August 3, 2009
When I discuss weight loss, I almost always give the example of losing one pound of fat per week. The reason I do that is because I believe that for weight loss, the healthiest way and the way that leaves you most likely to keep your weight down in the long term is to lose a pound per week.
Why do I believe that? It’s because the same way a lot of people who become rich overnight aren’t able to handle the wealth and squander it quickly, a lot of people who lose weight quickly aren’t able to keep it off and immediately start putting it back on. More than that, if you’re losing weight extremely quickly, in a way you’re starving your body, and I can’t imagine that those kind of eating habits can be healthy for you.
July 17, 2009
Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” Not only is his advice right when it comes to getting ahead, it’s also right when it comes to fat loss. The #1 secret to really succeeding at getting rid of fat, is you need to first understand what your major task is, and then break it down.
[If you can look at this picture and not feel a major urge to eat a donut afterwards, then you will have no trouble with fat loss. For the rest of you, think how disgusting eating those donuts can make you look and resist the urge!]
July 5, 2009
We live in the information age. There’s so much knowledge being fed to us every second with so little time to actually digest it, that we end up more confused than when we started. This is also what’s happening with the fitness advice of today. There’s so much information on new “special techniques to get you strong”, that we forget about the simple, core exercises that have been proven to work for decades. In that spirit, I’ve listed the three core exercises for building muscle.
[Unlike other places, you'll never hear me lecture about the biology of muscle growth in prehistoric animals. Here at The Fitness Adviser, you'll get practical, easy to understand advice on how to meet your fitness goals.]
It’s Time To Get Old School
June 19, 2009
Note: As not to cause any confusion, this post is directed towards otherwise healthy people who have no underlying metabolic disorders such as diabetes or people who are post gastric bypass surgery. It does not apply to you if you have been instructed by a physician or other health professional to eat multiple small meals a day.
________________________________________________________________________
Today I had planned on writing “How to Get Through a Bad Injury Part II”, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not until I got something off of my chest (and it’s not a barbell). That something is this complete and total myth that eating 6 meals a day is somehow better for your metabolism. Everywhere I go online, I see countless people, including people I like, praising the idea of eating 6 meals a day and it’s great effect on your metabolism.
June 14, 2009
There is a huge amount of misinformation out there when it comes to weight loss, building up, and staying nutritionally healthy. Today, I’m going to set the record straight. Here’s the lowdown on what it really takes to lose weight, gain muscle, and stay healthy…
1) If you take in more calories than you expend, you’ll gain weight. If you take in less calories than you expend, you’ll lose weight. (Here’s a calculator to see how calories you need to maintain your weight. Eat 500 calories less a day, and you’ll lose a pound a week. Eat 500 calories more a day, and you’ll gain a pound a week.)
Make sure the calories you do eat have a positive effect on the body. To do this, avoid eating “empty calories.” Things like candy bars, popcorn, and essentially all processed foods. Try to eat a diverse collection of foods, meaning meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and some bread. Once you do that, you should notice an immediate and positive change in the way your body feels, and your energy level.
June 11, 2009
All of us today are way too self-conscious about our bodies. We believe there’s a specific way that every person should look, leaving no leeway for variability in builds. Most commonly, men believe they should look massively muscular, and women believe they should look extremely skinny. Despite knowing that different people have different builds, we’re all guilty of falling for these stereotypes. So let’s take a breather from our preconceptions and remember a few things…
- For both men and women, there are different builds. Some men are naturally bigger, some naturally smaller. Same with women.
- All of the builds look good.
That being said, don’t fall into the trap of believing that your build can be an excuse for being underweight or overweight. While you may be a man who is 5’5 and your natural weight is around 135, that doesn’t mean that it’s okay for you to be 120. If you’re a woman who is 5’6 and has a natural weight of 140, you shouldn’t be weighing 170.
When I discuss weight loss, I almost always give the example of losing one pound of fat per week. The reason I do that is because I believe that for weight loss, the healthiest way and the way that leaves you most likely to keep your weight down in the long term is to lose a pound per week.
