Abs4Ever Blog

I know some of you reading this may already be raising your defenses because you have lost weight by cutting your carb consumption. Let me first congratulate you on your weight loss, and secondly say that this is not an anti-Atkins or anti-South Beach piece. This article is simply meant to educate readers on the reality of carbohydrates, “good” carb choices vs. “bad” carb choices, what they do, why your body needs them, and how to make better nutrition choices than food company marketing efforts want you to.

The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates provide the body with its main source of fuel, glucose (blood sugar), which is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any muscle contraction, whether during exercise, getting out of bed, or blinking an eye, is fueled primarily by glycogen. So, for those of you engaging in resistance training, this should immediately point out the fact that you need carbs for fuel in order to maximize your efforts in your resistance program. The next fact to understand is that your brain (which burns more calories than any organ in the body) and nervous system can only use glucose for energy. This is why, especially in the early or induction phases of carb restricted diets, dieters often feel sluggish and less alert than normal. By cutting out carbs, you are cutting off your brain’s main source of fuel.

Some of you are probably thinking, “That’s exactly what I want, because now my body will need to burn fat for energy!” Yes and no. Yes, your body will burn some fat for energy; however it will also generate glucose by breaking down protein stores in the muscles, organs and other tissues. This will severely compromise tissue growth, repair, and maintenance, and as discussed in previous articles, slow down your metabolism. Certainly, that is not the result you are looking for.
As I said, this is not an anti-(insert your favorite low-carb guru here) piece. But, the truth is, carbohydrates are a nutrient, and a nutrient is defined as a “substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustainment of life”. So, does it make sense to follow a program that calls for the wholesale abandonment of vital nutrient? Of course not. What is needed is an understanding of the difference between supportive, quality carbohydrates that provide essential nutrients and fuel, and overly processed and refined carbohydrates that provide empty calories and support fat storage.

What do I mean by overly processed and refined carbs? Think about white bread, donuts, muffins, pastries, white rice, candy, sugary breakfast cereals, white pasta, potato chips, crackers, soda. Foods like these digest very quickly and give your body a rapid spike in blood sugar, which, when fat loss is the goal, is something we want to avoid. After your body takes the blood sugar it needs to replenish muscle glycogen, whatever is left over from that spike will get stored as fat.

What makes supportive, quality carbs different? They digest more slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood sugar and providing a more even source of fuel. Look for breads and cereals made from whole grains, pasta made from whole wheat flour, brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, fruits in moderation and vegetables in abundance. Whole grain carbs will keep you feeling satisfied longer, and not looking to devour a bag of chips within an hour of eating your plain bagel.

So, the lesson is to not get taken over by carb phobia and fill your shopping cart up with all of the new low carb products. Just like in the early 80’s when the food manufacturers were frantically trying to come up with low fat versions of every product under the sun, they are doing the same now in order to sell more products, not because they are concerned with your health. Back then, consumers were tanking up on SnackWell cookies. They are low fat, so they must be okay right? Well, since the low fat boom of the 80’s, the obesity rate in this country has skyrocketed. That is not because the true culprit is now carbs. No, the reason is because junk food, whether low fat, low carb, or low whatever, is still junk food.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC.
Dave can be reached at (603) 641-8297, via email at news@perfectfitonline.com, or through www.perfectfitonline.com

Most people have tried many diets, such as quick weight loss diets with the hope of loosing that unwanted fat, yet failed to keep the weight off. Why? Because quick diets are not the answer. Think for a moment, we did not gain all that weight in one week, but gradually, right? Therefore, we can lose that unwanted fat gradually and keep the weight off. This is why it is so hard to lose fat and to stay slim with those quick weight loss diets. Some of these diets are so extreme that leave you feeling hungry, weak, and the end is that instead of promoting a healthy eating habit to lose weight, you end up cheating and eating until you satisfy those cravings.

Back to our original question, why are we overweight? People are overweight for different reasons: eating too much, lack of exercise, slow fat burning metabolism, retaining water, eating too late, eating unconsciously while watching TV, eating the wrong foods. We tend to eat for emotional reasons too, as we relate food as calming our nerves. Sound familiar? Sure, we feel fine while eating, but is this the answer to calm our nerves? No. Definitely not. Anxiety can drive us to eat more and see food as an ideal comfort.

How to resolve the overweight issue?

First, we recommend you take a conscious decision of examining your eating habits and consult a physician to check your health before starting any nutritional program and exercise plan.

Second, keep a daily record of what you eat, drink at least 8 glasses of water, have green tea to increase your metabolism, consume lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, avoid junk food and heavy sugary products.

Third, learn to say no when friends or family members offer you second or third servings.

Fourth, keep a firm decision and a positive attitude to lose that unwanted weight, visualize the new you.

Fifth, contact friends who will encourage you to lose weight and motivate you when feeling down. There is always someone ready to keep you motivated.

Whenever you feel eating for anxiety, think twice. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “am I really hungry or is just an emotional excuse?” Instead of eating impulsively, try to drink water or have a cup of green tea, go out for a walk, or contact one of your friends for motivation.

Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years. She believes that every person can achieve a healthier figure with determination, eating healthy, and exercising. There is no general miracle diet, but every body responds differently. It is a matter of taking the first step: ”Believing that one can regain a healthier body, having that strong inner motivation is the key to stay focused. I did it, so can you!”
www.officialoverweightnomore.com
contact: anna@officialoverweightnomore.com

All right – that doesn’t sound like much, especially if you’re more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually – at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.

So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you’re going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here’s how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:

Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.

Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories

Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories

Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories

Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories

Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.

Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.

Love those fries and can’t give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving

If you’d rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:

Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that’s a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.

Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories

Go dancing – and really DANCE. The longer you’re out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you’ll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour

Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl – if you can get up to an hour you’ll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories

Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.

Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you’ll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories

It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you’ll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories – even when you’re not exercising. You got it – your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.

For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it’s starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Buckley-for much more weight loss information visit The Healthy Diet Zone at http://www.healthydietzone.com

Lesson #14 

You know what is so amazing?  We get to keep learning how to improve ourselves.   Each day brings a new opportunity for us to practice unconditional love, especially of ourselves.  Loving your body is demonstrating unconditional love.  Think what your body does for you each day.   

Right now, say: I love my body, I love my body, I love my body, I love my body!  Feels great, doesn’t it? Our bodies are incredible gifts from God. If we’re experiencing resistance to change, then we’re resisting God’s loving message.  What are you resisting? 

I was on a teleseminar recently and the topic was visualization.  The message was very powerful.  Let me share with you what I learned. 

Take out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.  Write down 5 things that you desire in your life.  It can be a car—mine is a red BMW convertible and I have a picture of it on my dream board and look at it everyday while I say affirmations in my energy circle.  Of course, in my visualization the real George Clooney is in the passenger seat, not my cardboard cutout of George that a friend gave me.   

Maybe you want a new house, a trip to Hawaii, thousands of dollars, a new outfit as you achieve your ideal weight.  Whatever it is, write down 5 things. 

Say the statements out loud, shout them and do the visualization hiney dance to them.  I do love shaking it.  I read a cute quote the other day….what if the hokey pokey is what it’s all about?  Interesting thought, huh? 

You know what?  I took a break from writing, went for a walk and just came back.  While I was on my walk, guess what I saw?  A red BMW convertible!!  Now, is that synchronicity or what?  You know what I should have done?  Jumped out in front of that car and made the driver get out and give me her car.  Ooooppps…wrong vibration.  The focus is higher vibration and manifesting it through Divine means.  See the difference in vibration levels.   

I will manifest that car.  I don’t know how it will come; I just know it will.  I only know why I desire it.  I like the feeling that it conjures up….the feeling of freedom, sex appeal, youthfulness, being a hottie!   

We’ve all experienced times throughout the day where we have a lull….where our energy is low or flat.  What we want to do is to keep that vibration high so we constantly are aligned with the energy that we’re pulling to us.  When we are in a low or flat vibration, those things we desire can’t be propelled to us because our thoughts are creating a disconnection.  When our thoughts are creating and saying, “Yes, I am attracting a red BMW convertible” then we keep the energy lines open and that car will reveal itself.   

It’s like that phone commercial, “Can you hear me now?”  When we’re in low vibration, that which we want to attract cannot hear us.  Guess what shows up?  Everything we don’t want.  Now, when we’re in high vibration, the reception is great and we get heard loud and clear.  All that we desire flows easily to us.   

Let’s practice.  We’ll name these the High 5.  Get it?  5 things that will manifest at a High vibration.  I just made that up and I believe it’s extremely clever.  Read those statements and dance, dance, dance!! 

Now, you’re going to be carrying that list with you throughout the day and take it out and do the routine of saying the statements out loud with enthusiasm.  Do this several times throughout the day and notice how your energy will remain at a high vibration. I encourage you to get carried away and shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake your booty while saying them.  Now say them over and over and really put some feeling into it.  I know you can do it! 

I’ve had a practice of doing this type of visualization in the morning and at night while reading those things that I am manifesting in my life.  I had noticed that I was experiencing some lulls in my energy during the day, and was grateful to hear this Divine message on how to sustain the high energy throughout the day.  I’ve been doing this a few days since I heard this on the teleseminar and I’ve seen remarkable results.  We were told to make a commitment to ourselves and make it a goal for 30 days.  I encourage you to do the same.  For 30 days take time to shout the High 5’s throughout the day.  I look forward to hearing about your results. 

God is AWESOME!  I am shouting that statement from my office window right now.  I just opened the window and shouted it so everyone could hear.  Oh, the birds just flew away.  They’ll be back….I have a bird feeder.  

We’re on fire!!  Nothing can stop us!! 

High 5! 

Love and hugs, 

Tami

http://www.tamiclose.com

http://www.closekeptsecrets.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tami Close is an Integrative Body Therapist and uses an integrative method, including cleansing and nutritional products from Isagenix, in her weight loss management practice.  She is a #1 best selling co-author, Wake Up…Live the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom.

http://www.tamiclose.com

http://www.closekeptsecrets.com