1. Not Planning Meals

Going anywhere without knowing what or when you’ll eat is a setup for making unhealthy eating choices. If you know you’re going to be out all afternoon, bring a piece of fruit, handful of nuts, a cheese stick, or a bag of crunchy cut-up veggies along with you. This will help you avoid feeling ravenous and being tempted to drive through fast food or grab quick, processed snacks.

Plan what you are going to have for lunch the night before, and if possible, bring your lunch with you to work, to school, or on your daily errands. Plan out your meals and snacks for the week, and head to the grocery store with a list of ingredients. Having a game plan for the week and being prepared will prevent your being caught off-guard and giving into tempting unhealthy food choices.

2. Rewarding Yourself with Food

Frequently treating yourself with desserts or another food treats can sabotage your health goals. Justifying a reward for your hard workout at the gym can negate your hard work and hinder your weight loss. If you want to treat yourself, go for a non-food reward like new workout pants, shoes, a massage, or even a pedicure. Practice this technique with children as well, so they do not associate food with reward. Food should nourish the body.

3. Letting Yourself “Starve”

This habit goes along with planning meals. If you know you are going to be away for a long time, or have a busy work day, bring some food with you. When we let ourselves go too long without eating, we are more likely to choose unhealthy foods – and overeat too much of them. Avoid this by eating something small about every 3-4 hours. This will help stabilize blood sugar and prevent blood sugar swings.

Ideally, you should pair a healthy carbohydrate, like a piece of fruit or some vegetables, with a lean protein source to keep blood sugar levels stable. Adding in a moderate amount of heart-healthy fats, like a small handful of nuts or ¼ avocado, with a protein and carbohydrate will also help keep hunger levels down.

4. Skipping Protein for Breakfast

You have probably heard the importance of eating breakfast in the morning. It is, of course, the most important meal of the day – especially for those trying to lose weight. However, including protein to breakfast may have an added advantage. According to a 2006 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, subjects who had a high-protein breakfast compared to a high-carbohydrate breakfast had significantly lower amount of ghrelin released. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates the brain to increase appetite. Therefore, it appears that protein can help you stay feeling fuller longer, compared to eating a mainly carbohydrate-rich breakfast.

Increase protein at breakfast by adding in some eggs or egg whites, nuts or nut butters, protein powders in smoothies or oatmeal, low-fat cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt.

5. Eating a Lot of Packaged “Diet” Foods

Pre-packaged foods can be an easy, convenient source of nutrition on the go. However, as with anything, overdoing the packaged foods may not be the best way to stay healthy. Labeled “diet” or low-calorie foods can still be high in things like sodium, saturated fats, sugars, unwanted preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Natural foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins have other components that your body actually needs, like antioxidants, non-synthetic vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Eat natural foods as much as possible, and when you are choosing packaged foods, check the ingredients label. If there are a lot of ingredients that you don’t recognize and can’t pronounce, that means there are a lot of chemical ingredients that may be hard for your body to break down. Choose packaged foods with most, if not all, natural ingredients.

Quinoa cooks up just like rice but has greater nutritional value. Half a cup (uncooked) provides about 300 calories, 11g protein, 5g fiber, and contains many minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Brown rice, wild rice, amaranth, and oats are other fantastic whole grains to have in your pantry.

Refined from whole grain brown rice, white rice is a nutrient-poor food. The fiber and germ, both beneficial, have been removed. You get about 350 calories in a half cup (uncooked) and only about half of the protein and fiber of quinoa. Minerals are lacking too – other than iron, which is artificially added.

Satisfying and full of protein and fiber, beans are your best choices for soups. Try black bean, split pea, and lentil varieties, and any added veggies are good, too. Look for low-sodium options.

Avoid “cream of” soups like mushroom, celery, etc. along with white clam chowders. High in calories, low in fiber, and full of unhealthy fats, these should not be eaten regularly.

Use applesauce in your favorite baked good recipes as a fat replacement. A half cup serving has only 50 calories. It’s also great as an oatmeal topping or just eaten as a snack. Choose applesauce that has no sugar added.

A highly refined food that contains 120 per tablespoon, vegetable oil has no place in a healthy pantry. Use a half cup in a brownie recipe, and that’s almost 1000 fat calories!

Lower in calories and made without fat, baked corn chips will satisfy your craving for something salty and crunchy. One cup has less than 2g fat.

Most tortilla chips are fried in oil. This adds a lot of unnecessary fat and calories to an otherwise decent snack made from corn. One cup has 7.5g fat.

This is how we were meant to tame our sweet cravings – with nature’s candy. Raisins, apricots, cranberries, dates, prunes, and pineapple are all filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber along with their sweetness. Be careful not to eat too many as they are calorically dense.

Gummy candies and jelly beans are the types of sweets that are best to not bring into your pantry. Empty calories from white sugar that provide no nutrients can cause unbalanced energy levels, leave you craving more food, and may contribute to weight gain and disease.

Corinne Goff

Sweet Beverages

Many people think of drinks as free passes. After all, if you don’t chew it, it can’t affect your waistline, right? Wrong! Consider soda. With so many calories and chemicals and virtually no health benefits, soda is among the most harmful things you can put into your body.

But what about your daily coffee run? Every morning, I see people carrying coffee and blended coffee-based drinks, some up to 24 oz. While plain black coffee is OK, many prefer lattes, cappuccinos, or adding sugar, milk, and cream to the hot beverage. Some even add whipped cream or chocolate shavings! Almost every additive contributes even more calories and fat. Think about the extra unnecessary calories you may be consuming each morning, and adjust your habit to include less sugar or cream. If you can’t choke down unsweetened black coffee, opt for plain black tea sweetened with stevia.

Another example of a not-so-great “health food” is 100% juice. Although I recommend fruit juice as a good alternative to water, drinking more than one small glass (6 ounces) per day adds unnecessary calories to your daily needs. Try reaching for real whole fruit instead, or dilute your juice with water to decrease the amount of sugar you consume.

Milk is a beverage I find can be a problem for children. People worry that lower-fat milk has fewer vitamins or minerals. This is not true – check the label, and you will find that everything is exactly the same except for fat and calories. Schools typically offer 1% chocolate milk and 2% white milk, making it difficult to really determine which one is better. I usually prefer less fat in my diet, compared to calories, but others may have differing opinions. For children, try limiting milk to 2 times per day, and aim for low fat.

Granola

I’m not sure why granola has such a good reputation for being healthy. While granola varies widely – some are made with whole grain oats, and others with more added sugars – the bottom line is that an excess amount of granola can be fattening. Most granola bars are high in sugar, and you will probably feel hungry shortly after you eat it. An excess of granola can actually make you gain weight.

Most granola cereals are high in fat and sugar. Look for the first ingredient to be whole grains, and find granola bars that are high in fiber. Most likely, these varieties will make you fuller longer. Try making your own granola using honey or a natural sweetener instead of sugar. A little granola as a topping or mix in for yogurt is OK, but remember to keep the portion small.

Crackers

Most people think crackers are better than cookies because they contain less sugar and sometimes less fat. However, crackers can be deceiving. Some popular brands have a buttery flavor that adds on the fat and calories. While cheese and crackers can be a good snack, this is only really true if they are whole grain crackers with low salt.

Avoid cracker sandwiches – the ones that come prepackaged with peanut butter or cheese in the middle. While these are a quick and easy snack, they are loaded with sodium, fat, and calories. Instead, make your own cracker sandwiches. Get creative! Add various vegetables as a topping or try different cheeses. Look for crackers that are high in whole grains and low in fat.

Yogurt

Cruising down the dairy aisle, there are so many varieties of yogurt that it would probably take you months to try all the different kinds. Greek-style, low-fat, light, whipped, creamy, and yogurt drinks… The options are endless. It makes choosing yogurt tricky. Yogurt is a great option for a quick snack and has loads of calcium that are beneficial for any diet. The problem is that so many different kinds means varying amounts of fat, sugar, and calories.

Yogurt drinks are typically the worst culprit. Yogurt drinks are packed with fruit and calcium – but also calories, sugar, and fat. Remove these products from your regular shopping list. Yogurts with “fruit on the bottom” may seem healthier since you see the whole fruit, but in reality, they are packed with sugar, usually adding 100 calories to a serving. Instead, choose yogurts that are already mixed, and find the non-fat varieties.

Greek yogurts are higher in protein, keeping you feeling fuller longer. As with regular yogurt, choose non-fat or low-fat varieties, and choose Greek yogurt that is already mixed to avoid the excess sugar. Your best option is to buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit.

Smoothies

While this could be part of the “Sweet Beverages” category, I feel smoothies deserve their own group. In speaking with patients, I find that most drink a smoothie because they feel it is a good way to get some fruit (or even vegetables) without having to eat them. A long time ago, this may have been true, but smoothies have become part of an elaborate industry, which usually means more calories.

When purchasing a freshly made smoothie, pay attention to the ingredients. For starters, you should not see much more than fresh fruit, 100% juice, and ice. An occasional splash of non-fat milk or yogurt is OK as well, but most smoothie places add ice cream, sugar, fruit juice (that may not be 100%), and fresh fruit that has already been sweetened. This adds a ton of calories and fat.

In addition, since it is a drink, most people assume that having a smoothie with a meal is a good idea. This is not true. In fact, smoothies are a meal replacement drink, meaning it should be the only thing you consume for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (depending on when you eat it). The safest bet is to avoid smoothies from a store, and instead make them yourself. Add some fresh fruit, juice, and yogurt to make it a satisfying meal. For a quick snack, drink only a small portion and store the rest in your refrigerator.

 
Rhea Li

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.

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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