Download Losing Your Love Handles

Losing Your Love Handles
Your Sweetie Will Have to Find Somewhere Else to Hang On
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Use all the information in this book and website as a general guide only, I the author, do
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THE USE OF THIS BOOK
Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal
evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to
achieve complete accuracy of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility for
errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own
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in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the
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Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved worldwide.
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Contents
Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................... 2
Love Handles, How Did You Get Them? ........................................................................... 5
Ridding Yourself of Your Love Handles ............................................................................ 7
Exercises to Firm Your Midsection .................................................................................... 8
Sit-Ups ............................................................................................................................ 9
Twisting Sit-Ups ........................................................................................................... 10
Incline Sit-Ups .............................................................................................................. 10
Twisting Incline Sit-Ups ............................................................................................... 11
Bench Sit-Ups ............................................................................................................... 11
Leg Raises ..................................................................................................................... 11
Incline Leg Raises ......................................................................................................... 12
Incline Twisting Leg Raises.......................................................................................... 12
Hanging Leg Raises ...................................................................................................... 13
Hanging Twisting Leg Raises ....................................................................................... 13
Crunches ....................................................................................................................... 14
Incline Crunches ........................................................................................................... 14
Seated Leg Crunches..................................................................................................... 15
Twisting Seated Leg Crunches ..................................................................................... 15
Side Bends .................................................................................................................... 16
Rear Side Bends ............................................................................................................ 16
Standing Twists ............................................................................................................. 16
Standing Barbell Twists ................................................................................................ 17
Seated Barbell Twists ................................................................................................... 17
Good Morning Exercise ................................................................................................ 18
Good Morning Twists ................................................................................................... 18
The Abdominal Machine .................................................................................................. 19
Diet and Nutrition: The Other Part of the Equation......................................................... 20
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Protein ........................................................................................................................... 21
Whey Protein ................................................................................................................ 23
More on Eggs ................................................................................................................ 23
Carbohydrates ............................................................................................................... 24
Fats ................................................................................................................................ 25
Vitamins and Minerals .................................................................................................. 25
Water ............................................................................................................................. 26
Some Thoughts on Advanced Supplementation ............................................................... 27
L-Glutamine .................................................................................................................. 27
Creatine Monohydrate .................................................................................................. 27
Pyruvate ........................................................................................................................ 28
Andro-Stack .................................................................................................................. 28
DHEA ........................................................................................................................... 28
Glucosamine (Gs) ......................................................................................................... 28
Chondroitin Sulphate (Cs) ............................................................................................ 29
Diets That Do Work .......................................................................................................... 29
High Protein, Low Carbohydrate .................................................................................. 29
Balanced Diets .............................................................................................................. 30
Glycemic Index Diets ................................................................................................... 30
The Non-Diet Program ................................................................................................. 31
The Iron Guru’s Bodybuilder’s Diet ................................................................................. 31
PACE – Another effective program of exercise for health and weight loss. .................... 32
Other Highly Regarded Fitness Practitioners ................................................................... 33
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Love Handles, How Did You Get Them?
The obliques, those muscles extending from the small of your back around your waist
and tying into your middle abdominals are the most neglected muscles in your body.
Most waist exercises focus on the upper and lower abdominals with only an ancillary
benefit to the oblique muscles.
Most humans store excess calories as fat, usually in gender-specific areas of the body.
Women tend to gain body fat on their buttocks, thighs, stomachs and breasts. Men tend
to store their fat on bellies, waists and backs. Love handles don’t discriminate, however,
and are formed on both sexes in the same places for the same reasons: Poor diet and
inadequate exercise.
In the Pleistocene Age, a little body fat was a hedge against starvation in tough times. A
fat baby often meant a healthy baby, one who would survive to puberty and maybe
beyond, if they weren’t first cycled through the digestive system of some cave lion or
bear.
As our brains grew and technology replaced stone axes, long-shafted spears and atyls, we
learned how to preserve and store food against the periods of poor hunting and gathering.
Some observant farmer-to-be noticed that grazing animals preferred certain grain-tipped
grasses and reasoned that humans could eat these grains, too, so he dug shallow trenches
and planted these seeds and subsequently led to the obesity epidemic in the world today.
This didn’t happen overnight, rather it took about 15-20,000 years. The human
metabolism that had developed over a period much longer than that brief period, was
suddenly confronted by refined starches it was never intended to digest. Our bodies are
very slow to adapt to this new source of food, but they did learn to store the excess,
undigested energy as fat, usually around our middles.
Our Paleolithic Age metabolism evolved to utilize proteins and complex carbohydrates as
tissue-building, energy-producing sustenance. It did not evolve to absorb refined starches
and sugars in lieu of meat, fruits and natural vegetables. However, the modern diet
consists largely of these unnatural food sources.
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Pasta, refined flour breads, cakes, pies, ready-to-heat-and-serve prepared foods and a host
of other boxed, canned or packaged items on the grocer’s shelves have led to a lot of fat
people in the developed countries.
Sure, there are still parts of the world where starvation is not just a word in the dictionary,
but a real fact of life. People living in these few and remote areas of the world still have
to struggle to eke out a living for their families and themselves. The foods they do gather
and eat are simple, unrefined and often lacking in sufficient protein to build muscular
bodies. These folks don’t have a problem with love handles, in fact they would like to
have such a problem.
The whole point of this history lesson is that the success of the human race in changing
our environment to one in which we don’t have to struggle to survive is largely the cause
of the health and weight problems we face today. Nutritionists and those in the health
and fitness industry have recognized this have put together programs that contend with
our more sedentary lifestyles and the poor nutritional offerings that come in boxes, cans
and freezer bags.
This e-book will expose you to cures for overweight, flabby bodies and inefficient,
inactive organs and show you the pathway(s) to a fit, healthy, good-looking body and an
active life. Along the way, you will learn how to rid yourself of your love handles . . .
and a lot of other body fat in other places.
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Ridding Yourself of Your Love Handles
We know that the causes of your body fat, including stomach fat and love handles, are a
sedentary, inactive lifestyle, coupled with bad dietary habits. The obvious answer to this
problem is exercise and diet. Sure, we have been hearing all our lives that these are the
cures for overweight and what we heard was the truth.
Everyone is always looking for a quick fix to the problem and knowing this, smart
marketers have come up with a plethora of dietary and exercise plans intended more to
part the unwary from their money, as much as they are to help them with fat loss. There
are diets named after people, places and the things we are to eat. There are programs
designed to flush the poisons from our colons and cleanse our intestinal tracts and those
that ‘guarantee’ slim, fit bodies and six-pack abs.
Specialized equipment has been designed in order to focus exercises on the body areas
we want to develop or diminish. All of these machines and most of the dietary plans
work after a fashion, but after an initial, enthusiastic exertion, most of the diets are
abandoned and the machines gather dust in a closet.
If you are truly interested in losing your love handles, stomach fat and all the other body
fat, then you will be interested in what else this book has to say. It isn’t going to be easy,
but then, nothing ever worth anything is easy. But, it isn’t going to be hard either. All
you have to do is make a commitment to yourself and read on further in this book.
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Exercises to Firm Your Midsection
“There is no such thing as spot-reducing.” All the old time spas, health clubs and
massage parlors used to promote the idea of being able to reduce fat from specific areas
of the body. This untruth has been promoted for years, maybe even centuries.
The truth is that fat will be burned off your body equally, with the areas where the most
fat is stored being the last area to lose the last of the body fat. In order to lose your love
handles, you will have to be losing body fat from all over your body; your back, your
neck, your buttocks, your legs, your chest and last, but not least, your stomach.
Exercise is important for fat reduction for a number of reasons; first, it speeds up your
metabolism so you burn more fat (even at rest, a person who exercises is burning more
energy than one who doesn’t), second, it will tone, condition and strengthen your
muscles (all of them) and third, it will make you healthier and you will feel more
energetic and be more mobile.
On another note altogether, Exercise Reduces Stress Biologically! Stress is physically
very bad for your body and for your health. Stress causes your body to jump in and out
of the “fight or flight” mode and it will take a toll on your energy and physical wellbeing.
Exercise increases the production of endomorphins, the “feel-good” neurotransmitters.
For marathoners, this is called “the runner’s high” but any vigorous exercise produces
this same feeling.
Exercise will also lengthen telomeres . . . what the heck is a teel-oh-mere? This is a tiny
piece of DNA that promotes genetic stability and acts as a protective sheath for our
chromosones. Short telemeres are linked to a broad range of health problems like
coronary heart disease, diabetes and early death (the latter is a real bummer).
While we are going to deal with waist-specific exercises here, you should embark upon a
total body fitness program. All exercises will contribute to fat loss because of your
speedier metabolic processes heightened by strenuous workouts. If you are unsure as to
how to set up a total body exercise program, you should seek the help of a professional
trainer at a local health and fitness club.
As your program progresses, you will begin to lose body fat and those love handles will
begin to disappear fast. While your other major muscle groups should be worked
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strenuously once or twice a week, waist exercises should be performed during every
workout session. Some sample programs will be included further on in this text.
Let’s get started with the various abdominal and oblique exercises that should be part of
your program. Keep in mind that you should perform three to four of these every
workout. Each exercise should be done for three sets of high repetitions. Use different
exercises in a different order each day so your body doesn’t get used to the exercise and
stop responding.
Sit-Ups
The jury is still out on performing full sit-ups. Some bodybuilding gurus eschew sit-ups,
opting for crunches or tension exercises instead. Other famous bodybuilders swear by
full sit-ups. The full sit-up will also work your lower back muscle some, so I opt to do
them.
Sit-ups should be performed on a flat surface with something to arrest your feet. Your
legs should be slightly bent to add some tension to your abdominals. Perform the
movement with your hands held together at your chest or behind your neck. If the latter,
be sure not to pull on your head or neck, but rather, focus your attention on the waist
muscles.
Perform as many repetitions as you can for three sets.
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Twisting Sit-Ups
While performing sit-ups, twist your body 45 degrees right, then left when in the upright
position. Repeat for as many reps as possible for three sets. Twisting movements tend to
work the obliques as well as the abs.
Incline Sit-Ups
On an incline board with a feet arrestor, perform as many sit-ups as you can for three
sets.
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Twisting Incline Sit-Ups
While performing incline sit-ups, twist your body 45 degrees right, then left when in the
upright position for as many reps as you can perform for three sets.
Bench Sit-Ups
Utilizing a bench, lie supine on the floor with your butt against the base of the bench and
your legs bent over the seat. Perform either full or crunch sit-ups for twenty-five reps for
three sets. Alternately, if no bench is available, you may lie with your buttocks about 18
inches from the wall and your legs slightly bent with your feet flat on the wall.
Leg Raises
In a supine position on a mat or bench and your hands under your buttocks, keeping your
feet together and your legs straight, raise your feet until they are at a 45 degree angle.
Hold for a five count and lower. Repeat for as many reps as you can for three sets.
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Incline Leg Raises
On an incline/decline board with your hands gripping the foot arrest and your legs
extended straight in front, raise your knees to your chest and hold while crunching your
abs for a five-count. Extend your legs and repeat for twenty-five reps and three sets.
Incline Twisting Leg Raises
In the same position as for Incline Leg Raises, alternately raise your knees to the opposite
side of your chest. This works the outer abs and obliques.
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Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging from a chinning (pull-up) bar with your hands palms forward at shoulder width,
raise your feet while keeping your legs straight, until your legs are at a 90 degree angle to
your body. Hold for a two-count, lower and repeat for as many reps as you can muster
for three sets.
Hanging Twisting Leg Raises
While performing hanging leg raises, bend your knees, keeping them together, pull your
right knee to your left side and then the left knee to the right side. Repeat for as many
reps as you can for three sets.
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Crunches
In a supine position on the floor or a bench and your knees bent with your feet flat on the
floor, place your hands behind your head or clasp them together at your chest. Elevate
your upper body while bringing your shoulders forward in a slight rolling motion, while
crunching your abdominal muscles. Hold for a two-count, then lower you shoulders back
to the mat and repeat for fifty reps for three sets.
It is important to contract your abdominals while performing this exercise, just as it is
with all of these exercises.
Incline Crunches
Using an incline board, perform the crunches for three sets.
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Seated Leg Crunches
Seated on a bench or in a chair, extend your legs straight out in front of you. Bring your
knees to your chest, crunching your abdominals as you do. Perform as many reps as you
can for three sets.
Twisting Seated Leg Crunches
While performing seated leg crunches, keeping your knees together, pull the right knee to
the left side of your chest, then pull the left knee to the right side of your chest.
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Side Bends
With a dumbbell in your right hand, standing erect with your feet at shoulder width, bend
your torso straight to your right side while contracting your abdominals and obliques.
Perform fifty repetitions, then change to your left side and perform fifty more. Do three
sets in this manner.
Rear Side Bends
While performing side bends, lean backwards slightly so that the strain is on your rear
obliques. Perform fifty reps per side for three sets. This works the rear obliques.
Standing Twists
Standing erect with your feet at shoulder width and your arms extended straight out from
your sides, twist your body 45 degrees to the right, then to the left. Perform fifty reps in
this manner for three sets. Optionally, you may place your hands behind your head while
performing this exercise.
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Standing Barbell Twists
Standing erect with your feet at shoulder width and a lightweight barbell across your
shoulders, twist your body to the right and then to the left. Perform fifty reps in this
manner for three sets.
Seated Barbell Twists
Seated on a bench with a barbell across your shoulders, twist your body to the right and
then to the left. Perform fifty reps in this manner for three sets.
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Good Morning Exercise
Standing erect, feet spread to shoulder width and a barbell across your shoulders, bend
forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, raise back to upright
and repeat for twenty-five reps for three sets. This works your lower back, abdominals
and obliques.
Good Morning Twists
As in the Good Morning Exercise, bend forward and when your upper body is parallel to
the ground, twist first to the right and then to the left. Return to upright and repeat for
twenty-five reps for three sets.
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The Abdominal Machine
It is human nature to always look for shortcuts or easier ways of doing things. Coupled
with our creativity, this drive has resulted in a huge variety of “machines” that are
promoted on the basis of providing quicker and easier means of achieving remarkable
physiques.
Many of the bodybuilding and conditioning machines that have been developed in the
last 100 years have proved to very effective tools, while an equally sizeable number of
them have been ineffective at best. Those that have achieved results have stood the test
of time and are in use today.
A visit to any fully-equipped bodybuilding and conditioning gym will display a mixture
of free weights with appropriate benches, racks and stands, as well as a complete lineup
of machines; some of them plate-loading others with integral weight stacks. There are
advantages to both types of equipment, but the end results are often the same.
Professional bodybuilders and power-lifters seem to favor the free weights, while general
conditioning trainers and trainees seem to like the machines better. Free weights probably
provide a greater range of movement and more intense muscle strain, but some of the
machines, like Nautilus, increase flexibility and provide variable resistance.
The midsection of the body has not been neglected by the machine designers and
builders. In the old days, health spas featured a line-up of vibration belts that reportedly
worked the midsection very well. In fact, their primary function was a vigorous massage
of your middle.
These belt exercisers were made up of a platform with a stanchion rising from one side.
The top of the stanchion was an electric motor with eccentric cams on either side from
which was suspended a broad rubberized belt. The exerciser stood on the platform inside
of the loop of the belt, leaned back against the belt and flipped on the machine. They
could rotate and massage all parts of their midsection simply by turning around while the
machine was vibrating.
Many of the modern day machines, particularly those intended for home use, are
effective only because they encourage people to perform the exercises. It really isn’t any
easier to use an ab-lounger than it is to perform sit-ups, but it seems easier and is much
lower impact exercising, thus users tend to stick to their program more.
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Over the years, I have personally tried all types of waist exercise machines, because, like
everyone else, I don’t particularly like waist exercises and I’d like a shortcut. Among
those that I have tried and bought is a rope-and-cable affair that hung from any door
knob. You lay supine on the floor with your feet in loops connected to hand loops. You
could provide both assistance and resistance while performing stiff-legged raises.
This was a good device for a business traveler and did provide a decent waist workout,
plus you got some upper body benefit as well. I also have two different circumference
rubber strands that can be used for a good upper body pump.
I succumbed to the lure of the Ab-Lounger and purchased one at my wife’s behest. She
used it twice but I used it a lot. The machine did provide a lot of tension on my
abdominals and could be used for the obliques as well, just by twisting as you exercised.
My arthritic shoulder got aggravated by using the Ab-Lounger, so it is now in a closet
gathering dust.
NOTE: Reading these words, I am now thinking about getting the Ab-Lounger out of the
closet, dusting it off and using it again. I have been taking natural supplements and my
shoulder pain is diminished greatly . . . and the machine was quite effective.
Bodybuilding gurus decry the use of most of these machines, preferring instead to
perform most of the exercises listed herein. The late, great Iron Guru, Vince Gironda
eschewed the use of sit-ups in any form. Vince instead, performed a lot of crunching and
tension exercises to develop his world famous abs and obliques.
On the other side of the coin, four-time professional Mr. Universe, Bill Pearl, performed
full sit-ups as well as all of the exercises I have listed and more. It comes down to a
matter of choice, but all these approaches will work, all you have to do is perform them
on a very regular basis.
Diet and Nutrition: The Other Part of the Equation
Most bodybuilding gurus and professional competitors agree that bodybuilding is about
eighty-percent nutrition and twenty percent pumping iron and exercising. It may not
actually be those exact percentages, but proper nutrition is the weightiest part of the
equation for sure.
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Exercising will build your abdominal muscles and form those obliques, but if they are
hidden under a layer of subcutaneous fat, no one will see all the effort you have
undergone to produce those muscles.
Nutrients fall into five categories: Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and
water. Don’t neglect that last one as water is very important to hydrate your body and
flush away waste materials.
Nutrients perform critical tasks in your body: They furnish the body with heat and
energy, they provide the material for growth and tissue repair and they help regulate the
body processes. All of these nutrients are essential and interdependent. Your nutritional
requirements are determined by your physical condition, age, sex and the amount of your
physical activity.
Protein
Protein is the largest component of the body behind water. Protein is the source of the
building materials for your organs, muscles, blood, skin, hair and nails. Every cell in the
body contains protein.
Protein also is essential in the formation of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Unlike
carbohydrate or fat, your body can live on protein alone. All three of these; protein,
carbohydrate and fat, can be burned as energy, but only protein will renew your tissues.
Protein must be in your bloodstream 24 hours per day for optimum health and fitness.
The body does prefer to use carbohydrates for energy because there are more than twice
as many calories in carbs as in protein and fat; nine calories per gram versus four in both
protein and fat.
Proteins are made up of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. Amino acids are the
sub-units of protein, twenty of which are found in our food and the rest are synthesized
by our bodies. Those provided by food were called “Essential Amino Acids,” but the
term used today is “Indispensable Amino Acids.”
The primary indispensable amino acids are: Lysine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, threonine,
methionine, phenylalanine and tryptophan.
Three major types of dietary protein are: Whole protein (from food), hydrosylates
(predigested proteins found in protein powder), and free-form amino acids. The rates of
absorption are the only differences between natural whole protein and supplements.
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The most important sources of protein are: Meat, cheese, milk (preferably raw,
unprocessed milk) and eggs. Vegetable protein sources are: Beans, peas and soybeans.
Lentils, nuts, dried beans, peas and cereals are incomplete proteins because they lack
some of the essential amino acids. You may combine some of these to realize a complete
protein meal.
The protein needs of individuals are as varied as their body sizes, genders and degree of
physical activity. A 200 pound athlete needs more protein that a 200 pound couchpotato. Likewise a 200 pound bodybuilder needs more protein than a 100 pound
gymnast.
The American Dietetic Association states that the minimum daily requirement of protein
is .8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. An active, athletic person may need as much as
double that amount or more. A 200 pound fat person has lower protein requirements than
a 200 pound fit person, so there is no exact formula to determine individual needs.
Keep in mind, too much protein will not hurt you, but not enough will result in physical
harm. Too much carbohydrate will be stored as fat, but too little will result in your body
burning protein and fat for energy.
The Iron Guru was known for his cuts, 8-pack abs and super obliques. He was a
renowned trainer and many professional bodybuilders came to Vince for “finishing”
before a contest. As well as his tension exercises, the late Mr. Gironda was known for
being a knowledgeable nutritionist, though he had little formal training as such. He had
learned from voracious reading and trial and error with his own diet.
Vince decried the use of growth hormones and anabolic steroids for muscle growth. He
maintained that loading your system with “useable” protein would do the same thing . . .
and it was more sustainable. Most chemically induced muscles will shrink after the
chemical intake is halted for an appreciable period of time.
Gironda advocated an egg-diet for muscle growth. Eggs, he explained, are ninety-five
percent biological (human tissue is 100% biological) and as such their protein content is
ninety-five percent usable by the human body. Even though the egg is only six percent
protein, you get more usable grams than with any vegetable protein sources.
Vince had a diet program he advocated for bodybuilders that would remove those last bits
of vestigial fat from their bodies. He recommended using it for no more than four to six
weeks at any one time. It was hugely successful and is a great way to lose belly fat and
trim your love handles. This diet will be disclosed later in this text.
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Other recommended protein sources are: Meats, organ meats (liver, kidneys, heart and
sweetbreads), fish, beans and soybeans.
A cautionary note on soybeans: The soybean byproducts used in the Orient to such a
healthy benefit are made from fermented soybeans. They are easily digested and
absorbed by our tissues when they are fermented. Most of the soy products available in
the West are not from fermented soybeans and as such have a diminished benefit. In fact,
in some studies, unfermented soy may actually be harmful to a diet program.
Whey Protein
Whey is a milk derivative that is considered by many to be the best source of
supplemental protein for muscle growth. Whey has one of the highest percentages of
indispensable (essential) amino acids of any protein product. The branch-chained amino
acids in whey protein are important for combating catabolism; the natural breakdown of
muscle tissue.
Whey protein is used in the majority of the protein supplement powders available on the
market today.
More on Eggs
Eggs fell out of favor with nutritionists a few years back because it was felt that they
contributed to our Cholesterol problems. In fact, eggs are a “perfect food” and contain a
compound, phosphatidycholine, that helps keep cholesterol soluble in your bloodstream
and keeps your body from absorbing too much of it.
A Harvard Medical School study of 118,000 men and women over 14 years found “no
evidence of an overall significant association between egg consumption and the risk of
coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke in either men or women.”
Eggs contain all the essential amino acids and many vitamins. The protein from eggs is
more digestible than that from meat, fish or any other foods. Eggs will improve your
nervous system, skin tone and give you more protection against disease than any other
natural food.
There are differences in the types of eggs you can buy. They are all healthy, but some are
much more so.
What types of eggs are there? At the top of the pyramid are “Cage-Free” or “Pastured”
hen fruit. These come from hens that have an outdoor environment where they can
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forage for their natural foods, bugs, grubs and other sources of protein, as well as seeds,
shoots and the like.
Pastured chickens live on small farms where they are running free in “pastures” or large
enclosures. At night, they are herded back into the coops where they roost for the night
in a protected (from predators) environment. They have space, sunshine and a natural
diet. Their eggs reflect this “pasturing” with higher concentrates of proteins and vitamins
and none of the antibiotics that are commonly used on factory farms.
Conventional eggs come from factory farms where the chickens are raised in battery
cages where each hen has about 67 square inches of space to live out her life (less than a
sheet of notebook paper). They don’t get to perform any natural activities like nesting,
grooming or laying their eggs in privacy. The stress levels caused by battery cages
contribute to less nutrition in the egg production.
All animals react to stress in similar manners, even the human-animal. Corisol levels get
high and lower natural immunity to diseases. It prevents the absorption of nutrients from
our food and it may affect our DNA over the long-haul.
Eggs from pastured chickens versus battery-caged hens will contain on the average;
more than three times the vitamin E, nearly twice the vitamin A, eight times as much
beta carotene, three times the omega 3s, about half the cholesterol and one third less
saturated fat.
Battery caged flocks tested almost four times higher for salmonella than did cage-free
flocks. Fortunately, battery-cages will be outlawed by the European Union by 2012 and
the rest of the developed countries will follow suite.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or carbs in bodybuilder-speak, are the fuel for your engine. The word
means literally, “chains of carbon. The smallest molecules in carbohydrates are the
sugars; cane sugar, maple sugar, milk sugar, corn syrup, beet sugar, etc. A simple
carbohydrate is one with less than five carbons (sugars). Complex carbohydrates have
longer lines of carbon.
Simple carbs are broken down into glucose in a few minutes after ingesting. This causes
a spike in blood sugar which precipitates the release of insulin into the system. Insulin
causes the cells to store the glucose for fuel. What isn’t used immediately is stored as fat.
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Complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly, thus preventing high amounts of
glucose from entering the blood stream in a rush. There is rarely a surplus of complex
carb glucose in the system, so less, if any, fat is stored on your body.
Cellulose is another form of carbohydrate. This high fiber plant derived food comes from
leaves, stems, roots and fruit/seed coverings. Fiber foods give bulk to the diet by holding
water in the lower intestine, aiding digestion, waste elimination and curtailing the
incidence of colon cancer.
Research suggests that more than fifty percent of our food intake should come from
complex carbohydrates and a very minimal amount from simple carbs. The best complex
carbohydrates are found in potatoes, yams, fresh vegetables, whole fruits, as well as
whole grain pasta, bread and cereals.
Fats
Fats are one of the biggest problems in the Western diet. We consume three to five times
the amount we need to keep our bodies functioning properly. Our bodies need a certain
amount of fat because many of our essential vitamins are fat soluble meaning they have
to have fat present for assimilation. Excess fats are stored as . . . guess what . . . FAT.
The Western Diet is high in meats or all kinds, the primary source of saturated dietary fat.
Unsaturated fats come from fish and plants. An average man in good physical conditions
who is on a Western Diet will average 18% body fat while in their 30s, 22% in their 40s
and 24% in their 60s. This is far more than the 3% body fat necessary for good health.
Women have correspondingly high levels of body fat when consuming a Western Diet.
The reason for this excess body fat is overeating and not enough exercise. Overeating
causes more of our calories to be stored as body fat and the lack of exercise precludes this
excess from being burned as fuel. To minimize or eliminate the production of new fat
cells in which our excesses are stored, we should eat smaller meals, possible as many as
four or five small meals per day. This reduces the hormonal signal to our body to
produce more fat cells. These meals should come from high-protein, low-fat and
complex carbohydrate foods.
Vitamins and Minerals
If we are eating properly we should be getting all of our essential vitamins and minerals
from our food. To guard against the possibility that we are not eating right some of the
time, we should consider vitamin and mineral supplements.
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Vitamin and mineral supplements come in both natural and synthetic forms. Both are
effective as the body doesn’t recognize the difference. The vitamin potency is important
and natural vitamins; those extracted from plants and animal tissues; are often less potent
than condensed synthetic nutrients.
The body usually sloughs off excessive vitamins and minerals, but overdosing yourself
over a long period of time can cause stress on the body. The excesses can also counteract
or negate the benefits from other supplements. Seek information from a certified
nutritionist or medical practitioner before embarking on an extensive program of vitamin
and mineral supplementation.
Water
Your physical condition and performance are directly dependent upon the quantity and
quality of the water you drink.
Dehydration occurs when you don’t drink enough water to replace that you lose by
cellular absorption, perspiration, urination and other body processes. Approximately
three quarts are lost each day by the average sized person during their normal activities.
One quart of water is lost per hour during strenuous exercise.
Reduced hydration causes the blood to become thicker and it will then carry far less
oxygen that properly hydrated blood. In short, your physical and mental performance
declines rapidly when you don’t drink enough water. You joints are less lubricated and
your digestive system is less efficient without enough H2O.
A three percent dehydration of your tissues will cause about a ten percent reduction in
strength and endurance and an eight percent loss of speed of movement.
Body water can be replaced by nearly every fluid. Coffee and tea are the least effective
because they are also diuretics. Cold water is absorbed faster than water at room
temperature. Cold water also helps reduce body heat.
Water is best sipped rather that quaffed. Also, anything added to water will slow
absorption, so pure, clear water is the best drink (although a little single-malt will help
your spirits, pun intended).
Here are ten basic rules of nutrition for optimum health:
•
Eat as “natural” as possible. Your food choices should be whole, unrefined and
unprocessed.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Eat raw or “living” foods. If cooking is desired or required, cook as little as
possible to retain the nutrition of the food.
Eat chemical-free foods.
Eat a complex carbohydrate and low to moderate animal fat diet.
Don’t take mega-doses of vitamins or supplemental minerals.
Drink a lot of water.
Don’t eat a lot of fat.
Relax during and after a meal.
Let go now and then and have a piece of cake or some ice cream.
Stop eating when your appetite is satisfied, not when you are completely full.
Some Thoughts on Advanced Supplementation
Anyone who has spent any time in a bodybuilding gym has heard about performance
enhancing chemical supplements. Some of these are just bolstering the body’s natural
production of hormones, while others supercharge the system by introducing genetically
engineered synthetic hormones. Here are some of these supplements.
L-Glutamine
The most common amino acid produced in the human body is L-Glutamine. It is often
referred to as “conditionally essential” or indispensable because of its high concentration
in vital tissues. Glutamine transports nitrogen throughout the body and nitrogen is
important for the building of muscle tissue. Glutamine is also important in immunity,
rebuilding of damaged tissue, brain function and the maintenance of skeletal muscle.
Oral supplementation of L-Glutamine has not been studied sufficiently for any
conclusion to be reached.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is produced in the liver, kidneys and pancreas by the metabolizing of the amino
acids; methionine, glycine and arginine, and is stored largely in skeletal muscle. Muscle
fatigue during heavy exercise is the result of creatine depletion. Supplementation of
creatine has been shown to increase muscle size as well as reserves of energy and
strength. Studies have also shown that creatine supplementation effects strength and
endurance during anaerobic exercises such a weight training and power lifting.
All testing of creatine involved healthy athletes so it is unknown what effects if any will
result from anyone else taking this hormone.
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Pyruvate
Pyruvate is made by the body during the metabolizing of carbohydrates. It is used in the
production of cellular energy. It is also found in some food sources such as vegetables,
fruits and grains in small amounts.
Studies indicate that pyruvate helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cells
increasing their capacity for endurance exercising. Pryvate has also been associated with
the loss of body fat by increasing the usage of glucose by the body cells.
Andro-Stack
Androstenedione supplementation has been in the news in the recent past as that prohormone taken by a number of professional athletes. Commonly referred to as “androstack” by gym-rats and other jocks, these supplements are made up of a naturally
occurring steroid hormone that increases the body’s production of testosterone. Studies
have shown that androstenedione will increase strength and endurance. Though still legal
in many places, there are moves amongst the athletic hierarchy to ban the use of androstack in any form.
One downside of taking andro that was reported is the reduction of the athlete’s HDL, the
good chloresterol.
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, comes from production in the adrenal glands. Aging
reduces the amount of DHEA the body produces, which in turn causes a reduction in the
production of sex steroids. The lack of DHEA in the system has been linked to
osteoperosis, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and insulin resistance, as well as the
loss of muscle tone. The greatest reduction in the production of DHEA occurs just before
the age of fifty in most people. Supplementation of DHEA can increase lean muscle
mass and strength and enhance the quality of life without any negative side effects,
according to researchers.
Glucosamine (Gs)
Glucosamine Sulphate is found in the body around joints, connective tissue, tendons and
ligaments. Gs is formed from the amino acid glutamine, proteoglycans and glucose.
Studies have shown that Gs supplementation will help heal joint problems by repairing
and regenerating cartilage. It also makes tendons and ligaments stronger and more rigid.
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Chondroitin Sulphate (Cs)
Found in high concentrations in joints and connective tissue, Cs contains elements
necessary to connective tissue components. Studies have suggested that oral
supplementation with Cs benefits people who have suffered severe joint debilitation.
Diets That Do Work
High Protein, Low Carbohydrate
Doctor Atkins (and a lot of others) had it right. A low-carb diet will help anyone lose
weight. Their body will get enough protein to rebuild their tissue and their energy will
come from the carbs they do eat, plus from fats and protein.
Long before Doctor Atkins there were “The Drinking Man’s Diet” and “Calories Don’t
Count”, both written by medical professionals about high protein and low carbohydrate
dieting. One of them was a medical doctor who had a personal weight problem that he
fought unsuccessfully for years through every type of diet he knew. He finally figured
out that he didn’t have to count calories, but counted carbohydrates instead . . . and lost
the weight he wanted to lose.
The basic principle is that in order to lose weight carbohydrate intake has to be no more
than sixty grams per day. For rapid weight loss, the intake should be less than forty
grams per day. Using a carbohydrate counter and tracking their intake is a lot simpler
than trying to count calories.
When the desired bodyweight is neared, the carbohydrate intake is increased until the
weight loss stops, thus is established the ideal carb intake for your body and activity
level.
Another means of checking your metabolic process is by using “ketone” strips available
at the local pharmacy. These strips measure the ketones in your urine, ketone content
being the indication of fat burning. When your desired bodyweight is achieved, you
increase your carb intake until you are barely producing ketones, thus you know what
your ideal carb intake should be.
Compared to calorie-counting, following a low carbohydrate diet is easy. The carbs you
do consume should be complex carbohydrates with no refined sugars or starches.
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Balanced Diets
A balanced diet is one in which you obtain all of your calories from a “balance” of foods
on the accepted food pyramid. This food pyramid has changed over the years as more
and more studies are done of the effects of food on the human body.
Most of the government endorsed food pyramids include a lot of whole grains, starches
and sugars, all of which we now recognize as being bad for any weight loss diet . . . or
any diet in general.
Glycemic Index Diets
It is commonly held that a diet of foods that are low on the Glycemic Index is better for
your health. The Glycemic Index or GI is a measure of how speedily the carbohydrates
are absorbed into the blood stream. The slower the absorption, the less the carbs spike
your blood sugar. The lower your blood sugar is the less insulin is produced by your
body to metabolize your carbohydrate intake. Insulin is the culprit in much of our fat
storage.
Foods with a GI of fifty or less are considered healthy, while those with a GI of thirty or
less are very low GI. Dieters are advised to not eat any foods with a GI over fifty, but to
try and stick with the majority of their foods under forty GI.
Foods with zero GI are: Beef, Fish, Lamb, Pork, Veal, Chicken, Eggs, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Zucchini, Lettuce and most brightly colored fresh,
above-ground vegetables, as well as most nuts.
Low GI foods are: Fresh Fruit of all types, whole milk, yogurt, soy milk, cheeses and
other dairy products.
Medium GI foods are: Pasta, particularly whole-wheat varieties, unsweetened fruit
juices, dried beans of all types, lentils, dried peas and chick peas.
High GI foods are those that are loaded with refined sugars, also: All varieties of
potatoes, processed and canned soups and all cereal and grain products (bread, cakes,
breakfast cereals – even All-Bran is over 50 GI – crackers, biscuits, rice cakes, pita,
etc.)
Complete GI charts are available on the internet.
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The Non-Diet Program
Visualization has long been known to be one of the means of programming our
subconscious minds for the benefit of our success, initiative, habits and good health. A
morbidly obese man, a financial advisor in New York City discovered after years of
unsuccessful dieting, that the key to his weight loss was to reprogram his body to want to
be thin. He lost more than two hundred pounds/100 kilograms and has kept it off for
years.
Medical doctors are amazed that this man’s body shows no signs of his former obesity.
His skin is taut and healthy, he has no stretch marks and his face is unlined. He left his
NYC brokerage and moved to Australia where he lectures and trains people in his system
of visualization for weight loss and the betterment of their lives.
Jon Gabriel has published his program with e-versions and hardcopies available through
his website - http://www.lovehandles.com.au/thegabrielmethod/
Visualization is also promoted by other internet companies, as well as by highly
successful network marketing firms like Herbalife.
Visualization is actually a form of self-hypnosis or auto-suggestion in which positive
images of goals, wants and needs are envisioned. Weightlifters use visualization before
heavy lifts, as do other athletes before their sports events. It is effective.
The Iron Guru’s Bodybuilder’s Diet
As promised earlier in this book, the following is the program advocated by the late
Vince Gironda for competitive bodybuilders preparing for a contest. Vince encouraged
them to undertake this lose-the-last-of-the-fat-under-the-skin program for the last four to
six weeks before their competition. This diet should not be undertaken without
consulting a medical practitioner or qualified nutritionist to determine that it will not
be harmful to your health.
Day 1 through 4 – Eat as close to zero carbohydrates as humanly possible.
Day 5 – Free day, eat a normal balanced diet of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and
water.
Day 6 through 9 – Zero Carbs.
Day 10 – Free Day
Day 11 through 14 – Zero Carbs.
Day 15 – Free Day
Day 16 through 19 – Zero Carbs.
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Day 20 – Free Day
Day 21 through 24 – Zero Carbs.
Day 25 – Free Day
Day 26 through 29 – Zero Carbs.
Day 30 – Free Day
Protein Intake – Emphasis on eggs, organ meats (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads), meat,
chicken, fish. Vince advised his students to eat a dozen eggs a day during this diet
period, but to cut back to two a day during normal training periods.
Carbohydrate Intake – Free Days – Low GI fresh vegetables, whole wheat pasta,
sprouted grain breads, fresh fruits.
Supplements – Taken Daily – Wheat germ oil (for energy), Lipo3 tablets (a compound
of three essential amino acids that boost the metabolism and fat breakdown for
elimination), kelp tablets (protein) and desiccated liver tablets (protein).
Alcohol, Caffeine, Tobacco – Zero.
PACE – Another effective program of exercise for health and weight
loss.
Al Sears, MD, is a medical practitioner and bodybuilder of note who has developed a
program that will speed up your metabolism, increase your lung capacity and develop
your heart muscle far more than cardiovascular exercising.
Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion (PACE) is based upon how our
Paleolithic bodies respond to exercise. Our precursors didn’t run long distances or
undergo boring cardiovascular regimens, but they sprinted for the trees to stay ahead of
cave lions, bears and other predators who wanted to dine on them. Our ancestors’ good
health was dependent upon them winning that race.
Our modern bodies respond to the same type of exertion as did our prehistoric ancestors,
quick spurts of heavy exertion followed by a period of rest. This approach tends to
elevate our metabolism and burn the fat we store for energy.
Doctor Al also publishes a great (free) newsletter on his programs.
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Other Highly Regarded Fitness Practitioners
The fitness and health industry is rife with trainers and gurus advocating their systems for
weight loss and good health. A number of these are tried-and-true trainers and
nutritionists who are worth examining.
Rob Poulos – Fat Burning Furnace
http://www.lovehandles.com.au/fatburningfurnace/
“Ask ten different trainers in ten different fitness clubs about what they recommend for a
training and nutrition plan and you’ll get as many different answers.” So begins Rob
Poulos in his best selling e-book, Fat Burning Furnace.
Dismayed by the lack of real results he was getting from years of pumping iron in
traditional fitness clubs, Rob began a quest to find what worked best for his friends and
himself for fat loss, muscle building and overall fitness. Rob experimented for years to
develop a weight loss and fitness system that will work for anyone.
Through trial and error, plus a lot of research, Rob developed a program of extreme
fitness that only takes a few minutes a day, not hours of boring cardio and pumping huge
weights. Rob and his wife are visual testimonials to the effectiveness of FBF.
Mike Geary – The Truth About Abs
http://www.lovehandles.com.au/truthaboutabs/
Mike has a bunch of initials after his name indicating that he is a certified and highly
qualified sports nutritionist and personal trainer. His website and e-book, are loaded with
good information on his specialties and are effective for anyone who will read the book,
Mike’s newsletter and apply his principles to their own training and nutrition.
Mike is a strong advocate of a variable training schedule that keeps your body in a
constant state of “shock” so that it continues to progress in muscle development and loses
body fat.
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