Training For Life

Here is a great article and some very helpful hints.  These are very easy to maintain.  Remember to always start with one small change then go from there.  Trying to change everything at once will usually result in falling back in to old habits.  There have been a lot of questions regarding weight loss lately.  I hope these simple steps help.  It is also useful to keep a food journal.  Once you see it all written down it can be an eye opener.  As always leave comments or questions and Happy Training.

I’m going to give you 5 practical tips to turn your body into a fat-burning machine – information that you
can take with you and implement on a daily basis, both in and out of the gym or workout environment.

Rather than quantify specific amounts, I’ll be giving you some simple ideas. Let’s get right to it:

Eat Fiber

A high-fiber diet decreases fat and cholesterol absorption in your intestine (preventing fat storage), slows
glucose absorption in the bloodstream (meaning more sugar gets burnt as energy, less gets stored as
fat), stabilizes insulin levels and delays stomach emptying (both of which decrease your appetite), and
makes you full faster (so you eat less). Research has shown that a low-fat, high-fiber diet results in nearly
three times more weight loss than a low-fat, low-fiber diet. So how do you get your fiber? Here’s how I get
mine: 1 fully loaded salad, 1 bowl of oatmeal, and 2-3 raw fruits every day (fruit bonus: vitamin C in citrus
fruit can also help burn fat).

Eat Calcium

Research shows that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help reduce body fat.
Higher levels of calcium stored in the fat cells may help enhance fat breakdown, as well as induce an
increase in thermogenesis (the body’s core temperature). The best calcium should come from dairy
products like low-fat milk, yogurt and cottage cheese (and not from a calcium supplement). Other good
sources, especially for those who are lactose intolerant, include dark leafy vegetables, salmon, almonds,
and oats (notice the extra fiber bonus).

Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies have shown that people who include a large and
healthy breakfast in their diet lose significantly greater amounts of fat than those who avoid breakfast.
Skipping breakfast will not help you shed extra pounds, but may instead result in muscle loss and
metabolism decreases, both of which hinder your fat-burning ability. A great breakfast example is a large
glass of water with a bowl of oatmeal, fresh fruit and nuts. Just remember: breakfast can also work
against you if it’s not healthy: fried meats, sweet muffins and croissants, sugar loaded cereals, or
processed packages do not count as a healthy breakfast!

Eat Frequently

You’ve heard it a million times before: 5-6 small meals a day is better than 3 large meals. I?d like to step
that up a bit: as high as 10 times a day or more may be necessary, depending on your energy
consumption and needs. Here?s an example (from my personal nutrition log): 1) banana 7am; 2) oatmeal
w/ raisins 9am; 3) handful almonds 10:30am; 4) three turkey slices 12pm; 5) one yogurt 1 pm; 6) apple
2pm; 7) large salad 4:30pm; one protein bar 7:00pm; 9) handful raisins 8:15pm; 10) 1 scramble egg
with spinach 9pm (bed at 11pm). The philosophy behind eating frequently is that the physical act of
digestion has a metabolic cost, and by continually feeding, you are maintaining a higher metabolic rate.
As long as your grazing is healthy, this results in more calories burnt throughout the day. On the flipside,
eating too infrequently causes your body go into starvation mode and conserve energy, which results in
increased fat storage and lower digestive and overall metabolism.

Eat Water

Your body constantly uses water to create energy, build muscle, and burn fat, and without adequate
water, studies have shown that the muscles are less active, the metabolism drops, and your body burns

fat less efficiently. This slight decrease in metabolism can add up to over 10 pounds of fat a year! Water

also assists in suppressing the appetite and giving you a “full feeling”. So drink several glasses of water
each day, drink a glass of water at least 30 minutes before your workout, sip water regularly at the gym,
and drink a glass of water after your workout (speeds up recovery too!). Many naturally occurring foods,
such as fruits and vegetables, are also high in water content (as well as fiber, vitamins, minerals,
phytonutrients, etc.), so this is another great way to get your H2O.

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