Tag: Grains

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General Weight Loss Tips

Going Primal

I decided to delete my last post after a I received a comment from Richard over at Primal Fed. I always double check sites that leave comments mainly because I get so many spam comments. I started reading Richard and Amanda’s blog and l was intrigued by their success and recipes on the Paleo plan. Paleo is very much a factory-free plan and I just thought…why not start there?

I’d heard about the Paleo plan and did a little research months ago and qucikly decided that it wasn’t for me. This from the girl who used to down bun-free burgers, bacon and sugar-free sweets with wild abandon on Adkins. I lasted about 6 months and lost a lot of weight. And then I ate a biscuit. And well it was pretty much over from there. I did not (do not) want to go down that road again. So Paleo went on the back burner for me.

But yesterday I could not stop reading blogs about Paleo/primal eating. Blog after blog after blog. Thinking could I do this? Could I go down this road again, even if the road has been re-paved, the scenery much nicer? Could I face another holiday meal where I’m the one bring the “weird food” or having people asking me if I’m doing ahhhddkkiiiinsss again.

Paleo, is not primarily low-carb nor is it extremely restrictive. The foods that aren’t allowed are the same ones that (surprise) I have the most trouble not overeating. I’ve read recipe after recipe and most of my favorite foods are included. If not, there is a way to modify them. What I like most about Paleo is that it is about making real (dare I say) lifestyle changes rather than being on the latest fad diet.

You can read for yourself here, here and here. There are so many sites and blogs though.

There are ways to enjoy pancakes, suasage and gravy, and even pizza if you really need it. You can find recipe modifications for pretty much anything you enjoy eating.

Paleo is basic: no sugar, no grains, no legumes or beans, and no starches.

What you can have is pretty endless though. Most cuts of meat (there are debates regarding high fat vs/ low fat cuts), poultry, sea food,  vegetables, fruits (mostly the low sugar variety) and nuts. Some people still eat small amounts of dairy- I will be one of those people. Raw, organic butter, and cheese is recommended. I can have sweet potatoes, and cauliflower which have endless options and ways to cook. You can also have coconut milk and other coconut products- this is a big deal for me as I looove coconut milk for thai/indian food.

Another expection that I am making for myself (and my husband) is rice. Rice is not technically Paleo, but if I want to be serious about this, I can’t go long stretches without eating it. I’m justifying this choice by stating that 1) I do not have an issue with overeating rice. 2) I do not crave rice, this is not a trigger food for me 3) when I do eat rice I always measure it out in 1/2 to 1 cup portions 4) I eat brown rice at home (mostly) 5) I have never felt that sushi/maki was nothing but a healthful meal for me, I rarely get the Americanized versions (mayo, cream cheese, and tempura). This is not something I can justify cutting out of my life and it’s not a long-term solution for me. Rice isn’t a trigger food and is not the reason why I’m 150+ pounds overweight.

I will do a weekly progress report on Paleo and let you know how it’s working in the weight loss department. Another side effect of Paleo is productivity, energy and helps with depression.

Here we go!

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Weight Loss Exercise

Gain Muscle Weight Fast


Read a great review of the Fat Loss for Idiots program. See if you can lose 9 pounds in 11 days and what Cycled Eating is

There are a few things that you can do to gain muscle weight fast. The first thing to remember is that to gain muscle weight fast you need to take care of your diet, you need to train correctly and finally you need to rest very well so that you can make the most of those workouts.

Gain Muscle Weight Fast

Gain Muscle Weight Fast

In the last article I pointed out that most people do not use weightlifting as a form of exercise although it is critical to do this instead of just cardio to help drive up your metabolism. There are a few problems though. Most people as they try to gain muscle weight fast make the critical mistake of overtraining while also not eating and resting enough.

So lets look at the proper way for eating, resting and training to maximize gains and minimize overtraining in your quest to gain muscle weight fast.

Eating to Gain Muscle Weight Fast

Eating to gain muscle is critical. Every time that you work out you are going to be breaking down that muscle and you need water and protein to rebuild your muscle bigger and better to handle higher weights. Most people eat very little protein and lots of carbohydrates, especially grains and other white carbs instead of colored vegetables.

The best way to eat is as I have mentioned lots before is to have 6 meals a day. These meals are made up of getting all of your claories in one day and then break that up into six small meals. This means that your meals are a lot smaller than you may be used to.

The next thing to worry about is the amount of protein in each meal. Eat 20 grams or so of protein in each meal and then over time if you get really serious about becoming a serious bodybuilder then you would take this protein up to 30 or even 40 grams of protein in a meal. 20 grams of protein by the way would be something around half a chicken breast or 2 to 3 ounces of meat.

Lastly remember that if you are taking in this protein that you can not just substitute by eating a giant steak instead all at one time. Your body can not process that much protein at once and you will just pass it unused. With the price of steak and chicken we may as well be making the most of it instead of wasting it.

Resting to Gain Muscle Weight Fast

Rest is also critical when trying to gain muscle fast. You need to make sure that you are sleeping well and not being affected by stress as these two things are the really important actions to gaining muscle after a tough workout.

As you may or may not know the workout that gets you strong is only the fiest part of gaining muscle. The only time that oyur body actually recovers and gains muscle back is during the night when you are sleeping. If you get lots of sleep then your muscles will heal, if you sleep poorly or not enough then your body will not recover fully and your body will become overtrained easily.

Stress also is a roadblock to muscle gains. Your body is not going to recover from a stressful workout if you are not allowing yourself the recovery period. Stress causes your body and muscles to be tight and the tightness of the muscles is a primal reaction that allows you to react quickly to the various dangers that our caveman background was preparing for. So eliminate stress wherever you can.

Training to gain muscle weight fast

OK, I saved the biggest until last. To really gain muscle weight fast you of course need to workout smart and get the most out of your muscles without over-training.

Have you ever looked at a construction worker? They tend to be big with muscle and fat but considering how much they lift they are not huge as bodybuilders. The best way to build muscle is not to just lift a lot of weight throughout the day but instead you need to lift a lot of weight in a short period of time. Even most people training in gyms do not realize this as you will see guys doing set after set with long rest times between sets.

I can tell you that the best way to workout is to warmup your muscles and then do sets to failure. Going to failure means that you are doing a set of 10 reps or so and that at the end of that set you have nothing left ot lift with. After you have a couple of months of working out like this you will be able to use advanced strategies like stripping weights, pauses, and supersets but at this point just try to make sure that you need a spot on that last rep or two.

As far as number of sets try to do two sets to failure for two exercises in each muscle group. This means that for back for example that you would do lat pulldowns for two sets to failure and the two sets of seated rows to failure.

Using this weightlifting strategy should also make your workouts much quicker than you would expect. Your workouts should not last more than 45 minutes total.

How to gain muscle weight fast

So her you are a total strategy to gain muscle weight fast. As you can see there are really only three things to be aware of. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that gaining muscle was 99% mental and I have to agree. If you are not only aware but have conviction in your actions when it comes to getting the right amount of rest, eating the right foods at the right times and training like a superstar for your body then you are going to gain muscle weight fast.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Spring into Fitness Week – Day 2

Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and Vegetables

Well today I want to write about eating again. I know that I seem to always be talking about eating and exercise and today is the eating portion.

Drinking Water – While you are getting ready for Spring and Summer and the outdoor weather you have to remember that often the humidity is lower outside and you may need to increase your water intake. Do you already drink a lot of water? I find that it makes a huge difference in my energy when I am drinking a lot all day long.

Berries and fruit are popping up as well. We have been eating a lot of variety of berries all Winter but they are so expensive that I know lots of people are missing out. Getting the fruits and veggies that you need will give you the energy you need and gives you lots of extra water and nutrients, and antioxidants.

White Carbs – If you are looking to lose some weight (many people are), then one of the easiest ways for most people is just to cut down on the white carbs. White carbs to me are things like rice, potatoes and breads. I am not saying to get rid of it all but instead just cut back and see how it feels. Lots of people that try this are shocked at the increase in energy and weight loss at the same time and if you have any kind of gluten allergies that you don’t know about…well this would be great.

Finally crack out the barbeque. Mine has been frozen most of the Winter but eating some nice lean barbequed meat is great, increases your iron levels, helps your muscles heal and gets you outside into the sunshine.

Well hopefully these few tips help you out this week. Try and see how you can integrate them into your current lifestyle. Remember that it is the small changes made today that make for the big changes later.

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