Top 7 habits of those who lose weight and keep it off

already using the home gym

American College of Sports Medicine has reported on the top 7 habits people used to keep weight off and I wanted to share.  They are listed by what % of people did them.

92% exercise at home

78% eat breakfast every day

75% Weigh themselves at least once per week

63% watch less than 10 hours of TV a week

54% Burn more than 2,000 calories a week through exercise

40% Exercise with a friend

29% include strength training

so...

(1) removes your biggest excuse - the workout is right there in your home

(2) kick starts your metabolism and, when done right, reduces your hunger for the day

(3) keeps you on track - measuring your results

(4) TV makes you stupid - what else can I say?  Stick to the inspiration and educational - ditch "junk food" tv

(5) this means 5 sessions of 400 cals each - that is a serious commitment to exercise.

(6) accountability - ring, ring, "you training today?"

(7) builds lean muscle tissue to drive metabolic burn all day

Enjoy,

Brian

Cut cravings throughout the day - the right breakfast is the key

yum - satisfaction

Researchers at University of Missouri used an MRI to determine brain patters of satisfaction and fullness from eating or not eating breakfast.  They also asked participants to fill out questionnaires to report their experiences with the different breakfast options.


Teenagers were given a choice of 3 options for breakfast: (1) skip it, (2) 500-calorie breakfast meals containing cereal and milk (which contained normal quantities of protein) or (3) higher protein meals prepared as Belgium waffles, syrup and yogurt.


Sciencedaily.com reports:
Compared to breakfast skipping, both breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout morning. fMRI results showed that brain activation in regions controlling food motivation and reward was reduced prior to lunch time when breakfast was consumed in the morning. Additionally, the higher protein breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behavior compared to the normal protein breakfast.


Essentially, eating some breakfast reduced cravings and impulse snacking during the day.   The "high protein" meal was better and reducing cravings and snacking than the other breakfast and MUCH better than not eating at all.


Even better than waffles, syrup and yogurt is egg scramble with bell peppers and onions.  If you have issues with cholesterol, use one regular egg and the rest egg whites, top with salsa.  (one whole egg per day has been proven to not alter LDL cholesterol) .  It's a low calorie meal that gets your metabolism going for the day.


Enjoy,
Brian

Burning fat through exercise - when to eat and when not to eat

Gym Rat

Right now, for getting in shape the fastest possible I still think the best plan is what I have been laying out for months: (1) real food, high vegetable diet (2) high intensity exercise (3) 8 hours of sleep, and (4) 8 glasses of water a day.

BUT

Some folks just LIKE low-intensity exercise like walking or jogging.  In that case - what is the best timing for eating to get the most of the fat burning?

At low intensities  (25-50% VO2 MAX) if you consume carbs before exercise you will BLUNT fat burning.  Meaning - if you eat before a walk your body will burn the ingested calories first before burning fat.  These workouts are best done fasted.  The  rating "VO2 MAX" rates with how much exertion you can do based on how much oxygen your blood can hold.  A good rule of thumb is that if you can carry on a conversation you are 60% or less than VO2 MAX.  Walking and a light jog fall into this category.

Above 60% VO2 Max, carbs will increase your performance without suppressing fat burning.  (For very high intensities - circuits, sprinting and the like are best done avoiding food for several hours prior)  Exercising at a level where you can't really do much talking (running, rowing, stairclimber) is above 60% VO2 MAX.  A good idea is to eat is some kind of nut-butter sandwich (peanut butter, almond butter) with only a small amount of honey or jam.

You would be wise to consider how many calories you intend to burn. (CALORIE USAGE CALCULATOR)  If you eat a 300 cal sandwich but only fast walk at 3.5MPH for 30 min, you're only going to burn 130 cals.  Not a good investment of your time.

The purpose of eating would be to fuel a harder workout - don't eat just to eat.  Eat some calories if it takes you to a higher level of performance!  If you're only going out for a light walk, do it on an empty stomach for best results.

Enjoy,
Brian

Timing of meals defines what KIND of weight is lost

The following is a study back from 1997 but still great simple info to implement.

You've heard the phrase "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" if you want to lose weight.  This is nice advice but not only does it go against some natural urges - namely the urge to eat a bunch of food before you fast for 8 hours (rebuilding your body while you sleep), but it also causes you to actually lose weight you don't want to lose.

Two groups of women were put on a diet.  Each group had the same number of calories per day.  Group AM had 70% of their calories for breakfast and 30% for dinner.  NO LUNCH!  Group PM had 70% of their daily calories for dinner and 30% for breakfast.  After 6 weeks they switched and they followed the opposite protocol for another 6 weeks.  The results of the study are shown in the following graph.

The overall results of weight loss:

This shows how eating most of your calories for breakfast will cause you to lose more WEIGHT but eating most of your calories in the evening will cause you to lose more FAT.  Keep in mind this is in a calorie restricted setting - these people weren't just eating anything they wanted.

Enjoy,

Brian, TheDailyFit

Source: J Nutr. January 1997, 127 (1) :75-82.

FULLTEXT: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/127/1/75.long

Another format for beginners - mix up your intervals with this!

Lots of folks mention they don't know where to start.  The answer is : SOMEWHERE.  Starting is more important than knowing the best or fastest way.  Imagine waiting 2 months to find the perfect method?  You'd be better off taking 30 min walks every day to get yourself going.  There are a ton of workout programs out there.  Today many seem to be all about the EXTREMES (P90X, Crossfit, Insanity, etc).  It really takes a lot to build up to these.  What most people need is a format to being with.

My last post was on intervals and doing 60 seconds of effort with 60 seconds of rest or 30/30.

This one is about a circuit.  A circuit is a mix of exercises where you keep rotating between movements but you don't take any planned rest.  In reality you'll HAVE to rest as you go but as SOON as you catch your breath you continue.  It keeps the effort high, but it's YOUR OWN LEVEL and can be easily adjusted.

Typical Circuit

5 pushups/knee pushups
5 situps/crunches
5 squats or lunges
return to first exercise.  Keep performing that circuit until a time runs out - 10 min or 20 min or even 30 min.

this will make exercises easy enough so you can rapidly continue to the next movement.  This will cause your heart rate to go up rapidly but not too high.  You can pace yourself and usually do a workout like this for a longer period of time since you are spending a good amount of your time "moving to the next exercise"

another example

10 pushups
10 situps
10 squats
return to first exercise.  Keep performing that circuit until a time runs out - 10 min or 20 min or even 30 min.

the more reps per set, the faster the muscles tire.  Now, more of your time is spent in the exercise.  But right about the point when the muscles would want to stop, you're moving to the other exercise.

25 pushups
25 situps
25 squats

return to first exercise.  Keep performing that circuit until a time runs out - 10 min or 20 min or even 30 min.

now, even if you can make it through one round of each exercise without stopping, most people will have to start resting mid-set.  This type of circuit tires a muscle out much, much faster and feels very different from the other two.  It builds a lot of lactic acid.  It will make you feel much more tired, longer after the workout.

Brian, TheDailyFit