Why Eating Breakfast Is Important For Weight Loss!

I have looked over hundreds of food diaries and it is fairly common for many people to skip breakfast as they don’t feel hungry then or do not have the time to eat breakfast first thing before work.

A study by the Journal of International Medical Research (2008) demonstrated three good reasons why eating breakfast is important if you are looking to lose weight.

1. People who eat breakfast have a reduced appetite and reduced eating throughout the rest of the day

2. Compared to people who do not eat breakfast and eat later in the day, people who do have an overall reduced appetite.

3. Men and women who do not eat breakfast, or who eat very little in the morning, end up hungry during the day and the evening and subsequently eat more during this time, consuming more calories than they need.

Good ideas for high protein, low-carb breakfasts, are:

Eggs on toast
Egg omlettes
Whey Protein Shakes with a raw egg added
Cream cheese and smoked salmon
Peanut butter on toast
Organic yogurt with nuts
String cheese and hard cooked eggs

Eating breakfast will go a low way to reducing your overall appetite for the rest of the day and prevent you from loading up on calories during the day and especially in the evening.

Best Celebrity Workouts 1: Supersets

Supersets are a fantastic method of training to increase the intensity of your workouts. By increasing the intensity of a workout, we are burning more calories, more fat, losing more weight, releasing powerful fat-burning hormones and creating quality lean muscle tissue!

Supersets involve performing two exercises, of opposing muscles groups, without any rest between them. So you would train biceps and then triceps, or chest and then back.

Supersets are used in celebrity workouts for many reasons. Firstly they save time, which is advantageous for celebrities as sometimes they have very tight schedules and may only have 20-30 mins for execise. They stimulate the release of powerful anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone that will help you burn more body fat.
An example of a celebrity workout using supersets for chest and back would be:

Bench press + Incline T-Bar rows
Incline dumbbell chest press + Chin-ups
Dips + Lat pulldown
Flys + Bent over dumbbell rows

Another celebrity workout using supersets for biceps and triceps would be

Standing barbell curls + overhead barbell extensions
Preacher curls + dips
Seated dumbbell curls + lying triceps dumbbell tricep extensions
Cable bicep curls + tricep pushdowns

In terms of sets and repetitions, one would perform 3-4 sets and use 12-15 reps. You do not want to perform anymore than 15 reps, 12 being optimum, and your twelve rep needs to be a failure rep meaning that you would not be able to do anymore reps above that. Session duration: 45-60 mins maximum.

Celebrities use supersets due to the high intensity nature of the protocol as it produces such wonderful results! Now get to it!

Ten Key Things Celebrities Do To Stay In Shape!

1. They’re motivated

Celebrities get motivated, usually through pressure, maybe vanity, but they know they’re under scrutiny, some more than others, but regardless of the stimulus, in order to exercise with the required intensity, you need to be up for it, and know why you’re training so hard.

Goal-setting can be a powerful motivator, so write down some short-term and longer-term goals for yourself then get to work!

2. They’re consistent

Building the pyramids, building Rome, building whatever, it all took time, but consistency with time. Every quality workout, every quality meal, all adds up to a better you, a lighter you, a more confident you. Good results are achieved over time through consistent daily efforts. Great bodies are the ones from years of training and dieting, not a quick fix.
You can certainly drop 10 lbs in only a few weeks but to develop a great figure takes more time and consistency. As long as you are doing more every day to help your figure than to hinder it, then you will always be working in the right direction.

3. They’re disciplined

Discipline is everything. Discipline moves us forward in our lives and careers in the most positive manner. Doing, at times, what others are not prepared to do is the making of a champion. What are you prepared to do to reach your goal? Can you find the time to exercise five times per week? Can you stay on your diet six days a week? The greater discipline you have in your life, the more productive you will be and faster you will reach your goals.

4. They make time to exercise

Every day organise your schedule as if you don’t you will soon find time for other things other than exercise. Gain good time management skills and fit in a time most days for exercise. Contrary to popular opinions, celebrities do not have infinite amounts of time to exercise but they do organise their time well and fit it into a busy schedule. Make time to exercise, no excuses.

5. They’re organised

Granted many celebrities have assistants to keep a tight organised schedule, but there’s no reason why you can’t either. Pack your gym bag the evening before, make sure you have everything. Know what workout you are about to do, the exercises, the order etc. Plan your meals for each day and have your fridge and cupboard stocked up correctly so don’t have to rely on something else.

6. They hire Personal Trainers

Most people cannot afford to have a Celebrity Personal Trainer with them for every workout, but hiring a Personal Trainer even once a week, month or even just to update your exercise program will save you a lot of time and energy and will enable you to reach your goals faster. Knowledge is everything. I can give someone one piece of advice that could make them lose 10 pounds more in one month than they would do by themselves! Get some good advice, hire a trainer that will fit your budget.

7. They know their foods

Celebrity diets are actually not too dissimilar. Some may prefer a faddy diet plan, but the fundamentals to a fat loss diet are the same. Maintain a calorie deficit, meaning that you need to have a limit on the total amount of calories you are consuming every day. You need to be eating non-processed foods, opt instead for organic foods as much as possible and avoid refined carbohydrates such as white pasta, potatoes and rice. Eat vegetables for every dinner you have, especially from the cruciferous family.

8. They occasionally cheat

Celebrities aren’t robots, they’re human. They crave pizza, ice cream, burgers, and chips just like everyone else. The key is though that they eat these treats on occasion, not on a regular basis. Sometimes you have to eat some tasty fatty foods just to keep you sane, but don’t beat yourself up over it. As long as 90% of the time you’re doing things to aid your fat loss they’re no problem. The 10% won’t matter.

9. They keep a positive environment

There’s a saying, “It’s hard to soar like an eagle, if you hang around a bunch of chickens!” Make sure the people you spend the most amount of time with are positive people who are encouraging your efforts and not ones who always eat poorly at restaurants, the moves etc. and make you feel bad for not eating the bad foods they are eating.

10. They’re in it for the long haul

Fad diets don’t last. Quick fix diets don’t last. Find a balance of good, clean, quality nutrition and not trying to yo-yo as often. Celebrity diets are consistent and long-term. Yes they occasionally go on a particular diet for a tour, movie, or red carpet, but they will revert to their normal diet which is manageable long-term.

Use these ten key tips for staying in celebrity shape, they will keep you well ahead of the game!

You gotta love the caffeine!

I'm a big fan of caffeine as an ergogenic aid. I use it prior to exercise and it has great benefits! It's better to take it on it's own rather than coffee so supplement form is better. Here is a review from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition:

"The scientific literature associated with caffeine supplementation is extensive. It is evident that caffeine is indeed ergogenic to sport performance but is specific to condition of the athlete as well as intensity, duration, and mode of exercise. Therefore, after reviewing the available literature, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• Caffeine is more powerful when consumed in an anhydrous state (capsule/tablet, powder), as compared to coffee.

• The majority of research has utilized a protocol where caffeine is ingested 60 min prior to performance to ensure optimal absorption; however, it has also been shown that caffeine can enhance performance when consumed 15-30 min prior to exercise.

• Caffeine is effective for enhancing various types of performance when consumed in low-to-moderate doses (~3-6 mg/kg); moreover, there is no further benefit when consumed at higher dosages (≥ 9 mg/kg).

• During periods of sleep deprivation, caffeine can act to enhance alertness and vigilance, which has been shown to be an effective aid for special operations military personnel, as well as athletes during times of exhaustive exercise that requires sustained focus.

• Caffeine is an effective ergogenic aid for sustained maximal endurance activity, and has also been shown to be very effective for enhancing time trial performance.

• Recently, it has been demonstrated that caffeine can enhance, not inhibit, glycogen resynthesis during the recovery phase of exercise.

• Caffeine is beneficial for high-intensity exercise of prolonged duration (including team sports such as soccer, field hockey, rowing, etc.), but the enhancement in performance is specific to conditioned athletes.

• The literature is inconsistent when applied to strength and power activities or sports. It is not clear whether the discrepancies in results are due to differences in training protocols, training or fitness level of the subjects, etc. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to establish the effects of caffeine vis a vis strength-power sports.

• Research pertaining exclusively to women is limited; however, recent studies have shown a benefit for conditioned strength-power female athletes and a moderate increase in performance for recreationally active women.

• The scientific literature does not support caffeine-induced dieresis during exercise. In fact, several studies have failed to show any change in sweat rate, total water loss, or negative change in fluid balance that would adversely affect performance, even under conditions of heat stress.

The scientific literature associated with caffeine supplementation is extensive. It is evident that caffeine is indeed ergogenic to sport performance but is specific to condition of the athlete as well as intensity, duration, and mode of exercise. Therefore, after reviewing the available literature, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• Caffeine is more powerful when consumed in an anhydrous state (capsule/tablet, powder), as compared to coffee.

• The majority of research has utilized a protocol where caffeine is ingested 60 min prior to performance to ensure optimal absorption; however, it has also been shown that caffeine can enhance performance when consumed 15-30 min prior to exercise.

• Caffeine is effective for enhancing various types of performance when consumed in low-to-moderate doses (~3-6 mg/kg); moreover, there is no further benefit when consumed at higher dosages (≥ 9 mg/kg).

• During periods of sleep deprivation, caffeine can act to enhance alertness and vigilance, which has been shown to be an effective aid for special operations military personnel, as well as athletes during times of exhaustive exercise that requires sustained focus.

• Caffeine is an effective ergogenic aid for sustained maximal endurance activity, and has also been shown to be very effective for enhancing time trial performance.

• Recently, it has been demonstrated that caffeine can enhance, not inhibit, glycogen resynthesis during the recovery phase of exercise.

• Caffeine is beneficial for high-intensity exercise of prolonged duration (including team sports such as soccer, field hockey, rowing, etc.), but the enhancement in performance is specific to conditioned athletes.

• The literature is inconsistent when applied to strength and power activities or sports. It is not clear whether the discrepancies in results are due to differences in training protocols, training or fitness level of the subjects, etc. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to establish the effects of caffeine vis a vis strength-power sports.

• Research pertaining exclusively to women is limited; however, recent studies have shown a benefit for conditioned strength-power female athletes and a moderate increase in performance for recreationally active women.

• The scientific literature does not support caffeine-induced dieresis during exercise. In fact, several studies have failed to show any change in sweat rate, total water loss, or negative change in fluid balance that would adversely affect performance, even under conditions of heat stress.

Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:5doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-5

http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/5

Diets lacking in key micro-nutrients

A recent study looked at four popular diet menu plans (Atkins For Like, South Beach, DASH, Best Life Diet) and concluded that they were failing to reach many of Recommended Daily Intake for 27 micro-nutrients. Best Life Diet was 55.56% sufficient, DASH diet 51.85% sufficient, Atkins was 44.4% sufficient, and the South Beach diet was only 22.22% sufficient! This means for the South Beach Diet that it only reached the RDI for only 6 out of 27 micro-nutrients!

Basically all diets (including mine!) do stipulate a calorie reduction and therefore a reduction in key nutrients. However I always recommend a multi-vitamin, Fish Oils, zinc, magnesium, and for women calcium with vitamin D.

From the study the researcher concluded:

"the conclusion of this researcher that an individual following a popular diet plan using food alone, has a high likelihood of
becoming micronutrient deficient, a condition shown to be scientifically linked to a higher risk of dangerous and debilitating diseases including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, birth defects and overweight/obesity. Based on this study’s findings, the belief that a healthy, balanced diet can consistently deliver, to a typical dieter, all of the essential vitamins and minerals they need, through whole food alone, is in dire need of revision. It would appear that supplementation should be considered as a viable, low cost method to achieve micronutrient sufficiency and reduce the risk for some of today’s most prevalent and devastating health conditions and diseases. In conclusion, this study recommends that all individuals, particularly those following a popular diet plan, would benefit from and should take a daily multivitamin supplement to fill the nutritional gap between where their whole food diet leaves off and micronutrient sufficiency is achieved."

Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:24 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-24 Jayson B Calton

http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-7-24.pdf

Fat Loss Exercise!

One thing I really loathe is the infomercials advertising the most ridiculous productswith fake testimonials and promises they know they can’t keep. I even remember a while back a woman who purchased expensive chocolate bars which promised to burnfat and lose weight as they had “special” herbs in them! Not that takes it to a new level, eating chocolate for weight loss???

Weight loss, fitness, and getting in shape is really quite straight forward. But because it’s a multi-billion (yes billion) dollar industry, there’s so much spin and BS because so many companies do not care that they’re offering a terrible product to a desperate consumer, they just want the money. Every time I go to the gym I see the worst exercise performance by many individuals. Now this is not surprising, as everyone is not a fitness expert.

It’s a bit like taking your car to get repaired and having a go yourself. Or try cooking a meal without the correct recipe. The most common problem I see in gyms around the world is people doing the same workout week in week out without much intensity. Only the other day I saw a woman on a lifecycle reading a book with a RPM of 40, 40!! This pace was soslow that the monitor started to flicker as it thought noonewas using the lifecycleand it was trying to shut down. What on earth was she hoping to achieve from this workout? She was quiteoverweight so presumably weight/fat loss was her goal.

Well she was achieving neither, and quickly! Let me tell you some of the worst exercises I see being performed in gyms today: Tricep Kickbacks, Swiss/Gym ball situps, (well mostly any sit-up exercise), Seated Leg Extensions/Leg CurlsAbductor/Adductor machine, Upright Rows, Pec Deck, Rear Pulldown.

I might as well give you the some of the best exercises that everyone should be doing:

Squats
Deadlifts
Woodchoppers
Pullups
Romanian Deadlifts
Travelling lunges

An exercise routine should be based on resistance exercises using a moderate load with minimal rest intervals. Long and slow cardio training is not conducive for weight loss,and unfortunately is an overused method of training, especially by women, in health clubs around the world. To stimulate the body to burn fat and develop lean muscle tissue, the overload principle must be implemented.There must be a higher intensity within exercise sessions to promote the metabolic cost and in particular the excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC is simply the accumulation of physiological processes that bring the body back to homeostasis after exercise.

The greater the EPOC, the greater the energy expended post-exercise which is highly advantageous for weight loss. Using fixed weight machines, single-joint exercises, and slow cardio training reduces the EPOC and doesn't produce the physiological state necessary for losing weight. One crucial aspect of exercise commonly overlooked is the conditions required to stimulate greater hormonal release, in particular testosterone and growth hormone. Women especially need to stimulate these anabolic hormones and they can only be produced only under certain physiological conditions. The build up of metabolic by productssuch as lactic acid causes a sustained increase in testosterone and growth hormone release. To achieve this state, a higher intensity exercise protocol must be administered. Rest intervals between exercises must be reduced to allow a more demanding workout which produces a greater metabolic build up which stimulates the anabolic hormones.

Below is an ideal exercise drill for burning fat and developing lean muscle tissue. Perform each exercise 3-4 times for approx. 12-15 reps.


1. Squats with shoulder press
2. Deadlifts with bicep curls
3. Assisted pullups
4. Romanian deadlifts with Cuban press
5. woodchoppers
6. Sumo squats with lateral raises
7. Tricep dips
8. Split squat with rotation
9. Sledgehammers
10. Russian twists

This type of circuit incorporates many multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises that recruit more muscle motor units, expend more energy, and stimulate the greatest metabolic and hormonal response. This provides the ideal physiological environment for stimulating fat loss.

The key with this type of program is to keep the rest intervals to aminimum (15-45secs). The circuit can be performed up to four times depending on the training quality andage of the individual. Too much resistance coupled with too short a recovery time will ultimately lead to complete fatigue and a non-enjoyable workout. If the resistance is too light and the rest interval is too long, an incorrect stimulus will be produced leading to ineffective results.

There is an abundance of exercises available to use; it is simply a case of getting creative and selecting challenging exercise drills. This type of protocol is highly appealing for women who do not like the blood pump into the muscle that men enjoy from bodybuilding training. If you wish to do more cardio training then running on the treadmill, boxing, rowing, or cycling can be incorporated between circuits, as long as the intensity remains moderately high. These sessions should last approx. 45-60mins.


Mike Heatlie MSc CSCS

www.mikeheatlie.com
www.lose10poundsin5weeks.com
www.mikeheatliepersonaltraining.com
www.loseyourpregnancypounds.com

Calculations for weight/fat loss

Sometimes people ask me how many calories, carbs, proteins, fats etc. they should be eating in order to lose weight. As a guide I always go with:

1400 calories per day for weight/fat loss
100 grams carbs per day (none after 5pm)
120 grams proteins per day
57 grams fats per day (from good sources monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats)

Good breakfasts are eggs on toast, smoothies/shakes, omelettes.
Salads are great for meals lower in carbs and fats
Dinner should include a protein such as chicken, fish, turkey etc. with a variety of vegetables, try and rotate these every evening (easier said than done I know)
Some examples of snacks taken from uk.askmen.com

1- Beef jerky
On average, one ounce contains about 70 calories and one gram of fat, but delivers 11 grams of protein. Make sure you get them from health food stores as others can be high in salt.

2- Eggs and egg whites
One egg white has only 15 calories, is fat-free and contains four grams of protein. Throw two or three in a pan (with some peppers and onions if you want to make an omelette) for a quick, nutritious mini-meal.
Don’t be afraid of eggs or the fat in eggs though if you need something to boost your fat intake, they are highly nutritious! My protein shake includes protein powder and raw eggs, marvellous!

3- Cottage cheese and fruit
A half cup of 2% cottage cheese contains on average 16 grams of protein, yet only has 102 calories and two grams of fat (as opposed to other types of cheese, which can be extremely high in saturated fat).

4- Tuna
Tuna is a great source of protein with approximately 25 grams per can. Plus, one can of tuna in water contains approximately 111 calories and is fat-free. But go easy on the mayonnaise if you're making a sandwich -- it's full of fat.

5- Protein bars
Although there are hundreds of varieties on the market, keep in mind that all protein bars are not created equal. Obviously, protein bars should be a high-protein snack, but be careful and avoid bars that are high in carbohydrates. A good choice is a 75-gram bar which contains a full 30 grams of protein, with only six grams of carbs and five grams of fat.

6- Shakes
I’m a big fan of protein shakes. Use isolates or casein when using during the day but you’ll need more carbs (approx 30 grams) after your workout. You can turn them into smoothies by adding natural yogurt, eggs, and fruit!

7- Lentils
Although they may not seem appetising on their own, putting a handful of them in your soup or salad will give your snack a protein boost. One cup of lentils has about 230 calories, one gram of fat and 18 grams of protein.

8- Peanut butter
One tablespoon contains about four grams of protein, eight grams of fat and 95 calories. For an energy boost, spread it on a slice of whole-wheat bread (60 calories and one gram of fat) and top it with banana slices.

If 1400 calories per day is too much of struggle then cycle your calorie and carb intake so you have a greater intake on other days. Please check out my ebook for how to do this correctly:

www.lose10poundsin5weeks.com

One of my clients said something to me recently that I just loved! He is studying for his PhD and also works part-time to make some money. I asked him if he was working at the weekend and he said, “I work every weekend Mike.” I said that that was incredible but his answer was awesome, he said, “You have to do what it takes to get you where you want to go.” So true.
Consistency is the key though with diet and exercise, this ultimately leads to successful weight/fat loss. Consequently consistently eating poorly and being inactive leads to fat gain, strive for the former!

Keep fighting the good fight.


Mike Heatlie MSc CSCS