Health Program
New Year's Resolutions
The New Year is a great time to start a health program. This is when many people are very motivated to get back into shape after indulging during the festive season. One of the major problems though is that they often use strategies that are not sustainable lifestyle habits. They follow 'starvation diets' or gruelling exercise programs in an effort to quickly shed the unwanted kilos they gained over the festive season. It is the same way some people study for exams; by cramming, and it simply doesn't work. Most people give up their New Year's Resolution not long after they commence.
In this article we will offer a realistic nutritional plan and exercise program that guarantees to help you get the extra kilos off fast, without starving yourself or exercising excessively. We will go through each activity you need to perform on a daily basis. If you follow this plan every day as closely as possible you will be absolutely amazed with the results you will achieve in a very short period of time.
The first step is to employ the 'Maximum Fat-loss Protocol', which is the most powerful strategy in helping you burn body fat fast. It involves 4 basic steps:
- Wake up and take a thermogenic (fat burner)
- Exercise for 20-30 minutes
- Wait 20 minutes
- Have breakfast
When you wake up your blood sugar tends to be low because you haven't eaten anything for the previous 6-8 hours. Your metabolism also tends to be low at this time. Taking a thermogenic, like XLR8 Thermogenic, kick starts your metabolism and also forces your fat cells to release stored fat into the bloodstream. Now you have created an environment in your body where your blood sugar is low and the level of free fatty acids in your bloodstream is high.
Then, when you start exercising your working muscles will use fat almost exclusively as a fuel source. Plus, as a result of taking the thermogenic and performing the exercise (which may simply be taking the dog for a walk), your metabolism will stay elevated for quite some time after the exercise session is finished. This is why it is important to wait 20 minutes after the completion of the exercise before having breakfast. You will keep burning fat during this post-exercise, fat-burning window.
The breakfast meal should contain a portion of all 3 macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein and fat. You may have an egg on a piece of toast or a 30g serve of cereal with 150mls of low-fat milk with a tablespoon of LSA (linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds) and 2 teaspoons of psyllium husks. You can also have a cup of tea or coffee with either of these options. It is also worthwhile taking a good quality multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement with your breakfast.
Next, it's off to work or it's time to start your daily chores. During the day carry around a bottle of water with you and sip on it all day long. The water will help to flush toxins from your body, keep your cells well hydrated and will reduce your appetite.
At around 10am have your mid-morning meal/ snack. Again, it should contain all 3 macronutrients as should all of your 5 small meals during the day. Most people want options that are quick and easy so here are some good snack options that you can have for your mid-morning and/ or mid-afternoon meals:
A piece of fruit with 12 almonds
100g yoghurt with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese
A small tin of tuna on a corn thin
A protein shake made with 100mls of low-fat milk and 100mls of cold water
It is important not to skip any meals because doing so invokes the body's Anti-Starvation Response, which results in a slowing of your metabolic rate, an increase in your appetite and an increase in the activity of fat-storing enzymes in your body.
Your usual lunch meal should not be a sandwich because it contains too many carbohydrates (2 slices of bread) and this will reduce your body's ability to access and use fat as a fuel source. Having it one or twice a week is okay though. A better option is to use mountain bread or have half a cup of cooked rice or pasta or a small potato.
The lunch meal must also contain small portions of protein and fat. This can be easily achieved by having 100g (cooked weight) of fish, chicken or lean red meat. You can also add salad or fibrous vegetables to the meal as well because they will have very little impact on your carbohydrate intake and therefore, your blood sugar level. A small amount (30mls) of sauce is also allowed.
It is also beneficial to have a glucose disposal agent supplement with your lunch to assist your body with ushering the carbohydrates into the lean tissue sources of the body, GI Factor is an example. Another thermogenic capsule is also worthwhile taking with your lunch in order to keep your metabolism high during the afternoon as well as giving you an energy boost to get through the rest of the day.
Your mid-afternoon meal has the same options as your mid-morning meal. It is so important not to skip this meal as many people do because it help you avoid over-eating in the evening as well as avoid the 'Ant-Starvation Response' in your body.
After work or late in the afternoon perform a resistance-training workout. This may involve lifting weights, using rubber bands or performing bodyweight exercises. Perform exercises for each of your major muscle groups. Perform 1-2 exercises for each muscle group, 1-2 sets for each exercise and 15-20 repetitions per set. There is no need to work yourself to exhaustion; you just need to feel a slight burning sensation in the muscles near the completion of each set. Remember, this is supposed to become a sustainable lifestyle for you and if it is too hard then you are likely to give it up.
If you are unsure of how to perform the exercises correctly always employ the services of a personal trainer. They can help you get the best results from every workout.
Resistance exercise is the most under-estimated way to burn fat fast. By maintaining or even slightly increasing your muscle mass, your body burns off fat faster because muscle is the most metabolically-active tissue in the body. The resistance-training workout only needs to be performed 2-3 times a week for about 20 minutes. Plus, if you perform a 10-20 minute walk after the resistance exercise you will burn off even more fat.
This is a very effective strategy because it uses the same principle as the 'Maximum Fat-loss Protocol'. Resistance training burns off more of your blood sugar because it is a high-intensity form of exercise. Therefore, when you perform some aerobic exercise after it, you body will burn fat almost exclusively.
Dinner should be a substantial portion of protein (150g of chicken, fish, turkey or red meat), a reduced portion of starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, pumpkin, rice, pasta, sweet potato, corn, etc.) without cutting them out altogether, and a substantial portion of fibrous carbohydrates (tomato, lettuce, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, etc). Another glucose disposal agent supplement is beneficial with dinner because it helps get rid of any cravings you may get in the evening as well as assisting the body with keeping the blood sugar level stable. A stable blood sugar throughout the day creates an ideal fat-burning environment in your body.
The extra protein portion at night will provide your body with the building blocks it needs when it goes through the repair, recuperation and recovery processes during sleep. It also stimulates Growth Hormone (GH) release, which helps promote fat burning.
It is a good idea to keep your carbohydrate intake low during the evening meal simply because the body doesn't need the fuel when activity is low.
If you follow this plan exactly as outlined you will be amazed at how quickly you shed the unwanted kilos from the festive season, you won't feel hungry and you will find the whole process easy to stick to and maintain for the rest of your life.
By doing this, you will make this year's New Year's Resolution a huge success! Go for it!
Article kindly contributed by Stephen Smith B.Sc. All rights reserved.
| 
