Are your habits making you fat?

One of the main ideas I try to convince people to undertake and possibly the best piece of wisdom passed onto me is that being healthy is a habit and a lifestyle, not something you can do for a short while and reap the benefits.

David Zinczenko, Editor-in-chief of Men's Health Magazine, was one of the first people I chose to follow on Twitter.  Not only does he drop very wise words of wisdom, but he also authors the great "Eat this, not that!" books.  Click on the following link to see a list of habits that make you fat:

20 Habits that make you fat - By David Zinczenko

A few of these habits I would like to highlight:

- #1 Eating "Low-fat"
    Usually low-fat = more sugar to "enhance" the taste so be careful!
- #3 Sleep
  Remember that a lack of sleep is detrimental to your physical health!
- #5 Drinking Soda
  Diet is just as bad as regular.
- #6 Skipping meals
  Doing this makes the insulin spike the next time you eat a meal = more fat stored
- #11 Eating off large plates
  If you recall the Food Experiment YOU should try post that I put up a while back, this actually works
- #15 Not drinking enough water
  One of the biggest problems people have is not drinking enough water, how is your H20 intake?

My 3 week Gym Experiment

The first part of the series of 3 week experiments started off with the "3 week Food experiment" where I eliminated all types of simple carbs from my diet during the week, and thankfully got to gorge during the weekends.  The results were very astounding as I saw a major shift in body composition during those weeks.

The next experiment I took on was a very simple one in instruction, but was a challenge to stick to, especially in the first week.  The experiment was to perform the following exercises:

• Monday - Saturday, which was 6 consecutive days a week
• 50 pull-ups (or chin-ups)
• 100 push ups 
• To be completed throughout the day

The first few days were definitely the toughest.  I couldn't even extend my arms fully.  But by day 5, the soreness faded and performing the exercises was starting to get easier to do.

Immediately after the first week, I realized there were gaps in this workout:

1. No matter how much you work out, if you do not consume enough protein you will not grow to the maximum potential
2. The lack of squats/deadlifts and various other leg exercises
3. Engaging in intense conditioning/cardio 3-4 times a week was going to cause some muscle atrophy

With all the gaps mentioned, I did realize that although the muscle mass gain was not as high as I expected, the following results stood true:

•  A solid foundation was definitely built
• My chest and upper back have filled up a little more evenly rather than concentrated in a majority area
• Measuring the circumference of my arm pre and post experiment, I have gained a little under an inch

The Results

Injured again? How to stop injuries!

There are so many factors these days that happen that can throw off your momentum; studying for tests/exams, a busy work schedule, lack of gym motivation, or even a night out having fun with friends.  One momentum killer you should do without is getting injured.


Not only do injuries kill your momentum, they could severely throw you off course from all the progress you have made by finally developing an exercise routine!

I should know!  My hip injury this summer kept me on the sidelines for over 2 months.  That resulted in a gain of 10lbs of fat and some major muscle loss.

Injuries are ... the worst!  Here are four ways to help prevent injuries:

How to sleep better

 



Sleep is always one of the most important factors that people tend to overlook.  Not only is sleep crucial for recovery (healing your muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments after a workout), but sleep deprivation leads to an imbalance in your system from a health perspective.



 

 Sleep deprivation may lead to the following side effects :

• Increase in appetite => you experience so many lows due to a lack of sleep that your body starts craving foods that will give you a quick pick-me-up.  Foods that do that are usually high sugar/calorie/processed foods.
• Headaches
• Loss of memory
• Increased stress and irritability
• A general increased risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart problems
• etc