Weight Loss Myths Exposed!

Check out this Runner's World article that talks about 14 weight-loss strategies that just don't work. And learn the best plans for the most success!

Don't Make This Mistake!

Stay away form starches at night instead, stick with lean protein and veggies!!! When gearing up for a trip, do you fill your gas tank when your arrive or before you leave?? Carbs are an energy food and are best utilized during the day or around the time of exercise. For most americans the evenings are reserved for relaxing on the couch and watching tv. If you chose this time to load up on "carbs", you are asking for and promoting fat storage. At night you don't need energy (unless you work grave yard or exercise in the evenings). If you don't burn it, you will store it. So remember, No Carbs At Night!

Provided by Fitness Together Central California.

Edited by Jason Copeland, CSCS

7 Ways to Keep Your Portions Under Control

One of the key elements to losing weight and keeping it off is practicing portion control. You can eat the best food for your body, but if you are intaking too many calories daily, you will not be able to lose weight. Here are some easy tips for keeping your portions in check to effectively lose weight.

Portion Control Tip #1: Don't Leave Food in Sight

Eating meals family style (where the dishes of food are in your sight) can make it much easier to reach for seconds. If they are not in the same room, you are much less likely to want more. Leave the pots and dishes in the kitchen, and fix yourself one serving. Let it settle for at least 20 minutes so that you acquire the feeling of being full.

Portion Control Tip #2: Use Meat as a Side Dish

Don't make meat the main course of your meal. Load up on healthy grains and vegetables instead, and have meat or a meat-based side dish. This way you will feel full faster and pack your diet with more vitamins and fiber, which is better for you in the long run.

Portion Control Tip #3: Split a Serving

When eating out, try splitting a meal with a friend or taking half of your meal home. Most restaurants provide more than one serving in a typical meal. By splitting it up, you can save money and save on the extra calories.

Portion Control Tip #4: Learn Serving Sizes

By learning to visually identify some simple serving sizes, you can better control your portions. When eating a typical serving size of meat, it should be about 3 ounces or the size of a deck of cards. A standard serving of grains or raw vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball or your fist.

Portion Control Tip #5: Eat Small Meals

Keep your blood sugar even throughout the day by eating small meals. You can keep your energy up and eat less overall because you do not get ravenous and overeat. People who eat 5 to 6 small meals a day are much more likely to maintain portion control because they never become too hungry.

Portion Control Tip #6: Portion out Food

When you are having a snack, be sure to divvy up your portions before you begin eating. It is quite difficult to eat just one portion of any snack food when eating straight out of the bag. By separating out one portion, it is much easier to stick to it, and not eat too much without even thinking about it.

Portion Control Tip #7: Break Down Leftovers

Instead of storing leftovers in a big container, separate them out into single servings. Then you can easily reach in the fridge and pull out one single serving to reheat. This will help you limit how much you are eating with very little effort.

By practicing these tips on a regular basis, you can help to regulate your portion control and maintain a healthy diet long term.

FitDay.com 2008-2009.
Edited by: Jason Copeland, CSCS

Charge Up Your Energy -- What to Eat Before and After Exercise

What you eat before and after exercise makes a significant difference in how you feel and how well you perform...

Before/During Workouts

During exercise, the body gets energy from glycogen, a type of carbohydrate that's stored in muscles and the liver. Being hungry going into a workout rapidly depletes glycogen and can cause fatigue. Recommended...

Combine protein with carbohydrates. For example, have a hard-boiled egg (for protein), and half a whole wheat bagel (for carbs) about an hour before a workout. Protein makes carbohydrates a slower-burning (longer-lasting) energy source.
If it will be more than an hour until you can exercise, eat something substantial, such as a peanut butter sandwich or a wrap with turkey breast, lettuce and tomato. This larger meal takes longer than so you will have enough energy for your workout.

Remember the "90-minute rule". It takes about 90 minutes of hard exercise to deplete stored glycogen. If you engage in extended cardiovascular workouts, you'll need to replenish glycogen while you exercise. You can munch on a protein/carbohydrate bar or sip a sports drink (such as Gatorade).


After Workouts

If you-re trying to lose weight, schedule your workouts so that you'll have lunch or dinner when you're done. The increased expenditure of calories that occurs during exercise persists for about an hour afterwards. Eating right after a workout allows you to take advantage of the increased calorie burning.

Get enough protein. Muscle cells are very receptive to amino acids (the individual building-blocks of protein) 30 minutes to one hour after exercise. Consuming protein right after exercise accelerates both muscle reapir and muscle growth. It varys from individual to individual, so you might want to ask your trainer, but typically you want to consume about 15 grams (g) to 20 g of lean protein. Examples: Two ounces of chicken provides about 12 g of protein. An egg has about 6 g.

Add a complex carbohydrate to replace glycogen. Muscle cells quickly absorb carbohydrates after exercise. The optimal ratio is four parts carbohydrates to one part protein (4:1). A turkey sandwich and a nonfat fruit yogurt has this ratio with 75 g of carbs and 18 g of protein.

Eat fruit. There's an increase in muscle-damaging free radicals during and after exercise. The antioxidants in fruit reduce muscle damage and accelerate muscle repair. Also, the sugars in fruit quickly replace glycogen stores.

Check your water level. Weigh yourself immediately before and after vigorous cardiovascular exercise-- and drink enough water to make up the difference. If you weigh a pound less after exercising, drink at least 16 ounces of water.

Written by Tammy Lakatos, RD, and Elysse Lakatos, RD. The Nutrition Twins.
Edited by Jason Copeland, CSCS.