December 11, 2008
- A Hearty Plan for Dropping Belly Fat
Getting rid of your gut does more than just improve the way you look - you'll also have a healthier heart to show for your efforts! Cutting your carbohydrate intake by a third will help you lose fat while significantly lowering your triglycerides, a key predictor of heart disease. Scientists at the University of California at Davis found that cutting carbs to less than 40 percent of your total daily calories deactivated a triglyceride-producing gene called stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD). The greater the reduction in carbohydrates the less active the gene became. Start today by switching to an open-faced sandwich or skipping bread altogether in favor of a tortilla.
November 13, 2008
- Just Like Everything Else, Blame the Government for our Fatness
We now have a scapegoat for the obesity epidemic in the US - the USDA! According to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the national dietary guidelines advising Americans to eat low-fat may have contributed to the obesity problem. People have replaced fat with sugar and carbohydrates which has increased Americans' total caloric intake and set them up for a host of metabolic disorders, say the study's authors, adding that low-fat foods are not diet foods. Instead, your diet should emphasize vegetables, fruits, beans, unrefined whole grains, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as lean proteins.
November 11, 2008
- The Flat Belly Rules for Men
Men who lose weight successfully and keep it off share these eight characteristics according to Suzanne Phelan, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. You should be striving to live by these rules! (…)
November 10, 2008
- Exercise DVDs Provide Cheap Fat Burning
As the holidays approach, a feeling of dread creeps in. Not only is money getting tighter, but your pants are, too. It's the same old story. (…)
November 6, 2008
- Are You a Binge Eater?
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating? In a recent issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating. Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating (consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least twice a week for 3 months. These episodes may be followed by vomiting or purging (with laxatives or diuretics) and may alternate with fasting and compulsive exercising. People who suffer from bulimia often view this behavior as a shameful secret. (…)
September 24, 2008
- Wii Fit Parody Video
This is hysterical and a great compliment to my Wii Fit commentary
Wii Fit Parody - Watch more free videos
- The Exercise Bell Curve
After making the commitment to drop body fat through exercise, you need to set realistic expectations for yourself, especially if you have never exercised previously. I created this bell curve to demonstrate the way you should be thinking about planning your exercise program. (…)
July 24, 2008
- Fat Loss Challenge: Day 67 - He Quit, Right?
Well, my last entry was June 30th, and since then my life has been turned upside down with the birth of my second son Cooper. Babies are challenging enough - but putting that on top of a jealous 2-year old and a dog who is more needy than all of them has made the past few weeks hectic. Sounds like I'm building up my excuse bank, right? (…)
July 23, 2008
- Is Government Going Too Far to Battle Obesity?
Philadelphia and Boston banned trans fats. San Francisco and New York City are now making chain restaurants display calorie information. (…)
July 22, 2008
- Study Confirms What the Real-World Already Knew - Low-Carb is King!
A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the dueling weight-loss techniques. The low-carb diet also improved cholesterol more than the other two. (…)
June 30, 2008
- Fat Loss Challenge: Day 43 - Still Reaching New Lows
I stepped on the scale on Saturday, and was shocked to see that I had dropped below 220 for the first time in a while (219). Given that I was working out pretty hard with the weights last week, I was confident that my body comp reading would be impressive…and it was. My body fat was down to 13.9%, which was only 0.2% difference since Wednesday night last week. My new body composition looks like this: 30.44 pounds of fat, 188.56 pounds of lean body mass. So of the 4 pounds lost, 3 of them were lean body mass, and 1 was fat. That does not mean that I burned muscle - it could've been water as well.
The most important number was the pounds of fat, which is creeping closer to where we want it to be. The target is 20 pounds of fat, which at 220 would put me back under 10% body fat. When you hear people refer to the "last 10 pounds" this is what they're talking about - you're almost where you want to be, but not quite. It will take a concentrated effort now to strip these off and start to see those abs!
June 28, 2008
- Woman Dies from Fatal Dose of Fat-Burning Drug DNP
This is a sad story of the shortcuts people are willing to take to lose weight, and where those shortcuts ultimately lead. (…)
June 26, 2008
June 13, 2008
- I Think I'm Turning Japanese!
Maybe there was some merit to the goofy Eighties pop song - read this article about the aggressive move that the Japanese government is taking to curb the growing obesity problem in their country. (…)
June 12, 2008
- Fat Loss Challenge: Day 25 - What Happened?
Sometimes family and work come before blogging But that does not mean that I have gone off the program. In fact, something interesting happened on the way to a sub-10% body fat measurement…I gained lean body mass! The last time I measured, I was 17.4% body fat at 225 pounds, which works out to 185.15 pounds of lean body mass, and 39.15 pounds of fat (yuck!)
Last night, I measured my body fat again - this time at a scale weight of 223. The body fat measurement came in at 16.4%, which works out to be 186.43 pounds of lean body mass and 36.57 pounds of fat (still yuck, but better!). So for those keeping track at home, that is 1.28 pounds of lean body mass added and 3 pounds of fat lost over the course of a week, even though there was only a 2 pound movement on the scale weight. This is why I do not advocate using a scale to measure your fat loss progress as it doesn't account for important body composition changes such as this one. (…)
June 9, 2008
- The 90/10 Rule for Fat Loss
Life is not perfect - and your fat loss program shouldn't be either. You can't expect yourself to follow your program to the letter every second of every day until you reach your goal. If you do, you are setting yourself up for failure. That is why you need to apply the 90/10 rule to your nutrition and exercise. (…)
June 6, 2008
- Fat Loss Challenge: Day 19 - Pushing through Plateaus
Today's scale weight is 221.8, which is up from our lowest reading of 219.2 - and again, that is ok. We're looking bigger picture here. Remember, 19 days ago we were over 234. The question is, can we consistently come in under the 220 mark and push downward? Remember, I put some carbs back into my diet to help counteract the sluggishness and soreness I was feeling, but they are all within 3 hours of my workout. So, immediately after my workout I'm consuming a protein and Gatorade combo in a 1:2 ratio, followed up by a meal that is within 3 hours of the end of my workout that also contains carbs - quinoa, oatmeal, even a bagel. However, after that, it is protein/vegetables and naturally occurring carbs in nuts, dairy, etc. I will take another body fat measurement and see if we're making progress there. Again, I'll try to take some pictures this weekend. (…)
June 5, 2008
- Fat Loss is Profitable
From Men's Health:
Your being in shape could be worth a cool $60,000. According to an Ohio State University analysis, obese people have a lower net worth than slimmer counterparts. (…)
June 4, 2008
- Weight Loss Challenge: Day 17 - Back in the Flow
This morning's scale weight was 221.8, lower than expected despite the increased carb intake. Also, the Bodymetrix BX 2000 arrived last night, so I'm still learning how to use it. Once I've got it figured out, I'll post the body fat measurement as well as some pictures that show the cross-sections of fat, muscle and bone - pretty cool stuff! (…)
June 1, 2008
- Weight Loss Challenge: Day 14 - Under the Weather
I haven't felt well since the middle of Saturday, so I haven't tracked my nutrition nor did I head to the gym today. You should never force yourself into the gym if you are not feeling your best, BUT you should not look for any excuse to not go to the gym. Feeling a bit fatigued is NOT a reason to skip a workout - bad colds, fevers, nausea, and flu-like symptoms are all reasons to take the day off and assess where you are. (…)
