Top 10 Best in Fitness from Global Health and Fitness
1. Get Active. Stay Active
For fat loss, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Therefore, your fat loss efforts aren’t limited to your exercise routine. How active you are throughout the day affects how healthy you are by improving your metabolism and increasing the number of calories you burn. Maximize every opportunity to be active. You can greatly increase the amount of physical activity your body gets by making small lifestyle changes. Here’s a few simple examples:
• Get in the habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Park a good distance from the entrance to the store or the mall.
• Take a brisk walk after lunch before returning to work.
• Choose a hike or a bike ride instead of a movie.
• Keep your athletic shoes in the car so you’re always prepared.
These don’t take a lot of extra time and are well worth the extra effort. Besides burning additional calories and “jump-starting” your metabolism, these changes keep us focused and productive, moving in the right direction to a healthier lifestyle and better, long-term results. You might be interested in using our free Calorie Calculator. It will tell you how many calories your body uses for more than 70 different activities.
2. Don’t Get Stuck in a Plateau
For long-term success, you need to learn how to overcome training plateaus. Ideally, you want to always be going through a momentum phase in which you try something new and “shock” your muscles, forcing them to make gains. Eventually, however, you will come to a point in your training where you either get bored or stop seeing results.
When this happens, it is crucial that you change what you are doing. This is the time when you need to get creative by incorporating something new into your program. You can make effective changes in your program in many ways: trying new or alternate exercises, changing the order that you train your muscles or the order of the exercises, trying the effective techniques we teach in our award-winning Online Fitness Program, for example.
3. Limit Sugar Consumption
There are two main problems with consuming too much sugar: It adds up quickly to a lot of calories consumed and sugar contains very little nutritional value. People who replace nutritionally-rich carbohydrates like grains, beans, potatoes, vegetables, etc. with refined sugar are getting poor nutrition. And those who eat foods high in refined sugar are likely to gain weight, both from the extra calories as well as sugar’s propensity to be easily converted to fat by raising insulin levels.The calories and total grams of carbohydrates from foods high in refined sugar add up more quickly than those from potatoes, beans, rice, veggies, and other carbohydrates because:
• Sugar is a very concentrated source of carbohydrate so it’s easier to eat more calories.
• Sugar has a very pleasant taste; it is easily overeaten out of enjoyment and often used for comfort.
• Sugar keeps bad company; many foods high in sugar are also high in fat, such as pastries, cookies, ice cream, and other sweets.
• Sugar is often consumed as beverages - sodas, juices, punch, etc. A large soda can contain more than 300 calories!
It is important to realize that all caloric sweeteners, including cornstarch, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, honey, and many others, are sugars too. What’s more, the word “sugar” may not appear in a food product’s ingredient list. But if you look at the ingredients, and one of the many forms of sugar is the first or second ingredient, you’ll know that this is a primary substance in that product and thus not a good source of nutrition.
Sugar can also be a main ingredient of the product, even though it does not appear first or second on the ingredient label. Rather it may be included several times in the list in different forms. The following is a list of other forms of sugars that you should be aware of when reading labels: brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, corn sweeteners, turbinado, raw or white sugar, molasses, maple sugar, maltose, levulose, lactose, invert sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, granulated sugar, fructose, galactose, glucose, and dextrose.
A diet lower in sugars and higher in complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein is almost always lower in fat, lower in calories, higher in energy, and higher in vitamins and minerals. These factors, working together, contribute to a lower rate of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and tooth decay. It’s okay to eat sugar as a treat, but do so in moderation.
4. Eat a Good Post-Workout Meal.
The snack or meal you have after your workout is the most important of the day, as it provides the fuel your body needs to maximize the time and energy you put into your routine. Equally important, it helps deliver important nutrients to your muscles. Your post-workout meal should contain the following:
• A lean complete protein, such as chicken, fish or whey protein
• Only a little fat (preferably unsaturated)
• A complex carbohydrate, such as fruit, oatmeal, rice cakes, potatoes, etc. - preferably one that is “natural,” not processed.
Why lean protein?
During a brief window of opportunity after your workout, protein synthesis occurs at the highest rate. This is due to the micro-trauma (broken-down muscle tissue) that occurred during the workout session. Complete recovery can only take place if you provide your muscles with a large supply of amino acids from protein foods or supplements within 60-90 minutes after the workout, then every three waking hours thereafter until complete recovery is achieved. Whey protein is the very best post-workout food because it is so rapidly absorbed, and it has the highest efficiency ratio, or availability to the body, of all the protein sources.
Why only a little fat?
When choosing a post-workout protein source, you should select one that is relatively low in fat, i.e., less than 10 grams per serving for most people. This is not the best time for a big steak or other high-fat, protein-rich food. Fat slows the absorption of the protein and the carbs.
Why complex carbohydrates?
During your training session, you deplete your muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and you must replenish it promptly for complete recovery and to ensure that you are supplied with energy for the next training session or activity. Complex, natural carbs such as brown rice, potatoes, rice cakes, yams, oatmeal, fruit, etc., are good choices for after your workout.
5. Eat Carbohydrates and Proteins Together.
It is important to balance meals and snacks by consuming carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich foods together. A meal with carbohydrates alone often results in our becoming hungry sooner because glucose levels shoot up and then crash down. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and weak. When protein is included, you will not only stay full longer, but glucose levels will stay more consistent and you will feel energized for a longer period.
It is important to understand how protein and carbohydrates interact with each other. Each food nutrient is broken down at different times. Carbohydrates are digested in about two hours. Proteins take longer to digest, and when the two are combined or eaten together, protein slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, and the energy from carbohydrates is released more slowly. Protein actually slows down the release of glucose from carbohydrates into the bloodstream. For example, a meal of carbohydrates, such as soup, bread, and salad would result in hunger soon after the meal.
On the other hand, eating protein-rich foods with carbohydrate-rich foods stabilizes the glucose. This keeps us feeling energetic and satisfied until the next meal. In addition, when carbohydrates are used as energy, they spare proteins from being used as energy so they can be used to build and repair tissues. A balanced lunch that includes a protein source, such as a chicken breast with salad, will provide and sustain energy. For us at GHF, a meal is not a meal if it doesn’t contain both a lean, complete protein and a complex carbohydrate. We feel that this is so important to your success that The GHF Customized Diet Plan (now FREE with membership) follows this guideline closely.
6. Try Carbohydrate “Cycling” for Maximum Fat Loss.
There’s no question that a low-carb/high-protein approach can be effective for many people. However, often the disadvantages seem to outweigh the benefits. Fortunately, there is a solution to these problems: “carbohydrate cycling.” In fact, much of the GHF Customized Diet Plan is based on this very effective strategy, which may just be the most effective method of losing body fat ever devised! This technique has been a well kept secret of bodybuilders and fitness models, but it can be used by just about anyone to accelerate fat loss or break a fat-loss plateau.
Carbohydrate cycling is the practice of rotating lower carb days with higher carb days instead of keeping carbohydrate consumption at a constant. This method allows you to burn fat at an accelerated rate during the lower carb days and then to replenish your glycogen (carbohydrate) stores on the higher carb-consumption days. This helps to prevent your metabolism from slowing down and makes your nutrition plan easier to stick with because your diet is more varied and you have a higher calorie/higher carb day to look forward to and enjoy. We explain this amazing technique and how to customize it for your need in The GHF Customized Diet Plan.
7. Choose Natural Carbs instead of Processed
If you want the best nutrition and weight-loss results, you would be wise to avoid or consume only moderate amounts of processed carbohydrates. This includes white sugar and nearly all products made from white flour including baked goods, bread, crackers, pretzels, pasta, bagels, and so on. Switching mostly to natural, unprocessed carbs like vegetables, oatmeal, yams, brown rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, etc., provides higher nutrition.
You can consume small amounts of sugar and refined carbs and still lose weight as long as you continue to burn more calories than you take in each day. But, as mentioned above, the high calorie density of refined carbs isn’t the only reason to avoid them. Refined carbohydrates provide reduced nutritional value and can have an adverse affect on insulin levels, which adversely affects fat loss, among other things. You shouldn’t just be concerned with the number of calories you eat each day; you should also consider the quality and nutritional value of those calories. Your goal is to get the most nutritional value out of every calorie you consume.
8. Choose the Right Portions for You
When deciding portion sizes for each meal, take a conservative approach. When preparing portions for myself, I always choose a little bit less than I think will satisfy my hunger and cravings. If I don’t get quite enough, I can always go back for more. But if I eat too much, it’s too late. I have already given my body more fuel than it can use for energy, and it will likely store the excess as fat.
Thus, a very important key to my success has been striking a good balance between eating enough to satisfy me and to provide my body with the nutrients it needs to improve my energy, increase muscle strength, and keep my metabolism revved up, etc. But I try not to eat so much that my body can turn the unused food into fat. This is a skill that takes practice, but once perfected, it will go a long way in helping you achieve the results you want.
A helpful hint:
If you find that you haven’t served yourself enough food, before going back for seconds, take a breather. Give your body 10-20 minutes to decide if you really are still hungry or if you are already physically or psychologically satisfied. Also, don’t feel as if you must eat everything on your plate. When you start to feel comfortably full, stop and save the rest for another snack or meal. Instead of wolfing everything down, take time to savor your meal; you will notice signals of fullness much easier.
Eating more slowly, pausing throughout the meal, drinking a glass of water, and waiting before taking a second helping are not tricks to get you to eat less but rather ways for you to develop sensitivity in detecting hunger and fullness. They are strategies to encourage attentive eating that is more likely to be satisfying. Listen to your body with regard to physical and psychological hunger. This will help you distinguish between what you really want and what you think you want due to habit. Once you’ve mastered this skill, you will be greatly empowered…and get better results.
9. Be Prepared
You may have a tough time preparing healthy and effective meals in the morning before heading off to work. Or perhaps you come home too tired to put something together. A strategy that has helped me stay focused and on track is what I call my “Sunday/Wednesday Preparation.” I cook and prepare all my foods and snacks for the next 3-4 days, usually on Sunday and Wednesday (sometimes Thursday). I bake or grill all my lean meats, such as fish, chicken, or turkey, for my favorite of the GHF recipes (e.g., Chicken & Spinach Salad, Fish Tacos). I cut up all the vegetables for my daily salads, bake a few yams and potatoes, hard-boil a dozen eggs, and so on. This way, in the mornings before work, I can quickly put together all the meals for the day and have them ready to eat as soon as I am hungry.
I also get all my snacks ready and put them in convenient places where I’ll be throughout the day, such as at my desk, in the glove compartment in my car, or in my gym bag. For example, I’ll cut up small pieces of a protein bar for my High Protein Oatmeal - Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar; cut up vegetables and put them in zip lock bags; put peanut butter, cottage cheese, and/or hummus in small containers. This way I always have a healthy, convenient snack ready to eat whenever I start to feel hungry. This keeps kept my energy level up, my metabolism working more efficiently, and prevents me from getting so hungry that I lose control and make unwise food choices or overeat.
Perhaps you don’t need a lot of variety in your diet. If this is the case, you may want to mix and match the meals throughout the week’s list to develop a daily plan that works for you. But regardless, I recommend that you have these meals prepared, if possible, before starting your day. Otherwise it’s just too easy to grab the quickest, most convenient foods accessible (e.g., fast food, junk food at the office, etc.) without putting some important thought into the foods you eat.
By having healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks already prepared and ready to eat, it is simply much easier to stay on track to reaching your goals. This advanced preparation strategy has been absolutely critical to my success and to the success of many of our members - and I think it will be for you too.
10. Listen to Your Body, Experiment, and Customize for Your Needs
As with exercise, you should continually experiment to discover what works best for you with food. Creating the right diet plan should be a process of trial and error: ongoing experimentation with portion sizes, food combinations, eating at different times of the day, etc. This will take time and practice on your part. Prepare to be flexible and willing to learn from your mistakes. Every time you experiment with an open mind, you have an excellent opportunity to improve. Take advantage of this!
Many diet plans tell you what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it. This does not teach you how to attend to your own cravings, desires, or hunger. This teaches you nothing about living and feeling healthier and happier. Everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, and eating patterns. You will only become successful when you learn to respond to your own feelings and not to what someone else says is right for you. It is critical that you learn how to be aware of and attend to both feelings of hunger and fullness, and learn what will satisfy you both physically and psychologically.
Your own body, not someone else’s routine, is the very best guide for how much you need to eat. Try to get in the habit of tuning in to your internal cues of hunger, and not just eating the amount of food you think you should, or tuning in to external cues like the sight or smell of food. It’s okay to eat any amount of food to feel both physically and psychologically satisfied. But you must learn to stop when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
Your Health and Mine |