Plums are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants which can help speed recovery after a particularly grueling workout. Studies also show a possible connection between increased antioxidant intake and lowering incidences of certain forms of cancer.
Most of the press about antioxidants lately has been about the exotic newcomers to the market--the gogi, noni and acai berries. These are usually sold as expensive juice blends at local health food stores and through multi level marketing businesses. A compelling story about where they come from and how hard they are to obtain is usually what marketers use to rationalize the jacked up price.
Although these berries are packed with the goods, why not just head to the local market and pick up a bag of fresh plums, which come for a fraction of the price and pack an antioxidant punch on par (if not more) than another superfruit--the blueberry.
Plums can fit seamlessly into your weight loss program as well. A medium, ripened plum contains about 40 calories with 2 grams fiber. They're a great snack if you're dieting because they're low in calories, contain a nice amount of fiber, and best of all- crush cravings for sweet foods.
With the warm weather coming up they can also make a juicy and delicious dessert on a summer day!
Lose Weight Without Depriving Yourself - Sweet Treats to Eat While Dieting
When most people think of dieting, they conjure up images of deprivation, cravings, and overall hunger. They think it's a necessary evil to feel bad just to shed some pounds. It doesn't need to be this way. In fact, if you're in this mental mind frame before or during a diet, you're doomed to fail. Break out of that shell and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
If I could show you a way to add something to your diet to reduce the anguish, you'd listen wouldn't you? Well, here's a simple tip I use with my clients yet easy way to crush your sweet cravings while keeping calories in check.
Your answer... Fresh Fruit and Berries
Yes, it's as simple as the old switcheroo. In meals where you'd normally have some sweets such as ice cream or chocolate, instead indulge in nature's dessert: Fresh fruits and berries.
More specifically, low-sugar, high fiber fruit. Berries are best, but other options like apples, grapefruit, kiwi, etc. are great too. Instead of polishing off an extra 500- 800 calories of empty calories, you can load up on these delicious, healthy snacks.
This caloric deficit will add up over time to help you lose weight fast. Losing weight at it's very core, comes down to creating a caloric deficit. A caloric deficit is where the number of calories you take in (food, drink, whatever) is less than what you're expending in a day.
When loading up on these fruits and berries, you'll also get a nice dose of antioxidants- nutrients (and enzymes) that fight free radicals, which are charged molecules that roam around like rogues, causing muscle soreness and a whole host of other problems.
Here are some of my favorite fruits and berries:
Blueberries
Cranberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Goji Berries
green apples
Grapefruit
Kiwifruit
Watermelon
Honeydew
Tip to make the berries even tastier: Top with some low calorie whipped topping. It adds flavor and texture.
Countless numbers of people stream through the doors of gyms around the world without knowing what kind of workout they're going to do. They don't know what body parts they're going to work on, they don't know what exercises they're going to do, they don't even know if they're going to do weights or cardio. Many people just show up to the gym and "just do whatever machines are free"
This is absolutely ludicrous if you want results.
I know there are people who go to the gym and have other motives- like finding a date for Saturday night or as someone told me last week "just to get my blood moving". I imagine if you're reading our newsletter you're not in this category. Chances are that you want a specific result- like lose some weight and get in decent shape.
Every result has a specific set of actions that get you to that result. If you're going from New York to San Diego, you don't just get in the car and drive and hope you end up there. You get on Google maps and figure out exactly how to get there. The same thing applies in affecting change in your body.
Before you touch the weight or your foot hits the pedal on your elliptical, know exactly what you're striving for. Do you want to burn a certain amount of calories? Do you want to perform at a certain level of intensity for a specific amount of time? Plan it in advance. There are more reasons to do this than you know. Invest wisely in our Black Book of Secrets for exactly what you need to do.
Clearing up Confusion on Cheat Meals or "Free Days"
You'll often hear people talking about their cheat meals or Free Days while on a diet. This morning while doing some early morning cardio, I hear a guy talking to his workout buddy about how he puts away ungodly amounts of food on Saturdays- his Free Day. Wings, pizza, pretzels, cupcakes and of course plenty of beer.
The cheat meal is meant as a mini reward for your hard work during the week. It breaks up the monotony of strict dieting and gives you something to look forward to. Many people report having an easier time mentally, thus increasing compliance rate. The cheat meal is not meant to undo all the ass busting work you've done all week.
The Cheat Meal Rules
The cheat meal is not license to cram every high calorie morsel in sight down all day. Just one meal.
The cheat meal is one (1) meal per week that you plan in advance.
The cheat meal length is your duration at the table. Once you get up, it's over Johnny.
Having Problems Losing Weight? Drop the Diet Soda...
Are you a big diet cola drinker? Having problems losing weight? I know some people who pound down 6- 8 cans of diet cola daily to get their caffeine rush during the day. Since it's calorie free, this should be no problem, right? Well, not according to recent findings. Although there has been no confirmation that artificial sweeteners have inherently negative health effects, some researchers believe that the body is tricked into releasing insulin due to it's conditioning towards sweetness.
Basically, this means that your body thinks you're ingesting sugar and releases insulin in response. As you know, insulin is released into the bloodstream to process glucose from the food you eat. It is involved in some very crucial actions in the body. However, as anything else, too much is too much. And too much (chronically raised levels) insulin can cause some serious problems such as diabetes, high triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that insulin is a storage hormone and when it is chronically raised, it makes packing on weight easy and burning body fat as fuel damn near impossible.
So what do you do? Try gradually switching over to water or green tea. Or, go with my favorite which is seltzer with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Watch out for those restaurant lemons though, as you don't know how they've been handled. (Watch the video below if you haven't seen the study)
Are you one of those people who buys a diet book, gets excited by the prospect of starting a new diet, then get to the middle of the book and lose interest?Well, you’re not alone. I wish I had a nickel for every person who’s told me some version of that story. In fact, that one problem triggered us to put together Black Book of Secrets, our manual of 61 fat loss techniques, each of which you can learn and apply immediately.
Listen; don’t complicate matters by trying to tackle all these big concepts like going zero carbs, or going through induction phases before you even take a baby step. You’ll likely get frustrated and then stop your journey before you even start.
Keep it nice and simple when you start. Start with conscious eating. That is, take note of what you’re eating and how much. The overall concept that controls your weight loss or gain is the amount of calories you take in against the calories you burn for the day. Work on trimming unnecessary calories from each meal. This is the simplest step you can take. It’s painless, it’s easy to do, and you won’t feel hungry.
The biggest benefit is that you are preparing your mind and body for subsequent, larger steps. Each day, you’ll build more “action muscle”, meaning taking action will get easier and easier. Start a food journal so you can keep details, and you’ll be able to track your progress.
Stop Drinking Your Calories and Start to See the Scale Move
It amazes me that people are still drinking sugar containing beverages while trying to lose weight.There’s no possible way to have read up on weight loss and not been told about the evils of these sugar laden drinks.
Today I was doing a consultation with a brand new client. She had brought in a regular (sugar containing) Snapple Green Tea. She thought she would get a pat on the back and a “good job” because it’s green tea. Now, green tea is good for a plethora of things from raising metabolism a bit to providing cancer fighting antioxidants. I love it and drink a few cups of it most days… without sugar.
While she had good intentions, as many people do in her situation, it certainly pays to dig a little deeper and learn the basics. Eliminating sugar is one rule of those basics. Eliminating beverages containing any calories (from fat or sugar) is another rule of the basics.
Here are 3 outstanding reasons why NOT to drink your calories
1) If you’re on a diet, this assumes you will be eating less total food anyway. Don’t you want to get the feeling of actually eating the little bit that you are eating?
2) The calories often come from fat or sugar. At this juncture, these are empty calories. They do nothing to support your fat loss goals and subsequently, make a calorie deficit more difficult to achieve.
3) Sugar laden drinks boost insulin levels, and then plummet them. The sugar is liquid, devoid of fiber, and high glycemic. This is a recipe for an immediate spike and crash of blood sugar. This means triggered cravings and possible invoking a binge cycle, where you eat more than you normally would have. On top of that, simply having insulin raised in this manner will stop body fat from being burned.
Awful.
The only time during a dieting phase that you should be drinking calories is during your workout energy and recovery intake. To stay in the hormonal fat burning zone, stick with water or unsweetened, zero calorie beverages
