Lose Tummy Fat Fast?
I’ve seen lots of promotions from various companies promoting the idea of losing tummy fat fast. Their methods typically will include doing lots of exercise, or using some contraption like the infamous “abdominizer”, a sure thing to waste your money and your time!
I even remember several years ago they were promoting on TV some kind of device that you put around your stomach that would create electrical shocks to get rid of the fat! Sadly, I knew smart people who fell for this nonsense.
Well this subject falls near and dear to my heart. Several years ago, I was a skinny guy with a gut. I exercised every day, often twice a day, but could not get rid of my tummy fat! Here are a few ideas on how to lose tummy fat as fast as humanly possible (and not have to spend lots of money or do massive crunches):
1. Cut the sodas completely out of your diet.
2. Get out of the habit of having desert after meals. You can replace the cookies with fruit. If you must have desert, consider a small piece of heart-healthy dark chocolate instead of a calorie-laden slice of chocolate cake.
3. Walk for exercise. Especially if you’re just starting out, there is absolutely no reason to think you have to complete huge monstrous workouts to lose tummy fat.
4. Replace carbohydrates with more protein and fat.
5. Skip the bread where you can. Making a sandwich for lunch? Cut out half the bread.
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How to Slow the Aging Process
While most “anti-aging” products on the market are total scams and you’d be throwing your money away with them, there are several things you can do that are absolutely FREE to slow down the aging process. Here are a few ideas:
1. Lower your sugar intake. A high carb/high sugar diet will lower your immune system and give you wrinkles. Studies show that high levels of sugar in the bloodstream can be just as damaging to the skin as nicotine and UV radiation.
2. Take fish oils. Fish oils can help lower blood pressure, improve mood and feed your brain, things that are all associated with healthier (and longer) lives.
3. Eat your greens. Many of the nutrients in dark leafy greens help to slow the aging process or prevent age-related illness.
4. Don’t stay out of the sun. Your body makes Vitamin D, but only when you’re exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D enhances performance, fights cancer and builds bones. 20 minutes a day of peak sunlight should be sufficient.
5. Drink green tea. Not only is it loaded with anti-oxidants, studies have shown that green tea is also effective in fat burning and lowering “bad” cholesterol levels.
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7 – Cookie diet and other fads
(duration 15:30)
For those not knowledgeable of the Cookie Monster…
Sesame Street: Kermit And Cookie Monster And The Mystery Box
A Few Cookies a Day to Keep the Pounds Away? by Abby Ellin
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Skin.html
Most diets are geared towards caloric restriction (based on the calorie theory of weight loss), so they lead to relapse
The “fat fast” diet is the fastest fat-burning regimen, but it’s not good for long-term health and fitness
A “low-carb diet” isn’t a “diet” per se; it’s a way of eating relatively less carbs as a lifestyle
Many institutions (e.g., ADAs) keep people in a condition of unhealthiness
The unwise extremes: the fad diets and the typical high-carb (complex carb) diets
It’s important to examine our self-conficts and childhood experiences with food…
Parents Can Help Their Children Grow to Love Vegetables Posted by: Dr. Mercola
http://networkedblogs.com/p15257191
Walking the walk as a parent is key; model that which you want your kids to do, rather than berating or forcing “good” food on them
Eat your vegetables and stay away from the cookie diet!
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Transcript: http://healthymindfitbody.com/hmfb7-cookie-diet-and-other-fads/
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Does Exercising to Lose Weight Work? Part 1
It’s almost sinful to suggest that exercise should not be the main focus when attempting to achieve your perfect weight.
But I’m going to do it anyway!
While the benefits of exercise are widely known (I even exercise almost daily), and there are countless fitness plans all over the internet showing people how to burn fat and lose weight by exercising more and eating less.
This all sounds pretty reasonable, but is it effective?
Of course it’s not effective! Sure, these fitness plans often include the infamous before and after photos, where one is a blurry shot of the person frowning and slumped over in a bizarrely unattractive pose, while the second one is a professional picture where suddenly the person’s hair is combed, they are dressed nicely, and appearing happy and confident!
And yes, these before-and-after people probably did all lose some weight on the calories in/calories out plan, with lots of exercise and restricting of calories. But it will not last in most cases.
This is because the focus is in the wrong place. Many people have seen the fat melt away from their bodies by simply cutting way back on their carbohydrate consumption, but remaining sedentary! Now, I wouldn’t recommend a sedentary lifestyle; it’s simply not healthy. But most of your success in achieving a permanent fit body will come from your nutrition, not how many hours a day you can pound yourself into the ground and burn away calories.
How is this possible?
One problem is, when you exercise, you will often stimulate your appetite, and be tempted to overeat.
Another is that a fitness program that is exercise-intensive and calorie-restrictive is not sustainable for most people.
And finally, exercise can act almost as a band aid for psychological addictions to food or certain kinds of food.
In part 2 we will explore these 3 aspects of fat burning and fitness plans in greater detail.
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The Biggest Loser Diet- Does it Work?
One of the popular reality shows on TV, “The Biggest Loser” is on its 8th season now, and the popularity of it seems to keep growing. If you haven’t seen it, several overweight people live together and compete to see who can lose the most weight in a certain length of time.
The show has gone international and a new diet has come out of it, equipped with specific diet plans and it’s own nutritional products.
No question, there have been some unbelievable and inspirational stories on the show over the years, and a lot of just plain successful weight loss goals being met.
Is this diet and exercise prescription the way to go? Could there be other factors at play here?
At healthymindfitbody.com, we have discussed the notion of exercise being far too much the focus of many people looking to get to their perfect weight. One certainly can lose weight on an exercise-focused program, but it is very difficult to make significant body fat losses, and more importantly, to keep them off by following the caloric theory of weight loss.
In an environment like The Biggest Loser, one thing that must be considered when looking at the effectiveness of the plan they are using is the competitiveness of the situation. Just like in using the caloric theory of weight loss, competition on the show to win will certainly lead to candidates using will power during their time on the show in the attempt to win. (for example, when I saw Season 2 Biggest Loser winner Matt Hoover give a talk about his experience, he said that his last 15-20 pounds were lost in the days leading up to the final weighing in, using techniques he learned in his wrestling days, where most of it was water weight that he gained right back within 48 hours of the show ending).
Let’s look at the basics of the Biggest Loser diet and fitness plan:
The book includes one-week sample meal plans for 1,200-, 1,500- and 1,800-calorie diets, along with some recipes. 45% of the total calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 25% from fat.
The 4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser Pyramid sets the stage for number of servings from each of the food groups:
- 4 servings of fruits and vegetables
- 3 servings of protein — lean, vegetarian, or low-fat dairy
- 2 servings of whole grains
- 1 extra of fats, oils, sweets, alcohol, or your choice, equivalent to 200 calories
This diet is not bad. But, there are problems that will get in the way of someone looking for permanent weight loss and maintaining ideal weight:
1. They are including “fats” with alcohol and sweets! As we have shown in our podcast and book, eating dietary fat is an important aspect to achieving a fit body.
2. It is a restrictive diet where you are supposed to count calories. This goes against our plan and will not likely work long term for people who have not done either sentence stems (such as our 7-day plan in the Healthy Mind Fit Body Book), counseling, or at minimum, a two-week plan of getting rid of any carbohydrate addictions (also in the book). The problem here is the reliance on will power, not an effective strategy in achieving permanent weight loss.
3. The book also says:
“Dieters should choose whole grains that are less refined and have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving of bread or 5 grams of fiber per serving of cereal, with no more than 5 grams of sugar. Protein choices include lean meat or fish, vegetarian protein, or low-fat dairy. Your calorie level determines portion sizes and your protein options.
Still hungry? You can eat more than four servings a day of fruits and vegetables.”
This advice, while reasonable, is going to be difficult for most people to follow. The reason? More calorie counting! It is a great idea to cut back sugars and processed foods, and add in more protein from meat and fish. However, instead of encouraging extra servings of vegetables and fruits, a better way to burn fat would be to add more olive oil to your veggies or slap some almond butter on your apples!
Although the Biggest Loser Diet and meal plan people talk a lot about avoiding the word “diet”, what they are recommending is a low-calorie, highly restrictive diet. Just like in other diets we have reviewed here, there are some solid nuggets of advice that are good to follow, but overall, they are offering a very difficult path to achieving your perfect body.
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6 – Food rewards and punishments
(duration 16:52)
Make sure you get enough vitamin D production from sunlight (or use supplements)
How Much Vitamin D Do You Really Need?
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/mercola7.1.1.html
Why do people “reward” themselves with junk food? To be part of the group? To fit in? To not be labeled “too healthy”?
Individuality and independence are keys to health
Some sample sentence completion exercises
After I reward or punish myself with food, I feel…
exhausted
depressed
angry
guilty
like i didn’t have to do that
that i could have made a better choice
unhealthy
Right before I indulge in my favorite bad food, I think…
I deserve this
I only eat this once in awhile
I’ll really enjoy it
it’ll lift my spirits
it’s my way of taking care of myself
I don’t think
I just do
In order to treat myself differently, it’s important that I…
recognize my pattern of behavior
come to terms with my feelings
accept the feelings that I have and not disown them
learn to see how my short-term pleasure affects my long-term goals
enjoy healthy food
disfavor unhealthy food
If I were to see unhealthy eating as a way of taking care of myself…
I would see that I deserve better
I would have more compassion for my feelings
I would try to comfort myself with truly good things
I would see self-damaging behavior for what it is
I could see food as something that’s good for me, rather than a guilty pleasure
I would evolve into the self that I aspire to be
There are psychological payoffs for both good and bad patterns of eating
Fat-rich foods (such as almonds) are good to snack on in order to feel satiated
Self-esteem affects (and is affected by) the way we eat; honoring yourself means not being at war with your deeper self-knowlege
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Transcript: http://healthymindfitbody.com/transcripts-hmfb6-food-rewards-and-punishments/
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5 Steps to Losing Love Handles
It’s a common question I hear mostly from the guys:
“How do I get rid of my love handles?”
The famed “love handles” or the fat the hangs over the sides is stubborn and annoying! I know because have struggled with handles myself. Unfortunately, there isn’t an exercise or a machine in the gym that will take them away. The good news is that there IS something you can do about this unwanted extra fat.
Follow these 5 steps as I did and you will be on your way to the best possible body you can achieve!
1. Cut the sugar. Ideally, end sugar altogether! Since many people I know tell me this is too drastic, cutting down on sugar should be your #1 priority when it comes to losing love handles. This extra fat around your waist is evidence of too many carbs. If you drink soda, quit, immediately. Only eat dessert on special occasion. Otherwise substitute fruit for your sugar cravings.
2. Don’t overemphasize working out. You can do 1,000 crunches a day, get on one of those machines in the gym that make you twist, do side lifts, back lifts, foot lifts until your ears bleed, but none of this will take care of your handle menace. Walking, running, biking, stairmaster, treadmill- all are great exercises for helping burn this fat away- but if your diet is bad, your workouts will do you little good. Strength training is also recommended, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can “spot reduce”.
3. Eat a lot. Okay, I don’t mean to eat more calories. I mean eat more often. Snacking will help you burn this fat! Shoot for 4-5 times a day (including meals). Just stick with the good stuff for snacks- fruit, almonds, cottage cheese, protein bars, etc. If you eat often your body will continue to burn fat all day long as it’s digesting.
4. Take the stairs. This isn’t hard. If you’ve only got a few floors to go don’t take the elevator or escalator. Something this little can make a huge difference in how much cardio you’re getting over the course of a week.
5. Eat fat. Yes. Eat fat to burn fat. Just be careful of what kind of fat. Nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados are all good for you and will help you to keep away pesky blubber. But stay away from trans fats or “partially hydrogenated fat” at all costs, as it’s terrible for your health and can stay in your body for months! I tend to eat almonds often throughout the day, and it keeps me satisfied and keeps me from overeating.
5 – Separating diet facts from diet fictions
(duration 21:24)
Typical American diet is pretty bad, so most alternatives are better
Vegetarian/vegan camp does offer some benefits in the realm of vegetables and healthy fats
Skinny Bitch/Bastard books even make some good points, such as that we should question “authorities” (e.g., the FDA)
Eat To Live book doesn’t consider all the evidence for lower carb, higher fat, and meat protein diet
We must always beware of confirmation bias and try to falsify various claims by doing some research
Donuts rule! No, not really. ;)
Eating lots of fat along with lots of carbs is not good for you (but lots of fat is ok with less carbs)
Don’t be married to your diet ideas; question your assumptions by exploring the evidence!
How about elk for breakfast, elk for lunch, and elk for dinner?…healthy, but not very exciting (wild game meat has important amino acids and fatty acids)
Insulin is the key hormone related to fat storage and fat loss (regardless of some people’s ability to process carbs without much fat gain, due to their genes)
Mouse studies often don’t translate to humans
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What is the right diet?
At healthymindfitbody.com, we often talk about various issues in nutrition, the latest topics surrounding diet in the mainstream media, and all the nutritional myths flying around out there.
As I mentioned on our last podcast, I went to the bookstore over the weekend and was perusing the Health section, only to find a massive cluster-F of diet books and all kinds of widely differing ways to lose weight. What is the right diet? I’m not convinced there is one right diet, but there are ideas in the nutrition world based on science!
I flipped through a few of the really trendy ones like “Skinny Bitch”, and found a few tidbits of helpful information, but for the most part, authors are relying on flawed studies and the many times debunked, caloric theory of weight loss (burn more calories than you consume to lose weight).
One book that caught my eye was The Paleo Diet for Athletes. The Paleo Diet looks at what our Stone Age ancestors ate and adapts that to what we humans should likely be eating today. This book particularly focuses on athletes, who they claim, do in fact need slightly more carbohydrates than non-athletes- but no where near the carbo-loading crazed status quo indicates! The key is what specific carbohydrates should athletes be eating, and when?
I can’t wait to read the entire book, since I work with triathletes and swimmers as well at peak performance, and do the occasional half marathon myself. I have eaten a fairly low carb diet for about a decade now, but when I get around other athletes, most are still obsessed with carbs. I think it’s time we finally moved beyond these old ways of thinking and relied on new scientific discoveries instead of remaining in our comfort zones!
4 – Hungry Girl should eat more saturated fat
(duration 20:37)
Eat Yourself Thin by Hungry Girl – ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8576093
Watch out for all the processed carbs in stores; instead, shop the perimeter of the grocery store
7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/09/06/saturated-fat/
Lowering carb intake while increasing fat intake will tend to improve your blood readings
The triglycerides/HDL ratio is one of the most potent predictors of heart disease
Be conscious of the three S’s – sleep, sugar, and stress
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Podcast: Download
