There is one major factor that I think everyone must do in order to lose a significant amount of weight. It doesn't have so much to do with burning calories, although it does burn many calories. It has nothing to do with eating correctly, although it does make you eat significantly better. It has everything to do with self confidence and taking control of your life. Once you do this one thing, then do it again, and again, then accomplish something you never thought possible, all of the sudden your life goals change, your weight loss journey doesn't seem so hard anymore. Doing this just changes every aspect of your life.
What is it? It's not running, as many of you might think. It's doing something totally out of your comfort zone, such as a 5k road race or a 10k. Even a half marathon, or a full marathon.
If you've never done a road race and want to lose a good amount of weight, you've got to stop thinking about the weight loss and start thinking about changing your life, and getting out of your confort zone. Guess what? Doing a 5k road race, just finishing it, will bring you a sense of satisfaction you've never felt before, thus a new start to a new life.
Even if you walk the whole thing, which many people do, you will get so much out of completing it. There's really nothing like it.
Watch this video of how one person changed his life around. It all started with one step...
I will be starting a Shaping Concepts running club very soon called the SCRunningClub. Who wants to join me in changing their lives?
I'll be sending out more information very soon about my running club. In the meantime... get up and go for a run.
Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Studio in Bluffton, SC.
Monday, March 21, 2011
My Top Three Abdominal Exercises (For Now)
Everyday someone asks me "Chad, what are the best ab exercises?". I normally say something like eat 5 times a day, do cardio 3-4 times per week and a total-body resistance training 3 times per week. But I'll give you the answer you want to know.You can do crunches all day long, which will eventually make your neck hurt, but there are three exercise I love that are 100 times more effective than uncomfortable crunches. Those three exercises are a plank, a side plank, and ball roll-outs.
Now of course there are many different variations and progressions of each, but I'm going to give you the basics.
#1 The Plank
Just holding a plank position works so many different muscles, it's almost impossible to name a muscle it's not working. This is by far one of the best abdominal exercises there are.
#2 The Side Plank
Basically the same as the regular plank, the side plank really works the "love handles" as we like to say. This exercise also works many other muscles at the same time.
#3 Ball Roll-Outs
Ball roll-outs are one of my favorate for hitting the lower half of the abdominal area, including many other lower and upper body parts.
As simple as I can get it, there are my top three (basic) abdominal exercises.
Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts in Bluffton, SC.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Fitness and Weight Loss Myths…Exposed
The 9 Biggest Myths about
How To Lose Weight and Change Your Shape
How To Lose Weight and Change Your Shape
Myth #1: Skipping breakfast will help me lose weight by eating fewer calories.
If you’re trying to “eat less” in order to “weigh less” sooner than later you’re going to discover that you’re only starving yourself fat. How can that be? Research has shown that people who eat all their calories in one or two meals gain more weight than those who space out their calories over several meals. Why? Because of hormonal responses in the body that make them prone to storing fat rather than burning it. We’ll talk more about this later…
Myth #2: You need to count calories if you really want to be successful with losing weight.
A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association may indicate otherwise. Two groups were assigned meal plans. Group one was told only to eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and foods typical in a Mediterranean diet. There was no instruction on amounts, calories, portions, etc, only to eat these foods until full. Group two was told not what foods to eat but specifically what amounts and percentages of nutrients to eat. You know like 50 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent protein and so many total calories, etc. What happened? You guessed it, without counting group one lost more weight and inches while eating fewer calories.
Myth #3: Not being able to stay on my diet is due to a lack of willpower.
Wrong, you can’t fight the biology of your body! If you try you’ll lose every time. When you don’t eat your body sends signals to your brain that you need food. For example when you’re hungry your body releases Ghrelin (a hormone produced by your stomach) that sends chemical impulses to your brain signaling it’s time to eat. The chemical impulses keep coming until you stop them by eating something. Willpower has nothing to do with it.
Myth #4: I should eat low-fat or low-sugar diet foods when trying to lose weight.
These foods are part of the problem. A primary culprit of weight gain in the US is the use of fructose, namely high-fructose corn syrup. This sweetener is used mostly in processed foods. We’ve gone from practically not consuming this substance at all in 1960 to now the average American eating 63 lbs of it a year! Foods with fructose turn off your body’s natural hunger hormones making it easy to consume excess calories.
Myth #5: Eating more fiber will only make you go to the bathroom more often.
Many of us associate fiber with something you’d only increase in your diet if you were constipated. In reality fiber is a bona fide weight loss super food. It slows down food moving through your digestive system, thus making you feel fuller longer. You’ll see recommended daily intake of 30 grams per day but I recommend 50-60 grams for maximum benefits. Besides controlling blood sugar and decreasing insulin levels, fiber also reduces calories intake for up to eighteen hours a day. Look to gradually increase you intake. Yeah sure if you’re not eating anything but processed, refined foods and you start eating fibrous foods you’re going to spend more time in the bathroom for a day or so. You’re body is helping you remove metabolic waste and toxic build up. This is a healthy process that will leave you with more energy and an improved efficiency for burning fat. Look for foods (breads, cereals, etc) that have >3 grams of fiber per serving.
Myth #6: I have to spend an hour or more working out in the gym if I want to lose weight.
Who made up this crazy one-hour rule that everyone seems to go by? Bodybuilders that’s who….and I’m guessing their goals are a little different that yours. Thirty minutes of resistance exercise done three times a week when combined with daily aerobic exercise and supportive nutrition will produce amazing results.
Myth #7: Low carbohydrate diets are the most effective means for losing weight
Everyone knows somebody who lost a lot of weight on Atkins or some other “no-carb” diet. But then again we all know the person who when they stopped the diet, returned to their original weight and got a bonus of a few extra pounds to boot. The first question you have to ask yourself is do I want to lose weight or body fat? There is a big difference.
When you start restricting carbohydrates from your diet your body will respond by pulling from its stored energy reserves. The first reserve it goes to is stored carbohydrate or “glycogen.” You were thinking you lose fat first didn’t you? Sorry, your body will hold onto fat because it’s insurance for future survival. Here’s the catch with using all your stored carbohydrate for energy. For every gram of carbohydrate you pull for energy you take approximately 4 grams of water with it. It doesn’t take much to start seeing a significant decrease in water weight if you follow this strategy. Looks great on the scale but what’s really happening in your body?
Unfortunately, there’s some more bad news. When your body starts to run out of stored carbohydrate you open up the door to muscle loss. Your body is looking for energy and it doesn’t know if this is a real “wandering through the desert” kind of shortage or that you’ve just decided to go on a fad diet. It simply can’t tell the difference.
Remember fat is your last line of defense and the insurance policy for preservation in tough times. This is genetic, hereditary stuff handed down from our ancestors. Your body will first respond to energy restriction by slowing down your metabolism. Guess what uses a lot of energy in your body and keeps your metabolism on high? Muscle tissue. Guess again what your body will start feeding off of in order to keep your metabolism low for energy conservation? Bingo…that’s right muscle tissue. Ouch this is getting painful!
Obviously you know it’s not a good idea to lose muscle but here’s something you may not know. The muscle cell is the ONLY place in your body where you can use fat for fuel. When you start stripping away lean muscle you in essence remove the fat burning furnaces in your body. It’s now harder to lose fat and you’ve got a slower metabolism that will make it easier to store fat once you start eating carbs again. The boomerang has made its return and it’s carrying some extra fat for your waistline. Double ouch!
Myth #8: A regimen of cardiovascular exercise will burn the most fat
This cardio myth ranks right up there at the top of misconceptions people have with exercise and weight loss. I see people all the time in health clubs running on treadmills for 5 days a week at 60 minutes a crack without ever looking any different. How is it that they don’t lose a bunch of fat from all that running? The answer lies in simple exercise physiology. Let me explain…
In order to burn fat three things have to be right with your body. Number one you must have an energy balance of calories in/out in order to send the right chemical signals to your fat cells that it’s ok to release energy. Remember our self preservation talk from above. Unfortunately most of these cardio die-hards have also cut calories in addition to doing hour long workouts. Their burning up a ton of calories but they don’t have enough energy coming in to meet demand. Their body holds onto fat and starts breaking down lean muscle.
Can you say “fat storing” mode?
Number two you must have metabolically active lean muscle. This is where resistance training comes into play. You must do resistance training to build and maintain lean muscle. Many people skip this type of training because they don’t want to get big muscles. Who ever said that weight training was going to make you automatically get muscle bound? This is another myth well talk about in a minute. Bottom line is you must work your muscles with resistance training if you want to become efficient at using fat for fuel.
Number three is you must follow the correct progression with your cardio workouts if you want to get good at burning fat. Without getting into too much detail here let me explain. Here are some facts. Your body can only use fat for fuel when you’re in what’s called an “aerobic state,” which simply means your meeting momentary oxygen demand. It is very important that you develop what’s called an “aerobic base” by completing low intensity cardio workouts at approximately 50-75% of your maximum heart rate. Most people jump right over this stage because they think the harder the workout and the longer they go, the more effective it will be. It simply doesn’t work that way.
High intensity cardio workouts (intervals) can be very effective but ONLY if you’ve first developed an aerobic base. Walking is very effective at helping people lose weight because it works your body in the aerobic energy system, thus allowing your body to use fat for fuel. The skinny on this matter (no pun intended) is you should start off with low intensity aerobic exercise for 5 x per week at 30-45 minutes each session for at least 4-6 weeks before even thinking about doing higher intensities. Contact me and I can help you build a cardio program that is personalized for maximum results.
Myth #9: Lifting weights will only make you big and bulky
I get this one all the time from the ladies who are afraid to lift weights because they don’t want to get big muscles. Here’s the truth. Muscle mass increase only occurs when there has been a significant amount of overload applied to the muscles in conjunction with a positive caloric balance (eating more calories than is needed) and the right amount of testosterone available for growth. In short unless you’re lifting very hard and heavy, you’re eating a lot of calories and you’ve got lots of testosterone, you’re not going to have this problem.
Resistance training done correctly can help you tone and firm, increase bone density, improve your posture and burn fat. If you’re serious about making a body transformation you MUST include resistance training into your routine along with aerobic exercise and supportive nutrition. Notice the key word “must.” It simply won’t work as well with just diet and cardio.
Weight Loss Secrets Revealed:
Four Secrets To Finally Achieving The Weight Loss,
Health And Fitness Results You Want....
1. The secret to making a simple Commitment to your exercise program. The big companies who are stealing your money want you to believe that an over the counter diet pill, fad diet or a special machine will solve all your weight loss and fitness problems. This is counter-intuitive and insults your common sense. But people still want to believe – because there’s so much PAIN. The real “secret” is quite simple and I’ll distill it for you right here: eat 4 to 5 small healthy meals per day and perform a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercise. Take out your calendar right now and mark off the time each weekday for the next 12 weeks when you will commit to exercising. Then do it. Your consistent commitment will bring you the results you want.
2. The secret of having a Coach. Almost every self-help book ever written talks about the critical importance of having a coach/mentor. A coach is an experienced and trusted counselor or teacher. It’s inevitable that you will come up against hard times on your path to losing weight and getting fit. A coach will guide, motivate, educate and support you – so you can easily and rapidly overcome these hurdles. A coach is critical to systemizing your exercise program for maximum results and assisting you in heightening your motivation and strengthening your commitment. And a coach becomes your “objective feedback system,” helping you see, understand and correct the problems that are interfering with your progress. Exercise and nutrition are bona fide sciences and learning everything you need to know on your own can take years of struggle – but not if you have a coach.
3. The secret of Progression. Have you ever met someone who says they exercise week after week, month after month, even year after year and aren't getting any new results? Believe it or not, doing the same workout over and over without expert guidance to direct your progress will actually decrease your fitness. You must learn how to progressively improve and fine-tune your efforts for maximum weight loss and fitness results.
4. The BIGGEST secret: Accountability. In a recent study at Virginia Polytechnic University, researchers divided people starting a walking program into two groups. Every week, each individual in one group got a phone call asking how their exercise program was coming along; the other group got no calls. At the end of 24 weeks, 45% of the individuals who got the phone calls were still walking compared to just 2% who did not receive calls. The results show that weekly accountability increases the likelihood of sticking to your exercise program by 2200%!
What you’ve just read is some of the most valuable information you will ever hear on how to lose weight and get fit. And having the RIGHT information is critical. But intellectually understanding what should be done, and actually doing it, are two very different things.
The truth is most people can’t get a grip on the three essential factors that separate those who achieve real and lasting physique transformations from those who don’t. Most people have difficulty with the commitment; don’t grasp the importance of progression; and lack the personal accountability to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals. Why? Three reasons:
1. Bad information
2. It’s easy to cheat yourself
3. No guidance.
If you’re trying to “eat less” in order to “weigh less” sooner than later you’re going to discover that you’re only starving yourself fat. How can that be? Research has shown that people who eat all their calories in one or two meals gain more weight than those who space out their calories over several meals. Why? Because of hormonal responses in the body that make them prone to storing fat rather than burning it. We’ll talk more about this later…
Myth #2: You need to count calories if you really want to be successful with losing weight.
A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association may indicate otherwise. Two groups were assigned meal plans. Group one was told only to eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and foods typical in a Mediterranean diet. There was no instruction on amounts, calories, portions, etc, only to eat these foods until full. Group two was told not what foods to eat but specifically what amounts and percentages of nutrients to eat. You know like 50 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent protein and so many total calories, etc. What happened? You guessed it, without counting group one lost more weight and inches while eating fewer calories.
Myth #3: Not being able to stay on my diet is due to a lack of willpower.
Wrong, you can’t fight the biology of your body! If you try you’ll lose every time. When you don’t eat your body sends signals to your brain that you need food. For example when you’re hungry your body releases Ghrelin (a hormone produced by your stomach) that sends chemical impulses to your brain signaling it’s time to eat. The chemical impulses keep coming until you stop them by eating something. Willpower has nothing to do with it.
Myth #4: I should eat low-fat or low-sugar diet foods when trying to lose weight.
These foods are part of the problem. A primary culprit of weight gain in the US is the use of fructose, namely high-fructose corn syrup. This sweetener is used mostly in processed foods. We’ve gone from practically not consuming this substance at all in 1960 to now the average American eating 63 lbs of it a year! Foods with fructose turn off your body’s natural hunger hormones making it easy to consume excess calories.
Myth #5: Eating more fiber will only make you go to the bathroom more often.
Many of us associate fiber with something you’d only increase in your diet if you were constipated. In reality fiber is a bona fide weight loss super food. It slows down food moving through your digestive system, thus making you feel fuller longer. You’ll see recommended daily intake of 30 grams per day but I recommend 50-60 grams for maximum benefits. Besides controlling blood sugar and decreasing insulin levels, fiber also reduces calories intake for up to eighteen hours a day. Look to gradually increase you intake. Yeah sure if you’re not eating anything but processed, refined foods and you start eating fibrous foods you’re going to spend more time in the bathroom for a day or so. You’re body is helping you remove metabolic waste and toxic build up. This is a healthy process that will leave you with more energy and an improved efficiency for burning fat. Look for foods (breads, cereals, etc) that have >3 grams of fiber per serving.
Myth #6: I have to spend an hour or more working out in the gym if I want to lose weight.
Who made up this crazy one-hour rule that everyone seems to go by? Bodybuilders that’s who….and I’m guessing their goals are a little different that yours. Thirty minutes of resistance exercise done three times a week when combined with daily aerobic exercise and supportive nutrition will produce amazing results.
Myth #7: Low carbohydrate diets are the most effective means for losing weight
Everyone knows somebody who lost a lot of weight on Atkins or some other “no-carb” diet. But then again we all know the person who when they stopped the diet, returned to their original weight and got a bonus of a few extra pounds to boot. The first question you have to ask yourself is do I want to lose weight or body fat? There is a big difference.
When you start restricting carbohydrates from your diet your body will respond by pulling from its stored energy reserves. The first reserve it goes to is stored carbohydrate or “glycogen.” You were thinking you lose fat first didn’t you? Sorry, your body will hold onto fat because it’s insurance for future survival. Here’s the catch with using all your stored carbohydrate for energy. For every gram of carbohydrate you pull for energy you take approximately 4 grams of water with it. It doesn’t take much to start seeing a significant decrease in water weight if you follow this strategy. Looks great on the scale but what’s really happening in your body?
Unfortunately, there’s some more bad news. When your body starts to run out of stored carbohydrate you open up the door to muscle loss. Your body is looking for energy and it doesn’t know if this is a real “wandering through the desert” kind of shortage or that you’ve just decided to go on a fad diet. It simply can’t tell the difference.
Remember fat is your last line of defense and the insurance policy for preservation in tough times. This is genetic, hereditary stuff handed down from our ancestors. Your body will first respond to energy restriction by slowing down your metabolism. Guess what uses a lot of energy in your body and keeps your metabolism on high? Muscle tissue. Guess again what your body will start feeding off of in order to keep your metabolism low for energy conservation? Bingo…that’s right muscle tissue. Ouch this is getting painful!
Obviously you know it’s not a good idea to lose muscle but here’s something you may not know. The muscle cell is the ONLY place in your body where you can use fat for fuel. When you start stripping away lean muscle you in essence remove the fat burning furnaces in your body. It’s now harder to lose fat and you’ve got a slower metabolism that will make it easier to store fat once you start eating carbs again. The boomerang has made its return and it’s carrying some extra fat for your waistline. Double ouch!
Myth #8: A regimen of cardiovascular exercise will burn the most fat
This cardio myth ranks right up there at the top of misconceptions people have with exercise and weight loss. I see people all the time in health clubs running on treadmills for 5 days a week at 60 minutes a crack without ever looking any different. How is it that they don’t lose a bunch of fat from all that running? The answer lies in simple exercise physiology. Let me explain…
In order to burn fat three things have to be right with your body. Number one you must have an energy balance of calories in/out in order to send the right chemical signals to your fat cells that it’s ok to release energy. Remember our self preservation talk from above. Unfortunately most of these cardio die-hards have also cut calories in addition to doing hour long workouts. Their burning up a ton of calories but they don’t have enough energy coming in to meet demand. Their body holds onto fat and starts breaking down lean muscle.
Can you say “fat storing” mode?
Number two you must have metabolically active lean muscle. This is where resistance training comes into play. You must do resistance training to build and maintain lean muscle. Many people skip this type of training because they don’t want to get big muscles. Who ever said that weight training was going to make you automatically get muscle bound? This is another myth well talk about in a minute. Bottom line is you must work your muscles with resistance training if you want to become efficient at using fat for fuel.
Number three is you must follow the correct progression with your cardio workouts if you want to get good at burning fat. Without getting into too much detail here let me explain. Here are some facts. Your body can only use fat for fuel when you’re in what’s called an “aerobic state,” which simply means your meeting momentary oxygen demand. It is very important that you develop what’s called an “aerobic base” by completing low intensity cardio workouts at approximately 50-75% of your maximum heart rate. Most people jump right over this stage because they think the harder the workout and the longer they go, the more effective it will be. It simply doesn’t work that way.
High intensity cardio workouts (intervals) can be very effective but ONLY if you’ve first developed an aerobic base. Walking is very effective at helping people lose weight because it works your body in the aerobic energy system, thus allowing your body to use fat for fuel. The skinny on this matter (no pun intended) is you should start off with low intensity aerobic exercise for 5 x per week at 30-45 minutes each session for at least 4-6 weeks before even thinking about doing higher intensities. Contact me and I can help you build a cardio program that is personalized for maximum results.
Myth #9: Lifting weights will only make you big and bulky
I get this one all the time from the ladies who are afraid to lift weights because they don’t want to get big muscles. Here’s the truth. Muscle mass increase only occurs when there has been a significant amount of overload applied to the muscles in conjunction with a positive caloric balance (eating more calories than is needed) and the right amount of testosterone available for growth. In short unless you’re lifting very hard and heavy, you’re eating a lot of calories and you’ve got lots of testosterone, you’re not going to have this problem.
Resistance training done correctly can help you tone and firm, increase bone density, improve your posture and burn fat. If you’re serious about making a body transformation you MUST include resistance training into your routine along with aerobic exercise and supportive nutrition. Notice the key word “must.” It simply won’t work as well with just diet and cardio.
Weight Loss Secrets Revealed:
Four Secrets To Finally Achieving The Weight Loss,
Health And Fitness Results You Want....
1. The secret to making a simple Commitment to your exercise program. The big companies who are stealing your money want you to believe that an over the counter diet pill, fad diet or a special machine will solve all your weight loss and fitness problems. This is counter-intuitive and insults your common sense. But people still want to believe – because there’s so much PAIN. The real “secret” is quite simple and I’ll distill it for you right here: eat 4 to 5 small healthy meals per day and perform a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercise. Take out your calendar right now and mark off the time each weekday for the next 12 weeks when you will commit to exercising. Then do it. Your consistent commitment will bring you the results you want.
2. The secret of having a Coach. Almost every self-help book ever written talks about the critical importance of having a coach/mentor. A coach is an experienced and trusted counselor or teacher. It’s inevitable that you will come up against hard times on your path to losing weight and getting fit. A coach will guide, motivate, educate and support you – so you can easily and rapidly overcome these hurdles. A coach is critical to systemizing your exercise program for maximum results and assisting you in heightening your motivation and strengthening your commitment. And a coach becomes your “objective feedback system,” helping you see, understand and correct the problems that are interfering with your progress. Exercise and nutrition are bona fide sciences and learning everything you need to know on your own can take years of struggle – but not if you have a coach.
3. The secret of Progression. Have you ever met someone who says they exercise week after week, month after month, even year after year and aren't getting any new results? Believe it or not, doing the same workout over and over without expert guidance to direct your progress will actually decrease your fitness. You must learn how to progressively improve and fine-tune your efforts for maximum weight loss and fitness results.
4. The BIGGEST secret: Accountability. In a recent study at Virginia Polytechnic University, researchers divided people starting a walking program into two groups. Every week, each individual in one group got a phone call asking how their exercise program was coming along; the other group got no calls. At the end of 24 weeks, 45% of the individuals who got the phone calls were still walking compared to just 2% who did not receive calls. The results show that weekly accountability increases the likelihood of sticking to your exercise program by 2200%!
What you’ve just read is some of the most valuable information you will ever hear on how to lose weight and get fit. And having the RIGHT information is critical. But intellectually understanding what should be done, and actually doing it, are two very different things.
The truth is most people can’t get a grip on the three essential factors that separate those who achieve real and lasting physique transformations from those who don’t. Most people have difficulty with the commitment; don’t grasp the importance of progression; and lack the personal accountability to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals. Why? Three reasons:
1. Bad information
2. It’s easy to cheat yourself
3. No guidance.
Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts fitness studio in Bluffton, SC.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Top Nutritional Strategies For Maximum Fat Loss
So there are many things we can do nutritionally to burn fat. Of course you know that a good amount of cardiovascular and resistance training are also needed. However, speaking nutrition only below are my Top Nutritional Strategies For Maximum Fat Loss…
1) Increase meal frequency in order to stabilize blood sugar levels and thus minimize insulin secretion (the fat storing hormone). Eat small servings of food every 3 ½ to 4 hours instead of 1-2 larger meals during the day if you want to lose weight.
2) Increase fiber in your diet to reduce sugar cravings, improve digestion and provide a sense of fullness at meals.
3) Increase fruits and vegetables which contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that are essential for protecting and maintaining thousands of functions at a cellular level including fat burning.
4) Avoid the whites including white pasta, white bread, white potatoes, white rice, cakes, cookies and basically any food that is lacking color.
5) Increase the colors by eating more fruits and vegetables with a wide variety of colors. The more color in your diet the better.
6) Avoid foods which contain “enriched, high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated” in their ingredient lists. These three words are a main culprit with today’s obesity epidemic. Stay away from foods that contain these ingredients as much as you can.
7) Avoid fried foods by choosing baked, grilled, broiled, seared, sautéed or other more healthy options. This is an absolute must if you’re serious about losing weight.
8) Use flax seed oil to increase the amount of healthy omega 3 fats in your diet. Taking just 1 tbsp per day can add 14g of healthy fat to your diet. When combined with protein and high fiber carbohydrates you’ll feel fuller longer, reduce sugar cravings and raise your metabolism for increased fat burning.
9) Minimize dairy products for best results. Yes they’re high in calcium but so are leafy green vegetables which will help you lean out much better. Bottom line is milk is for growth, that’s why we drink it as babies. Choose skim milk for your cereal or look at alternatives such as soy milk.
10) Increase water intake while minimizing or eliminating sodas, sweet tea, Gatorade, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages. Multiply your weight by .55 to determine the desired number of ounces of water per day to drink.
11) Keep a food journal to track your habits and discover what improvements can be made with your diet. People who journal their diet habits in the beginning are several times more successful than those who do not. Success leaves clues.
1) Increase meal frequency in order to stabilize blood sugar levels and thus minimize insulin secretion (the fat storing hormone). Eat small servings of food every 3 ½ to 4 hours instead of 1-2 larger meals during the day if you want to lose weight.
2) Increase fiber in your diet to reduce sugar cravings, improve digestion and provide a sense of fullness at meals.
3) Increase fruits and vegetables which contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that are essential for protecting and maintaining thousands of functions at a cellular level including fat burning.
4) Avoid the whites including white pasta, white bread, white potatoes, white rice, cakes, cookies and basically any food that is lacking color.
5) Increase the colors by eating more fruits and vegetables with a wide variety of colors. The more color in your diet the better.
6) Avoid foods which contain “enriched, high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated” in their ingredient lists. These three words are a main culprit with today’s obesity epidemic. Stay away from foods that contain these ingredients as much as you can.
7) Avoid fried foods by choosing baked, grilled, broiled, seared, sautéed or other more healthy options. This is an absolute must if you’re serious about losing weight.
8) Use flax seed oil to increase the amount of healthy omega 3 fats in your diet. Taking just 1 tbsp per day can add 14g of healthy fat to your diet. When combined with protein and high fiber carbohydrates you’ll feel fuller longer, reduce sugar cravings and raise your metabolism for increased fat burning.
9) Minimize dairy products for best results. Yes they’re high in calcium but so are leafy green vegetables which will help you lean out much better. Bottom line is milk is for growth, that’s why we drink it as babies. Choose skim milk for your cereal or look at alternatives such as soy milk.
10) Increase water intake while minimizing or eliminating sodas, sweet tea, Gatorade, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages. Multiply your weight by .55 to determine the desired number of ounces of water per day to drink.
11) Keep a food journal to track your habits and discover what improvements can be made with your diet. People who journal their diet habits in the beginning are several times more successful than those who do not. Success leaves clues.
Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts fitness studio in Bluffton, SC.
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