Speed of Movement & the Mighty Metronome.

by admin on January 2nd, 2010

Tempo refers to the speed of movement and is usually represented by a
4-digit number: eccentric (negative) contraction – isometric (pause
between negative and positive) contraction – concentric (positive)
contraction – isometric (pause between positive and negative)
contraction. For example, a tempo of 3-1-2-0 means to lower the weight
for a count of 3, pause for a count of 1, raise the weight for a count of 2, and do not pause before starting the next repetition. An “X” designation denotes eXplosive, meaning to lift the weight as fast as possible.

It’s not uncommon for people to race through their sets in order to get
done sooner. Although this could benefit power development,
hypertrophy might be sacrificed. For instance, if two individuals were to
perform the same number of repetitions, but one completes the set in 6
seconds and the other takes 60 seconds, is the training effect the same?
Obviously not! Tempo is a training parameter that is quite often
neglected. You can calculate total time under tension (TUT) of a set
simply by multiplying tempo (add all 4 digits) and the number of
repetitions performed.

The problem with tempo prescription is that cadence tends to vary
among individuals and also between reps and sets. (Generally, the
count speeds up as you fatigue!) For this reason, I recommend that you
purchase a metronome – the Robic SC-700 Sports Chronometer
available at Creative Health Products is a good choice. Set the watch to
60 beats per minute so that it beeps every second and try to keep the
cadence uniform throughout the entire range of motion.

John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness
and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science
degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a
private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional
consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at
www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.

Think Nutrition in 2006

by admin on February 19th, 2009

Copyright 2006 John Perry

Food, it does the body good. It is the fuel that improves performance.

Most clients always want to talk about food and meal preparation. The problem is they never want to prepare.

Most of them look at preparation as ordering from a menu in a restaurant or at the drive-thru.

Take a deep breath. Relax. Let me open up a whole new world called meal planning.

If you are even remotely serious about your health and fitness, then you must make good choices about what you are putting in your mouth.

I am a firm believer in not restricting my clients or my readers so severely they loathe the thought of sitting down for a meal. I am of the mindset you can still eat what you enjoy and be fit. You may have to learn to eat a few new things, however.

I don’t want to overwhelm you in one sitting. So, let’s begin the New Year with my top 7 “Hip-Bits” for improving the fuel you are putting into your “tank.”

7) Lets begin with sweets.

I actually have a friend who eats dessert first. She orders a dessert first at a restaurant. Now, according to her she does this to control the amount she eats. When she goes out, she focuses on what dessert she wants, then orders and eats it first…usually about half of it. Hey, works for her.

I like part of this strategy. I think you should have certain sweets you crave or are your “targeted sweets.” Then you can pick certain nights to have them. This way you know you will get that favorite cookie, ice cream or piece of pie. If you are trying to lose weight you are going to need to be a little picky about what sweets you eat and how often you are eating them.

Have “dessert night or nights.” You could even plan at the beginning of the week what dessert will be on which night.

This will give you a sense of control and allow you to indulge your sweet tooth at the same time.

6) Eat slowly.

This is one I really need to work on. In the past I would be done with my meal before my wife finished saying grace…just kidding. I did eat fast though.

You will eat more if you eat fast. Your brain will not “decide” it is full until you have inhaled everything on your plate.

Enjoy the experience. Have a conversation with someone at the table. Savor the food and the moment.

Set a time limit. You have to eat for 20-25 minutes, for example. Try this, it works!

5) Plan your next meal after you are done eating.

First of all, you are full.

You are most likely in the kitchen and can take a survey of what you could potentially eat.

Now, you may have already planned your next meal, but maybe you want to tweak it based on what you just ate.

If you ate too much or decided to go with the cookie at lunch, you will need to adjust the next meal anyway.

4) Figure out the difference between being hungry and wanting to eat.

If you eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day, you won’t be “starving” all the time.

You will realize you are fueling the body, that you are diligently working out and this food is feeding your muscles, brain and nervous system.

3) Three meals and 3 snacks a day.

That is, Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a snack in between. If you stay up and “play” on the computer late at night, a light snack that is “protein laden” is o.k.

Stick with the protein and carbohydrate ratio you will see in the next “Hip-Bit.”

Planning your next day’s meals after your last meal of the day is fun. I recommend writing them down, but you can at least get an idea in your head.

2) 2.5 to 1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. (2.5 grams of carbohydrates for every 1 gram of protein).

For example, a meal would have 25-30 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein.

Proteins are basically meat, fish and nuts. Carbohydrates are basically breads, pastas, fruits and vegetables.

If you are exercising on a daily basis, your muscles will need fuel in the form of protein and carbohydrates.

Don’t be afraid of the carbs; they will help with recuperation and your energy needs.

1) Change your mindset about eating.

Food is fuel for the body, it makes it go-just like gas for a car.

If you put in the wrong type of fuel or don’t put in enough fuel, your body will not operate properly.

Look at food as the fuel to help you reach your fitness goals. Feed it well.

Bonus: Drink plenty of water.

Your entire body is made of water. It is a great fuel for the body.

Water helps you eliminate wastes from the body.

Water will help with your energy levels by keeping you hydrated.

If you exercise daily, I recommend drinking 0.5 to 1 ounce of water for every pound of bodyweight.

Eating can be pleasurable. Just give it a little thought.

Have fun with your meal planning in 2006!

Pro-Form 765i Interactive Trainer Treadmill

by admin on February 8th, 2009

For under $1000 you can purchase the Pro-Form 765i interactive trainer treadmill. This 150-pound exercise dynamo, a product of ProForm Fitness Equipment, has a running track 60 inches long and 30 inches wide. Pro-Form 765i features are vast. They include 5 workout CDs designed to enhance your workout experience. Just pop the CD into the treadmill’s interactive player bay and you’ve transformed your Pro-Form 765i into a personal workout trainer, while one-touch controls allow for instant change of both the incline and speed of your exercise regimen. On the CD you’ll hear the voice of your trainer as well as lively, invigorating music.

The Pro-Form 765i interactive trainer treadmill also comes with its own 5 Star Burn and Tone Kit. This handy an eight-week regimen of diet and exercise, offers regimented guidance on strength conditioning, recipes, and meal plans, as well as CD and flip chart workout programs.

The Pro-Form 765i interactive trainer treadmill protects your joints with its air chamber cushioning concept. It also folds away easily when not in use – a great feature for apartment dwellers.

Four rotating displays let you know your total calories as well as fat calories burned, your countdown for workout time, speed, and pulse rate. The Pro-form 765i interactive trainer treadmill also offers a cooling fan, and a holder for a water bottle or other accessories.

You can keep an eye on your heart health during your workout as well, not only by keeping a grip on the treadmill’s EKG heart rate monitor pulse sensors, but also with its two pulse-regulator workouts. These handy preprogrammed regimens determine the optimum heart rate and pulse for your individual workout and then adjust the incline and speed of the treadmill to keep you always in your pulse safety zone.

Weight Lifting – How to Save Time While Increasing Strength

by admin on January 1st, 2009

I recently came across a research study. It talked about what the physical activity profile was for adults who were tying to lose weight.

They surveyed almost 15,000 people and determined that only half of those who include exercise as part of their program incorporate enough exercise to be effective. So, maybe the half that wasn’t exercising enough is doing it at higher intensity levels for those shorter exercise sessions. Then it’s plenty effective.

I doubt the subjects used in the study were doing high intensity training, but it’s what you should consider doing. Especially if you have a tight schedule and not a lot of time to exercise, it’s a great solution. 20-30 minutes is all it will take.

Guess what one of the greatest intensity factors is when it comes to strength training? There are a few key ones, but momentary muscle failure is at the top of the list.

This means pushing the muscle to the point where another repetition cannot be completed in good form. Then once you’re done with that muscle group, you move to the next one. And the best way to do this is by lifting slow!

The great thing about it is that you can pick any exercise in your gym to do it with. Or you can even do it with your own bodyweight using exercises like pushups and do it from the convenience of your living room.

I’ve recently begun training some new clients and so they’ve done High Intensity Training (H.I.T.) a few times. One of them is a seasoned exerciser and told me this morning that he’s not felt his muscles work this way before. He loves the challenge of pushing himself during a workout as well as how it saves him so much time.

According to one of the guru’s of strength training, Wayne Westcott PhD, “The primary intent of high-intensity strength training is to fatigue additional muscle fibers during a more demanding exercise set. Based on the research studies reviewed, it appears that one good set of resistance exercise is as effective as two or three sets for providing a sufficient strength stimulus and producing significant strength gains.”

If you’re a busy professional and don’t have a lot of extra time to spend exercising then increasing the intensity of your strength training is a great solution to bring you excellent strength gains in half the time.

Relieving Stress with Exercise… and Losing Body Fat in the Process!

by admin on December 30th, 2008

Feeling stressed out lately? Don’t worry, there is a simple and incredibly effective solution — one that will help you lose weight in more ways than you might think!

Relieving Stress with Exercise

Research has proven that relieving stress with exercise is one of the best ways to improve your overall health. Regular exercise provides an amazing array of anti-stress benefits to the human body — including reduced muscle tension, improved cardiovascular functioning, increased blood oxygen levels, and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels, just to name a few.

Relieving stress with exercise also, of course, burns calories and helps to reduce body fat. Since most other anti-stress ‘remedies’ (especially pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, and overeating) cause you to gain weight it’s obvious that exercise is the best option.

Control Cortisol, Lose Weight

But, besides burning calories, there’s another reason relieving stress with exercise helps you to reduce body fat. Exercise produces chemicals that help to lower cortisol production. Cortisol is a “stress hormone” that has gotten a lot of press lately because many new diet products claim to block it.

While the effectiveness of these products has yet to be proven, there is little doubt that controlling cortisol levels is a very important factor in weight loss and long-term weight control — not to mention optimal health and fitness. Relieving stress with exercise is an absolutely fool-proof way to lower cortisol in the body.

Elevated cortisol levels are fully or partially responsible for everything from sugar and carb cravings to overeating to low energy levels… and more. Experts also believe that high cortisol production increases the amount of “toxic fat” stored on your body — this is the abdominal fat that may trigger cardiovascular disease and inflammation-related health problems.

Summary

Relieving stress with exercise is, without a doubt, the best way to deal with your physical and mental tension. Not only will regular exercise reduce stress levels, it will also help you control how much cortisol your body produces. This, in turn, will help you to avoid food cravings, reduce dangerous abdominal fat, and basically feel much better. So, next time you feel stressed out, get up, get out, and start relieving stress with exercise!

What to look for in good Health Insurance

by admin on October 8th, 2008

Copyright 2005 Mike Spencer

Health insurance is a kind of protection that provides payment of benefits for covered sickness or injury. Included in health insurance are various types of insurance such as accident insurance, disability income insurance, medical expense insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

Before sign the health insurance policy make sure that you have read thoroughly the benefit’s section. Take note of any health care service that is not covered by your health insurance policy. Also, pay specific attention to how the health insurance policy is worded. Sometimes, health insurance companies hide the health insurance coverage exclusions within the definitions of words.

For instance, a health insurance company may define the term ‘emergency’ as anything that is life threatening condition that cannot be reasonably treated by a primary care physician. Whereas, your definition of ‘emergency’ may be anything that requires quick medical attention.

Clearly, there is conflict for the two definitions. If you find yourself in an emergency situation where you incur a broker arm, for instance, your insurance company may deny coverage for emergency room treatment of a broken arm for the reason that the broken arm does not fall under the life threatening category.

Therefore, you should read over carefully the health insurance policy definitions, paying close attention to the seven key words:

medical emergency medically necessary accidental injury experimental or investigational pre certification pre-existing condition, and reasonable and customary

These words and any words that are open to interpretation should be regarded with wariness. Find out how your health insurance company defines each of these.

Finally, find the section describing the procedures you must follow in order for your insurance company to reimburse you. These policy conditions or prerequisites are typically worded in a positive tone. Read through each condition carefully, make notes and call your health insurance company with any questions.

You should also compare health insurance contracts before you sign one. In order to compare exclusions, take two policy contracts and find the exclusions sections. If you want to compare a number of health insurance contracts then you could use an online service.

After you obtain your free quote for the health coverage you desire, apply for it online, and you’ll obtain all the information that you’ll need to compare exclusions of each health insurance policy (though sometimes this will require more research.)

How To Gain An Avalanche Of Energy!

by admin on October 8th, 2008

For many people out there trying to become more energised and active they are terrified of committing to daily activity. It is so engrained in their minds that they might over train that they literally shy away from daily physical training and instead follow the herd and train two or three times per week.

If you really want to create energy, enthusiasm, and positive forward momentum in your life then start to move your body and breathe deeply each day with focus each day and you will begin to discover that which I am talking about.

All the system in your body use energy. Pretty much everyone knows this and it often leads people to miss the boat entirely when it comes to getting themselves motivated, fit, and full of zest for life.

Of course the bodies systems use energy.

But guess what?

They CREATE IT as well!

People routinely forget this and it can lead to gross under training or simply performing the incorrect routines for that which they are after.

If you will allow me to get a little scientific for a moment oxygen in the air has a very positive charge (imagine the positive pole of a magnet). Your bodily tissues and water therein act like the negative pole of a magnet.

Now, for those of you who are scientific you will know what this means!

Wherever you have a positive and negative pole there is the potential for ENERGY to be created!

So if you wish to feel more energised through exercise go against the grain a little and use your breath and body each day to access this energy and buoyant life force within you.

Harness your breathing and body in ways that energise and that you can do each day without having to take days off to recover. Your physical activity should be uplifting and enhance you physically AND mentally.

Consider this the next time you wonder why your training is not providing you with the fulfilling and rejuvenating experience you think it should be!

© Tim Webb 2005

Get Your Exercise – Without Actually Exercising

by admin on October 8th, 2008

With a few minor adjustments it is possible to get the exercise that is suggested and not go out of your way or spend money at the gym!

When you think about exercising, have you ever wondered how you can fit it into your already busy day? That is what always crosses my mind…where do I work it in? Even a 30 minutes a few times a week sounds like a lot of time to spare when dinner needs to be cooked and the house needs to be cleaned, not to mention the errands to run and the mandatory work functions to attend.

One of my coworkers, due to advice from her doctor, began to work her recommended dose of exercise into her daily routine successfully by making small shifts to her daily life. It makes sense – especially to some of us that are pressed for time already. Here is how it all began for her.

The first thing that my coworker bought was a pedometer. She wore it everyday and made it her goal to get in 8,000 steps each day. Instead of parking by the front door to the office, she would park at the other end of the parking lot. You’ve got the idea; instead of taking the elevator, she climbed the stairs. When she left for lunch, she would go three or four times as far as what she would have normally walked in a day – and work was just the start. When she went to the mall, the grocery store or any errand, she made it a point to park further away and get a little walking in.

By making this change, she was starting to lose weight and get into the habit of more physical activity by essentially changing very little of her daily routine. After watching her lead, I began to adopt some of her ideas myself. Working in the yard became less of a chore, and more of a way to get exercise – just like carrying in the groceries, or running down into the basement for something. Before, I would try to make as few trips as possible (saving my loads to the basement to be efficient), but now I am now trying to make as many as I can…and I can attest that it does make a difference!

If you are not fond of, or have time of physical activity – know that you don’t have to make a change in the routine of your life to gain a healthy lifestyle; keep your routine with a few small modifications and you are sure to get in your exercise and get on the pat h to superb health.

Understanding Low Carb Diets

by admin on October 8th, 2008

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? – There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn’t a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

Go for Scientific Weight Loss

by admin on October 7th, 2008

Considering the US Center for Disease Control’s advice is a very good idea. Fat, although systematically proven useful to the human body, is not only a waste of food. When you’re fat, if very fat, you’re obese, and you do indeed have a disease. It can sneak right up on you like a homicidal lunatic. In spite of how you feel about yourself emotionally, you should really do your utmost to keep your weight from assuming immense proportionsor you’ll only be dooming yourself.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE AN OBESE AMERICAN?

The USCDC estimates that six out of ten Americans are overweight to the extent that they can be considered to be nearly obese, and the obesity rate has doubled from 15% in the year 1980 to 30% in 2000. And one in 50 people being severely obese is only a conservative estimate. Now you know.

“Fat” may be in as far as emotionality goes, but it’s still a very effective method of accidental suicide. If the point is that you’re still a good person when you’re fat, why are you leaving your loved ones behind? Excess fat has been scientifically proven to lose you both your job and your life. Therefore, if you want to proceed for many more years to come, and if you love your own people enough, you should try to accommodate them to the extent that you and they want to go on living.

Obesity leads to death from diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer, osteoarthritis and physical injuries from the very fact that a fat person has more trouble getting around than a skinny or normally thin person does. Try bending over to pick up a pencil from the floor, and you will see what we mean by this. If you can’t even pick up that pencil from the floor, you’re in serious trouble. And if it’s very difficult to do it, what does that mean?

It means obesity has indeed reached epidemic proportions. We know this sounds like a pun and so funny, but it isn’t. Americans are growing larger according to a simple index which measures actual weight versus percentage of body fat. Scientists use a Body Mass Index, or BMI, to take lean body as well as fat body mass into account. A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight and one of 30 or more reflects obesity. Having a BMI of 40 or greater is equivalent to having approximately 100 extra pounds of fat. Are you that overweight, or headed there? If so, it’s time to make that serious commitment to either stop “growing” — to actually lose some of that body fat. Not overnight, but slowly.

DON’T KEEL OVERTAKE YOU DOWN EASY

Why slowly? It has been shown time and time again that going on a “fad” diet, or looking for “overnight success” is like weekend warrior syndrome. There is a tendency for trying too hard too fast to either put excess weight on you, causing you to lose lean body fat and other needed body tissues, and/or leading you right back to the major health problems you are trying to avoid. So you don’t want to use any “quickie” methods at all. Not unless what you’re really planning on doing is giving up.

There is no such thing as a “quick fix” when it comes to obesity. You’re only handing out money to people to pretend to fix your problem, when there are real solutions that can be found through proper diet and exercise, namely maintenance programs that involve a gradual loss of weight combined with a gentle and building exercise program that will cause you to become thinner and more healthy through slow, scientifically researched and progressively easier exercise. You don’t need to show off; you need to win!

Further about what not to do: some researchers point to high fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive, way too commonly used sweetener, as a major culprit in the obesity epidemic. A terrific first step, if you’re a soda pop addict, is to see if you can cut back to about half the sodas you ordinarily drink. If you’re used to, say, downing an entire liter of soda per day, consider cutting that to half that amount and replacing the rest with good, pure water, bought from the store or gleaned from your own purifying system. You want to drink clean water, not the stuff that’s probably loaded with minerals that aren’t good for you from your tap water. Either buy water or find a purification method, and start replacing your soda pop with water.

Research shows that the more water you drink, the less hungry you feel. The US Department of Agriculture has performed studies that show you can almost get rid of that feeling of hunger when you are eating less food by drinking water. And further research has shown that the water, clean and pure as it is, will flush toxins and waste out of your body while you are losing weight. Isn’t feeling good while you’re losing weight the best possible way to go? Don’t you want to live on, for your family’s and friends’ sakes, and to feel completely better about yourself? Replace some of that soda pop and some of your food with water. It is a proven dietary tool.

A PROBLEM CALLED NOWADAYS

We have become an increasingly sedentary society, we Americans. More people work sit-down jobs and are car-dependant, which means less walking, and there’s a tendency when coming home from a hard day at a stress-ridden job to plop down mindlessly in front of the TV. It’s like giving upit’s so seductive, and so easy to do. And now we have personal computers, which are so addictive it’s tempting to just sit there and “grow.”

It has been shown that habits like those outlined above, especially computer addiction, lead to patterns of behavior established early on in life. You need to get your kids away from the computer if they’re spending four or more hours per day on it, studies have shown. And it they’re slowly getting plumper and plumper while surfing, you need to get them to play outside. Have them join up for soccer practice before they become the “fat kid” and get picked on by the other kids, and not allowed to play with them.

YOUR OWN DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM Most diets work for as long as the individual sticks to the diet. That’s why “diet” refers both to your food intake and to “going on one.” It’s what you need to eat for the rest of your life. And to lose weight, you must reduce the total calorie intake to a level below the number of calories that you burn, each and every day. There is considerably more to designing a good diet than simply reducing calories, however. A total program, therefore, is one that would incorporate diet and exercise with supplements that will help improve metabolic control. When choosing a weight loss plan, it’s important to seek out diets that preserve muscle mass. Crash dieting that induces “quick” weight loss generally promotes muscle and water loss and less fat loss. That’s why you should be unafraid to drink water; its loss is unimportant unless you grow seriously dehydrated, and you don’t really want too much water loss. Fad dieting results in the “yo-yo” syndrome. When patients have gained their weight back, doctors have seen that they gained it as fat–not muscle. The best plan to follow is one that targets the change in body composition and preferentially enhances the lost of body fat rather than muscle mass. To some, this means low-carbohydrate diets, but unfortunately there is a tendency to start to treat “carbs” as something evil and think that you must avoid them at all cost. This is similar to the idea that fat in foods is evil and must be avoided at all costs. Neither case is true at all.

You need carbohydrates, proteins and fats in your diet in a correct proportion, with no one or any amount of the three of them out of balance. That’s right; you need to eat a balanced diet. Although you do need slightly less fat than the other two types of basic foods, depending on the nature of your lifestyle and exercise program, you don’t have to overemphasize one food group over another. This has been proven in case after case throughout all of human history. Generally, a rule of thumb is to cut back on all simple carbohydrates, such as table sugars and sweets, and eat more complex carbs such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eat your ice cream, but only about two cups worth at a time. You need minimal fat whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, but just cut the fat off your meat and eat lean meats. You don’t have to “go overboard” and remove all fats from your diet. Fat is absolutely necessary for the brain growth of children, and you may need it in your diet for very similar brain metabolism purposes. Also, a tip: avoid drinking soda pop in aluminum cans. Regarding your brain, this can be very bad for it, as the pop contains a lot of aluminum, and this has been shown in studies to be a potential cause of Alzheimer’s disease, way too early in life for it to be a mere coincidence.

And relax. You don’t need to “beat yourself up” for what you eat and don’t eat, or if you accidentally didn’t exercise for one single day.

SUPPLEMENTS ACCELERATE WEIGHT LOSS

What’s important to remember while going on your weight loss plan, using both dieting and exercising, is that muscle dictates your metabolism and high body fat slows metabolism. Preserving or even building a little more muscle can have dramatic effects on metabolism. There are many dietary supplements which can help enhance weight loss when a low-calorie diet and a decent, slowly accelerated exercise plan are both followed. Also, these supplements can help improve blood sugar control, metabolism and body composition. They may also help prevent long periods of no weight loss, or the “plateau effect,” that can be quite frustrating to you and can cause you to “fall off the wagon.”

Believe it or not, we’re almost religiously talking “temptation” here. You need to watch what you’re eating as often as humanly possible. Take little breaks, eat your “bad foods,” but only about once per week. Do it to reward yourself for a long week of sticking to your diet and exercise program, and if you do fall of the bandwagon, don’t give yourself such “fun food” rewards at all. They’re harmless if you just consume them in very low quantities or even moderately, and can be a great reward if you’re sticking with your exercise plan and taking it well.

READY FOR SOME FANCY FOOTWORK?

According to current ongoing medical research in both the US and China, supplements may also help prevent weight gain with occasional “cheats”– and that means occasional! The thermogenic effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) was originally attributed to its caffeine content. However, green tea stimulates brown fat thermogenesis far greater than a comparable amount of pure caffeine. It appears that the catechin-polyphenols, in particular epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and caffeine that naturally occur in green tea work synergistically to stimulate thermogenesis and augment and prolong sympathetic stimulation of thermogenesis. It has been shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation (caffeine only increases metabolism during the time you take it).

Drinking one or two cups of green tea each day also has well documented anti-cancer effects, particularly with respect to the prostate, breast, uterus and ovary. Green tea is generally taken as a standardized extract in capsule or tablet form to provide 50 mg of caffeine and 90 mg of epigallocatechin gallate to be taken three times daily before meals. Although green tea contains a small amount of caffeine, it is generally not enough to create any adverse side effects. Drinking several glasses of green tea each day may yield a similar thermogenic effect to the supplement, although this has not been studied thus far. Coleus Forskohlii Coleus has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine. One of its active compounds is forskolin, which has been studied as a weight loss aid. Animal studies have shown that forskolin has anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Human studies have shown that forskolin may be effective for glaucoma (as eye drops) and may have other therapeutic effects. And finally, green tea is a great way to flush out your system, similar to simply drinking water. It’s a clean and effective tonic, and you can even drink it at night in a small amount before you go to bed. It will take away your “cravings” and promote a healthful night’s sleep.

Join the good fight. Start that easy lifelong diet and nice, slowly building exercise program, and start it todaynot tomorrow, but today!