Do this exactly ONCE per week (for max fatloss)‏

If there’s one thing that causes more unnecessary panic and stress to cross my email inbox, it’s the dag on scale.

 

People literally FREAKING OUT because the scale reads one pound more today than it did yesterday.

 

So today, I’m here to help you with some facts and a bit of advice.

 

#1 – that’s NORMAL.  If you weigh yourself every day, you’re going to see fluctuations in weight throughout the week (mainly due to daily water fluctuations).  That’s normal and to be expected especially if you’re utilizing a program that cycles carb and calorie intake like many popular diet programs do today.

 

The solution?

 

NEVER weigh yourself more than once a week.  Period.  Anything more than that and you’re just screwing yourself psychologically.  The scale will inevitably jump around and instead of staying focused on your fatloss plan and your goals, your thoughts become consumed with a number (that for all intents and purposes is unreliable on a daily basis).

 

So when should you weigh yourself?

 

The key is to keep things as consistent as possible throughout the measuring process:

 

*Same scale

*Same day each week

*Same time of day

*Same circumstances

 

For example, if you have a Cheat Day on the same day each week, I recommend taking your scale reading on that day, first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything, on the same scale each week, unclothed.  Taking measurements in this fashion will give you a pretty good idea of the type of results you were able to achieve from the previous week.

 

Perhaps an even better indicator of progress is your waist measurement, and as such I recommend taking a waist measurement along with your scale reading each week.  Again, same measuring tape, some spot (around the navel), same set of circumstances, etc.

 

Even if for some fluke reason the scale doesn’t budge one week, as long as your waist measurement decreases you can rest assured that you’re losing fat because your fat stores are shrinking.

 

So, if you’re someone who steps on the scale daily, or even worse sporadically throughout the week at different times of day, do yourself a favor and STOP.  Move to once-a-week progress measurements for a much more reliable, stress-free indicator of progress.

All U Can Eat Buffet (fat loss trick)

When asked: "What's My Favorite Food?" 

My answer is: "All U Can Eat Buffet!"

There's just something enticing about having an endless supply of food available to eat until your hearts content.

But did you know that there is a simple "trick" that you can use the next time you are at a buffet that will allow you to enjoy yourself without packing on unwanted bodyfat in the process?

There is some new research from Cornell University that uncovers a powerful insight that will be very helpful to you as you visit your next buffet... if you put it to use.  

What is it?

Well, the study discovered that two thirds of an individual's plate is typically filled with the first 3 items they choose at the buffet table.  Now, how can you apply this simple finding to your bodybuilding nutrition program?  Easy.  Reach for salad, veggies, and lean protein before adding other items to your plate.

The study also found that folks are more apt to choose foods similar to the first item they put on their plate, so if the first item is a healthy choice, it's much more likely that you will follow up that choice by placing another healthy food item on your plate.

Even better, when choosing salad greens, veggies, and lean proteins, these foods come with high volume and low calories.  That means you'll be able to pile your plate high, leaving your belly full while still supporting your fat-loss goals.

High fruit and veggie diet linked to lower risk of heart disease, death

 

By Kathryn Doyle

Reuters - Friday, August 8, 2014

 

The idea that fruits and veggies are good for you isn't new, of course. What’s new in this study is that researchers saw a dose-response relationship: the more fruits and veggies people ate, the less likely they were to have heart problems or die while researchers were studying them.

The protective effects of fruits and veggies leveled out at five servings per day, which supports current dietary recommendations, senior author Dr. Frank B. Hu, of the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health by email.

The findings are from a fresh analysis of 16 existing studies that involved more than 800,000 people. The studies lasted at least four years, and sometimes up to 26 years. Around 56,000 participants died during the studies.

Six studies included data on vegetables in the diet over time, six examined fruits, and four included both. The studies were conducted in the U.S., Asia and Europe.

Compared to people who ate no fruits or vegetables, those who ate one serving per day were roughly five percent less likely to die of any cause over the course of the studies. And with every additional serving, the risk of death decreased by another five percent, according to the combined analysis published in BMJ.

The risk of dying from heart disease decreased with more fruits and vegetables in a similar way, but the risk of dying from cancer did not appear to change.

More than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily didn't confer any additional benefit.

Most of the studies took into account people’s age, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption, which can all affect the risk of dying from heart disease or other problems. But since it only included observational studies, the review can't prove that these dietary habits will protect people from heart disease and death, only that the two are connected. People in the studies could have been making other lifestyle choices that would influence the results.

It would not be feasible to do a randomized controlled trial on consumption of fruits and vegetables because it would involve thousands of people eating the same diets for many years, Hu said. In the absence of those, large prospective cohort studies like the ones he looked at are the best available evidence, he said.

Randomized trials have found a connection between a generally healthy diet and delayed onset of heart disease, Hu’s coauthor Wei Bao told Reuters Health by email.

“For instance, the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the PREDIMED study have shown a significant reduction of cardiovascular events by a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern which includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables,” said Bao, a postdoctoral fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland.

The vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables may improve blood lipids and blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, Hu said.

Eating more than five servings daily may confer benefits in other areas, like stroke risk, and even if it does not, there is no evidence of harm from a high-plant diet, he said.

"Since the average consumption of fruits/veggies in the general population is far below five servings per day, there is still a long way to go before meeting the recommended intakes," Hu said.

They did not look at individual fruits and vegetables, and more research will be needed to examine the health effects of specific foods in this category, he said.

“For instance, the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the PREDIMED study have shown a significant reduction of cardiovascular events by a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern which includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables,” said Bao, a postdoctoral fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland.

The vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables may improve blood lipids and blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, Hu said.

Eating more than five servings daily may confer benefits in other areas, like stroke risk, and even if it does not, there is no evidence of harm from a high-plant diet, he said.

"Since the average consumption of fruits/veggies in the general population is far below five servings per day, there is still a long way to go before meeting the recommended intakes," Hu said.

They did not look at individual fruits and vegetables, and more research will be needed to examine the health effects of specific foods in this category, he said.