A Quest For a Six-Pack

No, I am not talking about Coors Light!

We are talking about the one physical feature that every exercise fanatic seeks either consciously or subconsciously, 6 pack abs.

There are so many ads everywhere that try to sell you on the next generation ab system. Here are a few truths that you should be aware of before you begin your quest.

First, You need to know what your body fat percentage is and I'm not talking about BMI. You need to go to a gym or spa or anywhere that you can have an accurate measurement of your body fat. There is a formula that uses measurements of select points on your body. Ask your doctor for advice on how to find your numbers

 If you work out 5 - 6 times a week and do enough cardio and follow a strict low-fat diet you will probably come in around 20% body fat. There are several ways to measure body fat. There are scales that will calculate your body fat by sending an electrical current through your body. They are somewhat accurate but it can be used as a starting point. .

The reality is that if you want to get to a six pack it's going to require 10% body fat in a male and 14 -16 % body fat for a female.

That's a big commitment. I work out 6 hours a week and my body fat is around 19%. I would need to add at least another 4 hours and some really strict dietary changes to get to 10%.

I'm going for it......How about you?

It's a No Brainer!

I did my weekly shopping at Walmart today. I didn't think too hard about what I purchased as I pretty much buy the same stuff every week. When I got to the checkout there was a line so I had some downtime. I noticed the lady in line in front of me and I watched her check out her items. I guessed her age to be between 45 and 50. She was overweight and out of shape. My eyes shifted to the items she was buying. I saw chips, not 1 bag but 3. She had 8 - 10 frozen meals, an assortment of pasta and chicken dishes with cream sauces.

There were several bottles of soda also and they were not diet.

I looked in my basket and saw fresh brocolli, veggies and a jar of salted dry roasted peanuts.

If peanuts are one of my vices....I'll accept it.

Beyond Weight Loss

This is a really good article by Paige Waehner.

Beyond Weight Loss

We often focus so much energy on losing weight, we're completely unprepared for what happens when we actually lose it. We often have the belief that, once we lose the weight, we're home free. We can finally get back to "normal" life, a life that doesn't involve monitoring every bite, watching portion sizes, following that diet or going to the gym every day. The truth is, you have to do at least the same amount of work to maintain your weight loss as you did to lose it in the first place, perhaps even more. Knowing that, and understanding the factors that can contribute to weight regain, can help you stop the cycle for good.

Read More at http://exercise.about.com/od/gettingweightlossresults/a/5-Reasons-You-Regain-Weight.htm

Abuse of the term "Healthy"

Healthy?

I read the label on a loaf of bread that I purchased recently. The brand had the word "healthy" in it. Does that mean it's really healthy? The number 4 ingredient was "High-Fructose Corn Syrup". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup

Is it healthy?

What is the definition of "healthy" when used on a food label?

United States Department of Agriculture, Federal Drug Administration

Manufacturers are allowed to make a "healthy" claim on food labels. However, the FDA's definition of "healthy" differs from the USDA's definition because of the types of foods that are regulated by each agency. Under the FDA, a label may say "healthy" if the food is

1. low in fat and saturated fat
2. limited in amount of sodium and cholesterol
3. provides at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber (for single-item foods).

Raw, canned, or frozen fruits and vegetables and certain cereal-grain products do not necessarily need to meet these criteria and can be labeled "healthy" if

• they do not contain ingredients that change the nutritional profile
• they conform to the standards of identity
  (1) enriched grain products which call for certain required ingredients (vitamins, minerals, protein, or fiber).
  (2) meal-type products (large enough [6 ounces] to be considered a meal) provide 10 percent of the Daily Value of two or three of these ingredients, in addition to meeting the other criteria
• sodium content does not exceed 360 mg (milligrams) for individual foods and 480 mg for meal-type foods.

Find Something That Works

What works for you?

We all need a reason to get up every morning and workout. It's almost unnatural to rise at 05:30 am and get on a treadmill or bike or any other device that will burn calories.

You will inevitably ask yourself "why am I doing this?".

The answer is that a goal is a major requirement to success.You need to know where you want to be in order to get there.

Do you want to lose 5 pounds or gain 2 inches?

Reduce your body fat percentage.

Think about it!

Go Natural

Go Natural!

This is what I am hearing from the pro's like Jillian Michaels.

What does it mean?
The way I understand it is that you should be eating foods that are natural, organic, unprocessed. There are so many products on the market that use things like trans fat or unsaturated fat to extend shelf life on products.
Trans fats are your worst enemy! That's the stuff that sticks to your arteries and clogs up your system.
The starting point to fixing this is to start reading labels.
If the ingredients say "trans fats" or "saturated fats" ..........dump it!
Processed foods are designed for longer shelf life. Avoid them at all costs!

Just Do It!

Have you had a tough start recently?

I have!

Getting up at 5:15 am every day to work out is a bitch, but you have to do it. You have to find ways to overcome the temptation to roll over and go back to sleep.

I think about the reward of what I can eat after the workout. The harder I work out the more I can consume for breakfast.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I use that as a motivation.

EA Sports Active Personal Trainer

If you are serious about getting fit and don't have the time to go to a gym 6 days a week there is an alternative. It's called EA Sports Active Personal Trainer. This program will kick your butt if you ask it to.
You will have to invest in a Nintendo Wii to be able to work this program but that's not a bad deal. The Wii system offers a plethora of entertainment in addition to the health benefits of the Wii Fit and EA Sports Active.
I don't know about you but I need structure in my workout, someone to tell me what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong. EA Sports Active does that for me. The audio prompts will tell you how you are doing. They tell you if you need to step it up.
It works for me, try it you may like it.