The majority of the people I speak with have always worked out in some way, shape or form. Either by doing all cardio training or all weight training or maybe a little bit of both sometimes addressing nutrition.  But I go into the gym day in and day out and their physique never changes.  Why is that?

Well when you want to change the shape of your physique you need to think of the five fold synergy system.  In order to really make over your body you have to have the right amount of nutrition, exercise, sleep, hormones, and stress (or lack of)…and not necessarily in that order.

People often think that since you work out and do cardio that you can eat what ever you want and improve on your physique. WRONG!  If you want to improve on your physique you have to eat properly for your goals; which I believe is the hardest component to changing your lifestyle and physique.  So here are some tips on improving and taking control of your nutrition.

First thing is that you need to do is calculate your calorie intake for one day.  You do this by multiplying your body weight by 10 which equals your total daily calories.  But wait, what is a calorie? ” It is the word that is commonly used to quantify amount of energy stored in the food. A calorie also represents how much energy is stored as body fat or adipose tissue and glycogen (stored carbohydrates). Calories are burned and used like a fuel by your body every time you need to do some activity. They are used as the energy source for your various muscle movements. (C, Nick)”

Example: 125 x 10= 1250 kcal/day

Then you break the 1200 calories into how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats you will need by a common split called the 40/40/20 split. Meaning you will have 40 % of your calories as a protein source, 40 % of your calories as a carbohydrate source, and 20 % of your calories as a good fat source.  I would recommend that if you are starting a set dietary plan t lose weight that you begin with this.  If you are planning on competing or gaining muscle then there are different splits to use.

• 40 percent Protein / 1250 = 500 calories
• 40 percent Carbohydrates/ 1250 = 500 calories
• 20 percent FATS / 1250 = 250 calories

Well, you see the calories but how do you break that into grams so it is easier to understand?  With your different foods sources, meaning protein, carbohydrates and fats, they contain different calorie per gram of food.  Protein contains 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram.  So your calculation would look like this:

• Protein 500 kcal / 4 = 125g
• Carbohydrates 500 kcal / 4 = 125g
• Fats 250 kcal / 9 = 28g (or < 28g)

To prepare your portions correctly remember to look at the nutrition facts on the back of the foods you buy and exercise portion control.  I would recommend splitting your meals up into 5 meals per day that way your body absorbs all of the nutrients that it needs without over load of one or more food sources which in turn will store as fat if over load happens.  You will keep your metabolism burning effortlessly throughout the day and this prevents your body from switching into “starvation” mode which is very important for fat loss.

Some more tid bits about diet are that you should try to stop drinking all sodas or sugary drinks and replace that with water!  Water helps expel toxins from the body and keeps you hydrated. Sugar stores as fat and soft drinks rot your digestive system.  They sabotage your ability to burn fat if drank in excess.  I use Stevia as a sugar substitute in tea and coffee, as well as in my oatmeal or anything I would add sugar too. It is all natural and is healthy for your body.  Focus on whole foods (foods as close to natural state as possible) to get all the range of nutrients your body needs. Stay away from empty calories.  What are empty calories you ask?  Empty calories are defined as high-energy foods with poor nutritional profiles, typically from processed carbohydrates or fats.  In other words they are fully processed foods in which all of the nutrients have been taken out and a select handful of synthetic nutrients are added back in, if you are lucky.

Whole Foods are things like fruits, vegetables, natural chicken, turkey, fish, almonds, and flax seed.

Empty Calories are things like sodas, white bread, white pasta, candy, margarine, alcohol, white rice, chips, most snack foods, and fast food in general.

This may sound boring but as you play with flavors and different combinations you find what works for you and what your taste buds enjoy! Your body will surely thank you for it and as you see the results your confidence will soar! And remember that you can always have a cheat meal once a week to give your mind a break and give your body something extra to burn but remember have everything in moderation!

Hey San Antonio!

Sorry for the late update but I have been so busy that I can only seem to find a time to update about once a week so y’all get the whole kit and kaboodle in one of two posts. Here are some good work outs for you that only take about 30-45 minutes. I have Rita do these plus cardio and diet. Join her on her blog – she has her daily updates and little tid bits for y’all!

Chest, shouders and triceps: All sets are done 3 times

Super set:
- Machine Chest press: 35lbs x 15 reps
- Lunges with back leg lift: 30 reps

Superset:
- Side/front lateral raises: 5 lbs x 20 reps
- Bench step ups: 20 reps

Superset:
- V-Bar tricep extensions: 40lbs x 15 reps
- Bench sit ups: x 15 reps

On Another day you can do this leg work out!

Legs:
Single Leg extension with both leg leg extension: 30 lbs x 12 reps on each side and then both legs together at 60 lbs for 10 reps.

Machine Glute extension: 45 lbs x 15 reps

Superset:
- 3 time squats: Sumo squats for 10 reps, shoulder width squat for 10 reps, close stance squat for 10 reps. 15 lbs used
- Bench abs: 10lbs x 10

Jump squats onto step : 10 reps

1. Cardio in the morning.
Do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. If you don’t have the time or that’s the last thing on your mind in the morning, do it at night not having eaten for 3 hours prior. If you plan on doing cardio at 6:30 then eat no later than 3:30. Any closer to your workout time and your blood will rush to your stomach to digest your food and actually diminish your workout. Also, don’t eat anything until an hour after your cardio. Give your body time to do its magic.

2. Breathe through your nose.
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose helps stabilize your heart rate and it will help you increase your endurance. The result, you work out longer and burn more fat.

3. Don’t slouch.
If you slouch on the cardio equipment as you are exercising, you are inhibiting the amount of oxygen you body can take in. This slows your fat-burning process within your body! Posture is very important with any exercise.

4. Do Intervals.
If you are just starting out with cardio then start off with interval training. Let’s say you are on the treadmill and do 2 minutes at 6 mph followed by 2 minutes at 4 mph then back up to 6mph and so on for 20-45 minutes. This will help you build endurance and lose fat. Eventually you will be able to connect the higher intervals and go at one pace for the whole workout.

5. Add weights.
If you haven’t already heard it has been proven that the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn because it takes more energy for your body to maintain lean muscle than fat. So if you are just doing cardio to lose fat and hit a plateau then it is a good idea to add weights to your program. If you don’t exactly want to start pumping iron in the weight room then just add light weights to your arms and legs as you do your cardio.

6. Eat a clean diet.
Change your diet and eat numerous (5-6), nutrient rich, low fat meals during the day. Eating small meals often throughout the day in regular intervals (every two to three hours) will help increase your metabolism and energy levels stable. When your metabolism is up to par and when you consume small meals throughout the day, the rate at which your food is used up is very fast, therefore when all your food is consumed then your body uses the fat storage in your body for energy. You eat clean for the good of your body and to achieve optimum nutrition and health.

7. Get enough Iron in your diet.
Yeah I said pump iron but also making sure you get enough iron in your diet through foods and a good multivitamin will ensure that you get enough oxygen to your cells keeping your metabolism stable. If you don’t have enough iron in your body you become easily fatigued and you become weak, this is called anemia. Your metabolism becomes sluggish and this slows the process of burning fat.

8. Avoid alcohol.
Simply said, alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. Wash you meals down with a glass of water instead of your favorite alcoholic beverage and you will keep the food that you are eating from going straight to your hips (stomach, thighs, etc).

9. Get just the right amount of protein in your diet.
Not the extreme Atkins diet approach but keep protein levels between 20-35% of your diet. Eating too much can cause your kidneys to strain and will also cause your body to store fat. With just the right amount your metabolism fires up to burn fat because your body uses more energy to break down the protein that you have ingested.

10. Get enough sleep.
Your body has a harder time processing carbs when you don’t get enough sleep. Why is that? On little sleep your body produces higher levels of insulin and the stress hormone cortisol. When you are tired your body doesn’t have the energy to do normal everyday things such as…BURN CALORIES efficiently and properly. So be good to your body and get some sleep!