Jul 23

Perfect Example of why You Shouldn’t Worry About Weight

Fat Loss 4 Comments »

So, as most of you know, I am on a fat-loss program that follows a healthy way of eating (I am following a strict glycemic-index based eating plan), daily exercise (weights some days, walking in others). I also take high quality supplements, including a whey protein blend that helps me accelerate my fat burning abilities and a meal replacement drink that I sometimes use to make breakfast shakes, snacks, flavor yogurt with, and so many other things.

Back on topic… I always tell people not to worry about their weight. In my opinion, weight should only be used to calculate the amount of water that you need to drink and the amount of protein you need to consume on a daily basis. You should not relate it to your health. Here’s an example: This week I gained 2.5 pounds. The last time that I weight and measured myself was on Monday. From then until today (Friday), I gained 2.5 lbs. But the measurements showed that I reduced almost half a centimeter from my waist, a little over a centimeter from my hip, and it was like this in many places I usually measure.

So how is this possible? Well, I had air conditioning problems and the repairmen weren’t able to come in until this week to fix it. Every day I woke up in a pool of sweat. My guess is that the 2.5 lbs is the water weight that I did not lose (for the first time in the last month) at night from it being so hot.

What matter to me, and what should matter to you
Don’t worry about the weight. This is of no importance to me and should be of no importance to you. In fact, my goal is to lose as little weight as possible as I eliminate the fat from my body. Why? A large weight loss usually indicated loss of water (as is probably the case here), bone, or muscle. You do not want to lose any of these… Your goal should be to lose fat. And fat is VERY LIGHT.

Set a goal like I did: To lose as much circumference as possible from various places in the body like the neck, chest, biceps, forearms, waist, hips, thighs, calves (any place you think fat deposits) without losing any weight. If you can do this, it means you have bigger muscles, you are better hydrated, and your bone density increased.

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Jun 05

Low Glycemic, 6-Meal a Day Plan

Exercise, Fat Loss, Food, Nutrition 9 Comments »

Fruits and VegetablesYesterday, around noon, I tweeted that I was headed for my third meal of the day and asked my followers how many meals they had eaten so far. Most said 1, some said 2, others said 0! But I did get a few private messages (DM’s) and e-mails asking me how it was possible to eat so much and stay healthy. But most were interested in finding out what it was that I was eating (a diet/meal plan).

I made this low glycemic meal plan based on my current activity level. I change up my workouts from training that helps build muscles to training that focuses on burning fat every few weeks.

I am currently in the fat burning cycle (and will continue on it for another couple of weeks). Keep in mind that this is not a plan to lose weight and that physical activity is essential. In this fat burning cycle, the exercise is violent and exhausting (no long-distance running). I alternate between a weight-lifting session (30 minutes a day) and a sprint training (10-15 minutes a day). I exercise in the early morning, before the first meal.

I also take exceptional supplements which allow me to close the gap of nutritional deficiencies presented by this, or any meal plan, for that matter. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to construct a meal plan that provides you with ALL nutrients on a daily basis. Take into account proteins, essential fatty acids, phytonutrients and phytosterols.

Okay… Here it is:
On days I do weights…

oj pineapple straberry chocolate shake

08:00 AM :: 1 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 serving low-glycemic meal replacement powder (vanilla flavor), and a whey protein blend.

toast and eggwhites

10:00 AM :: 2 egg whites (hard-boiled) on toast (whole grain, preferably Ezekiel brand, or one with grains/nuts).

01:00 PM :: 2 cups green salad with extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 lime as the dressing. 1 grilled chicken breask. 1/2 cup steamed broccoli.

cottage cheese with strawberries and almonds

04:00 PM :: 1 cup cottage cheese, 10 strawberries, 4 almonds.

yogurt with apple and almonds

06:00 PM :: 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 apple, 4 almonds.

low glycemic chocolate meal replacement drink

08:00 PM :: 8oz soy milk with low glycemic meal replacement powder.

On days I run/walk…
08:00 AM :: 1 egg + 1 egg white omelet, 1 turkey frank, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (not instant; not microwaveable), 1/3 cup blueberries (or 1/2 cup strawberries).

low glycemic chocolate meal replacement drink

11:00 AM :: 8oz soy milk with low glycemic meal replacement powder.

chicken salad with two cups of vegetables

02:00 PM :: 8oz of tuna (or chicken 1 cooked chicken breast) salad (2 cups of vegetables w/ 1 table spoon of mayo) or 1 salmon patty with 2 cups green salad with extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 lime as dressing, 1 kiwi or 2\

yogurt with apple and almonds

05:00 PM :: 1 cup yogurt with 1 apple and 8 almonds.

08:00 PM :: 2 cups green salad with extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 lime as dressing, 1 grilled chicken breast (or salmon patty), 1/2 cup steamed zucchini.

I make sure to drink A LOT of water… A LOT of water. If you are unsure of how much water you need, read this: Water: What You Need to Know. I do not drink water during meals. Instead, I wait between 1.5 and 2 hours after a meal to drink water. I do sometimes eat 15-30 minutes after drinking water, but never before.

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Feb 24

Why Weight Doesn’t Matter

Fat Loss No Comments »

Last week, in my “Focused” post, I mentioned that I had lost 3.6 pounds. Immediately after that I posted circumference reduction of many body parts and then mentioned that I really didn’t care about weight.

Think about it, muscle and bone weight more than fat. Fat takes up more space then either of the two. Fat is less dense. It’s that simple. I understand it can be hard to wrap your head around this because it goes against what you have always been taught. Look at my results from last Sunday’s measurements, compared to last week’s measurements:

  • Weight: 0
  • Neck: 0.1
  • Chest: -0.9cm
  • Waist: -0.8cm
  • [Left] Bicep: -0.5cm
  • [Left] Forearm: 0.4cm
  • Hips: -0.3cm
  • [Right] Thigh: -1cm
  • [Right] Calf: 0
  • [Right] Ankle: 0

Think about it. Why would I get thinner if I didn’t lose any weight? I’m confident that it is muscle growth and my bone mass has stayed the same. Earlier today I told someone about these results and her response was “That would for sure frustrate me!” Would it frustrate you to look if you stepped up on the scale and saw no change?

Get Rid of Your Scale
I challenge you to stop weighing yourself. Instead, get a measuring tape like the one I use and measure the same parts of the body that I have listed.

Still Not Convinced?
You still can’t think beyond what the scale reflects? Do you want to weight less or look thinner? Is your goal for losing weight to be healthier? It’s not your weight that is unhealthy, it’s your body’s fat content. Are you losing weight because you want to look better? When was the last time you shopped for pants or a bathing suit according to weight? NEVER! You look for waist sizes, right? If you goal is to have a certain measurement, the only way you will know that you are progressing towards that is my measuring yourself.

What does Matter
But you’re still thinking that the elimination of fat should have resulted in some weight loss, right? That weight was offset by growing muscles! How can I be so certain? On Monday I increased the weight on each of my exercises. The only way this can happen is if the muscle has grown. And guess what? Bigger muscles mean bigger fat loss.

Note
I weigh and measure myself once a week, first thing in the morning (after going to the restroom). In other words: I wake up, go to the restroom, and make my record my measurements (I will post link to progress form I use later). It is very important that you do the same.

Required Legal Disclaimer: some of the links mentioned within this post or posts they lead to are my affiliate links and I get compensated for recommending those products. However I NEVER recommend something I don’t believe in and welcome your questions and feedback.

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