Extra protein does not automatically make extra muscle. In fact, if you eat more protein than your body uses, it will likely be stored as fat. Protein does help aid in recovery from your workout, but for the vast majority of consumers, they serve as an unnecessary expense.

Jerome Biggers
Jbiggers@couturebodies.com
www.couturebodies.com
www.220grouptraining.com
Twitter @couturebodies

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When a woman is in a relationship, she almost always gains weight. You and your man spend more time together and less time at the gym – eating out more, and sharing bottles of wine and dessert. And if your guy is eating more and more often, you can end up munching when you’re not even hungry. Before you know it, you’re taking in 500 extra calories a day and gaining one pound a week!
Following are some ways your significant other is unknowingly undermining your diet, and how you can balance that tipping scale.

You Constantly Eat Out

When you’re single, you tend to prepare healthy foods at home. But once you’re in a relationship, it’s decadent dinner dates followed by caloric brunches. That’s bad news for your waistline: A recent analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories. And that doesn’t include apps, sides, and dessert.

The fix: Eat in. Instead, cook together. It can be intimate and food is very sensual, especially when you take turns tasting it. Plus, of course, you can control the fat and calories by using healthy recipes and ingredients that are low in fat. When you do dine out, eat a healthy snack that contains protein and fiber a few hours before your meal. Nonfat yogurt and a piece of fruit or a small bowl of cereal with low fat milk are smart choices.

You’re Constantly in Bed

Or on the couch. Or anywhere but the gym. Research shows that couples who live together for two or more years are less likely to be physically active, and the women are more likely to become obese. Relationships can be great and positive, but they can also affect your normal routine – You schedule more couple’s activities and have less time to yourself.

The fix: Get him involved. Women who exercise with a partner tend to lose more weight than those who sweat solo. Doing it together, makes it more likely for you to stick with it. So sign up together for a 5-K, go for a bike ride instead of watching a movie, or join the same gym. When you don’t feel like going, he’ll drag you there, and you’ll do the same for him.

You Match Him Bite for Bite

It’s tough to stick to petite portions when your dining companion downs 500 to 1,500 more calories a day than you do. A woman’s ability to recognize correct portions becomes distorted – You don’t recognize a normal-size serving anymore because you’re always eating with a guy who consumes huge platefuls of food. He might be able to get away with it (guys have more muscle mass, so they require more calories), but shoveling in all those extra forkfuls will eventually catch up with you.

The fix: Serve yourself less. Eat about three-quarters of what he’s eating. Sorry, but women burn 26 percent fewer calories than men do, so at that rate you’ll just about break even.

His Snacks Are Your Snacks

You might not buy chips for yourself, but when he leaves the bag out on the coffee table, you need supreme willpower to ignore it. A study found that women were more likely to adopt their partner’s eating habits than vice versa.

The fix: Know your options. You have two diet-friendly choices: Serve yourself a small amount of his snack and put it on a plate (dipping your hand into the bag over and over again leads to diet disaster), or have a portion-controlled, lower-calorie alternative on hand to munch while he takes down that bag of chips or pint of ice cream.

Source:

By Felicia Vance, BDO Staff Writer  (Blackdoctor.org)

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I was recently checking out Mike Vincent’s fitness blog HERE and stumbled across an article he had posted that caught my attention entitled “The Ultimate Workout Partner”

So here’s my take on this:

There are so many “Cons” when I think of workout partners (males or females) that I deem it counterproductive (but this is just my opinion).  My past experiences have not been the most positive.

For starters, it’s very seldom I stumble across a woman (African American to be exact) who even wants to workout or has the time to do so. The times I can remember going to the gym with female(s) were never beneficial to me because I was never able to get anything done. The females I’ve worked out with in the past were always novice gym-goers which meant they had little to no exercise/gym experience. Every five seconds it was “Buffie can you show me this” or “Buffie how do you do that.” I don’t mind offering my assistance but I normally don’t get any work done myself because I’m assisting other people the entire time. So if you’re going to go with a female(s) just make sure you choose someone who has knowledge of what they suppose to do when they get there.

MEN!? Bad mistake, especially if it’s your boyfriend or someone you’re dating.  At the time my boyfriend lived near Atlanta. So when I’d visit him we would go to his gym together.  When we arrived at the gym every morning, he and I would immediately split up and go our separate directions.  I would go to the machine area and he would go to the free weights. Around the time I was dating this dude, he was a lot more focused about working out than I was. So I wouldn’t dare interrupt him to ask for help because I didn’t want to seem like a hindrance during his gym workout.

Strangely, I always felt like he was watching me. So that made me feel uncomfortable and therefore I couldn’t concentrate on my workout like I should have been.  Then let me not forget the fact that he definitely didn’t approve of any of my workout attire (my attire was no different than any other female’s attire). He actually suggested that I wear baggy sweatpants and a big t-shirt to cover up more. Every trip to the gym ended in a heated argument all the way back to his place.  After I saw that there were no smoothing things out, I cancelled my membership and joined an all women gym.

That’s the best fitness move I could have ever made in my life!  Now, it’s all women and I feel at ease and comfortable. There are not a lot of sisters there but I’m cool with that too. I’m there to workout not socialize. I love to be around women doing their thang in the gym! It gives me even more motivation to go hard!!!

How do you feel about a workout partner? Please share your thoughts!

Hello my name is Alicia. I’m 22 years old and a couple years ago I found out that I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and the doctors told me that it was going to be hard for me to lose weight, so they put me on some medication called Metaformin 500mg.

I was taking it for a while and I went back to the doctor and they told me I had lost 13 pounds after that I continue to take them and I stopped because I had ran out and I didn’t have any money to get a refill. So I was without the pills for a long time and I had got some from a friend she was taking them also but her doctor switched her to a 1000mg. I started taking them again and stopped again so now I’m going to start back taking them but I need a good exercise plan and diet. My goal is to reach 138 lbs. and my current weight is 234.8 and I want to get my butt bigger and a flat stomach can you please help me?

Hello Alicia,
I understand how you must feel and I do have a few suggestions that may help.

Weight loss comes from using more calories than your body is taking in. The following formula is the key to successful weight loss:

Increased physical activity + Decreased calorie intake = Fat loss/Weight loss

Even if the doctor told you that it’s harder to lose weight because of your condition, that formula still applies to you and could very well help.  Yes, you may have to work a little harder at getting your weight down because of your condition, but your idea weight is still attainable.

The will power to stick to a plan is the hardest thing for most people.  My first recommendation would be to start recording the calories you’re taking in on a day to day basis.  There are a few websites that will make counting your calories much easier like:

http://www.my-calorie-counter.com

http://www.fitday.com

http://caloriecount.about.com

These website are great tools to keep a track of calories consumed, calories burned and how many calories are in certain foods you eat (even fast foods).  Once you know how many calories you’re consuming then you can start to modify/lower them gradually.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIY!   PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!   PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!!!!

Get active!!  Getting your heart rate up and becoming more active is so important to weight loss.  Whether it’s lifting weights, running, jogging, cycling, going up and down stairs, dancing, mowing the lawn, etc., you have to start somewhere.  But remember the harder you work the more calories you burn.  So it all lies in your determination as to how much weight you lose. The more you put in (dedication) the more you get out of it (reward).  Get you an IPod and go to work! You don’t need a gym to get fit. Find a track, lake, shopping mall or anything that allows you room to go jogging, brisk walking or stair climbing.  Your results depend on you and no one else.

Finding support groups amongst other women with PCOS may help tremendously with your weight loss goals. I did some research and found some helpful websites:

http://www.obgyn.net/pcos/pcos.asp?page=/pcos/articles/pcos_and_diet_mckittrick

http://www.soulcysters.com/weight_loss.html

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Here are some other articles that will help get you started:

USDA Food Pyramid:  http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html

Best Exercise for Abs:  http://bootynomics.com/archives/1332

Getting Rid of Belly Fat:  http://bootynomics.com/archives/560

You Do Want To Lose Weight Right?:  http://bootynomics.com/archives/517

Also check out my video page for various workouts:  http://bootynomics.com/categories/videos

Hopefully the articles along with my suggestions with help jump start your weight loss. Good luck

Buffie C.

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FORGET HAVING A FLAT STOMACH IF YOU’RE NOT DOING THIS!!!

A flat, defined abdominal wall is a universal symbol for sex appeal, virility, power, and youth. At one point in time almost every one of us has wanted a smaller, chiseled mid-section.

Your first inclination may be to think that doing a lot of sit ups will develop the type of abs you see in fitness magazines. Many of you may have given up hope of achieving a tight, toned tummy. Perhaps you’ve bought into the misconceptions myths about fitness, fat loss, and aging. Many people think that it is impossible to have defined abs in your 40’s and 50’s.

This simply is not the case.

Armed with a little information, and some will power, anyone, at any age, can achieve a tight tummy.

A tight, toned mid-section is about more than just looking good. It is also about having a strong, pain-free back. It’s about being able to do functional activities. It’s about being able to remain strong and independent into your 80’s, 90’s, and even 100’s.

It takes more than just doing effective ab exercises to develop a lean ripped midsection.

Everyone wants to know the best exercise for abs, but ironically, the exercise is only part of the formula.
You Must Lower Your Overall Body Fat Percentage with an Effective Fat loss Program That Includes Resistance Training, Interval Cardio, and Nutrition

Most of you already have a complete six pack. The problem is that it is covered up by the fat that lies on top of your muscle, underneath your skin. If you want to see the abs you already have, you need to get your overall body fat percentage between 8-12 percent (for men) and 10-14 percent (for women).

Your abdominal muscles are relatively small in comparison to other skeletal muscles. Seeing them is much more about bringing your body fat level down than it is about building them up.

An effective exercise program should include both resistance training (two or three times per week) and Interval Cardio (two to three times per week).

Resistance training should utilize body weight, and free weight exercises using barbells and dumbbells aimed at increasing the size of your major muscle groups. Your chest, legs, back, shoulders and arms are muscle groups you’ll want to focus on.

One of the best, most time efficient ways to lose body fat is to carry more muscle.

For every pound of additional muscle, your body will burn 50-70 calories more per day. Build 10 lbs. more muscle with an effective resistance training program and your body will burn 500 -700 calories more per day.

Interval cardio is also an effective way to burn extra calories. Interval cardio is short burst (60-90 seconds) of running, jumping, skipping, or body weight exercises that get your heart rate up above 150 beats per minute. Each interval challenge should be slightly more challenging than the last, and followed with a 1-2 minute recovery phase.

Interval cardio is better for fat loss than traditional aerobic type cardio (aka jogging) for several reasons. But the most important is that with interval cardio you get an after-burn of 4-6 hours. That means your engine stays revved up and burns more calories for a long time a after you are done with the interval session.

With aerobic type cardio (jogging), you only burn calories while you are exercising.

Fat loss nutrition is a very important part of a fat loss program. You can work out with the most effective exercise program in the world, but your body will change only minimally until you implement a healthy nutrition plan. The exercise is the spark and the food is the fuel for your metabolic fire. It is the combo together that will make you strong and lean.
Effective Abdominal Exercise Tactics

Most of us initially are taught that sit-ups will create abs. The more sit-ups you can do, the better your abs will look. Or so we think.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sit-ups are not an effective exercise to build up your abs.

The problem with sit ups is that the range of motion is too large and other muscles help out too much, namely your hip flexors.

So ditch the sit-up and use the “crunch”.

The key with the crunch is to slow down the tempo and limit your range of motion. By slowing down the speed of the crunch, it is easier to focus on just your abdominal muscles.

With the crunch, curl your chin toward your chest as you exhale. Focus on pushing the small of your back into the floor during the contraction. The contraction should last about 3 seconds, and just your shoulder blades should come off the floor. Take your head and shoulder blades back to the floor for a 3 count as you inhale. Then repeat.
Variety is the Spice of Life

Your abdominal muscles are slightly different than your other skeletal muscles. They need to work involuntarily 24/7 to help your core support you in order for you to stand and sit upright. Thus, they need even more variety than other skeletal muscles in order to grow.
How, and How Often

There seems to be a common misconception that you can work your abs every day. This is false. Even though your abs have a slightly different fiber type as discussed above, they still need to rest and recover after they have been worked.

If your abs are not sore for a day or two after you work them out, then you more than likely need to utilize new exercises. Your abs will become immune to a technique quicker than other skeletal muscles — usually within a couple weeks.

There are three major areas of your abdominal wall. Your have upper, lower, and side oblique’s.

1. Upper- Utilize crunching type movements where your head is curled down to stationary legs
2. Lower – Utilize leg lift and knee-pull type exercises where you pull your knee’s / legs up to a stationary upper body
3. Side Obliques – Use movements where you incorporate a twisting movement. Also a side bridge or plank type exercise.

A sample work out may be to pick one exercise that targets upper abs and do a set to failure. Then do the same for lower abs and side obliques. Instead of doing all three of them together, try to do one at the beginning, middle, and end of your resistance training session. That way you separate each set of abs by about 30 minutes during a 60-70 minute session.

You only need to work your abs 2 or 3 times per week. Use one exercise for a week or two at most, then switch it up with a new one. All you need is 3 or 4 exercises from each area to have a complete library to choose from.

Your Healthy Life Style Coach,
Darin L. Steen

SOURCE:

http://fitness.mercola.com