Frugal Friday - free abs diet, workout advice and videos

Almost everyone is looking to save money in these difficult economic times. Free stuff is popular but finding it takes time you may not have. Welcome to Frugal Fridays! I'll give you tips on places to find a cheap or free item or resource to help you live the lifestyle you want despite economic hardships. So cut back on spending while getting want you want or need.

We want to maintain our quality of life and that includes staying fit and eating healthy. Free fitness advice and exercise instruction is easy to find. And a good place to start is YouTube. Below are a few examples of free exercise videos and fitness advice you can access anytime.

The key to making these freebies work is actually using them. Read more and watch the videos.

Spring Cleaning and Fat Loss Videos

If you're a regular reader, you might have noticed some remodeling or Spring cleaning going on here. I deleted some old links that didn't work. And I deleted some "weight loss" links I felt sent the wrong message for my blog.

The reason I started this blog was to show what could be done physique wise with proper diet AND exercise. Particularly, I wanted to highlight the benefits of bodybuilding ie. resistance training.

Many weight loss / diet blogs put all the emphasis on diet and "weight loss" not fat loss. Weight loss just for the sake of weight loss is not optimal. It's a bad idea as muscle mass is lost. This is counter productive to health and slows your metabolism. You want to eat to support muscle mass, muscle gain, and FAT loss.

So all outgoing links will be to websites that offer optimal approaches to healthy fat loss or reliable nutrition information from here on out.

Enjoy these videos:

Fat Loss Secret: Why You're NOT Losing Weight!



The Fat Loss Fridge!



FAT LOSS & Bodybuilding Secrets - BURN YOUR Belly Fat!

Great video and advice by Darin Steen

How your body loses fat

My last article on carb cycling brings up an excellent point many low carbohydrate advocates and dieters overlook. Active amateur and professional athletes, including those who weight train or pursue bodybuilding, have different energy needs than sedentary and moderately active people.

The physiological mechanism behind low carbohydrate weight loss theory is ketosis. Ketosis is one way the body uses body fat. The mechanism “is a stage in metabolism occurring when the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which can be used by the body for energy."

But ketosis is not the only way to lose body fat. If it were, moderate and high carbohydrate diets like the Biggest Loser diet, Weight Watchers, Nutri-system, and The Dr. Oz Diet would not work at all. Read more.

How to burn body fat

Can Alli make you a biggest loser?

Alli for weight loss; is it safe and effective?

What is Alli?

Alli weight loss aid is the latest diet craze. It's simply an over-the-counter version is the diet drug orlistat. Known as Xenical, orlistat was widely researched, and in double blind testing found to be effective for weight loss. Alli is a lower dose than the prescription drug, yet effective if used in combination with a low fat diet and exercise.

Is Alli a weight loss cure?

While a sure fire weight loss cure does not exist, Alli is a useful tool in your weight loss arsenal. The only other medical intervention that causes weight loss is weight loss surgery which is invasive and potentially dangerous.

How does Alli work?

Alli blocks 30 percent of the fat you eat and causes it to pass undigested through your digestive tract. Relatively safe to use, Alli can be purchased at virtually all drug stores, pharmacies, many grocery stores, and through online retailers like Amazon, Netrition, and MyAlli.com

Is Alli safe?

Alli is the only FDA approved weight loss drug. While safe, it can have side effects if misused. Effective for men and women, Alli is taken right before meals containing fat, and can be taken up to three times a day. Because Alli causes fat to pass through your digestive tract, it's recommended that you eat no more than 15 grams of fat in each meal. This will help you avoid embarrassing symptoms like gas and diarrhea.

Will you be a biggest loser by using Alli?

That depends on you and whether you also follow a healthy, calorie controlled, low fat diet. Moderate exercise will enhance your weight loss results and improve your health. Unlike Hoodia, which purports to control appetite, Alli was proven in scientific studies.

Are there effective alternatives to taking Alli?

Yes. Regular exercise and proper diet with careful calorie and carbohydrate control is effective for weight loss. If you simple eat 30 percent less fat you will not need Alli to remove it in the first place.

Kudos For A New Year and A New You, Tip Number One

There's a little more than 70 days left in 2008. The holidays are almost upon us including the New Year. Inevitably, the New Year means New Year's resolutions. And we all know the number one resolution is weight loss.

Why wait until the New Year to start on the path to a better you? There's no time like today. To encourage you to eat healthier and exercise I'm launching a new series "Tips to a New You."

Here's your first tip to eat healthier for weight loss you can do right now.

Portion Control

Whether you're low carb, low fat, low calorie, or a combination of the three, portion control is still key. Learn simple "eye ball" techniques for measuring your portions and you will lose weight. If you aren't losing weight try precisely measuring your portions.

Here are two excellent sources for portion control:

Leigh Peele shows you how tiny mistakes in measuring servings can mean big mistakes in eating too many calories in this free online video.


Measuring Portions at Restaurants Video


Learn To Eyeball Portions (I recommend you first learn exactly what a portion looks like by actually measuring).

For the first fitness tip for weight loss check out my Fitness Examiner column.

The Protein Edge Cookbook New 2008 Revised Edition Coming Soon

I started a small independent cookbook publishing company back in 1997. Juicy Britches Publications - also known as JB Publications - was named after our mini-ranch Juicy Britches Ranch. We came up with the name "Juicy Britches" because Jerry found a branding iron at a flea market with the initials JB. As in Jerry Bardelli...I came up with J is for Juicy, B is for Britches.

The lady at the county business license desk thought it was amusing.

The business plan all started over a small out-of-print comb bound game cookbook I bought at a garage sale for 50 cents. I put it up at eBay and got $44.00 for it. I thought, "Hey, I could write cookbooks like that." And about a year later my first signed and numbered limited edition copy of "Wild Man Gourmet" sold for $26.00 at eBay.

Over the years I've written ten cookbooks - mostly on authentic cowboy cookery - which is why I rarely mention them here. Cowboy cookery ain't exactly low carb though it can be high in protein.

And I also published two cookbooks including 'An Executive Chef's Diabetic Recipes Cookbook' and 'A Chef's International Recipes Cookbook' by Executive Chef Vernon Almon. Vern was a trained chef with 40 years experience who unfortunately died of complications of diabetes after completing his second cookbook. Vern's books will still be available in eBook format through JB Publications in the future.

We did everything in house ourselves including writing, editing, design, printing, and comb binding. This saved a lot of overhead and sold well for years through eBay, Amazon, drop shipping, and mail order until the economy started to sour. This is one of the main reasons I've decided to convert to eBooks - to bring down costs and offer our products at competitive costs.

About two and a half years ago I went on hiatus and stopped all production and sales due to personal reasons. Now, I'm back with a new business plan and I'm rewriting all my cookbooks and moving to Adobe .PDF eBook format.

The first revised cookbook out of the JB Ranch gate will be 'The Protein Edge Cookbook' first published in 2004. Subtitled "Recipes For Muscle Gain and Smart Fat Loss" this cookbook is packed with high protein, low carb, and calorie controlled recipes. If you are looking for high protein, low carbohydrate recipes and also want bodybuilder friendly nutrition this book is for you. It's based on nutrition principles I studied as a certified sports nutritionist, and as an avid researcher of everything on nutrition and fitness. And every recipe in this book is one I developed and have used myself for years.

If anyone wants to write a review for 'The Protein Edge Cookbook' to be included in the book I'll be offering advanced complimentary copies.

About JB Publications:

Our Cookbooks are featured in "The Best of the Best From Nevada Cookbook" Published by Quail Ridge Press - Available Now!

JB Publications Exclusive Cookbooks will soon be available again at Our Website Bardelli Arts.com

Our Cookbook Catalog Includes:

A Chef's International Recipes Cookbook

Weight Loss That Works with Recipes

The Best of the Best of JB Ranch Recipe Sampler Cookbook

A Cowboy Cooking Every Night

Authentic Cowboy Cookery Then & Now

The Protein Edge Cookbook

Easy Gourmet For Diabetics

Wild Man Gourmet - Wild Game Cookbook

The Hooked Cook - A Fisherman's Cookbook

An Executive Chef's Diabetic Recipes Cookbook

All American Meals - Proceeds Support The USO

Use Your Noodle! - Three Italians Cook

A Southern Style Cowboy Cookin' Every Night

Personal Update & News and Fat Loss Articles

They talk about the terrible twos. What about the ever irascible eights? I was hoping for the even tempered eights...ha! In his defense I put my elbow on his sunburned shoulder. Mom...owww.











My weight this morning is 118.5 pounds and body fat is 22.2 percent. This low carb diet and two workouts a day is working. I'm sure some of the loss is water but there's some fat coming off too. My stomach is flatter. Which is weird as I'm still pre-menstrual and usually gain a few pounds of water weight around this time.

Today's food plan:

Meal one - 1 cup shrimp salad

Meal two - 4 ounces chicken and salad with 1 teaspoon flax oil

Meal three - protein shake, 1/2 banana

Meal four - smoked salmon and cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon walnut oil, 1/2 cup strawberries

Meal five - 4 ounces lean ground beef, green beans with onions and peppers, 1 teaspoon olive oil

Meal six - 4 ounces salmon steak in butter, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 4 ounces vodka

I don't have the stats in fitday yet but I've been running roughly 1600 calories a day with under 35 grams carbs with 35-65 grams alcohol, 35-60 grams fat, and over 90 grams protein.

Beverages - 2 cups black coffee, 1 gallon (minimum) water and lime, 4 ounces vodka.

Supplements - Multi-vitamin, 2000 mg calcium, 10 grams fish oil, 1000 mg Max CLA, 3000 mg cranberry.

Workout one - biceps, triceps, shoulders, 5 sets each of various exercises (usually two exercises per body part including biceps curls, hammers, shoulder side raises, front raises, chair dips, overhead tricep extension) of 10-12 reps each with heavy enough weights to achieve failure or near-failure (15-25 pounds per side). Chair dips I can run about 25 reps a set. This means I do 5 sets x 12 reps of bicep curls, 5 sets x 12 reps of hammer curls, 5 sets x 12 reps of shoulder front raise, 5 sets x 12 reps of shoulder side raises, 5 sets x 12 reps overhead tricep extensions, and 5 sets x 25 reps chair dips. Total of 30 sets of exercises.

Workout two - one and a half hours pool aerobics / jogging / tag.

I've been sleeping very soundly and about 9 hours a night thanks to these workouts.

____________________________________________________________


My recipe for Fast and Spice Shrimp Salad - I forgot to take a photo before I ate it.

5 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed, de-veined

2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream (full fat has 2 carbs and 120 calories while nonfat has 3 carbs and 25 calories. Hey do the math - I save 95 calories).

1 1/2 teaspoons regular mayonnaise (see, I put a healthy *tastier* fat back in too and end up with about the same calories as if I used just 2 Ts of full fat sour cream alone).

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay spice

Combine all ingredients and chill. Serves 1.

Calories 294, Fat 11 grams, Carbs 8 grams, Protein 38 grams

________________________________________________________________________________

In The News & Fat Loss Articles


Battle Of The Bulge: Low Leptin Levels Undermine Successful Weight Loss

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2008) — Individuals who are obese are at increased risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As 75%-95% of previously obese individuals regain their lost weight, many researchers are interested in developing treatments to help individuals maintain their weight loss.

A new study, by Michael Rosenbaum and colleagues, at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, has provided new insight into the critical interaction between the hormone leptin and the brain's response to weight loss.
Leptin levels fall as obese individuals lose weight. So, the authors set out to see whether changes in leptin levels altered activity in the regions of the brain known to have a role in regulating food intake.

They observed that activity in these regions of the brain in response to visual food-related cues changed after an obese individual successfully lost weight. However, these changes in brain activity were not observed if the obese individual who had successfully lost weight was treated with leptin. These data are consistent with the idea that the decrease in leptin levels that occurs when an individual loses weight serves to protect the body against the loss of body fat.

Further, both the authors and, in an accompanying commentary, Rexford Ahima, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, suggest that leptin therapy after weight loss might improve weight maintenance by overriding this fat-loss defense. End of article.

Extra Sleep Boosts Athletic Performance: Study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Athletes who get extra shut-eye over an extended period of time could see significant improvement in their athletic performance, mood, and alertness, research shows. "Our results begin to elucidate the importance of sleep on athletic performance and more specifically, how sleep is a significant factor to peak athletic performance," Cheri Mah of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory told Reuters Health.

In an ongoing study, Mah and colleagues are testing the impact of extra sleep on five healthy students on the Stanford University men's and women's swimming teams. For the first two weeks of the study, the swimmers maintained their usual sleep-wake pattern. The athletes then extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for 6 to 7 weeks.

Athletic performance, assessed after each regularly scheduled swim practice, showed marked improvement with the extra sleep, Mah reported Monday at SLEEP 2008, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

"Various drills including reaction time off the block, 15-meter sprint, and turn time improved while kick strokes increased with extra sleep," she said. Read more.


Fat Loss Nutrition Basics

Eating to get lean is not as difficult or confusing as we have been lead to believe. The problem is the quick fix mentality and distorted reality supplement companies and diet programs try to sell us. The best method of nutrition to achieve a lean and healthy body is one that consists of mainly whole foods and is macronutrient balanced. When trying to lose body fat, we want to make sure we cover the essentials and avoid the pitfalls. Once these bases are covered, fat loss will become natural. Read more.


20 Ways To Trick Fat by David Gluhariff

A Synergistic Approach To Fat Loss by ISSA

Excerpt - In this day and age everyone has a set idea of what they want to look like, but have difficulty obtaining it. Whether it is those annoying love handles or a little excess fat on the thighs, cutting calories can help. By incorporating a proper diet and exercise program into your daily life you can get on your way to that figure you always wanted.

Your Body

The body liberates energy from its tissues and stores when the caloric intake is less than the caloric output. If this occurs there is a loss of fat along with lean body mass. When planning to lose fat, one must first establish a body composition goal. Men lose fat easier than women due to hormone differences. This is because testosterone levels in men are higher, helping them to maintain more muscle mass.

The hormone system of women resists change in the body composition as a protective mechanism that helps conserve energy stores during pregnancy. It is for this reason that women lose fat slower than men do and find it difficult to maintain a body fat percentage lower than 16%. Read more.

This article has a cool lean body mass calculator. Here are my results:

Your Lean Body Mass Results.
Your Weight: 54 kilograms.
Your BodyFat Percentage: 20%.
Your Lean Body Mass In Kilograms: 44 kilograms.
Your Lean Body Mass In Pounds: 96 pounds.

Back To The Basics of Dieting by Robboe

Excerpt - The goal here is fat loss and there are many ways to do it, regardless of what many protocols recommend. The information presented here is going to be aimed toward the less experienced.

Before I begin, I'd like to point out that this piece is not a comprehensive dieting protocol such as Twin Peak's Carbohydrate Cycling or Lyle McDonald's UD2.0. I'm not going to give you meal plans, suggested foods or calorie intakes. What I will do, however, is show you how to get started towards your goal of fat loss, and how to ensure progression towards this goal.

There are many ways to skin a cat, so obviously this advice may conflict with what some dieting protocols recommend, but realize that these guidelines can be used in conjunction with whatever dieting protocol you adhere to. This is aimed more towards the less experienced, although veterans may still benefit from little tricks here and there. Read more.

“Don’t Call Him ‘The Keto Guy’ – An Interview with Lyle McDonald By: David Whitley

If you have been around weight training for very long, you have probably heard of Lyle McDonald. A few years ago, he conducted an experiment on himself based on the Body Opus program by Dan Duchaine, and went onto make a name for himself with his book The Ketogenic Diet which established him as an authority on sports nutrition and specifically low-carbohydrate dieting. He probably knows more about low-carb dieting than anyone, but please don't call him the "Keto Guy".

What you may not know is that he is also a serious speed skater with designs on competing in the Olympics. Lyle recently took the time to tell me about his current training, life and the sport he loves. Read more.

Mission Fat Loss - Day One (Low Carb)

It's day one of my fat loss mission. Today will be low carb. I'm planning on starting with a six day cycle of low carb (below 100 grams - this is NOT a ketogenic diet as I want to stay anabolic and preserve muscle). And I intend to have some heavy weight lifting workouts during this phase and intensity is nearly impossible on a very low carb diet...

"We also have to mention that without ingesting carbs, it's harder to have intense strength training sessions. It's true that some amino acids can be "turned into" glucose via gluconeogenesis, and that ketone bodies can be used for fuel after proper adaptation has set in. But truth be told, a low/no carb diet makes you lose your capacity to train hard in the gym." - Christian Thibaudeau

Today's menu looks like this:

Meal One - 4 ounces Tequila Lime chicken, 1/2 cup blackberries

Meal Two - Protein shake, 1/2 banana (pre-workout), 1 Tablespoon flax oil

Meal Three - 4 ounces Tequila Lime chicken, 1/2 cup blackberries

Meal Four - 4 ounces tuna, 1 cup mixed green salad, 1 1/2 teaspoon walnut oil

Meal Five - Protein shake, 1/2 cup mixed berries

Meal Six - 5 ounces shrimp, 1 cup mixed green salad, 1 1/2 teaspoon walnut oil

Beverages - 2 cups black coffee, 1 gallon water with lime, 3 - 3 1/2 ounce glasses red wine.

Unlimited non-calorie spices and condiments (pepper, vinegar, mustard, lime juice, etc.)

Supplements - 1 Multi-vitamin, 10 grams fish oil in softgels, 2000 mg calcium in chews, 3000 mg cranberry extract.

Calories 1606, Fat 49 grams, Carb 54 grams, Protein 186 grams, Alcohol 29 grams.

Workout One - Morning Chest & Back of 5 Sets Each Pull Ups x 25 reps, 5 Sets Each Push Ups (Performed on the ProForm BioVibe) x 25, 5 Sets Each Back Rows 8-10 Reps x 20 Pounds Per Side, 5 Sets Each Chest Flyes x 8-10 Reps x 20 Pounds Per Side.

Workout Two - Afternoon Pool Jogging / Aerobics / Pool Tag with Bruno - 1 1/2 Hours

Starting Weight 122 pounds, Body Fat Percent 24 Percent (Numbers taken pre-menstrual so they might be off).

Change It Up! Maximizing Your Workout & Diet Results

One of Bruno's Photoshop Creations
















Outsmarting Your Body’s Adaptation Response

I love to change up my exercise regimen often. Sometimes I’ll do a different workout everyday. Monday may be Turbo Jam, Tuesday may be Yoga Booty Ballet, then Wednesday will be a classic upper body workout on machines and with free weights, followed by an hour of horseback riding on Thursday, and Power 90X Legs & Back on Friday.

Other weeks I only change up every week and not everyday. I’ll do one week of Power 90X (a different P90X workout every day), a second week of a different daily Bosu training workout, a third week I'll alternate Power 90X Plus workouts mixed up with 10 Minute Trainer workouts. And this week I’m mixing classic step aerobics with classic weight training workouts on weight machines and with free weights using Super Slow, an exercise protocol invented by Ken Hutchins (review of Super Slow to come).

The main reason I change my workouts around is the body adapts rapidly to exercise. If you do the same routine or set of routines over and over your results slow to a snail’s pace or even grind to a halt as your body adapts. (Note that Power 90X and the 12 workouts in the system are designed specifically to avoid adaptation and plateau, but after 9 months of mostly Power 90X I felt it was time to mix it up more than I had been).

Ever wonder why you see some people at the gym or on the running path day after day, week after week, and month after month, yet their bodies rarely change? Ask them how long they’ve been riding the elliptical or treadmill every day, or how long they’ve done the same weight lifting regimen. The less their bodies change, the longer they’ve been doing the same old thing over and over again.

Someone once said doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. If what you’re doing or the way you’re doing it is not yielding the results you want why keep doing it?

Trying new recreational sports and exercise routines serves a second important function. You prevent boredom . Boredom - like a lack of results - leads to slacking off of exercising and even quitting altogether. Not only is variety the spice of life, it’s a valuable tool for getting in shape and staying there.

If a tight budget makes you feel limited in pursuing variety in your workouts try buying used exercise videos and equipment. Most public libraries have exercise videos you can check out for free. Start a neighborhood or online exercise exchange so you and others can share DVDs and equipment you’re tired of. (This can be done on Craig's List and other online community bulletin boards, or through local free ad newspapers). Try an outdoor workout like hiking or jogging on new trails that offer new challenges. Many parks have exercise courses with stations that include instructions. If you have a gym membership, ask other members or a personal trainer to give you new workout ideas. Check out low cost exercise classes, swimming pools, and gyms at community centers, colleges, churches, hospitals, and recreation centers.

If you’re limited to working out at home try changing between a calisthenics or isometric workout one day, a march in place workout like Leslie Sansone’s “Walk Away The Pounds’ another day, gardening for an hour a third day - which can burn up to 350 calories an hour, and doing a resistance workouts with a band another fews days a week (never do resistance training of the same body parts two days in a row, this leads to over-training and even muscle loss). Resistance bands can be purchased for a minimal cost both new and used. I even gave away a set of bands with two workout tapes on my blog a few months ago.

Your only barrier to better fitness is you. Instead of making excuses about how time, budget, and / or lack of space prevent you from working out or changing your present workout routine, get creative! This can be as simple as walking uphill instead of taking your usual flat walking route, or doing less repetitions and sets with heavier weights. If you’ve been using weight machines exclusively switch to free weights and bands or do calisthenics and isometrics for a change. If you’ve been running on the treadmill for weeks switch to the rowing machine or take a spinning class.

This same adaptation rule applies to nutrition and dieting. Your body will adapt to an intake of a relatively stable amount of calories and macro-nutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates). Research supports the success of a diet in which calories and macro-nutrients (particularly carbohydrates) are cycled. Occasionally raising calorie and carbohydrate intake – whether one day a week or rotating the macro-nutrient make up of your diet every third day – “fools” your body into believing you’re not in starvation mode, a common phenomenon of dieting.

(For an example of a rotation diet check out this update on my The Cheat To Lose Diet adventures. The Cheat To Lose Diet rotates carbohydrate and calorie content every week during the first three weeks (priming phase) and every two days on the core phase culminating in a cheat day without restrictions).

Change is a vital key to getting fit and staying that way. Change, particularly in fitness, fat loss, and muscle gain, rarely comes if you fail to outwit your body’s ability to adapt. If you want to prevent a plateau in fat loss, getting fit, or gaining muscle change it up!

Bosu 3D Power Package Reactive Strength and Power Workout Video Review

Buy The Basic Classic Bosu




















Buy The Bosu 3D Power Package





















My workout yesterday was the Bosu Reactive Strength and Power workout and it’s smoking. This video is part of the Bosu Pro Series and it’s hosted by Gay Gasper who’s a fairly smooth and enjoyable host. With two other exercisers helping her demonstrate three levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced – they make it look easy. It’s not. This workout rivals Power 90X in intensity. The Bosu dome totally changes the impact of any move. Think dynamic, intense, and challenging.

This workout combines a variety of exercises that build muscular strength and endurance, enhance agility and challenge your balance and proprioceptive skills (a beneficial challenge and benefit for someone like me with Cerebral Palsy). I’ve noticed since first starting balance training with other equipment including the OSIM uSurf and GoFit disc my balance has improved. That’s an amazing benefit for a middle aged adult like me with Cerebral Palsy. Functional fitness is one of my main and ongoing goals.

The workout is approximately 55 minutes and separated into five segments – a warm up including stretching, lower body functional exercises, new variations of traditional upper body and core exercises that challenge balance and proprioception, a peak segment with reactive power moves much like Power 90X plyometrics, and a cool down including stretching. You’ll need a set of dumbbells and I used my Bowflex SelectTechs. Individual exercises include but aren’t limited to push ups, lunges, squats, chest flyes, chest presses, bicep curls, hammer curls, leg lifts, crunches, and aerobics including stepping, marching, and running in place.

The difference is the Bosu. It creates instability in every move and this challenges your muscles in ways they cannot be challenged on a stable surface like a floor or regular step. Greater muscle stimulation leads to greater muscle growth which leads to a faster metabolism which leads to greater fat and calorie burning. I’m fit and this was a challenging workout for me. I recommend it to anyone ready to take their workouts to the next level. I can’t wait to try Pilates on this thing!

I cannot stress enough the benefits of muscle challenge created by the Bosu. The Bosu dome makes you use your muscles in news ways and so efficiently you’ll work harder in less time. For example I’ve done chest flyes with machines and free weights for years. But when I did the alternating flye on the Bosu I almost fell off the first repetition. I had to recruit more muscles and work on balancing while I did the moves.

This piece of equipment takes your workouts to a whole different level because of the added element of balance and proprioception challenge. It’s worth every penny – ahem, dol1ar. (The going rate for a classic Bosu with instruction video is $99. The Bosu Power Package I bought with platform and handle plus 6 DVDs and 9 workouts is $333 but I got a discount deal with $99 off because I put the classic package in my cart first. They basically threw in the Bosu Dome for free of I bought the whole shabang).

Thanksgiving Vacation, Mooning Over My Hammy, & Links To Get Fit and Healthy

Autumn In Mills Park, Carson City, Nevada















Thanksgiving looms and I’m about to get really busy. I finish up my shopping tomorrow and start cooking on Monsday to get a head start on the whole process. We’ll have turkey and ham as well as all our favorite fixings.




















Check out this delicious imported gourmet ham we bought last year and again this year, and at 99 percent fat free – a 2 ounce serving has 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, > 1 gram carbs, and 10 grams protein - you get a good dose of delicious protein for less calories. And this ain’t your momma’s store bought ham, it’s oh so delic-i-o-so.

iGourmet.com Le Cochon d'Or Smoked Ham

This premium Canadian ham is prepared in the classic French tradition in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, a small town that lies between Quebec City and Montreal. The hogs in Cap-de-la-Madeleine are naturally raised with no growth hormones or steroids, which is a rare occurrence these days.

Their premium-quality hams are hard-carved from the leanest, most tender part of the animal and are 99% fat free. They are delicately coated with unique blends of herbed and spiced marinades and slow cured to develop a full rich flavor and uniform pink color. We offer three popular flavors - Baked Black Forest, Honey, and Cracked Black Pepper. Each ham weighs approximately seven pounds, making one perfect for a Sunday dinner for the whole family, a party on the weekend, or a team picnic. Varieties sold separately.

Price: $34.99
Size: 7 pounds

Assuming I don’t find time to blog in the coming week I’m leaving you with this super sized list of links chock full of information on fitness, nutrition, and a reminder to check out the website Wellness For Nancy and donate if you can.

Giving Thanks for All Our Blessings and Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving! Carol



7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
Michael Jordan
November 16, 2007
Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans' out of the closet.

Bodybuilding Fat Loss Tips for Women
From Hugo Rivera

Lose Fat With IFBB Figure Pro Pauline Nordin
Everyone knows what to do to lose fat, right? Then how come so few reach their goals and achieve that lean look if it's so damn easy to get ripped?

I could tell you the very same things as everybody else does, but I definitely won't. It's not only about the perfect diet plan and the right amount of exercise, the best supplements and so on; the most important part of a fat-loss strategy is your mental approach to it.

That's what I'm going to tell you about. Basically, what you've got to do is stick to your plan. Period.

The Most Unusual Way To Build Muscle
By Mark McManus

Can you build muscle without touching a weight?

Imagine the possibility of using your mind to reshape your body size and strength!
Strange? Indeed.

I recently remembered reading about a study a few years ago in Men’s Health in which the subjects increased the size and strength of selected muscle groups by simply ‘thinking‘ about working them out.

They simply visualized the process and their bodies responded in the same manner as if they’d actually hit the iron!

It’s well known by a lot of people in psychology and exercise physiology that the brain cannot distinguish the difference between a ‘real’ event i.e. one that is observed objectively, and a vividly imagined one i.e. one that is created subjectively. The implications of this could be quite exciting for bodybuilders.


Tony Horton’s 11 Laws For Lifetime Fitness

4 Tips To Fat Loss by Gregg Gillies

“Can You Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?”

How To Lose Weight By Eating More


Holiday Weight Management Survival Guide
From Paige Waehner


Holiday Pounds Forever - Consistent Eating for Long-Term Weight Control


7 Day Fat Loss Meal Plan


Fat Loss For Beginners-8 Tips For Getting Started

The No Weight Gain Holiday Guide

Harvard School of Public Health On Fruits & Vegetables

Increase Your Metabolism and Curb Your Appetite With This Fat Burning Food Group


99 Tips For Family Fitness Fun

Carbohydrate Cycling Revisited & How The Body Loses Body Fat

Claudia Wilbourn IFBB Hall of Famer and Women's Bodybuilding Pioneer




















Matching Carbohydrate Intake To Activity Levels

Recently Katie P from Thin Enough To Go To The Gym asked:

Carol
I agree with not viewing carbs as evil. Like you, I don't do very well on 20-30g carbs because of how much I exercise.

Could you please remind me how you cycle your carbs and whether you match low/medium/high carb days to particular workouts.

I am doing my first BFL challenge after following a low carb eating plan for almost a year and I am finding controlling the carbs challenging.

My answer is that I do tend to cycle carbohydrates to match my workout load. A no exercise day is usually low carbohydrate (10 to 50 grams) as I’m not going to need carbs to fuel a workout. Mid-level workouts like playing soccer with my son, swimming, aerobic dance or any aerobic exercise of about one hour requires a medium carb intake (40-75 grams). On days I blast it and do Power 90X combined with an additional aerobics session (a program called Power 90X Doubles I did all summer) I particularly pay attention to eating adequate carbs (75-150 grams) to fuel a grueling workout schedule.

For an example of my workload check out this one hour Power 90X workout that’s typical of my program and includes 24 exercises in all: Power 90X Chest Shoulders Triceps Workout

At least a few low carb advocates and dieters will argue you do not need carbohydrates at all to fuel your workouts and that your body will use fat for fuel through a process called gluconeogenesis. But these people are not engaging in the levels of activity we’re talking about. They usually report workouts of low to moderate aerobics of less than one hour or low impact resistance training (or none at all). Relying on this mechanism to fuel intense workouts – especially one’s like Power 90X, Body For Life, endurance running, intense weight training, or long duration aerobics, is unnecessary. It forces the body to work harder to produce its fuel and lessens energy levels which lowers performance. The less intense your workouts, the less rewarding your results.

You can read more on my carbohydrate cycling experiences here.

I lost scale weight (from 124 down to 114) and body fat (7 percent lost) doing 3 months of Power 90X Doubles combined with carb cycling. Not to mention quite a few inches off my waist, hips, and thighs (my measurements are listed on my sidebar). It works for me.

And I enjoyed portion controlled servings of high carb foods like pizza, beer, whole wheat bread, sour dough bread, tortillas, apples, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and other healthy but taboo foods to low carb dieters. The key is portion control and timing when carbs are eaten.

Most importantly, I added muscle mass of about 4 pounds which equates to roughly 200 calories burned daily just from having that added muscle. I'll wager those low carbers who don't do resistance training added no muscle to their bodies and might have lost some muscle mass.

I'll put together a few of my menus with my workout schedule soon to demonstrate better how I cycle carbs and post them.

By the way, I did Body For Life in 2000 after the birth of my son and lost fat while building muscle. I still have my Body For Life t-shirt. You’ll find it quite doable and effective I think.

Thanks for dropping by, Katie!
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How The Body Loses Body Fat

This brings up an excellent point many low carbohydrate advocates and dieters overlook. Active amateur and professional athletes including those who weight train or pursue bodybuilding have different energy needs than sedentary and moderately active people.

The physiological mechanism behind low carbohydrate weight loss theory is ketosis. Ketosis is one way the body uses body fat. The mechanism “is a stage in metabolism occurring when the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which can be used by the body for energy.” Read more here.

But ketosis is not the only way to lose body fat. If it were moderate and high carbohydrate diets like Weight Watchers, Nutri-system, and The Dr. Oz Diet would not work at all. And we all know these diets work if you stick to them. My brother once lost over 100 pounds on Weight Watchers and kept it off while he stuck to their principles. He only gained it back when he returned to eating processed and junk foods, stopped exercising and ignored portion control.

The human body will lose body fat in several situations besides low carbohydrate induced ketosis:

Increased Energy Demands Including Exercise

Calorie Deficit

Increases In Metabolism Including Adding Muscle Mass

Illness and Wasting Diseases

Increased Energy Demands Including Exercise - It’s quite possible to lose body fat through increasing your energy demands alone. You will still have to be aware of your diet and eat within your daily energy needs (example: daily caloric requirement of 2000, daily calories consumed between 1800-2200).

The obvious method to increase the energy demands on your body is exercise. This can be through a combination of increased daily activity (taking the stairs instead of the elevator), aerobic exercise (treadmill, jogging, dance), and resistance training. As long as you burn more calories than your body requires you will lose body fat.

Calorie Deficit – This can be achieved through cutting calories alone or by limiting a macro-nutrient - carbohydrates, fat, or protein - as long as you do not increase consumption of other macro-nutrients (limiting protein is not recommended for healthy active individuals). Combined with exercise a caloric deficit is doubly effective.

One of the pitfalls of low carbohydrate diets when not combined with portion and calorie control or at least awareness of portion size is you can out strip your diet by eating too much. Dr. Atkins warned of this in his “Atkins For Life” book.

I read a LOT of blogs and I can remember reading one entry by a low carb dieter who went out to dinner after a brief fast and ate two slabs of prime rib with vegetables. One 12 ounce restaurant portion of prime rib is 1187 calories, 105 grams of fat, 56 grams of protein, 0 carbs. Two restaurant size portions of prime rib with vegetables will run you over 2400 calories, 100 grams of protein, and 60 grams of fat. Unless you’re Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman there is no way you need that much calories, protein, or fat in one sitting. And these pros know better than to eat that many calories, protein and fat at one meal. That meal would have been enough for two or three Jay Cutler sized meals!

Later in the entry this blogger wondered why his one day fast combined with the low carb meal (mega-feast) didn’t result in weight loss. Simply put, this dieter outstripped his daily caloric requirement by indulging in gluttonous amounts of low carbohydrate food at one meal. It's a low carbohydrate diet fallacy that calories don't count. Check out Dr. Atkins "Atkins For Life" pages 73-75 if you don't believe me.

Beware that cutting calories too drastically (under 1200 for women and under 1800 for men) for long periods of time lowers your metabolism and slows body fat loss. It will also result in loss of muscle mass and other vital tissues. The pitfalls of extreme low calorie dieting are discussed here.

Increases In Metabolism – Metabolism – specifically how many calories we burn in a day - is influenced by factors you cannot control including age, sex, genetics, and by factors you can influence, particularly how much muscle mass you have and how many calories you burn through activity. Adding muscle to your body is an efficient metabolism booster with a plethora of other benefits.


A pound of muscle is more compact than a pound of fat and more metabolically active. A pound of body fat burns roughly 3 calories a day while a pound of muscle burns roughly 50 calories a day. Muscle is firm and attractive while body fat is soft and in too great a quantity unappealing. Muscle increases your strength, endurance and metabolism.

People who are sedentary or ignore resistance training naturally loose muscle mass (about 3 percent a decade between 30 and 80 years of age). This is the chief reason people experience a slowed metabolism as they age. With loss of muscle mass comes a lowered calorie demand. If you eat them same amount of calories as you did before losing muscle you will gain body fat.

Illness and Wasting Diseases – not a desirable method, folks. I just mention it because it’s a common phenomenon.