Category Archives: Weight Loss

Obesity has been called the number one public health problem in America. America is the fattest country in the world and getting fatter. Currently, over 70% of Americans are overweight and over 33% are obese. 1 in 40 women and 1 in 100 men are greater than 100 pounds overweight. As if this weren’t bad enough, the average patient, if left untreated, will continue to gain weight at 2% per year. Therefore, if you weigh 200 pounds today your projected weight, if untreated, could approach 240 pounds in 10 years.

The diseases which are attributable to obesity are very serious and can be life threatening. Diabetes is up to 50 times more common in patients who are overweight and has increased three fold over the last twenty years from approximately 1% of the population to 3%. Up to 70% of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and strokes, has been attributed to obesity in some studies. Over 60% of new onset of high blood pressure in middle aged Americans can be traced to obesity. Gallstones and high cholesterol can be linked to being overweight also. Some authors have attributed up to 40% of cancer to being overweight including breast cancer, colon, prostrate and uterine cancer. Many of these diseases can improve with even a modest weight loss of 7 or 8 pounds. On occasion, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol have been shown to be totally corrected by weight loss.

In the past the treatment for obesity has been very discouraging, but recent developments have greatly improved the outlook. In particular, the addition of appetite suppressant medications such as Phentermine has added a whole new dimension to medically supervised weight loss. When added to traditional treatments such as behavior modification, exercise and special medically supervised diets, these new treatments have been shown to be even more effective.

Our editors have compiled a comprehensive set of articles, calculators and references to help you start a weight loss plan straight away, monitor and improve your progress and ensure that it stays off.

The true affects of Caffeine on our bodies

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Caffeine is found in everything from face creams to coffee. But its effects aren’t yet fully known, reports Joanna Bounds.

We’re a nation of drug users. We take our first hit in the morning and many of us continue throughout our working day.

Addicts say they can’t function without their daily dose of caffeine. Globally, we consume 120,000 tonnes of the stuff each year, making it the most widely-consumed psychoactive substance in the world. And most of our caffeine intake comes in the form of a cup of coffee or can of cola.

And while caffeine consumption is deeply-entrenched in society, the “good” versus “bad” debate has been going on for centuries. This may be because caffeine has the same pharmacological effects on the body as many substances deemed harmful – although that doesn’t stop nine out of 10 people throughout the world using it regularly, say Alan Weinberg and Bonnie Bealer, authors of The World Of Caffeine (Routledge). high times There are many ways of ingesting our drug of choice. Besides coffee, tea and chocolate we can get our kicks from “energy” drinks and over-the-counter medicines. In the US there are caffeine tablets, caffeinated waters, and even lickable caffeine-infused lipsticks from US cosmetics company Hard Candy. Yet the effects of caffeine still aren’t fully understood.

“Caffeine’s effects on the body are complex,” says John Miners, professor in clinical pharmacology at the Flinders University of South Australia. “It affects the nervous system, the brain, the bodily organs, respiratory system and metabolic activity. But there’s still a fair amount of work left to be done on caffeine.” What is known for sure is that caffeine causes the body to release adrenaline, resulting in the “fight or flight” response, which enabled our hairy ancestors to run from sabre-tooth tigers. And, of course, gives you that morning buzz.

But, in the case of caffeine toxicity, it’s also been proven that it can be a killer. High doses of caffeine have resulted in roughly 20 deaths in Australia. The last fatality occurred a few years ago, when a 25-year-old woman collapsed in a bar after drinking a guarana-based tonic (which has since been taken off the shelves). Because the woman had a heart condition, she was careful to keep her caffeine intake low, yet the drink’s packaging did not indicate its high caffeine content.

“Some caffeine-based drinks are called “smart”, “happy” or “energy” drinks,” says Rebecca Smith, food policy officer for the Australian Consumers Association (ACA). “Others are marketed as a thirst quencher and are not the best way to rehydrate after exercise as caffeine inhibits the absorption of water.” The proliferation of such drinks has led to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Ministerial Council forming a policy stating that caffeine cannot be added to any other products besides cola and energy drinks and those that do contain caffeine must be labelled clearly.

“There is no doubt that the concentration of caffeine in soft drinks and energy drinks has a marked pharmacological effect, which people need to be aware of,” says Professor Miners. “People monitor the amount of caffeine they drink but are unaware of the concentration of caffeine in other products. Energy drinks are the main area of concern.”

Even though death by coffee isn’t a concern for most of us, kick-starting the day with a large latte can lead to a caffeine addiction.

“Caffeine has the same sort of mechanism as cocaine or heroin, but
obviously with much less effect. This is part of the reason why people become
addicted to it,” says naturopath Ilana Lamont.

If you’re trying to kick the habit she advises weaning yourself off caffeine, rather than going cold turkey, and says withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, fatigue and depression. And it doesn’t take long for withdrawal symptoms to kick in.
“A lot of people get tired and depressed when they are coming down from the effects of caffeine,” says Lamont. “And that can be as soon a couple of hours after they’ve drunk their last coffee. Which is when they reach for the next cup. So it’s a vicious cycle.”
addicted to mug And be aware, says Professor Miners, that caffeine ffects people differently.

“In terms of effects on the body, and the rate at which it is eliminated, individuals handle caffeine in different ways,” he says.

“It’s influenced by factors such as age (children eliminate caffeine more quickly) and whether you smoke or not. Smokers eliminate caffeine at twice the rate of non-smokers. That’s why some people get heart palpitations and others don’t, and why it keeps some people awake but not others.”

And caffeine-induced insomnia isn’t urprising when you think that, if you drink a large cup of coffee at 3pm, 50 per cent of the caffeine will still be in your body six hours later. The reason it keeps you awake, says Lamont, is because the caffeine is stimulating your brain at a period of time when it’s not meant to be active.

Some people should avoid caffeine more than others. Pregnant women are especially at risk, as revealed by a study by Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark earlier this year. It showed that women who drink more than eight cups of coffee a day triple their risk of having a stillborn baby compared with non-coffee drinkers. A report in the Lancet Medical Journal also revealed that women who drink more than one cup of coffee a day are half as likely to conceive as those who drink less than a cup a day, as caffeine stimulates the production of chemicals in the body that slow conception.

user friendly But it’s not all bad news – caffeine does have ome positive effects too. Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that giving prematurely-born babies minute amounts of caffeine, rather than the drugs that are currently used, is a safer option when it comes to treating breathing problems.

Caffeine is also useful when it comes to the morning-after. A hangover equals a headache because alcohol enlarges the blood vessels in your brain. Caffeine does the opposite and constricts blood vessels, hence its use in over-the-counter painkillers.

It’s been proven that drinking a cup of coffee before exercising enables you to work out for almost a third longer. Plus, researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport have discovered that caffeine triggers muscles to start using fat as an energy source instead of carbohydrates.

So, is caffeine good? Or is caffeine bad? The solution to the onundrum, says Lamont, is to carefully monitor how much you’re putting into your body.

“Keep a log of how much chocolate, ola, coffee and tea you’re having each day,” she says. “Have a couple of cups of coffee a day, but not eight or nine, and drink lots of water to counteract its diuretic effect. Keep your intake to a minimum and you won’t be doing your body as much harm.”

beauty buzz As well as putting affeine into your body, the latest innovation is rubbing it into your skin. Facial toners, cellulite creams and body-contouring products now often contain caffeine, with companies claiming that it helps to firm and tighten.

French cosmetics company Clarins uses caffeine in some of its products, including face creams such as Contouring Facial Lift, and Shiseido’s celebrated anti-cellulite Body Creator also contains caffeine. The Fuji Spinning Company in Japan has even manufactured caffeine-infused underwear which, it claims, helps activate fat-dissolving enzymes.

Beauty insiders claim that caffeine-based creams work as diuretics, draining fatty cells of fluid resulting in firmer skin. But health professionals are dubious about the beauty benefits of the drug.

“It’s difficult to see the reason for including caffeine in beauty products,” says Professor John Miners.

And naturopath Ilana Lamont thinks it may just be another in a long ine of wonder compounds touted by cosmetics companies. “I can see no viable way that caffeine does anything,” she says. “I think it’s little more than the latest trend in the beauty world.”

How Effective are Your Nutritional Supplements?

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Excessive weight gain is a big problem in America. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly two thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Most people want to do something about it, but don’t always make good decisions.

This year alone, fifty million people will go on some of form of weight-loss program, spending some $33 billion on weight loss products and services that are fad diets, unsafe or ineffective nutritional supplements. Countless others who have tried to lose weight and failed will give up altogether.

“What people need to realize is that there is no magic bullet when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off,” says Jeff Zwiefel, vice president of the Nutritional Products Division of Life Time Fitness, a national health, fitness, and nutrition company. “For many people, losing weight can feel like a daunting task. It takes a balanced approach that includes education, exercise and good nutrition, coupled with effective weight-loss supplementation.”

A good beginning point is to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of weight gain. Do you ever wonder why some people can eat all the time and never gain weight while others seem to put on pounds at every sitting? “It’s all about metabolism,” says Zwiefel.

Simply stated, your metabolism is the way your body burns up all of the calories from the food that you eat and regulates energy. The speed at which your body burns up calories is called your metabolic rate. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn, and the less likely that you’ll be overweight. “A small percentage of people naturally have a better metabolism than others, but for the most part, an individual’s metabolism is determined by their lifestyle”, says Zwiefel. So what can you do to place yourself in a better position to manage your weight?

Diet represents one of the primary ways to shed those unwanted pounds and keep them off. Although it might sound easy on paper to simply put less food in your mouth, the reality is that reducing calorie intake is a significant problem for most of us. It is more complex than just calories in and calories out. Factors such as stress and diet will dramatically impact how our bodies process the calories we consume. That’s why Life Time Fitness recommends you not only change what you eat, but your eating and lifestyle habits.

Instead of eating three meals a day — breakfast, lunch and dinner — eat five nutritionally balanced meals and two snacks per day. Spreading your food intake over the day is the best way keep your energy levels up and to burn calories for energy versus storing them.

You should also reduce the consumption of simple and refined carbohydrates that offer little nutritional value. Concentrate on eating foods that are high in fiber to reduce appetite and help reduce the risk of cancer. Look for good sources of protein throughout the day such as lean meats, fish, eggs, low fat dairy products, beans and nuts. Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, wild rice, whole-wheat pasta, multigrain cereal and potatoes are great ways to boost your energy level throughout the day. Eat 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables; take a multivitamin with antioxidants each day to ensure you are getting the nutrients your body requires throughout the day.

Because our busy lifestyles can interfere with upholding the ideal dietary plan, proper supplementation can help fill in the gaps. However, there are dozens of supplements on the market today offering big promises. How do you know which brand is best for you?

“If a product promises, ‘effortless,’ weight loss, it doesn’t have your long-term health and wellness in mind,” says Dr. Bill Wheeler, Ph.D. and R.D., a former staff nutritionist to the President of the United States and independent consultant for Life Time Fitness. “Supplements need to be worked into your overall plan.”

Life Time Fitness’ LeanSource weight loss supplement is a patent-pending blend of four active ingredients shown in recent studies to help naturally speed up metabolism, burn body fat, and curb sugar cravings without the use of harmful stimulants. Unlike many other supplements on the market today that hype unbelievable before and after testimonials, LeanSource is based on real science and a proven safe and effective formulation. All Life Time Fitness nutritional products are regularly tested in independent lab settings to assure consumers they really contain what’s on the label.

Now available at Target, RiteAid, Kroeger, Kmart and Meijer stores, as well as Life Time Fitness locations nationwide and via www.lifetimefitness.com, LeanSource products are conveniently available in a gel cap form, bars, and ready-to-drink shakes in multiple flavors.

Good diet and the use of beneficial supplements are just part of the equation. Regular and balanced exercise is also a critical part of the process. “Just going to the gym once in a while isn’t going to cut it. You need to make a commitment, and stick with it,” says Zweifel.

Life Time Fitness recommends that people who are serious about shedding the pounds and keeping them off participate in aerobic training exercise regimens a minimum of three times per week for at least 30 minutes at a time. Aerobic exercises include brisk walking, biking, jogging, swimming, aerobic classes and dancing. Dieters are also urged to take part in resistance training exercises, such as weight lifting, at least twice a week for a minimum of 30 minutes per session.

For more information about weight loss and exercise programs offered through Life Time Fitness, visit www.lifetimefitness.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Theres No Such Thing as Cheating

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There’s no right or wrong way to eat. Healthy eating is all about motivation, balance, and flexibility. There will be times when you eat a high-fat meal or eat beyond fullness, or when your schedule gets so busy that you miss a work- out. This happens. It’s normal. But it’s very important that you don’t get down on yourself and abandon your new healthy lifestyle when this happens.

If you’re like most people, your reaction to these diet/ fitness obstacles is guilt. You feel as if all your hard work has been for nothing. “I blew it; I was doing so well. Oh well, I might as well enjoy this weekend and start over on Monday.” Or even worse: “I just don’t have the motivation or will power to start over and be successful. I quit.” Feeling defeated, many people discontinue the healthy living and return to their old routine until some mythical time in the future: “Maybe this spring will be a better time to start over again.” This kind of scenario is a perfect example of the diet mentality at work.

An all-or-nothing attitude is why so many people have so little success; we choose structured programs because they relieve us from making choices for ourselves. A properly designed program makes sense, but expecting to stick to a structured eating and exercise plan for an extended period of time without ever deviating makes no sense at all. In fact, this is so unrealistic as to be a set-up for failure. If you begin to change your habits with the assumption that any deviation from your plan will ruin it, you might as well not even begin. Life is full of unplanned obstacles, distractions, and temptations. Your best approach is to prepare for them, keeping an open mind and maintaining a positive attitude.

It’s very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle with an understanding that there will be days when you will stray from healthy eating and exercising. Before you begin, tell yourself that no matter what happens, rather than abandoning your new lifestyle, you’ll resume your healthy habits as soon as you can; it is equally important that you feel confident, not guilty, about doing so. What- ever the temptation or obstacle is, keep in mind that it’s not wrong or bad to eat fattening foods once in a while or to miss a workout. Just remember to resume your healthy lifestyle. If you keep moving forward and you don’t let guilt and discouragement stop your program all together, you’ll eventually have improved eating and exercise habits.

With this approach, there is no such thing as cheating. When we feel we are cheating, we often punish ourselves; we make ourselves feel guilty, frustrated and defeated. Replacing the negative concept of “cheating” with the idea of “straying from healthy habits” takes away the all-or- nothing emphasis on right and wrong. If you treat every deviation from your plan as a failure, you won’t get very far

Substituting the idea of a brief straying away from your plan instead of feeling guilty, and learning to return more and more quickly to healthier habits, is more realistic. It’s also easier and more enjoyable.

In the non-diet approach, all foods are legal. There are no “good” foods or “bad” foods. You must believe this. Sudden changes and/or drastic restrictions of high-fat foods when you have a preference or craving for fat will result in feelings of deprivation. No one can or should go through life depriving themselves of foods they really enjoy. You must learn how to make gradual healthy changes to the foods you love while experimenting with and learning to appreciate new flavors and textures.

A recent survey showed that more than 75 percent of people feel guilty about eating so-called “bad” foods. The greatest obstacle to adopting healthy eating habits is guilt. Attaching a value to foods only makes you feel bad for eating them. When you do decide to eat a high-fat food, enjoy it. Don’t beat your- self up over it. Just make a special effort to eat low-fat the rest of the day. Remember, there is nothing wrong with splurging now and then. It can even be good for you if the satisfaction of a higher-fat meal that you’ve been craving helps you stick with a low-fat lifestyle the rest of the time.

If you’re having a special diet meal that’s different from what the rest of your family or friends are eating, you’ll feel as though you’re being punished. In order to be successful in changing your eating habits, you must look forward to and enjoy each meal you eat. This doesn’t mean that you have to learn to like rice cakes and celery. It means you must learn how to make simple changes in the foods you love.

Perhaps one of your favorite meals is fried chicken, a baked potato, and salad. Small changes in how the food is prepared can turn this traditionally high-fat meal into a low-fat well- balanced one. Simply marinating a skinless chicken breast in sweet and sour sauce, rolling it in bread crumbs, and baking it makes the chicken a lot less fattening than if it’s fried. Instead of butter or regular sour cream on your potato, try low-fat or nonfat sour cream or a reduced fat ranch dressing. Try using a non-fat or low-fat salad dressing rather than a regular dressing and adding as many vegetables to your salad as possible for their additional flavor, texture and nutrients. Any or all of these changes drastically reduce the amount of fat in the meal without sacrificing flavor or feelings of satisfaction.

Healthy eating patterns can only occur when you’re enjoying all the foods you eat. If you’re eating low-fat foods just to be healthy but without enjoying the flavors and textures or how they make you feel, this most likely won’t be a permanent change. However, if you begin enjoying healthy foods, you’re far more likely to stick with healthy eating for life.

Many people also enjoy eating out but associate this with being “bad” or eating “illegal” foods. Fortunately, it is very possible to eat a healthy, low-fat meal in a restaurant. You don’t need to forego your favorite foods or eat before you go out with friends or family. The same decision-making process occurs whether you eat at home or go out to a restaurant. Many people think that they have two options when eating: eating for taste and pleasure or eating for health. As you learn and practice healthy eating techniques, these two options will become one and the same. Good luck and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.

By Chad Tackett

Strength Training Is For Every Body

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A visit to your local health club weight room will reveal a space filled with dazzling steel and chrome machines. Not long ago, these modern-day “torture chambers” were places for dedicated body builders, mostly of the male gender who had very little body fat and a whole lot of rather large, hard-to-miss muscles. There was a distinct aura to that room, a feeling of raw power and intimidation. The moment you entered, something told you to get out quickly – you didn’t belong there.

Not so today. Although the appearance of weight rooms today has remained somewhat the same, the game has changed and so have the players. Where once only getting “bigger muscles” was the goal of strength training and mostly men participated in the routine; today, women and men alike; young and old; thin and fat; healthy and not so healthy are finding their way into weight rooms and realizing the magic of strength training – beyond simply achieving a beautiful body.

Why all the sudden fuss about strength training? It’s really quite simple. Fitness experts have finally realized that there’s more to being “fit” than just cardiovascular strength. Muscle strength is an equally important component to overall health and fitness. According to Dr. Michael Pollock, chairman of the American College of Sports Medicine’s position paper on exercise guidelines, “With society living long and longer, it makes sense to keep people functionally capable and independent.” Strength training is a means to achieving this end.

Although physical appearance is certainly a plus that comes with strength training as well as a motivation factor for a great number of people, “physique perks” are not the primary goal of strength training participants. There are three additional reasons every body can benefit from strength training, regardless of age.

MAINTAIN AND/OR ENHANCE LEAN MUSCLE WEIGHT
It’s a fact. You will lose 1/2 pound of muscle for every year you age past 20, if you do not incorporate some type of resistance strength training into your exercise routine. Think about that for a moment. That means if you weighed 120 pounds at the age of 20 and you weigh 120 pounds now at the age of 40, you’ve replaced 10 lbs of muscle with 10 lbs of fat, even though your weight is exactly the same. Pretty shocking isn’t it?

We all recognize the health risks associated with excess body fat, but did you know that muscle actually burns more calories than fat? That’s right, one extra pound of muscle will burn 50 more calories a day, just at rest. On the other hand, every pound of muscle you lose will burn 50 less calories a day.

This may explain why you were able to eat more when you were young. And, since muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space (even though you weigh the same), your body doesn’t quite look the same and that size 8 is now a size 12.

Aerobic exercise will help burn the excess fat, but cannot delay the natural diminishing in overall body muscle tissue associated with the aging process. There are no magic pills or treatments…strength training is the only cure.

INJURY PREVENTION AND INCREASED CAPACITY
Skeletal muscles are the major shock absorbers of your body. Some of these muscles work up to 24 hours a day, such as the ones that help maintain your posture as you stand or sit. Muscles help protect your bones and joints every
time you take a step or dance during Jazzercise participation. lt’s easy to see how strengthening your major muscle groups (i.e., the shoulders, arms, legs, back, and abdominals), will diminish the stress of impact forces and lessen the
risk of exercise-related injury.

Strong muscles also help one to perform daily tasks with ease and efficiency. Activities such as climbing stairs, gelling out of bed, lifting groceries and children, cleaning the house and mowing the lawn all become easier to perform.

PREVENTION OF OSTEOPOROSIS
Although strength training cannot turn back the clock on osteoporosis once you have it, recent research indicates that regular strength training can help to maintain bone mass and reduce a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis.

There you have it – three excellent reasons to start some type of resistance strength training. What does it take to get those muscles in shape? Not as much as you may think. You can choose from a variety of resistance equipment. There
are weight machines, free-weight dumbbells, wrist/ankle weights, bands, balls, or even your own body weight with calisthenics. Naturally, your fitness level and goals will dictate what type of equipment is best for you.

In terms of recommended training routines…if you ask ten different experts, you’re likely to get ten different answers. There are numerous routines for increasing strength depending on your specific goals. Working out “hard” and “long” may elicit greater improvement in strength, but it also increases your risk of injury. So why not take a sensible,
yet effective approach.

After years of research, here’s what the experts have found:

  • Frequency of training: Minimum of two times per week.
  • Number of Repetitions: 8-12 per set
  • Number of Sets: Minimum of one set per muscle group.
  • Number of Exercises: 8-10 exercises which focus on the major muscle groups.
  • Movement Speed: Slow to Moderate
  • Amount of Weight: Enough to fatigue your muscles by the last few reps. (8-12 reps for strength training, 15-20 reps for endurance training.)

Isn’t it great! You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to significantly improve your strength. You can be in and out in as little as 20 minutes. Now, that’s a schedule we all can live with!

Remember, you don’t have to be in perfect shape to work with weights. Strength training is now considered an important component of a weight loss program;  along with diet, aerobic exercise, behavior modification, and is recommended for people suffering from certain types of arthritis and chronic back pain. Once believed dangerous for the elderly, research has confirmed that a low to moderate resistance strength training program is safe for the older population and people with high blood pressure or heart disease. Of course, if you happen to be one of those people in less than perfect shape, be sure to get your doctor’s “OK” before you start lifting away!

What are you waiting for? Now’s the time to turn your body into a strong and efficient, lean and mean calorie-burning machine. Strength training is for every body…start your program today!

Lift Weights To Lose Fat

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Most people believe that if your goal is fat loss, you should start with aerobic workouts and lose the body fat first before adding weight training. That is a big mistake and here’s why: Obviously, weight training is the chief element in developing strength and muscle mass. What few people realize is that weight training can also increase fat loss dramatically, so by skipping the strength training in favor of aerobic-only training, you are not increasing your fat loss – you are slowing it down!”

Weight training is anaerobic and therefore burns primarily carbohydrates (sugar) during the workout. Cardiovascular exercises such as jogging, cycling, step classes, or stairclimbing are aerobic and therefore burn primarily fat during the workout. So it seems logical to focus on aerobic training for fat loss. What you’re missing if you skip the weight training is the benefits that accrue after the workouts.

Something interesting happens “beneath the surface” when you lift weights. Intense, progressive weight training increases your lean body mass – aerobic training does not. Excessive aerobics combined with low calorie dieting or aerobic training without weight lifting can even cause muscle loss. If you lose lean body mass, your metabolism slows down, and this makes it easier to gain fat and harder to lose it. If you increase your lean body mass, you increase your basal metabolic rate, and fat loss becomes easier. Best of all, you increase metabolism and fat burning even when you’re not working out…

Weight training provides an additional short term increase in metabolic rate after the workout, called “excess post exercise oxygen consuption” or EPOC for short. It’s a myth that “all exercise” keeps you burning calories for hours after the workout. Only high intensity exercise increases post workout energy expenditure substantially and weight training has the greatest effect of all. (High intensity cardio also has a high EPOC, but thats the subect of another article). This explains why bodybuilders, who train with weights religiously and have extremely high muscle to fat ratios, can stay lean year round without doing much aerobic work.

Losing body fat as quickly and efficiently as possible requires a three-pronged approach: (1) balanced nutrition from natural foods, (2) aerobic training, and (3) weight training. All three ingredients are essential. If you neglect any one of these components, it will compromise your results because you lose the “synergy” created from this combination.

In “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Author Steven Covey wrote, “Synergy means that 1 + 1 may equal 8, 16, or even 1600. Synergy is everywhere in nature. If you plant two plants close together the roots commingle and improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated. If you put two pieces of wood together they will hold much more than the total of the weight held by each separately. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

When you include weights, cardio and balanced nutrition in your fat loss regimen, the effects of the three parts brought together are not linear, they are exponential. Each part complements the others and multiplies your results. You develop an efficient metabolism and a lean, muscular body that could not be achieved with one or even two of the components in isolation.

The best you can hope for from diet and aerobics alone is to become a “skinny fat person.” You may lose weight from diet and aerobics, but much of it will be muscle, your fat to muscle ratio will plummet and you will take on a “soft” appearance. It’s not uncommon for a woman 5 feet 4 inches tall to weigh 125 pounds and yet have 25-30% body fat. According to the Metropolitan Life height and weight tables, 125 pounds is ideal for a medium-framed 5’ 4″ female, but 25-30% body fat is extremely poor for anyone! Without the weight training, you will never optimize your muscle to fat ratio and you will always struggle to keep fat off permanently.

If you have extremely limited time, and your main priority is to lose fat, then you can keep your weight training brief – maybe 30 minutes 3 days per week – and spend the rest of your time concentrating on cardio. But never neglect the weights completely – always do both, and if possible, devote an equal amount of attention to each.

Last, but not least, don’t forget that weight training, not cardiovascular training, is “shapes” and sculpts your muscles. Simply put, lifting weights makes you look better! If you want a lean, hard, fat-free body, then get out of the aerobics studio, get off that bike or treadmill, and pick up some barbells and dumbbells! Lifting weights isn’t just for “muscle-heads” anymore.

By Tom Venuto, GHF’s Fat Loss Expert

Physical Power of Positive Thinking

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The positive thinker has quite an advantage in
that he is able to achieve his goals much quicker, devote his energy to positive
feelings toward himself and others. He’s able to drain such time consuming
thoughts, as resentment, irritations, guilt reactions, and annoyances that have
collected throughout the day and refill his mind with refreshing and happy
thoughts.

Love and positive thinking is the internal force that gives you new hope, joy
and vitality. It’s for people who truly want a powerful new lease on life!!!
Remember that your brain is the central power
station of the body. A diet that consists of mainly junk foods and sugary
carbohydrates will cause physical illness to the brain when, on the other hand a
proper nutritional diet promotes positive thinking which frees you from mental
conflict and helps you to achieve success that much sooner.

The positive thinker is able to love someone besides himself, and with the world
so full of hate, only proves the fact that the diet of today is full of junk
food. Hate will only tear your mind apart further. That’s why you naturally feel
physically good when you’re happy — your entire body is well nourished and
working together — now, isn’t that what bodybuilding is all about!?

You CAN adapt your self to any change whether
it be in diet or physical exercise! Remember, the mind governs the body. Harmful
thoughts such as: fear, hatred, anxiety and over sensitivity originate when your
brain cells are starved. Positive thinking is impossible when the mind is
undernourished, and a mind that is constantly undernourished becomes touchy and
irritable.

Your mind along with your body must be kept in top physical condition, otherwise
it will dwell on destructive thoughts towards yourself and others. With the
correct diet you are able to think positive and encourage yourself through a
tough bodybuilding routine — and the results will appear much faster.

Health must be Earned and Learned

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The after 50 set back that occurs in many people is due to improper diet. Once you past the age of 50, you must begin to rebuild your body — if you wish to avoid senility and retain sound mentality and physical vigor. As long as you supply the body with the materials it needs to rebuilt and repair cells you will have good health.

Re-examine your dietary habits — make sure your daily intake of food is nutritional. Slowly eliminate processed food (which is white flour and their products, french fries, cake, cookies etc.) and sugar from your eating habits. Now, you might say what’s left? There are many natural foods that are super in nutritional value and will do wonders for your muscle size and overall shape. It’s time you began to build a knowledge and understanding for good nutrition while you build your body. Be aware of the vitamins, minerals in food and what fantastic things these foods can do for you and your body.

Protein is the bodybuilding substance needed to form new tissues and cells and rebuild and repair old one. Your blood, tissues, organs, skin, hair, and nails are about 95% protein, along with your bones and nerves. Meat, fish, eggs and poultry are known as complete proteins. Others include soybeans, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. 60% of protein consumed is changed into sugar (glucose), that’s why sugar is completely unnecessary in your bodybuilding diet.

2/3 of your diet should be protein — the other third should be made up of fresh raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Liver is the most effective source of complete protein. It’s the number on food that not only builds your body up, but greatly increases your energy. It relieves fatigue and neutralizes many dangerous drugs within your system.

Fat produces an energy reserve, slows down the rate at which food is digested and is a source of heat and energy, and a cushion for vital organs. Fish is practically a perfect food. It’s excellent source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. Eggs, are another superior protein food, 1-2 a day are recommended for everyone. They supply a full measure of minerals. True, they do contain cholesterol, but they are an excellent source of lecithin, inositol and many other effective cholesterol controlling agents. Powdered milk is outstanding because it consist of an abundance of fat free protein, vitamins and minerals. It’s known to rejuvenate the heart, brain, and verves and strengthens the failing body.

Natural carbohydrates invigorates the body and supplies is with warmth and vitality. The potato is not to be eliminated from your bodybuilding diet. It’s a vegetable and contains many nutritional elements and it’s very easily digestible. Honey is in the blood stream 20 minutes after eaten. It’s the best heart stimulant you can use. Honey has much greater advantage over sugar. It fills any void that may occur in the daily intake.

Here are the 4 fine qualities of honey:

a wholesome food

it’s a purifying cleanser

it has regenerative power

it’s a sweet that has natural laxative qualities

REMEMBER: It is not how much you eat — it’s what happens to the food after you have eaten it. Eating large quantities of food will not help your muscle building progress it it’s the wrong food!!

Forget the fat burn zone

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“Fat burn is greater when exercise intensity is high.” Izumi Tabata

I believe in high-intensity aerobics. In Ripped 3, for bodybuilders, I recommended “a variety of relatively short and infrequent aerobic sessions interspersed with explosive muscular effort.” In Lean For Life, published six years later, I emphasized high-intensity aerobics even more; I reduced the frequency of aerobic sessions to two times a week (in Ripped 3 I recommended up to four) and substantially increased the intensity. But it wasn’t until recently, when my friend Richard Winett, Ph.D., publisher of Master Trainer, called my attention to new research findings, that I came to fully appreciate the superiority of high intensity aerobics compared to the usual prescription that heart rate be maintained between 60% and 80% of maximum.

As explained in the nearby FAQ (Low intensity aerobics?), high intensity aerobics burns the same amount of fat as low intensity, but the expenditure of calories is substantially greater; plus, intense aerobics produces a higher level of fitness. Importantly, the more fit you become, the more likely you are to use fat as fuel for any given activity. And now, research in Japan and in Canada shows that short, very intense aerobic sessions are amazingly effective for both fitness and fat loss.

Maximal oxygen uptake, or V02max, is generally regarded as the best single measure of aerobic fitness. As the rate of exercise increases, your body eventually reaches a limit for oxygen consumption. This limit is the peak of your aerobic capacity, or your V02max. As intensity increases beyond V02max, your body must shift to anaerobic (without oxygen) energy production. An oxygen debt begins to build at this point and blood lactate levels climb. In general terms, one’s ability to continue exercising in the face of rising oxygen deficit and lactate levels is called anaerobic capacity.

This is important because many high-intensity sports (including basketball, football, soccer and speed skating) require a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Clearly, total fitness involves both high V02max and high anaerobic capacity. A training protocol that develops both would be a godsend.

Izumi Tabata and his colleagues at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan, compared the effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on V02max and anaerobic capacity. (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (1996) 28, 1327-1330). Interestingly, the high-intensity protocol had been used by major members of the Japanese Speed Skating team for several years; it’s a real-world training plan. As you will see, however, the protocol is unique among aerobic training programs for its intensity and brevity.

Many studies have been done on the effect of training on V02max, but little information has been available about the effect on anaerobic capacity. That’s because until recently methods for measuring anaerobic capacity have been inadequate. This study used accumulated oxygen deficit to measure anaerobic energy release, and is one of the first to measure the effect of training on both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

Notice that the duration of the moderate-intensity and the high-intensity protocols are drastically different: (excluding warm-ups) one hour compared to only about 4 minutes per training schedule

Tabata’s moderate-intensity protocol will sound familiar; it’s the same steady-state aerobic training done by many (perhaps most) fitness enthusiasts.

Here are the details (stay with me on this): In the moderate-intensity group, seven active young male physical education majors exercised on stationary bicycles 5 days per week for 6 weeks at 70% of V02max, 60 minutes each session. V02max was measured before and after the training and every week during the 6 week period. As each subject’s V02max improved, exercise intensity was increased to keep them pedaling at 70% of their actual V02max. Maximal accumulated oxygen deficit was also measured, before, at 4 weeks and after the training.

A second group followed a high-intensity interval program. Seven students, also young and physically active, exercised five days per week using a training program similar to the Japanese speed skaters. After a 10-minute warm-up, the subjects did seven to eight sets of 20 seconds at 170% of V02max, with a 10 second rest between each bout. Pedaling speed was 90-rpm and sets were terminated when rpms dropped below 85. When subjects could complete more than 9 sets, exercise intensity was increased by 11 watts. The training protocol was altered one day per week. On that day, the students exercised for 30 minutes at 70% of V02max before doing 4 sets of 20 second intervals at 170% of V02max. This latter session was not continued to exhaustion. Again, V02max and anaerobic capacity was determined before, during and after the training.

In some respects the results were no surprise, but in others they may be ground breaking. The moderate-intensity endurance training program produced a significant increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The high-intensity intermittent protocol improved V02max by about 14%; anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%.

Dr. Tabata and his colleagues believe this is the first study to demonstrate an increase in both aerobic and anaerobic power. What’s more, in an e-mail response to Dick Winett, Dr. Tabata said, “The fact is that the rate of increase in V02max [14% for the high-intensity protocol – in only 6 weeks] is one of the highest ever reported in exercise science.” (Note, the students participating in this study were members of varsity table tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming teams and already had relatively high aerobic capacities.)

The results, of course, confirm the well-known fact that the results of training are specific. The intensity in the first protocol (70% of V02max) did not stress anaerobic components (lactate production and oxygen debt) and, therefore, it was predictable that anaerobic capacity would be unchanged. On the other hand, the subjects in the high-intensity group exercised to exhaustion ,and peak blood lactate levels indicated that anaerobic metabolism was being taxed to the max. So, it was probably also no big surprise that anaerobic capacity increased quite significantly.

What probably was a surprise, however, is that a 4 minute training program of very-hard 20 second repeats, in the words of the researchers, “may be optimal with respect to improving both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy release systems.” That’s something to write home about!

What About Fat Loss?

Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, challenged the common belief among health professionals that low-intensity, long-duration exercise is the best program for fat loss. They compared the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity aerobics on fat loss. (Metabolism (1994) Volume 43, pp.814-818)

The Canadian scientists divided 27 inactive, healthy, non-obese adults (13 men, 14 women, 18 to 32 years old) into two groups. They subjected one group to a 20-week endurance training (ET) program of uninterrupted cycling 4 or 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes; the intensity level began at 60% of heart rate reserve and progressed to 85%. (For a 30-year-old, this would mean starting at a heart rate of about 136 and progressing to roughly 170 bpm, which is more intense than usually prescribed for weight or fat loss.)

The other group did a 15-week program including mainly high-intensity-interval training (HIIT). Much like the ET group, they began with 30-minute sessions of continuous exercise at 70% of maximum heart rate reserve (remember, they were not accustomed to exercise), but soon progressed to 10 to 15 bouts of short (15 seconds progressing to 30 seconds) or 4 to 5 long (60 seconds progressing to 90 seconds) intervals separated by recovery periods allowing heart rate to return to 120-130 beats per minute. The intensity of the short intervals was initially fixed at 60% of the maximal work output in 10 seconds, and that of the long bouts corresponded to 70% of the individual maximum work output in 90 seconds. Intensity on both was increased 5% every three weeks.

As you might expect, the total energy cost of the ET program was substantially greater than the HIIT program. The researchers calculated that the ET group burned more than twice as many calories while exercising than the HIIT program. But (surprise, surprise) skinfold measurements showed that the HIIT group lost more subcutaneous fat. “Moreover,” reported the researchers, “when the difference in the total energy cost of the program was taken into account…, the subcutaneous fat loss was ninefold greater in the HIIT program than in the ET program.” In short, the HIIT group got 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned exercising.

How can that be?

Accept Your Body and Learn to Have a Positive Self Image

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Because thin females and muscular males are seen as the ideal in our society and because we have come to believe that body size and shape are totally under a person’s control, most people enter diet and exercise programs with unrealistic goals and expectations. If you continually strive to achieve a socially imposed ideal, you will never be free of your insecurities or your self-consciousness. You must truly realize and then learn to accept that we are not all meant to be fashion-model size.

Our body size and structure reflects not only our eating and exercise habits but also our genetics. The role this latter factor plays in determining weight seems to vary greatly between individuals. We are all born with a certain body type inherited from our parents. Although hardly anyone is a pure body type, there are three different applicable categories: ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs.

Characteristically, ectomorphs have a light build with slight muscular development. They are usually tall and thin with small frames and narrow hips and shoulders.

Mesomorphs have a husky, muscular build. They often have broad shoulders, and their weight is concentrated in the upper body, making them look compact or stocky.

Endomorphs are characterized by a heavy, rounded build with shoulders usually narrower than their hips. They have a round, soft appearance and are more often overweight or obese.

When we understand and appreciate our bodies, we are able to work with them, not against them. Although many of us are a combination of two body types, we cannot become what we are not. However, everyone can improve their appearance and their health and performance levels by implementing the principles of a safe and effective eating and exercise program.

Even if you have a genetic predisposition to being overweight, the way you live is what ultimately determines whether you become fat. Genes clearly play a role, but they certainly don’t determine what you’re going to have for dinner or how often you exercise. Chances are if you’re living an unhealthy lifestyle, you’ll become fat and unhealthy.

All of us can’t be thin. But every single one of us can be healthy. By focusing on what you’re eating and how much you’re exercising, you’ll be able to achieve optimum health and fitness, even though you may not achieve society’s ideal of thinness. Accepting yourself does not mean that you’re hopeless and that it’s okay to do nothing. It means that you feel good and care about yourself, and that you want to be the very best you can be, regardless of your genetics, regardless of society’s standards.

To achieve this level of optimum wellness, you must have a positive self image. This means that your feelings about your body are not influenced by events in your daily life. For many people, life’s problems are projected onto their body. “If only I were thinner–or more muscular, I would have made the team, gotten the job, been chosen. . . . If only I were thinner–or more muscular, I could meet more people, find the right guy/girl, be happy.” This self-defeating habit is reinforced by the images we see in advertising; your body becomes an easy target for everything wrong in your life.

When you have a positive self-image, you value and respect your body; you are also more likely to feel good about living a healthy lifestyle.

No matter how much genetics predetermines how you store and lose fat, the body you’ve been given will still respond positively to being appreciated and treated well. Focusing on fun physical activity and eating healthy foods will help you feel good whatever your size. Developing a healthy, positive image of yourself is the first critical factor in your fitness success. Having a strong sense of self-worth provides the basis for making rational and affirming decisions about your health. Good luck, stay positive, and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle!

By Chad Tackett

Exercise: The key to weight loss

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As we grow older it seems that we are in a constant battle with our waistline, The older we get the harder it is to lose weight.

Many of us have tried various fad diets which may take the weight off in the short run but undoubtedly it comes right back. In fact. over 95% of dieters will put the weight back on plus an extra five pounds.

Diets Just don’t work. The key to permanent weight loss is through exercise and proper nutrition through behavior modification.
When we diet were losing fat and also muscle. This decrease in muscle mass will cause our metabolism to slow down. so we are unable to burn as many calories. As we age this naturally begins to occur. After our mid 20s our metabolic rate decrease& by approximately five percent per decade. One explanation for this is that our muscle mass decreases and our body fat increases due to inactivity. We get caught up in our work and spend our leisure time in front of the TV instead of taking care of our bodies. Being overweight in one of the major causes of hypertension, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer and an overall lackluster feeling.

As many dieters know, the weight is going to come back faster and faster the more you diet. Whether you’re eating pre-packaged foods, diet shakes. or grapefruits and water, you’re not going to be able to stay with it forever without going crazy. When you see that chocolate cake you won’t be able to just have one piece you’re likely to cat the whole thing. It’s a vicious cycle.

There to good news. Something can break this cycle–exercise. in order to lose weight we must create a caloric deficit, that is. we must expend more calories that we are consuming. This is done through exercise and proper nutrition, not fad diets. Through exercise we are able to burn calories and add muscle. For every pound of muscle we obtain, an extra 350 calories per week is burned in order to sustain this. We’ll be using up extra calories even while we sleep.

Aerobic exercises, such as walking and jogging. are excellent ways to bum calories. Always begin with a warm-up period of 3-5 minutes. gradually reaching your target heart rate. (Me is 60 to So percent of your maximal heart, which is estimated at 220-age. For example. if you are 60 yrs. old your target heart would be 96 beats per minute through 128 beats per minute.) Always start at the low end of your target heart rate. Exercising in this range for 15 through 20 minutes will allow for fat reduction to occur. A cool down of 3 to 5 minutes is recommended as this allow* for your heart rate to gradually return to normal.

Remember, consult your physician about any exercise program you are considering.

In order to shape and tone our bodies we need to do body shaping exercises. This will add muscle and firmness to our physiques. Many women tend to deposit fat around their thighs and buttocks, while males tend to put fat around their stomachs.

Here are a few exercises that can help tighten these areas.

Outer thigh lift: Lying on your right side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, slowly lift your left leg as high as possible, hold, then return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions and switch sides.

Inner thigh lift: Lying on your left side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulder. right knee is bent to 90* angle. Slowly lift your left leg as high as possible. hold, then return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions and switch sides.

Abdominal crunches: Lying on your back with knees bent and hand behind your head, slowly curl your shoulders up. pause, slowly lower to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.

You will notice that you will be much more conscience of the foods you’re eating when you exercise. Since you’ll be taking care of your body you won’t want to fill it up with junk foods.

It is best to eat three well balanced meals and two nutritious snacks in between. This will help eliminate the binge eating that often happens when meals are skipped. Try to drink plenty of water and eat high fiber foods since this will give you a full feeling without adding extra calories.

The key to any exercise program is to get proper instruction. A competent personal trainer will make all the difference.

Jeff Rutstein is president of Custom Fitness, a one-on-one personal training company. Jeff has a degree from UMass / Amherst and is a certified personal and weight training instructor. Visit his website at http://www.customfitness.com and/or e-mail him at jeff@customfitness.com