Not Your Average Fitness Tips

Archive for the ‘Health and Nutrition’ Category

Over the past couple weeks, my wife has experienced the difference between weight loss vs. fat loss.  She started Visual Impact for Women and didn’t lose any weight for the first two weeks.  Did she fail for not losing weight?  It’s hard to tell without knowing how much was fat loss vs. muscle gain.  It really highlights the challenges in assessing your results.  This also got me curious as to whether BMI or body fat percentage was more important for overall health.  Continue Reading…

Most people have heard how omega 3 essential fatty acids supplements like fish oil can help improve your health.  What are essential fatty acids though?  Should you take essential fatty acids supplements or simply try to get enough omega 3 fatty acids from fish and other food sources?  Just what is krill oil and are there any health benefits of krill oil vs. fish oil?  I’ll tackle these and other questions. Continue Reading…

A lot of people are curious about how many meals a day to lose weight.  Some people claim one meal and others say six meals is best.  So, how often should you eat?  Additionally, does meal timing have any impact on weight loss?  Is it better to eat first thing in the morning instead of late at night?  Is there an optimal time to eat that will give you a better chance of losing weight?  Here are a few things I’ve discovered about meal frequency and weight loss. Continue Reading…

Ever notice how you feel better after a good night’s rest?  Most people realize there are certain health benefits of sleep but it’s also important to realize that sleep benefits fitness and weight loss as well.  The importance of sleep shouldn’t be understated as the body needs adequate rest for both physical and emotional health.  How much sleep do you need?  Everyone’s different but 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a good goal for anyone.  Personally, my body starts to drag when my sleep cycle is interrupted.  I feel hungrier, more irritable, and weaker overall. Continue Reading…

Like many others, I was raised to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Why is breakfast important though?  Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?  Is there any basis for this statement or is it just a great marketing pitch for cereal companies?  I’m open to all potential answers but here’s what I’ve found. Continue Reading…

At some point during their weight loss journey, a lot of people may ask the question: why am I not losing weight.  What to do to lose weight may seem relatively simple: eat less and exercise more.  While this mantra may hold under ideal scientific conditions, as human beings there are other factors that go into the weight loss equation. Don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day I still think weight loss is driven by how many calories you consume versus how many calories you expend.  Ultimately this comes down to diet and exercise. Continue Reading…

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not really a believer in traditional diets.  I also don’t believe in restricting particular foods.  However, I’m going to put those beliefs aside for the next six weeks and undergo what I’d call a no refined sugar diet.  I’m not going to do anything over the top; I’m just going to partially overcome my junk food addiction by eliminating many of my favorite foods that include refined sugar: cookies, ice cream, candy, etc. Continue Reading…

I can pretty much sum up my opinion on exercising when sick in three words: don’t do it.  Ok, I’ll admit it’s a little more complicated than that.  Not to go all philosophical on you, but what does it mean to be sick?  If you’re not sure if you should exercise when sick, what can you do to help make a decision on whether you’re capable of performing your routine?

My Recent Experience

A little over a week ago, I came down with what has probably been the worst cough and cold of my life.  That’s what I get for trying to take care of my wife and son while they were sick.  The day I took care of them, I had all intentions of exercising.  However, when I finally had free time, my body just didn’t feel right.  I decided I’d rather be safe and wait another day to see if more symptoms developed.  More certainly did…by the time it was done I was violently coughing and sneezing, had serious muscle pain, both ears infected, and uncontrollable asthma symptoms.  What a fun week it’s been! Continue Reading…

I do a lot of reading online in my spare time and enjoy when the media picks up a good fitness story.  Of course too many articles are focused on the wrong things, but every once in a while an article piques my interest.  Here are a few articles I read this week on fad diets, nutrition info, Jack LaLanne, and my own advice on snowstorms. Continue Reading…

I’ve posted a detailed Anything Goes Diet review.  Please check it out under Best Fat Loss Diets, and let me know your thoughts.

I just picked this book up last night and read the entire thing.  It was that powerful and I’m not afraid to say it’s the best diet for weight loss, especially over the long term.  In short, you’ll be able to eat your favorite foods and still lose weight.  The reason this book is so great is that John Barban combines all the best facets of science, psychology, and common sense.

I don’t like before and after pictures, but John Barban successfully went from 217lbs to 179lbs by using his approach…he never had to give up his morning donut and cup of coffee!

Additionally, exercise is actually considered optional with this diet, although as John says, you’ll actually find that you want to exercise after successfully losing some weight.  In his opinion, working out merely helps shape the body underneath your fat.  His other books, the Adonis Effect (for men), and Venus Index (for women) cover that.

The only downside is that I wish John had written this book a long time ago since it took me years to learn a lot of the principles that he teaches.

“Weight Loss Without the Rules”