Archive for February, 2008

Manage Carbs to Control Weight

Manage Carbs for Success
A number of issues surround the factors controlling proper weight management. You need to consider hormones, glands, energy levels and how the body will process various food groups. Sustainable weight loss must consider all these factors.

You can make your body leaner by a process called carb rotation. By reducing your carbs intake on some days and taking in more carbs on other days, your body is better able to maintain muscle mass while lowering your body fat.
For athletes, you can apply this principle to help you build muscle yet only adding a minimal amount of body fat.

One method suggests that you first permit four days of moderate carbohydrate and then follow this with eight days of higher carb intake.  This system permits the individual who constantly fights body fat issues to add muscle while maintaining lower body fat.

Starvation diets are doomed to failure from the start. Your metabolism slows far too much causing low energy levels and not only leads to weight loss plateaus, but it also leads to higher storage of body fat.

Protein gives the body the building blocks of muscle growth. You need to consume at least a gram of complete protein per pound of bodyweight daily. Those that will benefit you include the protein found in meat, eggs, dairy and milk or egg based protein powders. Although vegetables and grains have some protein, they are not of high benefit in muscle building.

Carbs help induce the release of insulin, which helps to convert protein and carbs into muscle. It must be remembered though, when you take in too many carbs, they will be easily converted to body fat and stored. Thus, a moderate intake four straight days will keep your insulin levels up.

Changing to a high carb intake after four days of moderate intake, increases insulin levels. This helps to put the body into an anabolic state. These eight days of high carbs will saturate muscle glycogen which is a catalyst for muscle growth.

Repeating the cycle of four days of moderate carb intake followed by eight days of high carbs will help keep your body fat from rising too much while you continue build muscle. The four modified carb days will allow you to call on glycogen stores and remain lean yet build muscle.

Consider these as suggested cycle lengths. Reports show they work very well for a large number of  people. You can adjust these cycles based on your own body’s response. If you think that you are storing more fat than you should, try shortening the high carb cycle to six days. Reduce your carb consumption during your moderate intake cycle.

Tags: weight loss, carbs
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The Glycemic Index and Weight Loss

The term glycemic index or GI for short is becoming a more common buzzword associated with weight loss and weight control programs. Many people are not clear about what this term realy encompasses. To make the required adjustments to our diet, we need to understand what the glycemic index is and what foods affect our GI.

The glycemic index is simply a guide or scale that compares a wide range of food products. It rates the foods (carbohydrates) relative to how much, and how quickly they raise blood glucose levels on ingestion. The base level is compared to glucose sugar.

The significance of raised blood glucose levels is observed in an increase in energy levels. The speed at which your glycemic index raises for that food product is called the glycemic response.

The glycemic response of a given food or carbohydrate is not determined completely by the carbohydrate alone. The quantity you consume and the method of preparation are also factors affecting the glycemic response. For example, cooking pasta for shorter periods will produce a lower glycemic response rate than if you employed extended cooking.

Quite simply, the the guides show that carbohydrates which raise your blood glucose level quickly have a higher GI rating than foods that raise your blood glucose level more slowly. The common conclusion is, the lower the rating, the better the quality of carbohydrate. It has been widely accepted that you should follow a daily regime that incorporates a high-carb diet with 50% of each day’s calories coming from carbohydrates.

Low GI foods are typically lower in calories and fat, yet high in fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. These foods also provide the weight loss benefit of making you feel full quicker and for longer periods. It is also believed that low GI foods may help you increase levels of HDL (healthy) cholesterol in your blood.

Low GI foods also lead to several benefits. These include control of blood glucose levels, cholesterol balancing, appetite control, reduced risk of heart disease, and reduced risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.
 
As you can see there would be solid reasons to take into account the GI if you are trying to lose weight. Influencing energy levels and controlling hunger lements are primary factors to be considered in any weight loss program.

The rating scale itself can be divided into 3 basic levels of comparison. Less than 55 is generally considered the lower level. A rating of 56 to 69 is considered mid range. A GI rating of 70 or higher is considered to be a high level GI.

Tags: weight loss, glycemic index
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Find The Best Ab Workout for Belly Fat Loss!

You can have 6 Pack Abs and a flat belly. Lose weight now!

Several programs are currently available to help you lose weight and achieve a fatter stomach and better over all health.
The problem is that most people with excess stomach fat looking to try to expose their abs are searching for a magic abdominal workout that is going to whisk away the fat from their abs in no time.

Actually, they are going about the problem all wrong! The truth is that you will not lose stomach fat by doing ab workouts.

The problem is that focusing most of your time and effort on abdominal exercises and abs workouts to try to flatten your stomach and bring out 6-pack abs is simply wasting your time.

What are the best exercises?
Try squats, lunges, deadlifts, clean and presses, snatches, swings, presses and pulls.

These types of full body exercises would encompass a much higher percentage of the workouts directly targeting the midsection. In that manner you combine those full body exercises into a strategic workout that maximizes your metabolism.
 
You may find it beneficial to practice a certain amount of exercises that directly target the abs and core. Your time may be better spent focusing on the full body exercises that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body. In addition, a side-effect of working out using mostly full body multi-joint combo exercises are that you indirectly work your entire midsection even though you are not specifically targeting the abs.

Keep in mind that the most important factor for losing belly fat is actually directly related to nutrition. No matter how hard you workout, if your diet is full of junk, your abdominals will be covered with ugly fat. Nutrition is without a doubt the is a very important factor.

Your primary focus should not be on situps, crunches, leg raises, and all those silly worthless ab contraptions in your efforts to try to develop 6-pack abs. Instead focus on high intensity full body lifts using combination multi-joint exercises all strategically combined into highly effective fat loss workouts. Incorporate that with a healthy diet full of natural unprocessed natural whole foods, and those elusive six-pack abdominals will yours much quicker!

For more of key strategies check out getting flat 6-pack abs.

Tags: flat belly, 6 pack abs, lose weight
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10 Sure-Fire Tips on How to get 6 Pack Abs

You can have 6 pack abs and a flat belly. Several programs are currently available to hel you lose weight and achieve a fatter stomach and better over all conditioning.

Ive been a personal trainer for years and the number one thing that people want to learn is how to get 6 pack abs, yet so many of my clients actually need to focus on something else first – and thats to get rid of the 3 inch cushion they have sitting over their abs!

How to get 6 pack abs tip 1: Cut the fat!

Lets cut straight to the chase – theres no way in hell that you will ever get an eye popping, jaw dropping set of abs if youre overweight – bigger abs will just push your stomach out even further!

So if youre frustrated with your lack of results then you just have to break this down to small steps. The first thing you need to know about how to get 6 pack abs is to focus on fat burning. Break it down into steps and focus on one thing at a time.

How to get 6 pack abs tip 2: ‘Now do 1,000 crunches!’

Every one thinks they have to do 1,000 crunches like in the old Bruce Lee movies, but I want to let you in on a little secret. You can learn how to get 6 pack abs without even doing any crunches or sit ups!

There are a number of exercises that you can do that works with your core.

Lets face it – muscles are on a human body to perform certain tasks and what good is it to do crunches when this is not your bodies main functional movement when it comes to using the abdominal muscles.

How to get 6 pack abs tip 3: The spot reduction myth

Theres no such thing as spot reduction! Many of my clients want to know how to get rid of their love handles, or fat off their lower back, or how to get fat of their stomachs. You always see this people doing more ab crunches trying to spot reduce the fat from their stomachs.

When you engage in a fat burning program you will lose weight all over your body, but everyone has different genetics so there is always a different result for each individual.

How to get 6 pack abs tip 4: Focus

Just think about it, most gym goers are not even thinking about what they are doing. They are running on the treadmills watching T.V, reading magazines, and some even manage to read newspapers!

These very same people wonder why they have such little results for so much effort. Its simple: Where the focus goes the energy flows. All of their focus is being directed to some type of distraction.

Now you have to listen closely because Im going to reveal the biggest secret to building the body of your dreams.

You have to develop a mind-muscle connection. If you want results you have to put your mind inside of your muscles. You have to really feel what you are doing and feel which muscles are being worked.

Are you are really focused when you have to ask someone what muscles a particular exercise works because you can feel it?

Drop off all your worries outside the gym door and take 5 minutes to focus on what you want to achieve during your workout. Use this time to get rid of distractions and go all out.

How to get 6 pack abs tip 5: Diet

Thats right – die*t. The reason why so many people fail to stick to a diet (or the diet literally dies) is because they are unable to sustain what they are doing.

You can go into any book store and pick up a book that has some delicious recipes and are very healthy and simple to make.

Many people are led to believe that eating healthily is a sacrifice. Now I want to pose a very important question to you – what is it that you are sacrificing?

By continuing to treat your body like a rubbish bin, overloading your system with excess fats, carbohydrates, meat and poisons, you are doing some serious damage.

Therefore, switching to a healthy diet is actually a trade up as I guarantee that you will feel amazing, have so much energy without the need for coffee (you can stop screaming now!), your arteries and organs will love you, you will be happier, your skin will have a healthy glow…the list is endless.

So, the question is, ‘Is that a sacrifice?’ Hell no!!!

Now you see there are many factors that come into play when you are looking at how to get 6 pack abs. Start today, throw out that pizza box (pizza included!) and make yourself a plan as to what you really want to achieve and take steps that will take you closer to this goal.

You dont have to reinvent the wheel – find a system that is proven and follow it because you will get results. Just imagine how good it would feel having a full six (sex) pack on your muscle bound body.

——————————- Want to know more? ——————————-

Want to get rock hard abs the easy way? Get your FREE Abs newsletter that will show you how to become a lean mean muscle machine! Click here to learn how to get 6 pack abs now!

Clint Gray
Clint Gray is top personal trainer who is passionate about health & fitness. What fuels him is the rewards from assisting others to have the body of their dreams.

Tags: how to get 6 pack abs
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Diet Supplements

Weight loss supplements are important when dieting to ensure that your body does not become depleted of necessary vitamins and minerals that ere required during daily activity. It can be said , if the regular foods youve been eating do not contain enough variety to supply your body every nutrient needed, then supplements become more desirable. For example, if youve been eating less than 1,600 calories and a variety of food your body will lack certain vitamins and nutrients.

You should always consider using a vitamin and mineral supplement while dieting. If you are preparing to begin a new routine to lose weight, you must consider a weight loss supplement to supply those deficiencies to help your body system to function well and healthier. In fact, vitamin supplements should be an integral part of your dieting regimen. However, it is better to settle for a 100% natural supplement rather than those coated with synthetic materials.

Here is a very important factor you must consider. A weight loss supplement must not be the only thing to be considered when trying to lose weight, but it must come as an integral part of a complete diet package. It can be in pills or as natural foods (or both), but the most important thing is that the weight loss supplement must compliment other foods in order to adequately supply your body with complete wholesomeness and health.

Some important components of mineral and vitamin supplements to lose weight are Vitamin B complex such as Vitamin A, B2, B3, B5 and B6. Also vitamin 6 and vitamin C must also be part of the supplements used while losing weight. Remember to look for supplements that contain these essential vitamins.

Finally, remember that in when losing weight, you must not only focus on weight loss supplement, but a complete dieting package that will enable you benefit in multiple ways. For example you should be able to enjoy increase energy for everyday life. You must be guaranteed to enjoy a radiant health, have weight reduction and gain great confidence and well being. Now you dont have to search too far . See this amazing program that offers the safest natural weight loss vitamin supplement.

Be sure to tend to your body requirements with a quality supplement targetted at those trying to lose weight, that maintains tha appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals.

Tags: diet supplements
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