Don't Mistake A Workout For Progress

Don't mistake workouts for progress. There are 168 hours in a week. You are lucky if you spend 5 of them exercising. Exercise breaks down tissue... it's what happens during the other 163 hours that you achieve results.

Too often is exercise alone relied upon to achieve exceptional fitness results.

Be aware when you hear yourself say things like "I'm working so hard in training so...

... I can get away with this appetizer."
... I do not need to do my full 3 hours of cardio per week."
... This extra cake won't hurt."
... I deserve this wine/cocktail/beer."

... Why am I not getting results?"

Keep in mind that training breaks down muscle tissue, augments fibers, wears your body. Your job is to do everything you can while you are "resting" to repair your body.

Progress means repairing your body through...

...eating low on the glycemic index.
...eating 5-6 meals per day.
...eating a vegetable, dense carbohydrate, and lean protein with each meal.
...viewing food as fuel.
...never going more than 2 days without a workout (keep your body guessing).
...sleeping 7 hours per night, minimum.

Break down with exercise, but come back stronger through healthy habits.

No Starving, Just Good Carbing

People fast, trim up, starve themselves and even exercise till they puke. Yet how many people actually stop to consider which foods will spike blood their sugar levels the fastest?

The glycemic index is a measure of the rate and the amount a given food will raise blood sugar levels. Food that breaks down faster (high glycemic) will result in a higher spike of your blood sugar, and food that breaks down slower (low glycemic) will provide a more gradual increase in blood sugar.

So why should you care about using the glycemic index as a measure of healthy eating?

Research shared by Werner J. Berger demonstrates that "eating a high glycemic breakfast results in an individual ingesting 80% more calories during the balance of the day, as compared to someone eating a low glycemic meal." Healthy stats for a guy named Berger!

Fast spikes and crashes in blood sugar devastate the bodies' sensitivity to insulin. Over time this can trigger an increase in blood pressure, LDL cholesterol (bad), and unfortunately, reductions in HDL (good) cholesterol.

"No starving, just good carbing" means switching to high fiber, low glycemic diets.

Many people are frustrated by cutting calories and then not seeing weight loss results right away. While the glycemic index may not be the answer, it may provide insight into your particular dilemma.


Foods to avoid:
All junk food, sodas, sports drinks and most highly processed foods.

Foods to limit:
Sweetened fruit juices, white flour, white rice, white potatoes and especially french fries.



Glycemic Index:
(Low 1 - 55; Medium 56 - 69, High 70 - 100)

Cereals:
Corn Chex - 83
Corn Flakes - 83
Cream of Wheat - 66
Oat Meal - 48

Snacks:
Jelly Beans - 80
Pretzels - 83
Popcorn - 56

Fruits:
Dates - 103
Banana - 56
Mango - 55
Grapefruit - 42

Vegetables:
Parsnips - 92
Carrots - 49
Tomato Soup - 38
Lima Beans - 32

For more information on the glycemic index... just GOOGLE IT already!