Beware of the Thanksgiving Thief!

Health conscious people everywhere: Beware! There is a Thanksgiving thief on the loose!

Okay, so here is where I differ from most health and fitness experts: I don’t believe in “dieting” on Thanksgiving. Many experts will tell you to “not eat this” and “don’t cook that” on Thanksgiving. They’ll give you nifty tips on how to cut calories and stick to your diet.

These tips work, and help you stick to your eating habits. But at what price? I mean, who wants to spend a happy day with family strategizing about how to eat at dinner? Who wants to think about the best ways to maneuver around your favorite holiday treats? Why in the world would you want to make a happy day so stressful? It only comes once a year for goodness sake!

Here is my honest opinion: enjoy the day! Eat the foods you want, and don’t stress out about it. If you want some corn-bread dressing and pumpkin pie, go for it.

Now, I do have a few tips that I would adhere to, however.
1) Eat the foods that are special to the occasion. For example: mashed potatoes seem to be a staple at Thanksgiving, but you can have those anytime. Other things like sweet potato casserole (my favorite!) is a once in a year treat. Enjoy the foods you only get on special occasions and leave the other stuff alone.
2) Don’t intentionally overeat. We’ve all eaten so much after Thanksgiving that we want to change into sweat pants and pass out on the couch. There is no need to eat all of that food at once. Get the foods you really want, and don’t eat things you don’t really care for. Who says you have to try everything that is served?
3) Get in a workout. On Thanksgiving morning, be sure to get in a workout. You could easily get in a great bodyweight workout in only 10-20 minutes! Just do pushups, bodyweight squats, and jumping jacks. Cycle through those for 10-20 minutes, and you’ll have gotten in an awesome workout. What a great healthy way to start the day!
4) Enjoy yourself! Some people think they have to feel guilty for enjoying their favorite foods. I can’t think of anything more ridiculous. Enjoy the day and enjoy the company you share food with!
5) Give the leftovers to family and friends. You don’t need to keep pies and what not around your house after it’s over. Enjoy the day, eat what you want, but then get rid of the desserts and other items that don’t adhere to your eating habits.

You can also cook some dishes with healthier substitutions, but don’t do it if it just isn’t the same. For example, I love my Mom’s sweet potato casserole. I’m sure it could be made with sugar substitute and what not, but, you just don’t mess with my sweet potato casserole! No one wants their favorite dishes to be turned into some healthy-hippie version that tastes like cardboard. Only tweak recipes if you have tested them first or you are confident the change will not be noticeable.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy it, get in a workout, and then get back with your healthy eating habits the very next day. Don’t stress about food, life is way too short!

Go Nuts!

Unfortunately, some people still think they must avoid fat if they want to lose fat and get a smaller waist line. Others think that following a low fat diet is healthier.

Well, I'm here to tell you that both of those assumptions are wrong!

Not only can fats help you lose fat, but they are necessary for survival and optimal health. You need fats to provide and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and they are used to build many cells in your body.

Fats also help you feel full longer because they slow down the absorption of food. Fats also don't cause a dramatic spike in your blood sugar like refined (and many unrefined) carbohydrates do. Also, fats make things taste better!

Now don't think I'm telling you to load up the shopping cart with high-fat foods like donuts, french fries, and double bacon cheeseburgers. Certain fats have the best health benefits. The two fats that provide the largest health benefits or mono- and polyunsaturated fats. These are found primarly in plant sources: olive oil, nuts, avocadoes and olives, just to name a few.

The fats you want to avoid (especially trans fat) are found in many baked goods and items that come in a bag or box. Look, from research I have read, I will tell you this right now: do not consume trans fats. I would avoid all of them at all costs, even if it's just 1 gram.

Now, on to nuts and why you should be eating them! In 3 large studies, people who ate nuts frequently had a 39 to 60 percent reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease compared with those who ate nuts the most infrequently. Another large study found that consuming a 1-ounce serving of nuts 5 or more times a week resulted in a 27 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts.

Nuts are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and they are plentiful in healthy fats. The best way to incorporate them into your eating habits is by consuming them raw or dry roasted; no other ingredients should be on the label!

What are you waiting for, get crackin’! (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist the pun!!)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

If you can recall from a previous post, I mentioned that high fructose corn syrup is one of the greatest contributors to the caloric consumption of Americans.

I think a little background information would be helpful right now. At first, there was just plain table sugar. And at one point, it used to be fairly expensive. This wasn't so for an average person, but for food manufacturers it was a high price item. The cost was a main reason why sucrose (table sugar) wasn't in every single item. As a result of the price, manufacturers were on the look out to find a cheaper replacement for sugar.

This is where high fructose corn syrup came into play.

After processing the corn, a substance is produced that can sweeten products at a fraction of the cost of sugar. The main problem with this substance is that it is now found practically everywhere, including products that didn't used to be sweetened!

Dr. Johnny Bowden said it best: "corn syrup may be natural because it's made from corn, but so is ethanol, and I'm not drinking that either."

The commercials are an attempt by wealthy companies to keep people buying their products. They are not concerned with your health. They want you to buy more of their products so they can make more money. That is it.

I heard a wonderful nutrition tip the other day, and I will pass it on to you.

Look at food labels and avoid all of these items and you will be on your way to better health and a smaller waist line:

1) High fructose corn syrup
2) Hydrogenated oil
3) Colors and numbers (yellow 5, blue 3, etc)

Fat Loss Phase

So I took 4 days off from lifting. Instead of going back to heavy lifting, I'm giving my body a break. Right now I am doing a workout I did years ago, it was written by an awesome coach.

I got great results with it, so I'm going back to it; only this time I am changing things up a bit.

The loads are lighter, so I am focusing on lifting as fast as possible.

Each exercise was performed for 10 sets with 3 reps each. I rested 40 seconds between each set.

1) Deadlift 175
2) Chinup w/ bodyweight
3) Front Squat 75
4) Dip w/ bodyweight

I finished off with some intervals on the bike: 60 seconds easy, 30 seconds sprint. I did this for 10 minutes.

It's great to change things up every now and again.

Remember, get creative. You don't always have to do the same thing. Also, do what you enjoy!

Sometimes You Need a Break

I have been training hard for about 10 weeks straight. After my performance declined a little last week, I knew it was time for a rest.

Since Friday, I have decided to take a break until this Wednesday.

I'm not one who enjoys taking a break from lifting, but it is something you need to do every now and then. How often? Well, if you are training HARD, then I would say about every 8-10 weeks you should take at least 4 full days off from lifting.

Some people don't lift with any intensity, therefore it's not really necessary for them to take a break.

After this brief rest, I plan on coming back even stronger on Wednesday.

Keep that in mind: you can't go 100% for ever. You need to allow your body to rest.

What Have You Done Today?

Today is Saturday. Some people are watching football, others may be playing with the kids. Heck, Christmas is right around the corner, so some could be shopping.

But . . . who has gotten in a workout? No, you don't have to go to the gym. No, you don't need to have any equipment. In fact, you don't have to "workout" at all!

Do you have kids? Get outside and play with them! Play a sport, play tag, run around, do something!

Do you have a dog? Play with your dog! I don't have kids, but I do have a very spastic boxer! Whenever I'm home, I love to go outside and kick a soccer ball around with her.

You don't always have to go to they gym to "exercise." Just find more ways to have fun while you're moving around.

Remember, you don't have to join a gym to get a great body. You don't (and shouldn't!) spend several hours a week doing long boring cardio.

Fat Burning Interval Workout

This morning was one of those times when I just didn't "feel like working out." If I wanted to, I could have easily talked myself out of it.

"I've worked out 3 times this week, and I'll train tomorrow."

"I'm eating whole natural foods, so it won't hurt to skip a workout."

That is self defeating talk. If I would have given in this time, I would be much more likely to skip another workout. Instead of skipping a workout that only takes 20 minutes, I did a thorough warm-up and then got to it.

The warm-up made me feel better and more prepared to do my intervals.

Today I did intervals with DB thrusters. Most people think you have to run outside or use a machine to do intervals. Well, you don't. In fact, I prefer to use bodyweight exercises for intervals.

Here's how to do a DB thruster: get two DBs and hold them at your shoulders. Squat down as far as possible with PERFECT form keeping the DBs stabilized at your shoulders. Squat back up and once your are standing staight, press the DBs overhead. Return the DBs to your shoulders and repeat. It should look like one smooth motion, not 2 separate moves. As soon are you are almost locked out from the squat, start to press the DBs up.

I did the DB thrusters for 30 seconds and then rested for 60 seconds. I did 10 rounds.

This workout will help you burn more fat and scuplt your body better than slow cardio ever could.

Protein Shortage?

It seems like people everywhere are eating chicken breasts, fish, lean meat, and chugging down protein shakes in hope to lose fat. They have heard from "experts" that by eating a lot of protein that they will lose more fat.

I do agree that protein is important, and some people may not get enough (not common in America). However, I don't agree with the need to take in huge quantities of protein.

Let me share something with you. I am a vegetarian, and have been since July. I get the majority of my protein from nuts, beans, legumes, and vegetables. Also included are the occasion egg and protein shakes.

I was curious as to what would happen when I stopped consuming meat. Would I lose muscle? Would I gain fat? No and no. There is no noticable change in my physique, but I do feel much better and have more energy; I also get over illnesses much quicker and they aren't as severe.

Don't get in the trap that you need huge amounts of protein; it's just not true. Many people are chugging protein shakes all day because they think it's necessary.

Let me tell you this: the only time you need to consume a protein shake (if at all) is right after a workout, or if you simply don't have whole, natural food available. Some people need to keep protein powder readily available because they are on the go a lot and they don't want to eat fast food.

Whole food is always better than a supplement. Always has been, always will, and this will never change.

Great Lower Body Workout

Today went much better than Monday's workout. I made sure I recovered properly and got in some good pre-workout nutrition.

Here's what went on:

1) Squat 125x2x8, 150x2x2
2a) DB Split Squat 40x2x10
2b) BB Shrug 135x3x8
3a) Back Extension 45x2x10
3b) Standing Calf Raise w/ 3 sec pause 120x2x10
4a) Cable Crunch 90x2x18
4b) Hanging Leg Raise 2x14

Great workout, and I improved on all of my lifts.

Today in the gym there was a kid doing heavy squats. Now I was impressed with his effort, however, he is a short period away from severly hurting himself. All of the weight was on the ball of his toes and he only squatted down about a quarter of the way.

Please, if you are going to do technical lifts like squats, deadlifts, lunges, cleans, and other movements you're not really sure about, please get a professional to help you.

Get out there and set some PRs!!! (personal records)
It's a sure way to improve your physique.

Election Day Workout

Many schools and businesses are closed today. There are two ways you can view this:

1) Since you don't have to go to school and/or work, you have plenty of time to get a workout done

or

2) You may have to go to work and/or school and the kids are at home. You may not think you have time to get in a workout

Well, you do! Even if you can't get to the gym you have time to get a workout done. If your kids are home, take them to the park. While they're playing, you can get in a great bodyweight workout. You can also use some of the park equipment to assist you.

If you don't have a park near by, do a bodyweight workout at home. You can easily find 15 minutes.

I just finished a great bodyweight workout that took 23 minutes. I did a circuit with squats, lunges, pushups, inverted rows, burpees, and jumping jacks. I went through it twice as fast as possible with very little rest. That will give you a better workout then spending 60 or more minutes on a treadmill.

No excuses. Make use of what you have. If you don't have anything, use your bodyweight!

There are absolutely no excuses for not being able to get in a great workout 15-20 minutes a day 3-4 days a week. Do it!

Fast Effective Fat Loss Tip

Okay, everyone wants to know, "What is one thing I can do that will increase my rate of fat loss?"

Now, while there is no magic pill, potion, or dance you can do that will create immediate results, there are a few things you can try.

One of the most effective things I have seen that has worked with myself and others is cutting out grain products. This means no pasta, breads, crackers, biscuits, tortillas, chips, etc. Not only will you cut out a lot of empty calories, but you will also be eating less processed food.

Now don't think this is a low carb diet. On the contrary, you should increase your fruit and vegetable intake and consume beans, legumes, nuts and leans meats (if you so choose).

By removing all grains from your diet and replacing them with WHOLE, NATURAL foods, you will see an increase in fat loss.

So instead of eating cereal or a bagel for breakfast, have some scrambled eggs with some sauteed vegetables and a piece of fruit. Instead of a sandwich for lunch, have a lean piece of meat or fish with some vegetables, or some chili. Whatever. Get creative. Once again: it's not sexy, but it is effective.

Stick with it for at least 8 weeks and see the results.

Give it a try and let me know the results; you'll be happy with them.

Upper Body Workout

So . . . today's workout was not that great. I did not increase my performance on any of my lifts.

There is a lesson to be learned here. Whenever you don't increase your performance, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

Am I recovering properly?
Am I getting enough sleep?
Am I eating properly?
How is my pre-workout nutrition?
Am I training consistently?

You need to figure out why you are not progessing and fix it immediately.

Here's what went on:

1a) BB Incline Bench 105x7, 6
1b) Chin Up w/ 15lb DB 2x5
2a) Standing DB Overhead Press 30x2x8
2b) Prone Cable Row 100x2x8