Johnstraining’s BodyBlog

If your goal is to get in better shape this year, make some smaller, bite-sized promises to yourself that you can tackle one at a time, one meal at a time, one day at a time. Try some of ours:

1: I WILL EAT BREAKFAST EVERY DAY

One of the easiest ways to boost your metabolism and start your fat-burning engine is to make breakfast a part of your every day routine. Overnight, your body is fasting. If you skip breakfast, your body will begin to act as if you are starving. The biological response to starvation is to store fat and burn muscle. Pretty simple equation: More fat = more fat. But what you may not realize is that less muscle also = more fat. Eat breakfast and get your metabolism going in the right direction.

2: I WILL EAT MORE OFTEN

If you’re scratching your head on this one, you may not have gotten the memo that eating more meals each day causes you to make better choices at each meal and to eat less at each meal. The secret? Eating every 2.5 to 3 hours keeps your blood sugar levels stable and you won’t feel the need to binge eat on the wrong foods. In addition, the continuous flow of food to your body tells your body that all is well and that there is no need to store fat. Your body will shed fat when it knows food is consistently available.

3: I WILL BECOME A BODY BUILDER

No. You don’t have to put on one of those little bikinis, oil up and get on stage to compete. But people who lift weights to build muscle know the biggest secret to fat loss. The more muscle your body carries, the less fat it will carry. Muscle takes a lot of calories to build and to sustain. Build a healthy, muscular body and you will shed fat. Cardio exercises can help with the process but muscle building is the best deal in town when it comes to shedding fat. And don’t worry (ladies) about getting “big”. Unless you’re taking steroids, building muscle will make you smaller, since muscle takes up 5 times less space than fat!

4: I WILL FOCUS ON EATING AND NOT STARVING

Restrictive diets don’t work. It has been proven by study after study that diets which ask you to eat less and deprive yourself of calories end up with failure or short term success followed by relapse. Our bodies are meant to be fed. So eat! But make better choices in 2009. Ditch the fast foods and opt for fresh. Ditch the white bread and opt for wheat. Ditch the white rice and opt for brown. Ditch the processed meats (cold cuts) and opt for fresh chicken breast or grilled fish. Eating clean foods like this means you can eat more and be more satisfied.

5: I WILL KEEP A JOURNAL OF WHAT I EAT

It doesn’t matter how you do it. Write it on looseleaf paper. Keep a diary next to your bed. Log your food intake on a food tracker or in an online journal like your blog on MyBodySite.com. No matter how you slice it, people who keep track of what they eat are twice as likely to lose weight and get in shape than those who do not track. It keeps you accountable and prevents mindless eating. If you do eat mindlessly, you’ll have to face it when you write it down.

6: I WILL BE AWARE OF MY PORTION SIZES

Many times we are unaware of how much we’re eating because we have a misconception of how many calories or grams of fat are in portion. Or we don’t know what a portion is. Bagels, for example, can contain the same calories as five slices of bread. You wouldn’t eat 5 slices of bread, would you? Read the label, know the portions and only put as much on your plate as you ought to eat. Then, stop when you’ve eaten that much. Here are some portion guidelines to help you plan:

3 ounces of protein = a deck of cards in size
1 cup rice or pasta, 1 medium fruit = tennis ball
1 ounce cheese = a pair of dice
1 tablespoon peanut butter = ping-pong ball
1 tablespoon oil, salad dressing = 1/2 ping-pong ball

7: I WILL EAT MY VEGGIES

This is an easy one. Green leafy and fiber dense vegetables have so many benefits that they should be a staple in every diet. They bring vitamins and minerals to your plate that help your body to build muscle and burn fat. They also take the place of other foods you probably should be avoiding. Instead of fries, have a side of steamed broccoli. The fiber in vegetables also aids in digestion, which helps your body properly regulate and process foods in the most efficient way possible.

8: I WILL LIVE IN THE MOMENT

If you have had setbacks in the past, chances are you were pretty hard on yourself. In many cases, we continue to eat poorly, miss workouts and worse, simply because of guilt or a sense of past failure. This year, resolve to put missteps and relapses aside as soon as they happen. If you have a really fattening breakfast, don’t throw away your plan until “tomorrow” or “next Monday”. Start again immediately and make a better choice for lunch. Live in the moment and you’ll get to your goals faster. We promise!

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Gallbladder health. Gallbladder function appears to be stimulated by caffeine and may prevent bile from crystalizing into gallstones.

Hearts and Minds. In the 2008 study, the lower mortality rate was attributed to the reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, especially for women. Drinkers of 2 to 5 cups a day lowered the risk by 30 percent. And the researchers don’t think it was the caffeine. Decaf drinkers had similar benefits. But be sure to use a filter. Those flying filterless (using a French press or built in non-paper filters) can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol from cafestol, that can be filtered.

Parkinson’s disease prevention. Caffeine can boost the supply of dopamine the brain which may protect against the disease.

THE GROUNDS

There are drawbacks to overdoing caffeinated beverages.

Drug interaction. Certain antidepressants and antipsychotics can interact with caffeine, causing side effects.

Weak bones.High caffeine consumption can increase excretion of calcium in urine, potentially increasing the risk of kidney stones and weaker bones.

Stomach upset. Both regular and decaf pack acids that can inflame the esophagus and stomach, provoking gastritis, which is characterized by upper abdominal pain, bloating, burping and nausea.

Pregnancy issues. One study found that high doses of caffeine may lower birth weight in babies and at high levels (5 cups a day), increase risk of spontaneous abortion.

WHAT TO DO?

For most of us, moderate consumption has potential benefits, with minor side effects. But certain people need to be careful:

People with heart disease should limit consumption and wait before exercising. Check with your doctor.

People with osteoporosis may interfere with bone health by reducing calcium absorption.

Pregannt women. Go easy or eliminate it.

People with stomach problems. Cut back and see if it helps.