can wreck your metabolism and damage your health. Traditional low carb diets ban fruits and certain vegetables. It just doesn’t make sense to deny your body these foods, which protect against cancer, hypertension and heart disease. Getting healthy is not just about losing weight, it is about gaining health.

For years I helped members of the Russian National Athletic Team drop fat, build muscle, and improve their performances by alternating between days of eating a normal amount of carbs and days of limited carb consumption. This method produced amazing results because it was based on real science, not marketing hype by the diet industry.

When I moved to America, I started seeing clients who dieted and exercised regularly but still could not lose weight. They didn’t realize that a slowed metabolism was derailing their efforts. That’s when I decided to create a plan that could be as effective as the program I developed for the Russian athletes but simple enough for anyone to use. The Carb Cycling Diet was born.

The key to carb cycling is learning how to exploit the two important bodily processes that determine how you look and feel – anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the process by which your body builds muscle. Catabolism is the process by which your body burns fat. Low carb diets focus only on changing your catabolism – they do not help you build muscle. By alternating between low carb and higher carb days, my clients have been able to get the lean, strong bodies they have always wanted. They also enjoy the luxury of eating the foods they love, as long as they eat them at the right time. It takes a little discipline at first, but it is far easier and healthier than restriction diets like Atkins.

During normal carb days, I recommend eating between 350 to 400 grams of carbohydrates. That’s about what you probably are already eating. Keep in mind that you should focus on eating unrefined carbs from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Limited refined carbs from sugar and processed white flour. On limited carb days, do not eat any foods containing sugar or white flour. Try to keep your carbs under 300 grams a day. You should never starve yourself or feel hungry, even on limited carb days. Sound tricky? It’s not! Counting carbs is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Plus, the small extra effort will bring you a huge payoff. If you combine carb cycling with exercise, you will protect yourself from age-related illnesses, such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and even form of cancer. You’ll also look and feel great.

So now you have a new found zest for fitness-or the rediscovered childhood trauma of being made fun of. Either way, you will get the desired results if you want it bad enough. Before we start, it’s a good idea to understand the basic principle on how bodies build bigger muscle. See, progressive overload is increasing the amount of weight your body carries-it reacts by building stronger tissues which we now recognized as bigger muscles.

When you begin your workout program, consult with the in-house trainer about the drills and the amount of weight you will be attempting to take on per exercise. As a rule, opt for weight loads that you can lift until about the 8th or 12th rep. Keep in mind that by maximum tolerance here should mean that you keep the correct form all throughout. Aim to do at least 8 reps per set and around 6-9 sets of different exercises per muscle group.

In lifting heavy weights, your muscles get little rips that gets fixed as you go on. To aid the process of mending your muscle tissue, you will need to have a lot of protein in your diet. You can get the recommended protein intake for your body with a simple computation. First, get your lean mass weight by subtracting fat and your total body weight in kilograms; then multiply this amount by 2.75. Get your protein by eating healthy food like chicken, sea food, eggs, nuts and cheese.

Experts have differing opinions on the amount of fat bodybuilders need in their diet. If you want a really big body, then include fatty food in your meals. This actually helps to increase muscle building hormones in the body. Be sure to closely watch your diet because should you ever decide to take a break from exercise without changing your diet; your weight gain will take on an unattractive appearance. Make it a point to drink at least 10-12 glasses a day especially during workouts to sustain your stamina.

And to save the best for last, one of the best tips to build bigger muscle-sleep. That’s right, sleep. Resting helps in muscle development because this is the time the previously mentioned muscle tears gets fixed and mended. Sleep also stimulates blood flow to the muscle tissues, preparing it for future sessions of more pain induced workouts. If you want to speed up muscle development, get quality sleep.

There you have it- simple pointers on the fastest way to build muscle. A well-balanced diet, sufficient fluid intake and good sleeping habits; it really doesn’t get easier than that. Verify with your physician that you have no medical conditions that will be aggravated with physical training. Once you get a clean bill of health, you have nothing else to do but enjoy. See great results in your body and general well-being when you begin this journey-another lifestyle will not be an option anymore.

Muscle mass is considered significantly for the bodybuilders.

Muscle mass can be developed by following a perfect combination of balanced diet, workout and supplements. Read further to gain knowledge about the correct strategy for augmenting muscles.

Contract the Muscles – Muscle growth is directly proportional to the degree of contraction of muscles. Perform the negative technique to put excess burden on muscles and gain muscle mass.

Fish for Food – Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which increases the sensitivity of the muscles towards insulin. Insulin sensitive muscles have increased capacity to store glycogen and facilitate easy entry of amino acids in the muscles.

Enhanced Intake of Sodium – Sodium increases the storage of carbohydrate in the muscles and the amino acids are also absorbed at an increased rate in the muscles due to the presence of the optimum amount of sodium in the body.

Increase the Weights – Muscle growth is proportional to the amount of force muscles endures. Increase the weights lifted to build the muscle mass fast.

Balanced Diet – Low calorie does not support in the muscle mass building process. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are required in excess quantity to build muscle mass.

Take a Break – Continuous training puts lots of stress on the muscles. Ample rest is also required to allow muscles to recover from the strain of workout. Ample rest augments the process of anabolism and restores the glycogen.

Protein Intake in Night – Bodybuilders diet includes four to six meals in a day. Supplement the diet with the protein shake in the night to enhance the absorption of the nutrients in the body.

Powerlift – Go for six to twelve rep range as it increases, both the strength and size of the muscles.

Combination of Three – Glutamine plays an important role in muscle building. Low level of glutamine inhibits the muscle growth. Creatine is essential to produce ATP, the energy molecule. Creatine releases energy in the muscles. Branched Chain Amino Acids provides the body with nitrogen required to build muscles.

Got a question from a reader:

Ok, im 14 and can not find anything that sounds convincing or is true on building ab muscle.

I want to get a 6pack (not to big, just a nice mild look on the skin cerface).

I heard that a good diet helps..

can somebody please share any diets that i should take out which would help me to get a 6pack?

also, what exercise is best?

i have been working on crunches etc… and i have burned away some belly fat which is now making my belly flat, so im hoping that anybody has a good diet and exercise tips etc which they know works?

thanks.

ps/ i was thinking of just eating a small potion of pasta at 12(noon) and again at 5pm each day. and drinking 3pints of water from waking up to noon, and another 8pints between 12 and 5. is this good?

thanks.!

Answer from female author:

Is that diet you mentioned ALL you are thinking of eating?! If so, you are not eating enough!!!! You need to eat way more than that to build muscle and to be healthy – at your age if you starve yourself like that then you will end up damaging your bones, heart and probably stunt your growth so you will never grow to your full height. I know you think eating pasta is not starving yourself but because you are a male and aged 14, that diet would mean your body would go into starvation mode and you would do some serious damage to your body.

First of all you need to eat 3 times a day, eating earlier in the day is more important than eating at night because you burn more calories during the day than you do at night. So make time for breakfast every day! If you want to build muscle then you must eat more protein – carbs will not do much for you apart from give you short bursts of energy.

Men are very lucky in that they can eat pretty much whatever they want and as long as you exercise, you will not put on weight and just get great muscle tone. This is because your body does not have as many fat cells as women so it is actually harder for you to gain fat. I reccomend you go on the men’s health website or start buying that magazine, it has lots of great diet and exercise advice.

I have spent a lot of time reading up on diet and exercise and I think I know my stuff so here are my tips for you:

1. Eat More! You need to be eating 2500 calories a day to maintain your current weight, and if you are building muscle then muscle burns more calories therefore you need to ensure you are eating enough. If you are not giving your body the calories it needs then it will eat into your muscle first, therefore on that diet you outlined you will never gain any muscle and the 6 pack will never happen.

2. Eat more protein! That diet you mentioned only included carbs, you have to be eating a balanced diet to gain muscle and protein is very important in building muscle. Muscle is made out of protein fibres, therefore the more protein you eat the more chance you have of getting a 6-pack! Foods high in protein – Eggs, meat (chicken and fish is best seen as it is a lean meat and has little fat in it)and most diary products (milk, cheese etc), nuts and seeds.

3. Cut out White Carbs! So no white pasta, white bread or white rice. These foods have no nutritional benefit because they are processed, and they will leave you feeling and looking bloated (bye bye 6 pack!). Instead only eat the brown versions – so wholewheat pasta, brown bread and brown rice. These are brown because they have all the vitamins and nutrients left in them, and they are slow release carbs – this means they will release energy slowly giving you more energy throughout the day!

I think if you follow those 3 rules for your diet then you will get the results you want – you dont need to be too strict on what you eat at your age because you need all the energy to grow! And that water consumption you mention in your question, that seems too excessive. You can actually die from drinking too much water, it drowns your body from within! So just drink when you are thirsty, there is no need to go mad with the water! Most of your recommended intake of water should actually be coming from your food, as a lot of foods are 50-90% water. So make sure you eat lots of fruit and veg because these have a high water content and they have lots of vitamins and minerals that you need.

So an ideal diet for you would be this:

Breakfast:

Poached/boiled eggs with brown toast

Or cereal and brown toast if you dont have time for eggs

Lunch:

Anything you like! Make sure it includes carbs for energy, so wholewheat pasta is good, jacket potatoes, sandwiches with brown bread, soup etc

Dinner:

Chicken or fish with vegetables

Or any meat you like with veg

Snacks:

Nuts, fruit

Drinks:

Low sugar cordial, water, fruit juice

Exercise wise – sit-ups, crunches, press-ups…those sorts of things are all you can do to get a 6 pack. You just have to do high repitions of them, so maybe try doing 4 sets of 50 (with about a minutes break in between each set). You should try getting a little cardio in your exercise routine too, as this will help give you definition around your abs. Swimming is brilliant for all over muscle tone as it uses every muscle in the body – but remember that swimming uses lots of calories so again you will have to eat more! Or maybe try jogging once or twice a week, this is another great exercise that will help you tone up.

The main thing for you to achieve what you want is to eat more and stop worrying so much about gaining this 6 pack! I understand all men want the perfect 6-pack abs but often some men just cannot achieve this as their bodies were not made to have 6-packs. Some guys can only achieve a flat stomach with a bit of tone and definition. And most girls dont really like 6-packs anyway, it is a sign that the guy is obsessed with his body and spends way too much time working out! So definition is always better than a 6-pack. I would always go for a guy with a flat stomach over a 6-pack, I think 6 packs look unnatural and ugly!

Just enjoy being a teenager, start eating more of what you want and just be healthy, dont let yourself become obsessed with diet and exercise. You need to find a healthy balance between the two – take my boyfriend for example. He works out 3 times a week with weights and goes running a couple of times a week. He has an amazing body but no 6-pack! But he has such great muscle definition and he is really toned, and he gets so much attention from the girls! But guess what – he eats like a pig and drinks beer all the time! He loves pizza, and eating all sorts of food that you wouldnt normally associate with a healthy body. But the way he sees it is that he can eat what he wants as long as he works out and doesnt eat rubbish all the time.

I hope this helps and good luck!

This may sound contrary to many but achieving weight loss is really not an end by itself.

If you lose enough weight to achieve your ideal body weight, that’s great! Now, you want to maintain it, don’t you?

On the other hand, if you’re on a weight loss program, after losing several pounds, it is a good idea to maintain your weight for certain period to allow your body to adjust to that of your new base weight.

In fact, I know someone who achieved his ideal body weight and then gain back every pound of it and worst of all, he became obese in a few short years.

This person completed his first marathon which helped him to shed around 10 pounds to achieve the ideal body he wanted. And then in a matter of months, he was celebrating, enjoying, traveling, eating and drinking without caring about his body!

All his efforts for the intense nine months training for his first marathon went down the drain in a few months! He stopped running altogether, and eating like there’s no tomorrow.

Here’s five steps you can take to maintain your body weight:

STEP 1 – Set your goal and write it down

Many self development gurus advocate that to achieve something, you must first set your goals and to write it down.

You must be thinking what goal is there to set since you merely want to maintain your weight. But the truth is that even maintaining your body weight itself is a goal. Because your weight can actually swing the other way and you start gaining pounds!

STEP 2 – Find out how many calories your body need

As you probably know, how many calories your body need depends on many factors like your basal metabolism rate, age, sex, job, activity level. In fact, it is almost impossible to be precise due to these variables.

However, there is a rule of thumb based on your level of exercise:

- Light Exercise: Multiply your weight in pounds by 14

- Moderate Exercise: Multiply your weight in pounds by 16

- Heavy Exercise: Multiply your weight in pounds by 18

For example, Kelly weighs 140 pounds. She is moderately active. Her calorie needs are 140 x 16 = 2240 calories/day

Again, remember that this is just an approximate guideline.

STEP 3 – Record your food intake

Now, it is essential to record your food intake for at least three days.

Next, you need to check out from some reliable sources the calories for the amount and type of food you consume.

The idea is to take a sample of the foods you consume for three days so that you would know your typical calorie intake. If you need 2240 calories per day to maintain your body weight as in the above example and you find yourself consuming 2600 calories, at least you know where lies the problem and begin to take the necessary action.

STEP 4 – Focus on aerobics rather than fat burning

To lose weight, we focus on the fat burning zone of 55 to 70% of our target heart rate (which is equal to 220 less our age in years).

However, since your objective is to maintain weight, focus on the higher range of 70 to 80% of target heart rate when you exercise. This is the aerobic zone where you build up your aerobic fitness rather than burn fats.

CAUTION: Please consult with your doctor/physician before embarking on any form of exercise.

STEP 5 – Check your weight regularly

Now it’s time to make friends with the scale. Form a habit to check and record your weight at around the same time everyday such as in the morning.

STEP 6 – Adjust your eating and exercise level

Note that your weight will most likely vary from day to day. So, what you’re checking is a trend, not the minor fluctuations of half a pound either way.

For instance, if your weight goes up for 3 to 5 consecutive days, you would know that you have to eat less and exercise more.

Now that you know how to maintain your body weight, it’s time to take action to make it happen so that you can enjoy a healthy life.

Great reminder to once again go back to basic.

6 great tips on losing weight fast

1. Eat lots of green carbohydrates, like green beans, broccoli and lettuce because they are great for you and include fiber.

2. Increase your fiber intake, but make sure you do this slowly. Eat apple and bread to get fiber. Fiber makes you feel full and this decrease the want to eat.

3. Eat in smaller portion six times a day. This is a very important tip on losing weight fast. You need to keep your metabolism burning. People that eat 3 times a day are obese and sluggish. Keeping the metabolism burning helps burn fat and increase energy level.

4. Start an exercise program that includes lifting weights and a cardiovascular workout. You need to gain lean muscle mass in order to remove excess fat. I recommend walking each day for 1 hour to achieve this.

5. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs water to remove toxin and keep your feeling good and full all day. Water is one of the most important things you can consume to lose weight and feel great.

6. Get plenty of Protein. Protein helps build lean muscle mass and is an essential part of any tip on losing weight. Eat plenty of foods that contain protein, like chicken and grass fed cow meat.

Those 6 tips above mixed with the diet I’ am about to tell you about will cause you to lose weight rapidly in your diet plan.

The diet I am referring to follows a calorie shifting routine. This means eating different foods everyday so that you trick your body’s metabolism. The most common reason most people can’t lose weight on a diet is because they have a strict diet in which they eat the same foods each day.

This tells your body that it only consumes a certain number of calories a day, so your metabolism will adapt to it and will not burn off anything else.

With the calorie shifting routine, you trick your body everyday about what you will be consuming. Your body will turn into a burning machine because it doesn’t know what calorie will come next.

This is good because on the days we eat a lower amount, a lot of fat will be burned off. The best diet plan that follows this calorie shifting routine is called Fat loss 4 Idiots.

Even the most dedicated fitness fanatics can dread a workout. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day off when you’re just not feeling it, but when a lack of motivation persists, it’s all too easy for those days off to build up into a block of sedentary time.

Staying motivated requires an understanding of purpose, so be your own coach and keep track of your fitness goals in a separate journal. Whether you’re hoping to run a marathon or trying to run a mile, the road to achieving your goals takes inner strength and drive. Once you have reached one of your goals, make self-motivation a habit by setting a new one to take its place.

There are online journals and can be used free! Try one in Global Health.