Show me the Money!

 

Show me the Money!
 

One of the most asked questions I get is "how do I lose body fat while magically putting on muscle at the same time?" As well as the "can I get a six pack in two weeks?" questions. The answer to these inquiries are usually no, but if I agreed with the naysayers I would be lying, at least a little.

I'm going to say this one time, and I hope you shout it from the rooftops. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Poor nutrition leads to poor body composition, poor performance on daily activities, health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and can even cause irregularity! Read the following tips on taking your health to the next level. You might be shocked with what you see!


Tip #1: Most diets do not "keep the weight off" 

American diet tradition is to suffer for a few weeks of eating salads and going without bread, losing a few pounds, then reverting back to your old eating habits. Plain and simple, if you eat like you are 200 pounds you will end up weighing 200 pounds. Figure out what caloric intake your body needs to sustain itself and do not cross that line after you have reached your dream weight.

Tip #2: Most individuals believe cardio is the key source for fat loss and fitness

Cardio does not actually burn fat that well. Just think about it. How many shredded marathon runners have you seen? Remember high school Cross Country and how a lot of overweight students would join the team, work hard every day, and finish the season still overweight? And why was everyone on the track team jacked? Anaerobic vs. Aerobic training is the answer. Anaerobic, meaning without oxygen (sprints, lifting), and Aerobic, meaning with oxygen (running, boxing) are responsible for shaping certain athletes in certain ways.  Anaerobic training has been increasingly noted for being leaps and bounds better than aerobic exercise for burning fat and keeping on lean muscle mass.  Aerobic training should still be included in any fitness and weight loss program but should never be the primary actor. Basically, resistance training is critical to achieving the sculpted and toned body you want.

Tip #3: Typical weight loss is from water weight or muscle tissue, NOT FAT

"Hey honey look, I'm ten pounds lighter!" More likely than not you are also ten pounds weaker too and still just as fat as you were. A juicing cleanse might make you look thinner for a week but the same amount of fat cells still exist in your tissue after the cleanse. Just be aware that if you lose 10 pounds in a week do not expect it to stay off long. A proper diet is one that you can easily and comfortably live with on a daily basis that supports strong muscles and low body fat at the same time.

Tip #4: Don't give up if you do not see progress

Gains take a minimum of a few weeks to significantly notice, however slight changes should be noticeable within the first five days if the diet and exercise program compliment each other nicely. It is wise to seek out a personal trainer or hang out with that one gym junkie friend of yours to make sure you know what you are doing and to stay motivated. My general rule of thumb is that if you are not seeing progress after two weeks then something needs to be tweaked.

Tip 5: One Apple can have up to 30 carbs, a banana up to 20, three-four strawberries up to 18

A low carb diet would be under 40 a day! Your so called "healthy" apple was 3/4s of your daily limit of carbs! Now there is nothing wrong with fruit as it has plenty of desirable aspects that our bodies need to thrive. However, the high-sugared treats are best served in moderation.


Tip #6: FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT!

Obesity is not the cause of health problems like we once believed.  If eating food makes you fat then eating would be the cause and becoming fat would be the effect, right? Well, obesity for the longest time has been blamed for heart disease, diabetes, strokes, etc. However, obesity is merely one of the symptoms of insulin resistance caused by excessive consumption of carbohydrates. This is essentially pre-diabetes. Eating too many carbs can damage receptor sites in the cells as well as fill up your carb tank. Once your carb tank is full, until your body breaks them down all excess carbs will be stored in NEW fat cells created just for those spillover carbs. Shockingly enough.. the most effective weight loss and muscle building diets recommend increasing the amount of fat you eat and decreasing the carbs.

Tip #7 You get good at what you do

If you work hard often, not only will you feel like working hard more frequently, but you will actually be good at it.  If you lay around when you get home from work or school everyday then you will get good at laying around every afternoon. People always struggle with eating healthy because they find it more difficult than eating poorly/normal.  Healthy people find it uncomfortable to eat poorly as it makes them feel disgusting. Start eating right and when it gets hard don't give up! Eventually, it will become second nature.


To sign up for personal online coaching send me an email at jgrits94@gmail.com and we will identify our goals and find very reasonable rates.