On any given day, the scale can lie and your true progress won’t be accurately reflected by your weight. This is because body weight can fluctuate on a daily basis due to the amount of fluid we retain.  Foods high in sodium, menstrual cycles, certain medications and bowel movements can increase fluid retention and skew your weight. However, over time the scale tells the whole story. If your weight creeps up after two or three weeks, you’ve been eating more calories than you’re burning.

The opposite is also true – if your weight decreases after two to three weeks, you’ve been eating fewer calories than you’re burning. A steady weight indicates the calories you’re burning and consuming are equal. (See “Weight Control 101″ for more.)

Other Ways to Measure Progress
If you’re making progress in at least two of the following areas, you’re on the right track:

Inches lost
Body fat percentage
Clothing size or fit
Energy levels

Gaining muscle is another way to gauge your progress. For example, if you’ve gained a pound of muscle, this is not the same as gaining a pound of fat. Gaining muscle is beneficial to your metabolism and strength level. By consistently burning more calories than you eat, muscle gain will taper and fat loss will continue. The scale will eventually capture your results and you will lose weight.

Tips for Weighing In

Be sure to weigh yourself at least once a week. Those who have lost weight and kept it off check their weight on a weekly and even daily basis.  To minimize fluctuations, follow these tips for weighing in:

Wear similar clothing each time
Use the same scale
Weigh in at the same time of day
Maintain similar eating and drinking patterns prior to weighing in
Weigh in mid-week if you only check your weight weekly. Monday weigh-ins tend to be inaccurate because of food choices and eating habits on weekends

Regular weigh-ins allow you to react to small gains so they don’t become large ones. Daily weighing has been shown to prevent weight gain.  If you want to know exactly how to adjust your intake or activity level on a daily basis, email me at sincitytraining@gmail.com

References
1. Wing R and Hill J. Successful weight loss maintenance. Ann Rev Nutr. 2001. 21:232-41.
2. Levitsky DA, Garay J, Nausbaum M, Neighbors L, DellaValle DM. Monitoring weight daily blocks the freshman weight gain: a model for combating the epidemic of obesity. Int J Obes. 2006 Jun;30(6):1003-10.

by Registered Dietitian

You’re ready to get in shape. You’ve committed to an exercise program and stocked your kitchen with healthy food. Now it’s time to see results. Other than working out consistently and sticking to your nutrition plan, what else can you do to increase your chances of success?

While there’s no magic fat-loss fairy who’ll grant your wishes overnight, there are a few proven techniques you can use to boost your results and lose weight faster. Check ‘em out.

Burn more fat during your workouts.

1. Crank up the intensity early. A study from the College of New Jersey found that people who work out harder during the first half of their workouts and ease up a bit in the second half burn up to 23 percent more fat than people who start out slowly. What does this mean for you? After you warm up (never neglect this or you may end up injured), bump up your workout intensity and give it your all. You don’t have to pace yourself so you can make it all the way through; take breaks as necessary later in your workout.
2. HIIT it hard. By now, you’ve probably heard that the one of the most effective ways to burn fat is with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves short intervals of maximum intensity cardio, followed by intervals of low intensity cardio or rest. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec have discovered that people who do HIIT can lose 3 times as much fat as those who do steady-state moderate cardio.
3. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps. Boost your metabolism long after your workout by training with heavy weights. As researchers at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education have learned, the heavier you lift, the greater the rise in your metabolic rate and the longer the boost will last. The result? Increased fat loss.
   Special note for women: Don’t be afraid to increase the size of your dumbbells! You don’t have enough testosterone to bulk up like the Incredible Hulk, and a lean, strong body will help you burn calories around the clock. Plus toned and shapely muscles look beautiful and give your body symmetry.
4. Lift lighter weights for more reps. Wait . . . what? Didn’t I just tell you that you have to lift heavier to burn more fat? It’s true that training with heavy weights for fewer reps will burn more calories post-workout and give your physique a much more dramatic transformation. But there’s also a benefit to using lighter weights at higher reps. For one, you burn a lot of calories during your workout. And if you’re very out of shape or haven’t lifted weights in a while, going lighter will help you condition your muscles and joints and help you prevent injuries.
5. Stay in shape. Once you become physically fit, keep it up. The more active you are, the better your body is at burning fat. According to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, you can avoid regaining belly fat by exercising as few as 80 minutes per week. Keep stoking your fat-burning furnace with regular exercise and good nutrition, and you’ll be lean for life.
   Let your kitchen help you burn fat.
6. Get your omega-3s. Fish and fish-oil supplements are helpful fat-burners because of their high levels of omega-3 fats. Two recent studies in Iceland and Australia demonstrated that people who consume fish oil burn more fat than people who don’t. Additionally, the Australian study showed that when fish oil is combined with exercise, the results were even better. To promote fat loss, take one or two omega -3 capsules with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
7. Don’t cut calories too quickly. You know that in order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories. But dropping them too quickly can cause your metabolism to slow down, because your body thinks it’s starving and desperately holds onto fat. A dramatic reduction in calories can also lead to what author Martha Beck calls “famine brain,” a condition in which your poor starved brain starts to freak out and all you can think about is food until you go nuts and eat everything in sight. The stress makes you much more likely to binge and end up fatter than ever. So what’s the easiest way to cut calories gradually and keep your sanity?Try cutting your total calorie intake by 250 calories per day. Give it a couple of weeks and see if you like the results. If you’re losing weight, stick with it, and if not, cut out another 250 calories and reevaluate a couple of weeks later. If you’re already doing everything else I’ve mentioned in this article, you shouldn’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.
8. Drink green tea. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the catechins—antioxidant flavonoid compounds—found in green tea may stimulate the body’s fat-burning activity. You’ll get the most benefits from about 4 cups of green tea per day, but if you don’t want to drink that much, green tea extract supplements appear to have similar benefits. It’s kind of cool to think that you might be able to relax with a cup of green tea and burn fat at the same time!

Give these tips a try, and let us know how they work for you.

Whitney Provost

You may surprised by the fact that losing weight is not the main challenge for most people. Keeping it off is much more of a struggle. In fact, only a small percentage of those who lose at least 10 percent of their initial body weight manage to sustain their results.(1)The remaining majority regain all of the weight lost within three to five years.(2,3) This is likely due to the way many individuals go about losing weight – short-term, or fad diets. The issue with diets is that they tend to be a temporary fix and the eating rules are difficult to sustain. Although you lose weight initially, once you resume your old habits, the weight comes back and often more. It is simply unnatural to cut out whole food groups and drastically cut calories – our bodies will fight it. For you to lose weight and keep it off for good, you’ll have to adjust your food choices and activity level permanently. That means the changes you make should be something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. And they don’t have to be earth shattering. Perhaps you switch regular soda for water save 200 calories a day. And maybe you add a 15 minute walk twice a day and burn 200 more calories, but the bottom line is they’re doable for life. Remember, the only proven method to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in, and research shows that different eating patterns, whether high-carb, low-carb, low-fat or high-fat, can all yield results as long as you burn more than you take in.(4) Only you can determine what works best for you.

So how do you change or adjust your eating and activity habits? You must first be fully aware of your body’s needs and what you’re doing now – and you probably aren’t. Studies show that most people:

Don’t know how much to eat to maintain their current weight
Believe  they eat less than they actually do
Have no idea they take in extra calories in different situations
Slowly gain 1-3 pounds a year during adulthood until they are overweight or obese
The solution to becoming aware of your food choices and how much you’re eating is to simply pay attention by tracking everything you consume. When you track what you eat, you can’t help but notice the types of foods you’re eating, the calories in those items, and how your choices affect your weight, appetite and energy levels. Your dotFIT online program shows you the number of calories you should eat daily to reach your goal, and by tracking your calories it becomes clear when you need to make an adjustment. (If you don’t have a dotfit account email me your first and last name and i will register you for free.) Without knowing what and how much you’re eating – it’s difficult to make educated decisions. For example, if your daily calorie budget is 1,600 and you eat 1,000 for breakfast, you know you have 600 left for the rest of the day. At this point it’s clear that you’re probably eating too many calories at breakfast and it’s wise to adjust your food choices. You can adjust the portion size of that meal or the choose different foods that have fewer calories and hopefully more nutrients. Again, it’s your decision.

If you still need a reason to track your calories, here it is – you’ll get twice the results. A large study spanning almost 3 years showed that people who kept tabs of their daily food intake lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t.(5) In this day and age where food is everywhere any time of day and in very large quantities, you can’t afford to be unconscious of your choices. By paying attention to portion sizes, calories and nutrients in foods, you become equipped with new knowledge and therefore, new power to reach and maintain your goals. It is true that knowledge is power, but only if you use that knowledge by taking action.  Take action and start logging your food today.

[1] Wing R, Phelan S. Long-term weight loss maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005. 82(suppl):222S-5S

[2] Wadden TA, Phelan S. Behavioral assessment of the obese patient. In: Wadden TA, Stunkard AJ, eds. Handbook of obesity treatment. New York: Guilford Press, 2002;186-226.

[3] Dansinger ML, Tatsioni A, Wong JB, Chung M, Balk EM. Meta-analysis: the effect of dietary counseling for weight loss. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jul 3;147(1):41-50. Review.

[4] Sacks FM, et. al. Comparison of weight loss diets of different compositions of fat, protein and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009. Feb 26;360(9):859-73.

[5] Svetkey LP. Comparison of strategies for sustaining weight loss: the weight loss maintenance randomized control trial. JAMA. 2008 Mar 12;299(10):1139-48.

You’ve heard it before: “Eat your breakfast.” Should you eat in the morning? And what if your goal is weight loss? How does breakfast affect your ability to burn fat at the gym?

One of the interesting things about the fitness world is the prevalence of fitness myths. Some of these seem to make sense and may be based upon an incomplete understanding of the human body and metabolism while others outright ridiculous.  This article will look at one such myth, whether one should eat prior to morning workouts.

The Myth: Working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will maximize fat burning, since muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) is low.

We’ll start by looking at the rationale behind this plan of attack. Eight to 12 hours may pass between dinner or an evening snack until waking. During this time, the body is still operating and using calories, but no food or energy is going in. When you awaken, your body is in a “fasting metabolic state”. In other words, it has entered an energy-conserving mode (slowed metabolism) and is using body fat stores as the primary energy source due to the decreased level of muscle and liver glycogen.

Eating begins to bump up your metabolism thus breaks this fasting state (hence the word used to describe the morning meal, “break- fast”). The myth states that since glycogen, a preferred fuel source for muscles, is low, the body will use its fat stores to a greater degree. So far the myth appears to make sense.

There are several related myths that tie into this idea, and it is worth looking at them first, as they are often used to build the flawed case for the topic of this article:

Insulin is bad and stores fat. Fat is not made out of nothing. Insulin, a hormone, is not responsible for creating fat out of thin air and depositing it in your trouble areas. Is it possible that people gain weight because they are simply eating too much? Of course. Insulin is just a guy doing an essential job inside the factory that is the human body. Like working an assembly line that keeps running until someone turns it off, insulin will store things, including amino acids, in muscle, and will keep storing even if it’s already got more than enough. But the point is someone is in charge of that assembly line and can choose to turn it off or slow it down by not overeating.

Low intensity exercise uses more fat than high intensity exercise. As a percentage of calories burned, yes…this is true. But the total calorie burn per minute is low. At rest you are burning the greatest percentage of calories from fat. As soon as you pick up the pace, CHO (carbohydrate) begins to make a greater contribution. Knowing this, does walking lead to more fat loss than running stairs for the same allotted time? No. At higher intensities, even though the percentage of fat used is lower, the total calorie burn and daily fat burn will be higher. Higher intensity exercise is associated with an increased calorie and fat burn for many hours after the session. This is called exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC).

Food eaten in the evening will end up as fat on your body. If that were the case, then if you ate nothing all day but one apple before bed, it would turn to fat and you would gain weight. There is no enzyme in the body that is time sensitive and forces calories eaten after 7 pm to be stored as fat. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you could set your alarm for 1 am, get up and eat a meal, go back to bed and still lose weight. As long as you maintain a calorie deficit, you will decrease fat stores and lose weight.

Let’s get back to the initial topic of maximizing calorie burning with exercise to increase weight loss. Performing high-intensity cardiovascular exercise has the most significant contribution to calorie burn. At higher but still aerobic intensities, one can burn twice as many calories (and fat) as cardio done at a lower intensity. Plus you have the benefit of EPOC (the increased calorie burning after intense exercise).

There is an old saying that “fat burns in a carbohydrate flame”. In other words, the body needs glucose (from carbohydrates) to prime the fat burning processes. With less than adequate glucose available to keep the machinery running, exercise intensity (and therefore calories burned) can’t be maximized. A clear example of this is when an endurance athlete “hits the wall”. Their performance suffers or ceases not because they ran out of fat stores, but due to a lack of glucose to keep fat burning efficiently.

So, here it is:  if you do not eat before you train/exercise, you decrease your body’s ability to maximize fat burning. And NOT just because your workout wasn’t as good as it could have been if you had more energy, but because you end up burning fewer calories all day. Why do performance athletes eat their biggest meal before training and consume a pre-workout snack? So their energy systems are full, allowing them to train at maximum intensities. Ultimately they will end up burning more calories all day (during the session and the subsequent recovery process) when compared to a less energized workout. Imagine being fully energized when you train or exercise and many more calories you will burn!!!

Weight/fat loss is determined by your daily caloric deficit

Exercise itself does not burn a great amount of fat no matter how long the activity. It is the contribution of exercise to a person’s total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), including the intensity, that affects fat loss. In other words, exercise simply adds to your daily calorie needs, and as long as you don’t consume more to compensate (keeping your intake below your needs) the body must draw on its fat stores and you’ll lose fat.

If you break the fast before you go to the gym, the body has the potential to perform better, enhance recovery and burn more calories. The higher the intensity of your workout (which you can now perform thanks to having filled your energy stores with a pre-workout snack), the more calories from fat you will use throughout the day in order to fill your energy deficit. The energy or calorie deficit, not the workout or when you eat, determines how much weight/fat you lose.

Make sure you don’t add calories – just time them properly

We’re not suggesting you add calories to your daily intake. Simply adjust the way you distribute your calories throughout the day. Spacing meals properly has added benefits, such as using more calories to digest each meal (after a meal the body has work to do in digesting and absorbing food), and a steady stream of nutrition (enhancing recovery and energy) as well as controlling hunger. Your first meal of the day breaks the fast and “fires up” the metabolism, so the sooner you do this, the better.

Getting the most out of your training

Eating before exercise is mandatory for performance athletes in order to enhance each training bout, recovery, and the final outcome. Therefore, ingesting part of your daily calorie allotment before exercise is a practice everyone should do. Proper pre-activity feedings can

• Fill energy stores before a workout (not by adding daily calories, but by redistributing them)
• Break the fast to boost metabolism and continue a constant flow of nutrients
• Increase workout performance: high intensity training burns two to three times more fat immediately post-exercise, thus greater total fat throughout the day
• Enhance recovery to improve maintenance or growth of muscle which also adds to your metabolic rate
• Increase daily non-exercise movements by never staying in a less energetic/fasting state beyond rising in the morning (i.e. having more energy makes you WANT to move more)

It takes calories to burn more calories, but don’t add extra calories – simply take the total daily calories you are allowed and distribute them properly throughout the day based on your activities.

Early morning training

In light of recent research regarding the benefits of ingesting a pre- & post-training snack containing protein, carbohydrate and low fat in a quick digesting form (e.g. dotFIT™ bar or shake), it would be a mistake not to have something prior to your workout. It is now VERY clear that immediate pre- & post-activity nutrition intake dramatically improves exercise-induced results, even when all else is equal (total daily diet, training and supplements). Skipping these important feeding times cannot be made up for at other times of the day. This immediate timing is crucial to maximize recovery and results, and any advantage is lost if meals are missed or delayed.

When training first thing in the morning, nothing changes as it relates to your pre/post-training nutrition. Simply ingest a dotFIT snack or shake 10-40 minutes before you train and repeat the snack immediately post-training.

Although liquid delivery allows for the quickest absorption (e.g. dotFIT shakes/mixes), all dotFIT foods meet the quick digesting criteria for taking advantage of the pre/post “metabolic windows”. It’s during these windows that nutrient sensitivity/uptake is highest, maximizing recovery including muscle building. Remember, do not add calories, simply redistribute them.

by dotFIT experts

The key to unlocking those washboard abs is NOT doing crunches. I repeat, it’s NOT about crunches, side bends or leg raises. It’s using nutrition to lose the layer of fat that’s hiding those wonderful abdominal muscles that we all have. In fact, all the crunches, side bends and leg raises in the world won’t make that fat layer go away without a solid nutrition plan. Here are a few simple steps to unveiling your awesome abs:

• Know your body’s needs. If you don’t know your body’s needs, it’s difficult to eat the right amount. (And most people don’t.) You can take a quick assessment to determine your daily calories needs at www.dotfit.com. Click the Free Fitness Profile button on the right.
• Eat the right amount. When it comes to getting lean, it’s all about eating the right number of calories for your body.  By eating fewer calories than you burn each day, you force your body to use that stored fat for fuel, allowing those abs to emerge. But don’t cut those calories too much, or your performance in the octagon and the gym will suffer. Your Free Fitness Profile will give you your daily calorie target for calories.
• Use a high-performance shake. Every athlete needs the optimal blend of fuel to consistently perform at their best. The ideal pre and post workout snack is in liquid form for quick digestion and absorption. It contains 150-350 calories (depending on your size), about ¼ of your weight in grams from carbs, 10-25 grams of protein and 1-5 grams of fat.
• Eat at the right times. Timing of your meals and snacks is critical to muscle repair and growth. Fueling up at the right times makes all the difference in the world. Space your meals at least 3-4 hours apart and be sure to fuel up properly before and after workouts. Research shows that having a high performance shake 10-40 minutes before and immediately after your workouts maximizes performance, recovery, muscle repair and results. If you train first thing in the morning, have your shake right when you wake up.
• Choose super foods. Get the most of every calorie by eating foods that fill you up, fuel your workouts and nourish your body. Whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, low/nonfat dairy, fruits and veggies are your best bet. At least half of your calories should come from carbs to fuel exercise and daily activity. Protein should take up at least ¼ of your calories and the rest from fat.
• Hydrate properly. Unless your workouts are longer than an hour OR you haven’t eaten in the last 3-4 hours, you don’t need anything other than water during exercise. Too many liquid calories can prevent you from losing fat and revealing your abs. Otherwise, a sports drink with 4-8% carbohydrate will give you the fuel you need for longer workouts.
• Take your daily multivitamin. No one eats perfectly all the time.  Use a quality multivitamin to fill the nutrient gaps in your diet.

What to Do if You Hit a Plateau

If or when you come to a plateau and your abs are not emerging, you need to make an adjustment to your food intake or activity level. You’ll have to eat less, move more or a combination of the two until you start shedding more body fat. Cut 100-300 calories from your intake and add more exercise or daily activities. Repeat the process as necessary and remember, you can’t spot reduce or control where fat leaves your body. By maintaining a calorie deficit over time, that is – burning more than you eat, fat will eventually leave from any difficult spot.

Feel free to contact me anytime.

Matt Hanson

Controlling your weight comes down to one thing – managing calories.  Your body is a complex machine that requires fuel to run your metabolism and perform all movement. Calories from the food and beverages you consume provide this fuel. If you burn all the fuel you take in, your weight will remain stable. If you end up with excess fuel that isn’t burned, it will be stored as body fat and your weight will increase. Similarly, if you burn more fuel than you take in, you’ll lose weight – it’s that simple. By managing the calories you take in and the calories you burn, you can successfully control your weight.

So why have the majority of adults become overweight or obese in recent decades? Taking in more fuel than the body burns mostly as a result of lifestyle changes. Manual labor is now performed by machines and computers. Very few calories are burned during our daily routine because work, transportation, recreation and entertainment are mostly sedentary. People eat out more frequently and enticing food is offered everywhere in large quantities, day or night. Because humans have a natural tendency to preserve energy and eat even when we’re not hungry, modern lifestyle easily leads to unburned fuel and unwanted weight gain.

Beware of the creeping waistline

Experts predict nine out of ten people will be overweight or obese at some point in their lifetime.   However, most people don’t realize they’re becoming overweight because it happens fairly slowly. The average yearly weight gain among adults is one to three pounds.  This means most people are off by only 20 to 30 calories a day.  Small changes such as skipping those last few bites or taking 200-300 extra steps per day will keep you trim and away from weight loss diets. But keep in mind as you get older, you’re likely to burn fewer calories because your daily routine changes.  Because of this, you’ll have to become aware of the calories you take in and how much (or how little) you move.  And to keep your weight in check, you’ll need to get on the scale or measure your waistline more than once a year. 

Boost your calorie IQ

One of the most effective weight control tools is tracking what you eat. An old fashioned pen and paper work just fine but online trackers also offer support and feedback. After a week or so, you’ll be amazed at how much you learn and your calorie IQ will get a huge boost. Those who consistently track what they eat lose more weight and are more successful at keeping the weight off.  Doing so will help you decide where to cut back – skip a regular 20 ounce soda and save 250 calories, switch from whole milk to skim milk and save 50 calories a cup, go for regular coffee instead of a regular blended drink and save 300 calories. If you’d rather reduce the portions of the foods you currently eat, that is a good option. Remember, small changes tend to be the most effective because they withstand the test of time. 

Check your surroundings

Scientific studies reveal that your surroundings influence the amount we eat.  The bigger the portions, the more you’ll eat. If you see or smell tempting foods, you’re likely to eat them. If you’re in a social setting, at a buffet or drinking alcohol, you’ll probably eat more. If you watch TV while you eat, you’ll overeat. So control your environment by limiting portion sizes, keeping tempting foods out of sight (and out of mind) and game planning before social events. For instance, you may decide to eat or exercise before the party.  In any case, be conscious of your environment otherwise you’ll take in more calories without even noticing it.

Step up your activity level

Every calorie you consume or have stored on your body can be burned through activity. If weight control is the goal, step up your activity level. Start by determining how active you are by using a pedometer to measure the steps you take. Gradually increase your daily steps any way you can – short walks, more chores, pacing while watching TV or talking on the phone and of course, climbing stairs at every opportunity. If you prefer the gym, that’s fine too as long as you’re burning more calories by working harder or adding to your regular workouts. Keep in mind that the more active you are, the more fuel your body burns. This means you can speed up your weight loss efforts or choose to eat more.

Monitor your progress and adjust

Monitor your progress at least once a week by weighing in or taking your circumference measurements. For accuracy purposes, it’s best to check your weight at the same time of day with the same clothing. Also, consider weighing in mid week because weight fluctuations tend to occur after a weekend of dining out or indulging. Because weight can fluctuate on any given day, judge your progress over time. If your results aren’t moving in the right direction after any two to three week period, you’ll need to adjust. Reduce the calories you take in or increase movement until you make progress.

Set goals and get support

Set a short term and long term goal and write them down.  In doing so, you make a commitment to yourself which helps propel you into immediate action. Healthy weight loss for most people is half a pound to two pounds per week but the more weight you have to lose, the faster you can lose it. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. Use the table below to determine how many extra calories you’ll have to burn or cut out of your diet each day for different weight loss goals.

Finally, get support from a friend, family member or from our online community. The key to weight control is managing calories, and by staying persistent and consistent you’ll eventually reach your goal.

References

1. Vasan RS, Pencina MJ, Cobain M, Freiberg MS, D’Agostino RB. Estimated risks for developing obesity in the Framingham Heart Study. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Oct 4;143(7):473-80.
2. Williamson DF, Kahn HS, Byers T. The 10-year incidence of obesity and major weight gain in black and white U.S. women aged 35-55. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991;53:1515S-1518S.
3. Zhang Q, Wang Y. Trends in the Association between Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in U.S. Adults:1971-2000. Obes Res. 2004;12:1622-32.
4. Hollis JF, Gullion CM, Stevens VJ, Brantley PJ, Appel LJ, Ard JD, Champagne CM, Dalcin A, Erlinger TP, Funk K, Laferriere D, Lin PH, Loria CM, Samuel-Hodge C, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Weight Loss Maintenance Trial Research Group. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight-loss maintenance trial. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Aug;35(2):118-26.
5. Kruger J, Blanck HM, Gillespie C. Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2006;3:17.
6. Wansink B, Painter JE, North J. Bottomless bowls: why visual cues of portion size may influence intake. Obes Res. 2005 Jan;13(1):93-100.
7. Wansink B. Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004;24:455-79. Review.
by Registered Dietitian
From dot fit.com

However, many foods and beverages contain water, which can make up part of this daily intake. Fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked vegetables, canned and frozen fruits, soups, stews, juices, and milk are all sources of water. Most fruits and vegetables contain up to 90 percent water, while meats and cheeses contain at least 50 percent. Metabolic processes in the human body generate about 2.5 liters of water daily.

Don’t forget you live in a dry desert climate so you need to increase your water intake by another one to two glasses, especially during the summer. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretic and will pull water out of your body.  So keep that in mind if you plan on getting a little tipsy the night before you workout.  Drink a glass or two of water before you go to bed and some more in the morning before you workout.

If you have a hard time drinking water, try adding lemon juice or ascorbic acid.  Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for vitamin C and can be found in liquid form at most health food stores and some grocery stores in the supplement isles.  Individuals with adequate vitamin C status oxidize 30 percent more fat during a moderate exercise bout than individuals with low vitamin C status; thus, vitamin C-depleted individuals may be more resistant to fat mass loss.

Effects of Dehydration

The effects of dehydration begin with thirst and progress to more alarming symptoms as the need for water becomes more intense. The initial effects of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of its total fluid.

Some of these mild dehydration effects are often, but not limited to:

• Thirst
• Loss of appetite
• Dry skin
• Flushing
• Dark colored urine
• Dry mouth / Cotton mouth
• Fatigue / Weakness
• Head rushes

If the dehydration is allowed to continue, when the body experiences fluid loss of 5% the following more severe dehydration effects are normally experienced:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiration
• Decreased sweating
• Decreased urination
• Increased body temperature
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Tingling of the limbs

When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! This level of fluid loss is often fatal! The effects of severe dehydration include:

• Muscle spasms
• Vomiting
• Racing pulse
• Shriveled skin
• Dim vision
• Painful urination
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures
• Chest and Abdominal pain
• Unconsciousness

Be aware that these are not the only effects caused by dehydration; these are simply the most common. Effects of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone is unique. When these systems are disturbed due to loss of fluids there will be several common effects shared by most bodies, but there may also be unusual or unexpected responses depending on the particular person in question. Age also plays a part in the type of effects experienced due to dehydration. Effects of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group.

So DRINK WATER!  And stay healthy.

Matt Hanson

Sincitytraining.com

America is one of the fattest countries in the world. Two thirds of the US population is overweight; one third of the population is obese. It’s no wonder weight loss is on peoples minds. Meal portion sizes are out of control, and the quality of food continues to slide. We have sacrificed the quality and nutrition in our food, for speed and convenience. Year after year, the number of people overweight and obese increases. The scary thing is that obesity is happening at a much younger age; kids are watching more TV and playing more video games, physical education and sports have been cut from schools, soda machines and unhealthy cafeteria food is a staple in this country. Parents have not been good roles models for health and fitness, and their children are paying the price. This is why there has never been a better time than now to take back control of your weight and health. It’s the start of a new year and your journey to a new body.

Here are a 6 ways to make your weight loss a life-long change.

1. The first thing you need to do is find out where you are starting. Take measurements of your waist, hips, chest, thighs and anywhere else you would like to see improvement. Weigh yourself, and get your body fat percentage. Have someone take before and after photos. Make sure you get the front, side and back. To see the most dramatic changes wear as little clothing as possible, such as a bathing suit. If you choose to use a personal trainer, many should facilitate all of this for you.

2. Set measurable, realistic goals for both short and long term. Studies have shown people will continue to strive for their goals if they have a way of measuring their progress. The issue with not setting measurable goals, is when you start to see results, you may slack off or stop completely. If you are consistently working towards a long term goal, you will be less likely to quit until it is achieved. For example: Instead just having a goal of losing weight- be specific; “ I want to lose ten pounds and two inches off my waist by February 1st” or, “I want to lose 50lbs and be a size 8 by July 1st”.

3. You have to Exercise – Dieting alone is not enough. Much of the weight you lose from diet without exercise will be muscle. Exercise is important because of the significant health benefits, such as, reduces stress, increases energy, and lowers blood pressure and your resting heart rate. Your heart is a muscle and will actually grow and become more efficient with exercise, reducing the instance of heart disease.

4. Seek the help of a professional. There are many professionals out there to support you in your health goals; the key is to finding the right one(s). Look for an experienced Personal Trainer- Do your homework with any professional, meet them, ask questions about their qualifications; not all personal trainers are the same. Most have different philosophies on how to get you to your goals; you are going to be spending a lot of time with the person so you want to make sure they are a good match for you. The great thing about this is many trainers offer free consultations.

5. Look for someone to help you with your diet, seek a qualified Dietician or Nutritionist. Some personal trainers may be qualified depending on their education and experience. Find what will work for you and your lifestyle; this should not be a fad diet or anything you won’t do for long term, this new diet should be a lifestyle change that is life-lasting.
6. Keep working towards your goals, don’t be discouraged if you fall off the wagon, get back on! You’re bound to make mistakes- keep in mind the changes you make are lifelong, and you want them to last. It’s OK if you had a piece of birthday cake or miss a workout; the important thing is that you don’t continue with your old habits. Move forward and forgive yourself – this is the process to your new life and new body!

Follow these rules and your weight loss goal will be much easier to attain. Remember, health and fitness is a way of life. Best of luck to you! Feel free to contact me anytime to answer any of your questions.

These are still worthy aspirations and will be achieved through this plan. But I’ve found that if people don’t set specific goals, they don’t maximize their results. Once they drop a few pounds or drop an inch or two, it’s easy to rationalize missing a workout, because they’ve already reached those modest goals.

These are not just physical goals but also performance goals. For instance, if you play golf, this program could easily add 20 yards to your drive. Or running a mile in under eight minutes. Goals should be both short term and long term.

Sample Goal Format

Goal One (6 weeks) _____________________________________________________________________

Goal Two (3 months) ____________________________________________________________________

Goal Three (6 months) ___________________________________________________________________

Goal Four (1 year) ______________________________________________________________________

Goal Five (18 months) ___________________________________________________________________

Goal Six (2 years) ______________________________________________________________________