Fat Burning “Not to do” List

Sometimes a not to do list is more effective than a to do list due to the simple fact that avoiding something is easier than adding something new to our already hectic lives. When it comes to fat loss, even if you’re doing “all the right things”, a few mistakes can derail your results.

By following these critical “not to do” items, you’ll be well on your way to a lean physique.

Do Not Hit The “Fat Burning” Setting On Cardio Equipment

The ironic thing about the “fat burn” setting on exercise machines is that it doesn’t burn fat! To torch those love handles, you have to sweat and you have to work. That means hard running or peddling, preferably with all-out interval training.

A study published in Circulation found that interval training outperformed steady-state cardio in terms of overall fat loss, even though the interval trained group exercised for a fraction of the time.

Do Not Do Cardio On An Full Stomach

When hitting the weights, it’s critical not be in a fasted state in order to remain anabolic. However, research shows that cardio done while fasting is much better at shedding away fat.

You don’t have to starve yourself before your spinning class, but it’s wise to wait at least 2 hours after your last small meal before starting cardio.

Do Not Do The Same Thing Every time

While there’s something to be said for sticking with what works, if you only do sprints or only ride the exercise bike, you’ll eventually plateau. Once and a while mix up your workout routine with something completely different like power yoga, team sports, or a dance class.

Do Not Avoid All Carbs

It’s become popular to bash carbs as a cause of belly fat. While certain carbs can certainly induce fat storage, it’s not the case with all of them. It’s wise to avoid processed carbs like white bread, pasta, and sugar but it’s just as wise to include healthy carbs like beans, fruits, and veggies into your 6-pack diet.

Do Not Try To Spot Reduce Fat

No matter what late night infomercials will have you believe, it’s impossible to target fat in a particular area. If you want to get rid of fat in your abdomen, thighs, or butt, you should focus on eating a healthy diet and doing cardio regularly.

8 Fitness Trends That Will Rock 2010-2020 Part 2

In article #1 of our Fitness Trends That Will Rock 2010-2020 we documented the contradictory rise of cavemen and techno obsessed lifestyles and the demand for workouts to be fun.

Our final 4 trends paints a decade filled with a fair amount of sprinting, sweaty mall shoppers, and workout prescriptions.

#4 Death of Jogging

The writing’s on the wall: interval training blows away traditional steady-state cardio. The question for the next decade isn’t whether more experts will recommend interval training, but whether steady state will still be around.

Interval training is better for your heart, your body composition, and your joints. Expect more research to come out finding new and surprising advantages for interval training.

#5 Working Out 24/7

Ever see Fit Flops or Sketchers Shape Ups? These 2 footwear products reflect a growing dichotomy of lack of time and desire to be fit. Don’t have time to hit the gym tonight? No problem: just take a brisk walk with these special shoes!

While the effectiveness of these products remains to be seen, their popularity can’t be denied. Watch out for “resistance training” shopping carts and other everyday devices having the option to burn calories.

#6 Fit Health Care

More hospitals are squeezing gyms and physical therapy centers into their space. Why? Exercise works better and is significantly cheaper than most medical treatments. When you go to your doctor in 2015 with a sore back expect a prescription for an exercise routine –not a pill.

#7 Cheap Workouts

We’re all hoping the economy improves, but it’s not looking that way. On the bright side, gym membership and class fees are free-falling as health clubs scramble to break even. In a few years, activation and sign up fees won’t be around any longer.

The economy will also drive people to look for ways to get fit at home or outside. Sales of resistance bands have exploded in the last 5 years, and expect reasonably sized and priced workout equipment to be a mainstay in the home.

#8 Step by Step Bodies

People don’t want to put together their own exercise plan, or even follow it. While personal training sessions are declining in popularity, boot camps and Biggest Loser type competitions are on the rise. The “one size fits all”, comprehensive nature of these step by step packages appeal to our time-crunched culture that doesn’t want to put the pieces of the fitness puzzle together themselves.

8 Fitness Trends That Will Rock 2010-2020, Part 1

The 00’s saw the emergence of NO2 as a mainstream supplement, the low-carb craze, and people getting in shape from playing video games. By 2020, some of these trends will be nothing but fodder for VH1’s “I Love the 10’s”, while others will continue their meteoric rise.

What will the next 10 years bring?

Let’s look at our crystal (Swiss) ball to find out:

#1 Paleo-Mania

As scientists compare our genetic makeup with humans from ancient times, they tend to notice one thing over and over again: nothing’s changed. Even though most people think that we’re different than our caveman ancestors, research suggests quite the opposite.

In fact, many top health researchers suggest that it’s the “collision” of our ancient genome with our modern-day world that’s the underlying cause of obesity, diabetes, and injuries.

No wonder that the popularity of a Paleolithic lifestyle has skyrocketed, and will continue to do so. As more research emerges supporting the ideal diet as one reflecting our cavemen ancestors, and not the fatally flawed USDA food guide pyramid, the ranks of paleo enthusiasts will continue to grow.

Paleo-mania isn’t confined to diet. There’s growing interest in exercising like a caveman by sprinting up dirt hills, swimming, and lifting rocks.

#2 Techno-Health

People are increasingly interested in quantifying their workouts. They want to know how many calories they burned, how this compares to the last workout, and what effect their new routine has had on their body composition.

Expect a surge in the way technology influences every part of our workouts. Calorie tracking is just the beginning –look out for hydration sensors, accurate at-home body fat analysis, and text messages that motivate us to workout.

#3 Fun Workouts!

Not surprisingly, people are fed up with their menu of exercise options consisting solely of the treadmill and the weight room. That’s why fun workouts like Zumba, striptease exercise classes, and Wii Fit have taken the world by storm. Expect more and more gyms and video game systems to cater to the fun and adventurous side of fitness enthusiasts.

Don’t be surprised to see more and more people taking their workouts outside the gym and using the internet to hook up with sports leagues of all kinds.

4 Artificial Sweeteners That Won’t Hurt Your Body

It’s not easy being ripped. While the guy in front of you at Starbucks orders his second blueberry muffin of the day, you grab your bland dark roast. You want to go for the pink or blue packet, but your hand trembles at the thought of what that stuff is made out of.

If you’re worried about eating chemicals like aspartame day in and day out just to assuage your sweet tooth, you might be on the something. New research shows that all these artificial sweeteners are wreaking havoc in our body.

The cost of a 6-pack, right?

Not anymore.

Fortunately, a number of new natural sweeteners are now available for your guilt-free indulging pleasure.

Stevia

Although not sharing any similarities with sugar, it’s more than 300 times sweeter than sugar. That means that you don’t have to use nearly as much to get the same effects. Also, studies show that eating stevia doesn’t raise blood sugar –meaning that it’s essentially passing through the gut unscathed.

Sucralose (Splenda)

You’ve probably seen yellow Splenda packets nudged next to the familiar pink and blue mainstays in the sugar bin. Because sucralose is technically made from sugar, it’s not considered artificial. Best of all, it’s not absorbed by the body. Many prefer sucralose because you can use it in place of sugar for things like baking.

Although the jury is still out abort the long-term safety of sucralose, it’s one of your best bets in terms of taste and practicality.

Agave

Agave is exploding in popularity. Because the source of agave isn’t an industrial factory, but a cactus, it’s 100% natural. However, unlike most other sweeteners there hasn’t been a lot of research on agave’s effect on blood sugar. Therefore, if you choose to agave, it’s best to limit its use so you don’t end up bloated like its cactus source.

Erythritol

This is the newest kid on the alternative sweetener block, commonly seen as the brand name Zerose. New to the US, erythritol has been around in Europe and Asia for about 10 years –with very few reports of side effects.

Erythritol is extracted from fruits and vegetable byproducts, meaning that it’s as close to natural as you can get. Also, clinical research shows that erythritol has zero calories and like sucralose, can be used in much the same way as sugar.

Eat These 7 “Cheat” Meals Without Killing Your Results

It’s finally cheat day as you turn into your local Mc Donald’s drive-thru. Even though you drank nothing but water at the bar on Friday night and ate steamed broccoli for dessert, you can’t help but hear that little voice in your head: “you worked so hard, and your throwing it away with a nasty, greasy meal”.

You work hard, and you deserve to let go now and again. On the other hand, if your cheat meal derails your results, what’s the point of eating a clean diet in the first place?

Enter these cheat meals and snacks, which fall somewhere between a Big Mac and raw spinach.

Steak and Baked Potato

Educated bodybuilders avoid most fatty cuts of steak because of its high saturated fat content and baked potatoes because they’re a starchy white carb. However, an old-fashioned steak and potato dinner has a few redeeming qualities like an incredibly high amount of top-notch protein and a decent helping of fiber.

Protein Bars

Replace that craving for Snickers with a double chocolate protein bar. While the sugar and saturated fat makes most protein bars a no-no during the week, it’s an ideal way to get your chocolate fix without getting flabby.

Reduced Fat Muffin

Commuters may grab a muffin on the way to work under the false assumption that it’s an OK breakfast, but you know that muffins are loaded with trans fat and empty calories.

A reduced fat muffin, or ideally a low-fat and low-sugar muffin, is a great “cheat” snack.

Fruit Smoothie

Naïve health nuts love smoothies, ignoring the fact that it’s essentially candy in disguise. However, if you opt for the “light” version with protein powder, especially after a workout, you’ll have nothing to feel guilty about.

Whole Wheat Mac and Fat-Free Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods out there. But mac and cheese isn’t without some serious downsides, the most obvious being a ton of saturated fat and refined carbs.

By using fat-free cheese and whole-wheat pasta, you’ll be able to bypass these limitations and “cheat” in style.

Falafel

Jonesing for a salty/fat mix? Look no further than your local falafel stand. Sure, these crunchy balls may be deep fried, but falafels are high in fiber. And because they are cooked with olive oil, they have a decent amount of healthy fat.

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