Life In The FAT Lane!

Larger tables, bigger chairs, bigger car seats, bigger..........sad. As I revisit my long term goals, I find that the world is catering to the unhealthy practices that we have adopted.

Am I saying all people should be thin? No. Am I saying we should all have a gym membership and use it? Goodness no, we would have to build more gyms because only 5-20% actually use the membership, the rest waste their money.

What if we could make a change? For those who like enjoying themselves and being overweight, this site may not be for you. For those looking to shed some pounds, gain some self esteem, or break through the stumbling blocks that make the road to happiness almost impossible.... This is for you.

Let's do it together, let's shed the pounds, let's quit wasting money on useless supplements and let's get happy!! Here we go again.

A.J. McAlendin

Eating At The Wrong Time Of The Day

From http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/fitness/

"The researchers next plan to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind their observation that eating at the "wrong" time can lead to weight gain."

Many people who overeat, in my opinion, are lacking something that allows them to say "NO". Psychotherapy may be the answer for these people as the therapist will address why you overeat and find any underlying reason for the behavior.

Others may simply be eating at the wrong time of the day. Typically we need more carbohydrates in the beginning of the day and less towards the end of the day. Eating after 7:00pm is typically a no no, but if you are working out hard, you can benefit from a small protein meal to help your body grow.

North Americans find themselves eating from the time they get home, through dinner, and then hop right into snacking. Do you know how easy it is to eat an extra 2000 calories a day and not even know it!! A couple glasses of pop, chips with dip and a chocolate bar and you are just about there. Keep yourself busy, get a hobby or start a blog to keep you busy.

Cheers!

Al

I'm still following the same program, but I've stopped losing weight! What's going on?

Most people reach a plateau, a time when they do not lose nor gain weight. If this happens for a few weeks at a time, it is time to take a step back and consider:

1) The body adapts to exercise and reduces the amount of energy it needs to fuel that activity. This is why using steady state (same pace, all the time) is only effective for calorie burning for a short few weeks. The body adapts and can do the same amount of work, using less calories. It becomes more efficient.

2) You may have stopped counting your calories and they have crept up because you have not been recording them. It is proven that people who write it down lose twice the weight as people who do not write down what they eat.

3) You have reached the point where your calorie expenditure now equals your calorie input. There is no deficit and therefore no weight loss.

4) You are not drinking enough water. Water fuels most body processes! We are all 60-70% water! Nothing but big bags of water! LOL Water is important.

How do you fix that?

1) Use that interval setting on the cardio machine or create your own interval program. 2 minutes at moderate intensity, 30 seconds at all out effort, back to 2 minutes of moderate until your heart rate is back down and you can carry on a conversation again, then back to 30 seconds of all out effort. Scale back, even lower if you like then kick it up again. 20 minutes is enough and can burn as much as a 40 minute steady state session. Remember, it takes about the same amount of caloried to run a mile as it does to walk a mile, the difference is that you get there faster running!

2) Get out that nutrition log and start keeping track! Simple as that.

3) Time to decrease calories again and increase the exercise. Add 10 more minutes to the cardio and drop 100 calories a day. When you stop losing, step back re-evauate and get going. However, there really is no need to drop below 1500 calories in my opinion. It may just be what you are eating and when you are eating it. 1800 is a better calorie level to stop at.

4) Get the Nestea water flavour powder. Many varieties to choose from, sweetened with Splenda. I like to stay away from aspartame sweetened products. Aim for 4 litres a day for an active person.

Continually change your workouts every 4 weeks to make your body keep working hard. Drink enough water to float a boat and write it down! Get going and have fun doing it.

Post Workout Carbohydrates Are A Must

After an intense workout, what do you eat? Your body wants to replenish muscle glycogen first and fore most (stored energy). Glycogen is found in the muscles as well as the liver, and needs to be replaced. At the same time your blood sugar (glucose) levels are gone as well. This causes a sharp decline in insulin levels. With low blood sugar, your body produces more cortisol (a hormone that is catabolic) and starts to get energy from your muscle tissue, it has nowhere else to get the energy from. It takes those proteins and through various processes strips the nitrogen away to help form more ATP (what your body breaks blood sugar and muscle glycogen down into for energy - ATP is the only fuel source of the body, glucose and muscle glycogen is easy to break down, fat and protein is harder).

So, for someone looking to lose bodyfat and increase muscle to keep the fat burning, they DO NOT want this to happen, so we need to stop it as soon as possible. How do we do that? Eat carbs. Yes, we need to feed the big, bad, carb monster.

After an intense workout, stage 1 is to get some carbs into, the simpler the better. If you have glucose or dextrose from the healthfood store, that is perfect. Take 40-80grams of it with your creatine as soon as you can. If you do not have this, have a handfull of jelly beans or a low fat version of a chocolate bar.

This will get your blood sugar and muscle glycogen back to where is should be and now your body does not have to release so much cortisol and you can start to repair the muscle tissue you hurt while working out.

Now you should take in some quick digesting protein. 40g of whey protein isolate is an excellent choice, or 6-8 egg whites, or another protein shake that has about 40g of protein, but is low in carbohydrates (as you already have taken the sugar by way of the glucose, dextrose, candy, chocolate, white bread, white rice, raisins etc.). Then about an hour after that you will want to eat a regular meal, again low in the carb area.

Many of you will wonder why I would let you eat candy after working out? Well, there is no better way to get the body the sugar it needs. Then you also get your sweet tooth satisfied and probably will stick to your nutritional plan better.

The faster you get glucose back into your blood and muscles, the less protein is destroyed! You keep more muscle and not lose it. Remember, muscle is the energy powerhouse of the body. The more muscle you carry, the more calories you need during the day.

Now that you have worked out, taken in your post-workout meals, your body can focus on healing and recovering for the next workout. You'll keep muscle, burn fat and get to where you want to be faster!

Moderately Protein-Rich Diet Better for Long-Term Weight Loss, Says University Study

From our friends at Diabeteshealth.com, a new research study indicating how well higher protein diets WORK!

The facts speak for themselves!

"diet moderately high in protein showed that members of the higher protein group lost 23 percent more weight and 38 percent more body fat than their high carb counterparts."

For the complete article, please click here.

Why Weight Train?

Seems that some people think that when you workout with weights you are going to build big, huge muscles like the pro bodybuilders in the magazines. Well, unless you train heavy, really heavy and go heavy on the anabolic steroids, growth hormone and then follow up with some estrogen blockers and the likes, you really have nothing to worry about. If you see a muscle growing at a rate faster than another or you think it is too big, cut back on that bodypart and it will get smaller again.

Our bodies love homeostasis (constantly wanting to stay the same, neither gaining nor reducing, just mellow and puttering along) so the more you want to change your body, the more you have to work at it and keep working at it. Once you have achieved the body you want, you can cut down slightly on the training to maintain it, but you still need to work hard to keep it.

Some reasons you should workout with weights are:

1) Weight training can cause an increase in bone mass. It can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
2) Weight training makes everyday tasks easier than before!
3) Weight training increases muscle mass a little and helps to burn more calories at rest.
4) Weight training reshapes your body and increases your self-esteem and confidence.
5) As we get older, we get weaker and less flexible and we lose muscle mass. Regular training and stretching can help keep this muscle mass and keep us flexible.

Get your plan together and get out there!

Can-Fit-Pro Personal Training Specialist

Now that you all have a certified personal trainer at your fingertips........ use that power to get yourself into the best shape possible for summer. E-mail or just post a comment on any of the many posts here and let's get started! FREE! No obligation, nothing to buy, if you want to subscribe to my weekly bulletin, click on the side it's $19.95 per month.

Ask questions, feel free to ask your friends questions! Knowledge is power and most of what we are taught in the real world is not how the body works.

For example: There is no real fat burning zone. Ohh, there is a shocker and I am sure I will get e-mail on that one. The FAT BURNING ZONE is a way to sell machines and equipment and gives all of the uneducated people who are looking for a quick fix, get that ease of use. Push the button that says FAT BURN and I will get skinny!! Um, not exactly. Use this blog to get educated on fitness and nutrition. If something sounds too good, it is!!

A.J. McAlendin
Can-Fit-Pro PTS

Losing Fat - Part 5

Do not eat carbs before bed. This is main reason we are gaining so much weight and turning into a society of blubber. It's all about your hormone levels. At night your sensitivity to insulin decreases and it must release more to deal with the carbs (bag of chips, pop, ice cream etc).

Human Growth Hormone is released about 90 minutes after you begin your sleeping for the night. It is a fat liberating hormone and necessary to build muscle and repair your body. When you have carbs in your system, the release of GH is suppressed. So, do not eat within a few hours of sleeping or only have some protein at night if you need to kill the hunger pangs. Veggies also can fit the bill for stopping the munchies at night. Stay away from high sugar veggies like carrots.

A.J. McAlendin

Losing Fat - Part 4

Try not to eat carbs by themselves. When you are trying to lose fat, insulin control is key. The release of insulin is governed not just by how many carbs you eat, but also how easy they are to digest. If you have no choice but to eat fast digesting carbs (white bread, white pasta, white rice) you can still slow down absorption to maintain somewhat stable insulin levels. One way is to eat your carbs with a small amount of fat (flax oil or olive oil) and some protein. So, white rice, lean steak cooked with a small amount of canola oil is an example. Your insulin release will be better than with just eating the rice by itself.

You can also eat a heafty serving of vegetables (hard to digest) and slow down the absorption of all carbohydrates. Stir fry your heart out!!

A.J. McAlendin

Losing Fat - Part 3

Dietary fat is more fattening than protein or carbs. It is less likely to be used as energy to fuel your body. It is not without saying that carbs and protein can also be turned into fat and stored in the body when taken in excess, but they are more likely to be burned as fuel.

Protein builds muscle. Fat does not, but moderate amounts of necessary dietary fat supports vitamin uptake and helps manufacture hormones in the body.

If you are trying to get lean, stick to mono and polyunsaturated fat sources. Keep the fat as low as you can, but don't drop below 60g per day or so.

We all know we need protein to add muscle. As you add muscle your metabolism increases and this means you burn more calories at rest. The more muscle you have, the more you can eat without worrying too much about it. Also, protein takes more energy to process in the body, this is called the "thermic effect of food".

This is also why high protein diets work so well at initial fat loss. However, if you have preexisting liver or kidney problems you may need to stay away from a high protein diet. If you do not have any problems, then you should really try it. A high protein diet works, plain and simple!

Start with 1g of lean protein per kg of bodyweight.

A.J. McAlendin

Losing Fat - Part 2

Not all carbohydrates are the same. Fast digesting carbs tend to spike insulin and lead to extra fat gain. White rice, white bread, sugary cereals, candy, chips, rice cakes and white rice are all fast digesting carbs. The only time you really want these products is after working out aid recovery. Your body wants them after working out, it needs to heal and recover quickly!

Slow digesting carbs (whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, oats, sweet potatoe, legmes) do not make a huge rise in insulin and are preferred by the body. Your body likes a constant supply of energy, about 100 calories an hour on average. So eating every three hours (300 calories) allows you to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day and not gain weight. Keep active and you will not have to worry.

The complex, slow digesting carbs should make up the bulk of your carbohydrate intake.

To drop bodyfat, you can try eliminating fast digesting carbs for a few weeks and see the effect on your body. If you find you are very tired, lethargic and weak, add in a quarter cup of white rice three times a day and then try that for a couple weeks.

The body is all about balance and trial and error. There is no perfect solution for everyone. You have to try it for a length of time, look at the result and tweak it until you achieve your goals.

In general keep carbs to 2g per pound per day.

200lbs x 2g = 400g per day for a 200lb person
120lbs x 2g = 240g per day for a 120lb person

A.J. McAlendin

Losing Fat - Part 1

Most active men or women require about 18 calories per pound of bodyweight per day. This is of course dependant on your activity level, but for simplicity, 18 calories per pound per day is a good number to start with.

To reduce bodyfat you must reduce calories and increase exercise. Anyone telling you otherwise should go back to school. Drop your calories to 14-16 calories per pound on exercise days and drop to 12 calories per pound on non-workout days.

200lb man x 12 - 2400 calories for the day. Stay at this level until you stop losing fat and your weight stabilizes. 2-3 months should do the trick. Once you reach a stable weight, re-evaluate and make new goals.

WARNING: NEVER DROP BELOW 1500 CALORIES A DAY!! Starvation is below 1200 per day. Your body will stop producing vital hormones and use muscle tissue to keep alive. After a while you look like a skeleton! YUCK!

The easiest way to cut calories is to reduce dietary fat. Reduce butter, oil, salad dressing, remove chicken and turkey skin, use 3 egg whites to one whole egg, use lean cuts of meat with no visible fat.....but.... LOW fat, NOT no fat. We need fat to survive. Cut back, but not below around 60g per day. Your body needs it to produce hormones and vital body processes.

A.J. McAlendin

Are You Training Too Much?

Signs that you may be training too much!!

1) You start to dislike training!
2) You say, "It's not fun anymore."
3) Your weights and sets are going down instead of up!
4) You feel tired, sick, mentally exhausted!
5) Mood swings for no reason.
6) You do not feel rested after a nights sleep.
7) You are not hungry at your normal time.

Take 1-2 weeks off and get back on it. High protein, high quality fruit and veggies to rebuild your immune system and supplement with glutamine, creatine and get plenty of sleep and water!

A.J. McAlendin

What Do The Experts Take?

I found this very interesting article on the CNN web site and figured I would pass it on to you. Find out what the experts take every day to keep healthy! If they are not taking the latest fad pill, why should you?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/11/13/ep.vitamin.primer/index.html

A.J. McAlendin

Obesity

I was a little alarmed when looking at Yahoo Answers and someone was asking if they were obese at 5 foot 6 inches tall and 150 pounds!! What is going on? The young kids out there do not know the meaning of over weight, and obese and the confusion on the facts is staggering. The educational system is failing our kids by leaving out information.

One teacher has told me that they leave out certain parts in health class so as to not make the "chubby" kids feel uncomfortable. Ok, we are failing our children as well by not sending them out to play, buying them video games and not monitoring the time they spend on them. Here are some guidelines to get kids more active!!

1) Give them 45 minutes a day to play computer or video games.
2) Give them chores to do around the house.
3) Buy extra shovels for the winter and make shoveling a family thing.
4) Make TV a one show a night option for the kids.
5) Teach them to cook healthy meals and snacks. Kids love to cook!
6) Take your kids outside to play every day.
7) Take them to the grocery store and teach them about healthy choices.

Our kids have the ability to change the world, let's let them!

Here is a great article by Clayton South. This man has a great deal of experience and knowledge and is well worth the read.


http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/south14.htm

A.J. McAlendin

Lose Fat - Get Your Life Back: Part 5

PUTTING MEALS TOGETHER:

This is as simple as I can make it. Here we go.

1) Protein - a serving is the size of a deck of cards, if you are trying to gain muscle, have two servings per meal.

2) Carbohydrates - a serving is 1/2 cup, if you are trying to gain muscle, go for 1.5 servings.

3) Fat- add some olive oil dressing to a salad with as many meals as you like. If you feel you are not getting enough, have 6g of fish oil in capsule or flax oil, every day.

4) Vegetables - Carrots and corn are the only two I would use sparingly, they are higher in sugar. All other veggies are typically ok to have with each meal or as often as you like.

5) Water - 12 cups a day, no excuses.

Put it all together, 6 small meals a day, and you WIN!

A.J. McAlendin

Lose Fat - Get Your Life Back: Part 4

FAT:

You need to look at a lower saturated fat lifestyle to secure success. Use olive oil, canola oil or sunflower oil for cooking. Stay away from cooking in butter or margarine, try a cooking spray instead.

Low fat.... NOT .... no fat!!

We all need fat to survive. Try to keep it under 15-20% of total daily calories. Read the Fat Freight Train post for more information.

A.J. McAlendin

Lose Fat - Get Your Life Back: Part 3

PROTEIN:

Protein should be paramount for any fat loss plan. Protein is harder to digest and uses more energy to process. You still need carbs, but keep them as complex as possible.

Protein sources include lean beef, lean pork, chicken, turkey, fish as well as whey protein, mixed protein shakes, low fat milk and dairy.

For meat and poulty, remove any skin, cut off any visible fat. A serving is the size of a deck of cards and is sufficient for most people looking to lean out.

With a high protein nutritional plan you will also need to increase one other thing! Water!

Water is used in just about every process in the body. You are made mostly of the stuff so, there should be no denying you need at least 12 cups a day. You may need more in hot weather or if you train intensely.

A.J. McAlendin

Lose Fat - Get Your Life Back: Part 2

MEAL PLANNING:

In order to create a good environment for fat loss, we need to feed your body. 6 small meals spread over the day ensures stable blood sugar and nutrient delivery. You cannot fail doing this!

COMPLEX V.S. SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES:

Complex carbs come from, whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, brown rice, whole grain anything, oats, sweet potato or yams, legumes and beans. They keep a steady release of sugars into the blood stream as they are harder to digest (larger molecules) than more simple sugars.

Simple carbs are smaller molecules that do not require as much energy to break down. Sugar in fruit, table sugar, brown sugar, white flour, white rice, juice, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, junk and processed food etc. They digest quickly and can flood your system with sugar thus increasing insulin and increasing fat storage when you consume more than you need.

Your body does store carbohydrates in blood sugar and muscle glycogen. Your liver also stores glycogen. When these stores are full and you are still pounding back the food, the body opens up the fat cells and starts to fill them up.

The only time you really should not worry about simple carbs is first thing in the morning when your body needs energy, and after a workout when your blood sugar and muscle glycogen levels are low. The rest of the day should be devoted to complex carbs with your meals.

Also, the last meal of the day should be low carb and higher protein and healthy fats. If you eat at 6:00am, 8:30am, 11:00am, 1:30am, 4:30, 7:30 for example, make the last 7:30pm meal mostly lean protein and healthy fats. Your body's requirement for carbs lessens during the day and when your body digests protein, it uses more energy to do so than it does for carbohydrates. So, you expend more energy eating 40g of protein than you do eating 40g of carbohydrates. This is great for weight loss!!

A.J. McAlendin

Lose Fat - Get Your Life Back: Part 1

MEAL FREQUENCY:

A common misconception is that you need to eat less to lose fat. This is only partially correct. You have to decrease calories so that your calorie output is higher than your calorie input. If your body needs 1800 calories per day and you use 1900 calories that day, you have a loss of 100 calories. Multiply by 7 days and you will lose 700 calories. Understanding that there are about 3500 calories in a pound, it would take you 5 weeks to lose a pound.

Also, if you eat your 1800 calories in two meals, you can actually gain weight as your body does not need all those calories at once! So, what do you do? Spread those calories over the course of the day and you will avoid gaining fat. Eat 6 meals per day a few hours apart and you are on the road to success.

You get to eat all day long, every couple of hours and you lose fat! Drill that into your head, 6 meals, never skipping a meal, you will never be hungry, you will be losing fat and gaining confidence, quickly, easily.... YOU CAN DO IT!

Every time you eat a balanced meal, your metabolism increases. When you go longer than about 3 hours, your metabolism starts to slow down. This is another reason to eat those 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Keep that motor revving on high!

Again, let's go over it!

1) Every time you eat a meal, your metabolism increases.
2) When you wait longer than 3 hours to eat a meal, your metabolism decreases.
3) Eating 6 smaller meals at about 300 calories each, ensures your metabolism keeps on humming!!

Until next time!

A.J. McAlendin