Here's a great article that pertains to both men AND women!
“Some of my heaviest clients eat fewer meals in a day,” Villacorta says.
What happens when you put off eating is your metabolism starts to slow down and your body begins to store fat. And, the bulk of that fat gets stored in your midsection, Villacorta says.
http://men.webmd.com/features/mens-top-five-gut-busting-mistakes
Showing posts with label fullforcefitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fullforcefitness. Show all posts
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
How Important Are Calories When Trying To Get Lean?
By Chris Aceto
Q) In terms of getting lean, how important is counting calories?
A) I'll get right to the point. A lot of nutritionists still stick exclusively with calories as the one and only factor that determines a person's ability to gain fat or lose fat. They conceptualize or water-down the fat burning
process to a simple math equation. I like to kid and say "That's why a lot of math teachers are fat." In other words, while mathematics are clean and concise measuring tools, when it comes to fat loss, they don't always work. Let me explain a bit more.
Years ago, when I was studying nutrition in college, all the teachers used the energy balance theory in explaining how the body adds or drops body fat. The energy balance equation holds that getting lean is nothing more than a math equation. There are "calories in" from the food we eat on one side of the equation and "calories out" (burned up) on the other side of the equation; sort of like a scale in perfect balance. The overwhelming belief then is that a person only has to create a calorie imbalance by eating fewer calories and the result will be non-stop fat loss. See the math? "If you eat 2000 calories but your body burns 2700 calories, then you'll lose body fat." But, is this really how it works? Absolutely not; there's more to it. In addition to calories, hormones play a monumental role in regulating fat loss. There are fat-storing hormones and fat-burning hormones. In general, when you eat fewer calories than the body burns, the body will release a greater amount of fat-burning hormones. And, if you eat more calories than the body burns, the body will release more fat-storing hormones. However, with prolonged dieting, the body sometimes changes its mind and actually stops releasing fat burning hormones even when calories remain low. At that point, the math no longer works. Additionally, there are many other factors that determine whether you'll produce fat-storing or fat-burning hormones. The types of calories you eat-carbs, protein, or fat-- affects fat-storing and fat-burning hormones, as well. In general, carbs tend to release fat-storing hormones while protein tends to release fat-burning hormones. Dietary fat can do both depending on what sources you consume. It can increase fat-storing hormones or increase fat-burning ones.
Meal frequency (how many times a day you eat), protein intake in relation to carbohydrates, the time of day you exercise, the type of meal you eat before and after exercise, and supplements all influence whether you will release fat-storing or fat-burning hormones. All these factors tend to make the calorie balance theory somewhat obsolete. At the very least, you cannot expect to follow the calorie balance theory exclusively and burn away as much fat as you want. You have to gain control of your hormones.
I'll outline how the above factors play a role in skewing the calorie balance theory.
(1) Carbohydrates
Carbs release insulin, which is a potent fat storing hormone. Insulin drives carbohydrates (glucose) into fat cells causing the body to accumulate body fat. Hormonally, carbs are a fat-storing food.
(2) Protein
Protein increases thermogenesis; heat production. In short, when you eat protein, the body experiences a mild increase in body temperature. As body temperature rises even slightly, calorie burning rises. The result is that when you eat protein, your metabolism actually increases. Protein also influences thyroid levels so it can definitely be considered a "fat-burning" food.
(3) Ratio of Carbs to Protein.
If fat-burning is your goal, then no meal should contain radically more carbs then protein. Why? The carbs override the fat burning and thermogenic boost associated with protein. So, if you eat 3 cups of rice and a small chicken breast yielding 800 calories or 2 cups of rice and 2 chicken breasts also yielding 800 calories, you can expect greater fat storing effects when the meal is higher in carbs then closer to a 50-50 balance of carbs to protein.
(4) Meal Frequency
This one is huge. If you want to lose bodyfat, eat 6 times a day. First, every time you eat, you experience a small increase in metabolic rate just by virtue of a greater thermogenic effect. Second, smaller meals suppress the release of cortisol, a hormone that decreases testosterone levels. Maintaining a higher testosterone level helps support fat-burning hormones. Finally, multiple meals keeps blood sugar - the amount of digested carbohydrates floating around in the blood - stable. Stable sugar levels, in turn, tend to keep fat-storing insulin in a neutral state.
(5) Pre-Training Food
If you're going to hit the weights, stick with low glycemic carbs-- oatmeal, cream of rye cereal, yams and buckwheat noodles- in the meal prior to training. These carbs digest slower which keeps insulin levels lower. Lower insulin levels before training allow the body to tap fatty acids from body fat as a back-up fuel source to muscle glycogen.
(6) Post-Training Food
Here's where you need to eat. You should eat a higher protein and carb intake (from mostly high glycemic carbs) post-workout because it speeds growth and recovery. After training, you want insulin levels to rise (not explode!) because it's at this point that the body enters a serious rebuilding mode. Insulin under normal circumstances can store body fat; however, post-workout it kick-starts the rebuilding process, exclusively. That means no fat storage. You see, insulin is both a fat-storing hormone and muscle-potentiating hormone. Here's the catch; higher insulin levels after training is desirable. It causes growth without stimulating fat storage. That being said, a lot of bodybuilders eat a silly amount of carbs post-training which simply kicks up fat storage. There's a happy medium here. You need the insulin to kick start recovery but "shoot for the clouds not the moon".
(7) Night-time Eating
When you sleep the body releases growth hormone, which not only helps rebuild muscle but also increases fat burning. However, when you eat a lot of carbs just prior to bed, the body's natural GH release tends to get suppressed. Stick with protein-- chicken, turkey, lean beef, egg whites and fish-- at night and add some low calorie vegetables to them. That will keep your carb intake under control allowing for maximal GH release to occur.
(8) Pre-cardio
Cardio burns fat by dragging fatty acids out of fat cells and burning them within the muscles in small areas called the mitochondria. Cardio also causes changes in the body that favor fat burning; greater total calorie expenditure and an increase in fat-burning hormones. Eating before cardio can put a damper on that hormonal shift. In other words, when you eat before cardio-- especially carbs-you'll experience a smaller increase in fat burning hormones which translates into less fat loss. That's why you should do cardio on an empty stomach. Or, at the very least, don't eat any carbs. You can probably get away with a small protein snack since that won't alter the beneficial hormonal change brought on by cardio exercise.
Q) In terms of getting lean, how important is counting calories?
A) I'll get right to the point. A lot of nutritionists still stick exclusively with calories as the one and only factor that determines a person's ability to gain fat or lose fat. They conceptualize or water-down the fat burning
process to a simple math equation. I like to kid and say "That's why a lot of math teachers are fat." In other words, while mathematics are clean and concise measuring tools, when it comes to fat loss, they don't always work. Let me explain a bit more.Years ago, when I was studying nutrition in college, all the teachers used the energy balance theory in explaining how the body adds or drops body fat. The energy balance equation holds that getting lean is nothing more than a math equation. There are "calories in" from the food we eat on one side of the equation and "calories out" (burned up) on the other side of the equation; sort of like a scale in perfect balance. The overwhelming belief then is that a person only has to create a calorie imbalance by eating fewer calories and the result will be non-stop fat loss. See the math? "If you eat 2000 calories but your body burns 2700 calories, then you'll lose body fat." But, is this really how it works? Absolutely not; there's more to it. In addition to calories, hormones play a monumental role in regulating fat loss. There are fat-storing hormones and fat-burning hormones. In general, when you eat fewer calories than the body burns, the body will release a greater amount of fat-burning hormones. And, if you eat more calories than the body burns, the body will release more fat-storing hormones. However, with prolonged dieting, the body sometimes changes its mind and actually stops releasing fat burning hormones even when calories remain low. At that point, the math no longer works. Additionally, there are many other factors that determine whether you'll produce fat-storing or fat-burning hormones. The types of calories you eat-carbs, protein, or fat-- affects fat-storing and fat-burning hormones, as well. In general, carbs tend to release fat-storing hormones while protein tends to release fat-burning hormones. Dietary fat can do both depending on what sources you consume. It can increase fat-storing hormones or increase fat-burning ones.
Meal frequency (how many times a day you eat), protein intake in relation to carbohydrates, the time of day you exercise, the type of meal you eat before and after exercise, and supplements all influence whether you will release fat-storing or fat-burning hormones. All these factors tend to make the calorie balance theory somewhat obsolete. At the very least, you cannot expect to follow the calorie balance theory exclusively and burn away as much fat as you want. You have to gain control of your hormones.
I'll outline how the above factors play a role in skewing the calorie balance theory.
(1) Carbohydrates
Carbs release insulin, which is a potent fat storing hormone. Insulin drives carbohydrates (glucose) into fat cells causing the body to accumulate body fat. Hormonally, carbs are a fat-storing food.
(2) Protein
Protein increases thermogenesis; heat production. In short, when you eat protein, the body experiences a mild increase in body temperature. As body temperature rises even slightly, calorie burning rises. The result is that when you eat protein, your metabolism actually increases. Protein also influences thyroid levels so it can definitely be considered a "fat-burning" food.
(3) Ratio of Carbs to Protein.
If fat-burning is your goal, then no meal should contain radically more carbs then protein. Why? The carbs override the fat burning and thermogenic boost associated with protein. So, if you eat 3 cups of rice and a small chicken breast yielding 800 calories or 2 cups of rice and 2 chicken breasts also yielding 800 calories, you can expect greater fat storing effects when the meal is higher in carbs then closer to a 50-50 balance of carbs to protein.
(4) Meal Frequency
This one is huge. If you want to lose bodyfat, eat 6 times a day. First, every time you eat, you experience a small increase in metabolic rate just by virtue of a greater thermogenic effect. Second, smaller meals suppress the release of cortisol, a hormone that decreases testosterone levels. Maintaining a higher testosterone level helps support fat-burning hormones. Finally, multiple meals keeps blood sugar - the amount of digested carbohydrates floating around in the blood - stable. Stable sugar levels, in turn, tend to keep fat-storing insulin in a neutral state.
(5) Pre-Training Food
If you're going to hit the weights, stick with low glycemic carbs-- oatmeal, cream of rye cereal, yams and buckwheat noodles- in the meal prior to training. These carbs digest slower which keeps insulin levels lower. Lower insulin levels before training allow the body to tap fatty acids from body fat as a back-up fuel source to muscle glycogen.
(6) Post-Training Food
Here's where you need to eat. You should eat a higher protein and carb intake (from mostly high glycemic carbs) post-workout because it speeds growth and recovery. After training, you want insulin levels to rise (not explode!) because it's at this point that the body enters a serious rebuilding mode. Insulin under normal circumstances can store body fat; however, post-workout it kick-starts the rebuilding process, exclusively. That means no fat storage. You see, insulin is both a fat-storing hormone and muscle-potentiating hormone. Here's the catch; higher insulin levels after training is desirable. It causes growth without stimulating fat storage. That being said, a lot of bodybuilders eat a silly amount of carbs post-training which simply kicks up fat storage. There's a happy medium here. You need the insulin to kick start recovery but "shoot for the clouds not the moon".
(7) Night-time Eating
When you sleep the body releases growth hormone, which not only helps rebuild muscle but also increases fat burning. However, when you eat a lot of carbs just prior to bed, the body's natural GH release tends to get suppressed. Stick with protein-- chicken, turkey, lean beef, egg whites and fish-- at night and add some low calorie vegetables to them. That will keep your carb intake under control allowing for maximal GH release to occur.
(8) Pre-cardio
Cardio burns fat by dragging fatty acids out of fat cells and burning them within the muscles in small areas called the mitochondria. Cardio also causes changes in the body that favor fat burning; greater total calorie expenditure and an increase in fat-burning hormones. Eating before cardio can put a damper on that hormonal shift. In other words, when you eat before cardio-- especially carbs-you'll experience a smaller increase in fat burning hormones which translates into less fat loss. That's why you should do cardio on an empty stomach. Or, at the very least, don't eat any carbs. You can probably get away with a small protein snack since that won't alter the beneficial hormonal change brought on by cardio exercise.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
No B.S. Fitness
A lot of fitness programs promise the moon.
With very little effort on your part.
But deep down you know that there is only 1 way to reach your fitness goals.
Radical change.
Change makes a lot of us instantly reject the idea.
Change makes us uncomfortable.
We'd rather simply ignore the fact that we need to change our habits in order to obtain good health and fitness.
But with change, comes self discovery.
Enlightenment.
And success.
But the process usually begins with some sort of discomfort.
Perhaps waking up at 5am to make the 5:45am FullForceFitness class.
Perhaps staying consistent with your nutritional program.
But beyond that initial discomfort comes success.
And that success is a valuable gift.
More valuable than sleeping in.
More valuable than the dessert or cheeseburger and fries.
Don't miss out on an incredible opportunity to transform your life through fitness.
Experiment with your life.
Wake up earlier.
Go to bed earlier.
Just start an exercise program right now.
RIGHT NOW.
Do some light stretching for 3 - 5 minutes.
Then knock out 10 push ups, 10 squats and 10 Burpees.
Congratulations - you just finished your first workout.
Tomorrow do 11 push ups, 11 squats and 11 burpees.
Then do 12 push ups, 12 squats and 12 burpees.
Keep going until the end of February.
Take 1 day off per week from this program.
At the end of February, you'll be amazed at what you've accomplished if you've been consistent with this program and with your nutrition.
Post your results here and let me know how you did.
Just Start Right Now! (and hold the B.S.)
note - always get your physicians approval before starting an exercise program.
Google push up, squat and burpee if you're not sure how to perform these exercises.
Check out http://www.fullforcefitness.net for an elite workout program surrounded by incredibly motivated, supportive people of all types.
Have a great day!
Scott York
With very little effort on your part.
But deep down you know that there is only 1 way to reach your fitness goals.
Radical change.
Change makes a lot of us instantly reject the idea.
Change makes us uncomfortable.
We'd rather simply ignore the fact that we need to change our habits in order to obtain good health and fitness.
But with change, comes self discovery.
Enlightenment.
And success.
But the process usually begins with some sort of discomfort.
Perhaps waking up at 5am to make the 5:45am FullForceFitness class.
Perhaps staying consistent with your nutritional program.
But beyond that initial discomfort comes success.
And that success is a valuable gift.
More valuable than sleeping in.
More valuable than the dessert or cheeseburger and fries.
Don't miss out on an incredible opportunity to transform your life through fitness.
Experiment with your life.
Wake up earlier.
Go to bed earlier.
Just start an exercise program right now.
RIGHT NOW.
Do some light stretching for 3 - 5 minutes.
Then knock out 10 push ups, 10 squats and 10 Burpees.
Congratulations - you just finished your first workout.
Tomorrow do 11 push ups, 11 squats and 11 burpees.
Then do 12 push ups, 12 squats and 12 burpees.
Keep going until the end of February.
Take 1 day off per week from this program.
At the end of February, you'll be amazed at what you've accomplished if you've been consistent with this program and with your nutrition.
Post your results here and let me know how you did.
Just Start Right Now! (and hold the B.S.)
note - always get your physicians approval before starting an exercise program.
Google push up, squat and burpee if you're not sure how to perform these exercises.
Check out http://www.fullforcefitness.net for an elite workout program surrounded by incredibly motivated, supportive people of all types.
Have a great day!
Scott York
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Weight loss after 40
Pretty good article about sensible weight loss after 40:
http://www.caring.com/articles/weight-loss-after-40
FullForce Approved!
http://www.caring.com/articles/weight-loss-after-40
FullForce Approved!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Drive
“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”–Vince Lombardi
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Mindful vs Mindless Holiday Eating
I like to eat just like the next person.Especially during the Holidays.
There's food all around, Holiday movies to watch, football games to get lost in, long lost relatives to visit with and children to make cookies with.
But...
The excess calories add up fast, don't they?
It's called "mindless eating".
So here are 3 tips to help you keep your weight in check during the "most wonderful time of the year"!
1) Stick to a schedule.
If you overeat the evening before, don't say to yourself that you'll fast all day to make up for it.
It probably won't work.
You'll just find a reason to do the same thing again in the evening when the food and drink start appearing.
So stick to a schedule.
Eat a light breakfast (I have slow digesting oats, flax seed, irish oats mixed together).
2 - 3 hours later eat some protein (I have egg whites with a couple of egg yolks).
2-3 hours later eat your next meal (and repeat until 8pm or so).
2) Drink lots of water.
You've probably heard this one before and it's true.
Set out a big container of water and try to drink all of it throughout the day until it's empty.
I use a 1 gallon container.
note - don't drink too much liquid during your meals so you don't interfere with the digestive process.
3) Exercise
Do something. Play with the kids. Take a walk before breakfast. Go to the gym and run on the treadmill.
Go to boot camp class.
Do "every minute on the minute" (workout you can do at home).
By following these 3 tips, you'll feel great throughout the Holidays while you enjoy eating a little more than you normally might.
A fitness lifestyle is not about refraining from food and drink.
It's about making smart decisions, having a plan, acting on those plans and feeling great!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
FullForceFitness has morphed into a blend of strength, cardio and mma style workouts.
The average participant shows up on time, ready to go, doesn't complain and knows that a war of wills is going to take place for about 45 minutes each training day.
There's just no other way.
Simple.
Effective.
Addicting.
FullForceFitness
The average participant shows up on time, ready to go, doesn't complain and knows that a war of wills is going to take place for about 45 minutes each training day.
There's just no other way.
Simple.
Effective.
Addicting.
FullForceFitness
Friday, November 05, 2010
Where I Need To Be
"I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be." –Douglas Adams
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Painful Back Conditions
Nearly all people who develop painful back conditions have movement flaws. Perhaps the most common is to move the spine when it is under load. Repeated compression of the spine while it is bending almost guarantees eventual disc bulges. The spine can withstand high loads if it is postured close to its neutral curvature.
–Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at University of Waterloo
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Habit of Making Excuses
"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."– George Washington Carver
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Motivation
Instead of motivation, look for inspiration. Inspiration comes from the same word as spirit. When you are inspired, the spirit moves you.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Lots Of Diets
Nothing takes the place of hard work for lasting results - how many of these diets have u tried? http://www.everydiet.org
Friday, September 03, 2010
Pick A Fight
It's early and still dark.
I'm running 1 mile as fast as I can.
The only sounds I hear are my labored breathing and the steady rhythm of my asics gels flying across the pavement.
I fight the urge to slow down.
I check my stopwatch.
I AM slowing down.
So I pick up the pace.
I'm about to pick a fight with myself.
And I already know who the winner will be.
There are 2 voices in this fight.
One of the voices seductively whispers :
The other voice fights back with:
"I'm going to win this one."
And so it goes...
This is a typical battle that I engage in when I run.
I don't think of myself as a runner.
Running, for me, can be uncomfortable and foreign.
I'm more comfortable squatting, benching and curling.
But, you have to feel comfortable feeling uncomfortable if you're going to progress physically and mentally.
Of course, that's a tough price to pay these days in an immediate gratification society filled with progress killing excuses.
But deep down, we all know.
Don't we?
“When the fight begins within
himself, a man's worth something.”
- Robert Browning, 1855
"How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" ~Fight Club movie
I'm running 1 mile as fast as I can.
The only sounds I hear are my labored breathing and the steady rhythm of my asics gels flying across the pavement.
I fight the urge to slow down.
I check my stopwatch.
I AM slowing down.
So I pick up the pace.
I'm about to pick a fight with myself.
And I already know who the winner will be.
There are 2 voices in this fight.
One of the voices seductively whispers :
"Walk, take a breather, no one will know."
The other voice fights back with:
"You can do this, Scott, you've been training for this, keep going."
"You need to save your energy for your 2 year old - you're going to need it today."
"I'm going to win this one."
And so it goes...
This is a typical battle that I engage in when I run.
I don't think of myself as a runner.
Running, for me, can be uncomfortable and foreign.
I'm more comfortable squatting, benching and curling.
But, you have to feel comfortable feeling uncomfortable if you're going to progress physically and mentally.
Of course, that's a tough price to pay these days in an immediate gratification society filled with progress killing excuses.
But deep down, we all know.
Don't we?
“When the fight begins within
himself, a man's worth something.”
- Robert Browning, 1855
"How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" ~Fight Club movie
Friday, July 30, 2010
FullForceFitness Reviewed
"I am not sure where to start with other THANK YOU SCOTT for your program.
Before I get started talking about the program I am going to tell you my view of Scott York (http://twitter.com/ScottYork).
He's very friendly and you can tell he is doing this for the people and his own enjoyment and not the money.
To me this is a priceless trait and it just makes the camp fun.
He works to push you through the workouts and also to educate you on proper nutrition on your road to becoming fit. He also very giving, I once asked if he wouldn’t mind coming to talk to my fellow co-worker about fitness and he did not think twice before accepting the chance to come talk to them.
Overall Scott has a very calming and positive presence that when around you just want to push yourself to the best that you can. What more can you ask for from a coach.
About the camp (www.FullForceFitness.net) I have been attending this camp for two months now and about to go into my third and it is completely amazing.
I was not sure what to expect at first as I had never done any type of group training, so I entered with an open mind and ready body. I took it easy trying to learn things at first and everything we were doing was simple to pickup yet challenging as a workout.
Here are a few things I have gained from the camp:
- Suffering in a group is truly easier than doing it alone. I have worked worked out with partners before, I have used a personal trainer, and even now workout alone regularly. But when I am training with my group, they push me harder than I can ever do myself and I also am able to push them also.
- Beating things is a good thing. The class has a lot of MMA style training. Regularly we use focus mitts, heavy bags, and dummies to punch, elbow, kick, and knee. To me there is no better way to relieve stress than getting to punch and kick things, oh, it is a good workout also.
- Keep it Simple and create your own intensity. Most of the workouts that we do are not complex nor use complex machines/equipment, but they are planned out in a method to get the most out of your complete body. There are very few days that I not completely drenched in sweat after 45 minute workout.
- One of the first classes a 15+ foot rope climb was part of the workout. I had never climbed a rope, at least in my adult life, I am just getting where I can do a few pull-ups unassisted. Well Scott asked, “you think you can get to the top” and I was not sure and said I would give it a try. In the back of my head I was thinking there is no way, but as I was put into a small team and assigned the task of climbing, I pushed and to the top like a monkey in a tree without problem. I was able to push that negative thought out and complete it for my team and not just me.
- We are pushed to complete a challenge and one of them is a 12 min mile. I have been working out pretty solid for about a year now and on a treadmill I can push a 10-11 minute mile with a good pace but it is not solid running. With that I was thinking ok this should not be too hard I can do this within 12 (thinking it would be 10-11 minute time). Well I got started and pushed and was able to not only run the entire thing, but do it in around 8:50.
- The next challenge put in front of us was a monthly challenge: 1/3mile run, 5 double unders, 5 clapping pushups, 5 burpies, 5 squat jumps. Well the first time I did this it took me 4:19 to complete. Well through the training and learning to push myself I was recently able to set my new PR at 2:53.
For me, the camp has assisted me in learning new ways to do my workouts that I can take anywhere.
But the most important thing that I have gained from this camp is that I have a lot more in me that I know and I can dig deep and push a little harder when the time is tough and overcome the want to take it easy or quit.
This camp will not only assist you with your physical fitness but also your mental fitness. You will be pushed and learn to push yourself to new levels you didn’t know you could go to." - Michael F/Austin, TX
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Expectations
"Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality."– Ralph Marsto
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