News and Rants (slightly informative)

Calories IN Calories OUT. WTF is the Truth?  WTF is a calorie?   Simply put . . . it is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram of water one degree celcius.  Geez, thanks Coach Clarence I am good now,  watch the weight fall off (eye roll ensues). Energy is heat production.  Whenever muscle contracts to initiate movement, heat is being generated, thus calories are being burned. If you were to measure your temperature right now, you would probably be in the vicinity of 98.6 degrees. Your body maintains heat on an ongoing basis, and since a calorie is a measure of heat production, it correlates to the amount of energy a food provides. I know you are thinking what does that mean to me?  When the number of calories that you take in equals the number of calories that you expend in energy, you are maintaining an energy balance and your weight will not fluctuate very much. Conventional "diet wisdom" (a contradiction in terms) dictates that if you cut b...

The first thing many people go to when they think of losing weight is “cardio”--- otherwise known as aerobic exercise. You know, you exercise vigorously by riding fast on a bike or going out for a run, and that makes you breathe harder, increase the uptake of oxygen, and your heart beats faster. The oxygen uptake is the aerobic part and the increased heartbeat is the “cardio” part.  That’s old news. Yes, aerobic exercise can have some effect on weight loss when combined with wisely selected dietary intake. But it can backfire on you. Cardio, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, is only one of the pieces of a more complicated puzzle, and if you miss the bigger picture, you will miss your goal.  What can go wrong? Many women make the mistake of undereating and overdoing cardio! If you exercise aerobically, beyond your body's ability to provide regular fuel, the body reaches into muscle tissue and as you lose weight, you lose muscle!  By losing muscle through excessive...

It’s no secret that the size of the average adult has expanded over the last forty years…and studies show that portion sizes have grown right along with us. Researchers from New York University found that average portion sizes started to grow in the 1970s, rising quickly in the 1980s, and this phenomenon hasn’t shown signs of slowing. A large order of fries from McDonald's’ weighs the same as 1998’s Supersize fries. And it doesn’t stop there. Check out these eye-opening figures, provided by the National Institutes of Health: Today's 6-inch bagel has  350  calories. This is  210  more calories than a 3-inch bagel 20 years ago. Today's 5-ounce muffin has  500  calories. This is  310  calories more than muffin 20 years ago. Today, a large cookie has about  275  calories. This is  220  more calories more than a cookie 20 years ago. Today, a 3 cup chicken Caesar salad has  790  calories. This is  4...

Have you been getting on your scale while stuck at home? Or are you afraid of what it might say? There are different methods of tracking whether or not you’ve gained the quarantine 15 with a simple bathroom scale. Some step on every day, meticulously tracking the ups and downs. Others jump on it once a week. Still, others skip the scale altogether and simply focus on how they look and feel. Which method is best for you? Let’s dive deeper and find out… The Everyday Method:  There’s a large school of the thought that says in order to lose the most weight in the shortest amount of time you must get on the scale every day. Weigh yourself at the same time, preferably first thing in the morning, wearing as little as possible. Record the daily number and react accordingly. If your weight has gone up then make modifications to your diet (eat less) and to your workouts (exercise harder). If your weight has lowered then keep on doing what you’re doing because it’s working. Every...

You know that diet and exercise are important when it comes to creating your best body, but you may be overlooking other techniques for getting into the best shape. Even while stuck at home! Try out the following 13 simple habits and watch as your body transforms. 1. Eat a Smart Breakfast. Most people load up on carbohydrates and simple sugars for breakfast. Cereal, pastries, smoothies, and juice are all poor choices when it comes to starting your day off right. Center your breakfast around protein and healthy fat, and you’ll have the energy for hours. Try a protein shake, eggs, lean breakfast meat, or a handful of nuts. 2. Get More Sleep. If you’re not getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night then you could use more sleep. This is especially true if you’ve reached a plateau with weight loss. Give your body the 8 hours of sleep each night and make weight loss easier. 3. Just Do It. If you’re really ready to achieve your best body ever, then dig down dee...