My diet was going great until I got sick

A very common problem for people slimming down is getting sick a few days or weeks into their new eating habits. This happened to me 7 out of 10 times when I tried losing weight and it happens to a lot of people. The reason for this is because you are eating much less than your body is used to. When you do this your immune system is no where near as strong as it usually is and you get sick much more easily. Although this is a common problem there are ways to prevent it from happening.

1) The first way to prevent this is to not go to the extreme when trying to lose weight. By this I mean DON’T EAT TOO LITTLE FOOD. When you don’t eat enough food you don’t get enough nutrients to support your body and its daily needs. I suggest only going with a 500-700 calorie deficit and exercising a few days a week rather than eating at a 1500 calorie deficit and not exercising.

2) The second reason people commonly get sick is because they are not getting enough of their micro nutrients. micro nutrients are your vitamins and minerals. The best way to get these is by eating a lot of vegetables and a 1-3 pieces of fruit every day. When your body gets its micro nutrients it is much more likely to stay healthy. Also have a well rounded diet which includes whole grains, protein from meat and eggs, and good healthy fats like in nuts.

3) The third reason is people are not taking vitamins. Above all other supplements I believe a good multi vitamin is the most important especially when losing weight. I suggest getting a good multi vitamin and taking 1 serving in the morning as well as the late afternoon. With this I suggest taking an extra vitamin D and C during the day at some point as well. I have found that this keeps me extremely healthy.

 

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

I Slipped Off My Diet This Week

“I slipped off my diet this week and put on 4 pounds!”    No you didn’t actually.


One of the many reasons that people fall off their diets is because they will accidentally slip off for a couple days and then see negative results on the scale. For most people when they see that they regained weight they will naturally think that it was all fat. This is absolutely NOT true. 

When you diet and lose weight, you are taking things away from your body that it's used to having. When this occurs you are naturally reducing the amount of calories you consume, and therefore your body burns fat for energy. However, when you re-introduce those foods into your diet, your body will retain water and therefore put pounds on the scale. 

The number one type of food which will make you retain water is carbohydrates. It is especially bad to consume a large amount of carbs 1-2 days before a weigh in because your body will hold onto water as well as glycogen (energy from carbs which is stored in your muscles for later use) if you do not use it up.  So if you eat a lot of carbs and sit on the couch for hours, you will weigh more than you would if you hit the gym and burned off the glycogen.

I remember one time I went to an Italian restaurant for dinner with my girlfriend and of course ate a huge bowl of linguine. For the rest of the night I sat and watched a movie and then went to bed. The next morning I got up and weighed in. To my horror I had gained 3 pounds since the previous week and I freaked out (this was before I knew about water and glycogen retention). The next week when I weighed in I lost 5 pounds, the water and glycogen retention was far gone, and my body returned to normal. 

So for anyone who gets on the scale and sees a significant weight gain, say 3 or more pounds, only about .5-1lb of that was fat. I guarantee that fact unless you ate a surplus of 10k calories that week, which I highly doubt. 

In short- If you get on the scale and you are horrified at weight gain don’t stress about it.  If you watch your diet the following week and watch your late night carb intake 1-2 days before weighing in, you may be surprised to see you lost 5 or more pounds.


My tip- no one should deprive themselves of their favorite foods. A cheat meal can actually make you lose more weight that week by tricking your metabolism. Go and have what you are craving one day this week, don’t worry about calories - just eat to enjoy and don’t look back. I did it and lost 85 pounds in 6 months. Fitness should be fun =)

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Gaining Muscle to Lose Fat

Alright now, were dipping into something I did first hand to lose weight. Weight training is one of the most effective ways to lose unwanted body fat and the best way in my opinion. 

There are 2 reasons why weight training is so effective for losing body fat. The first is because the actual act of lifting weights burns a large amount of calories and in a relatively short period of time in the gym. The second reason is because for every pound of muscle you have, your body burns 50 calories a day because muscle requires calories in order to not be broken down. Therefore, say you add 10 lbs of muscle onto your body you will naturally burn hundreds of calories more a day. One of the only advantages of being overweight is that it is possible to lose body fat and add muscle onto your body at the same time. Another reason why I advocate gaining muscle is because the more muscle you have, the more you can eat!  And who doesn’t love to eat more and not gain weight?

Low intensity cardio is another great way to burn body fat. The reason why LOW intensity cardio is effective for losing fat is because a larger percent of calories burned come from your fat stores instead of your muscle like with high intensity cardio. The beauty of low intensity cardio is that your lungs will not feel like they want to be ripped apart during the exercise - it is much more relaxed. To perform low intensity cardio get on a stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, or another type of machine designed for cardio and exercise so that you feel winded but do not go any farther than that. 

You want your heart rate to be between 60%-65% of your max heart rate. You can find out your max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.  For example, my max heart rate would be 202 (220-18=202) and to find out what my heart rate should be for effective low intensity cardio I would multiply 202 by .65 which is 131. 

If this equipment is not accessible to you another option would be to purchase a device which measures heart rate and ride a bicycle or do a fast walk until your heart rate is at the desired pace.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Q& A - What I Ate to Lose Weight

One of the questions I get asked most from people is "what did I eat to lose weight and what do I suggest that they eat?"  Here is a list of foods that I eat on a weekly basis that helped me lose 85 pounds and maintain a sub 11% bf.

I filled my diet with alot of protein and alot of fruit primarily to lose the weight. I ate lean sources of protein like chicken, steak, turkey burgers, fish, egg whites, and non fat cottage cheese.

Then whenever I wanted something to snack on I would skip the chips and go for an apple. I would also eat a lot complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat/ grain bread/pasta/tortillas.

Finally, I was always sure to get in healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, and fats in fish like salmon. With this combination of food your body will be energized all day and ready for you to work out and burn off any amount of fat you wish.

For snacking I always suggest fruit, especially apples, because they are very satisfying to hunger.  One thing that I like to advocate is to not go on a low fat or low carb diet because in all honesty carbs and fat don't make you fat - its an excess of calories from protein/carbs/ and fat that make people gain weight.

A good rule of thumb that a lot of people use, especially bodybuilders, is the 40/40/20 ratio, that is... 40% of your calories come from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% form fat. This creates a well balanced diet.

Healthy Alternatives are the Secret to Success

Everyone wants to eat healthy, but no one wants to give up their favorite foods.  However there are many ways you can have your cake and eat it too when it comes to dieting.  Most diets will fail because people try to go cold turkey on their favorite foods, which will lead to cravings and uncontrollable habitual unhealthy eating.  Although I cannot offer examples of an alternative for every food out there I have come up with a good list of foods that take the place of most American favorites.

Pizza- One of the unhealthiest things out there to eat.  It’s loaded with bad fat and bad carbs which leave a lot of people feeling hungry a few hours later...... 

My alternative- There is an amazing product called Flatout bread (which I personally eat every day) which is a flat bread primarily made up of fiber and protein..... 

My favorite is the 100% whole grain with flax.  This type contain 2.5g of healthy fats, 9g of fiber, 9g of protein, only 8 net carbs and just 100 calories per piece.  For one serving take 1 Flatout and put it in the oven (350 degrees) until crispy, add ½ cup of no sugar added pasta sauce ( ragu ), ¼ cup (1 ounce) fat free cheese and 17 slices of turkey pepperoni.  This recipe contains almost no fat, it is low in carbs and high in protein.  This recipe only contains 265 calories and I promise it is a large serving. Feel free to eat 2 of them for dinner because it’s completely healthy. Change the toppings to your desire.  For sausage get lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef. If you want steak add a lean cut of steak.

Nachos- Another very unhealthy with a large amount of fat and bad carbs.....

My alternative- Take 2 pieces of Flatout bread and cut them into squares to make nacho chips and put them in the oven until brown along the edges.  Take them out and let them cool to become crispy chips (this is also great for chips and salsa.  If you want more of a chip taste put salt on the chips before baking and they will come out tasting slightly more authentic.)  Use ½ cup (2 ounces) of fat free cheese and put it over the chips and add your desired toppings.  Lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef, lean cut steak, and chicken all work great.  And put it in the microwave until the cheese has melted.

More healthy alternatives for everyday food - fat free cottage cheese, fat free cheese/string cheese, egg whites, turkey pepperoni, lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef in place of ground beef, sugar free and fat free ice cream or frozen yogurt, whole grain and wheat bread/hot dog buns/hamburger buns/cold cereals, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, wild rice, fat free butter, fat free cool whip, fat free whipped cream, sugar free maple syrup, sugar free chocolate sauce, diet soft drinks, diet tea, no sugar added pasta sauce, fat free cream cheese, Flatout  sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, natural/organic peanut butter or almond butter, no sugar added jelly, turkey sausage, fat free mayonnaise, boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs.

The options are out there and there is always a healthy alternative for everything you buy.  If you go to the store and just look at the options they have you will find that the world is jumping on the healthy bandwagon.  It’s very easy to pick something that is fat free over something that is full fat, or sugar free over things loaded with sugar.  In my experience 90% of alternatives out there taste exactly the same as the regular stuff and the other 10% will just take a little getting used to.  But the best thing about choosing these alternatives is that they can save you literally thousands of calories a week which will can equate to over a pound of fat loss!

My diet is spot on.  I eat healthy 28 days out of the month but when I feel like I need to cheat a little I get some sugar free/fat free ice cream, make healthy pizza, healthy nachos, healthy pancakes, French toast, you name it I can make a healthy version of it. Even healthy chocolate bars.  I’ll try to start posting a new recipe every week and videos of me making it.

Tony's Tip- Print out a copy of the alternatives I listed above and take it to the store with you.  Take a look at them, compare them to the regular version, and buy them if you want.  If you do you will see that there is nearly no difference in taste or texture in any of them.  Fat free products can be your biggest friend as they will save you the most calories throughout the week.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

  

How to Handle Food Cravings

This week I received an email from an Annoymous reader with some really good questions that I'd like to address.  This is what the email asked:

Dear Tony,

I have recently started trying to eat a healthier diet in order to lose about 20 pounds and so far have been doing pretty well. However, I am struggling with one particular aspect of the healthy eating and I am hoping you could help me out.

I start off the day with great expectations for eating healthy and working out. I eat a good breakfast, go to the gym, eat healthy snacks and then a good lunch. Then around 2:00pm / 3:00 pm I start having really bad cravings for foods such as chocolate and chips…. (this also happens at nighttime too). It is very frustrating having these cravings and sometimes I give into them and feel bad afterwards because I was doing so well. Am I doing something wrong that is making me have these cravings? Is there something I could do to prevent them? Is there something I could do to stop having the cravings as I am having them? I feel like I would be able to reach my weight loss and healthy eating goals a lot faster if I didn’t have the aforementioned obstacle. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Anonymous

First of all, do not feel like you are alone in having cravings. Afternoon munchies are probably the number one reason most people fail to lose weight when they start to eat healthy. Everyone will fall victim to their cravings once in a while and I am no exception. However I have certain foods that I go to in order to satisfy the craving I have and it has worked very well. 

First off, one thing that will reduce cravings is eating 5-6 small meals a day spaced 2.5-3 hours apart. By doing this it keeps you full all day and will cut back on your feeling of needing something else. To figure out how big your meals should be calculate how many calories you want to eat to lose weight, then divide that number by the amount of meals you have. If this fails in stopping your cravings there are certain foods you can turn to. 

The number one thing I recommend for satisfying your sweet tooth is fruit because it is naturally sweet and will fill you up.  You can also go to the store and get sugar free chocolate syrup and dip the fruit in it. It seems like its unhealthy but its almost guilt free, this syrup ( by Hershey) contains 15 calories per 2 table spoons compared to regular which is 100 calories. 

If your weakness is salty and crunchy, then I also have the solution. At most grocery stores they sell a type of potato chip called pop chips. These chips are air popped which makes them significantly lower in fat than regular potato chips. By air popping them it also keeps the glycemic index of them low so they will also keep you fuller for longer than regular chips. They come in big bags or individual 100 calories bags. If you cannot find the 100 calories bags check the serving size and eat the amount of calories you wish - I believe about 23 chips equates to 100 calories which I feel is a pretty good serving to calorie ratio. 

If you are looking to try to eliminate these cravings for the most part I suggest you fall back on these as little as possible but know you always have the option to go to them ( when I say fall back on these foods as little as possible I am not talking about fruit.) Try going a full week while only using them 3 times, then the next week twice, and the next once, until you eventually realize you’re only eating them once or twice a month. I know it sounds crazy but it worked for me, I would eat chips 1-3 times a week and it slowly trickled down to the point where I haven’t had a chip in months ( literally ), because I just don’t feel like I need them anymore.

Thanks for sending in such a good question.  I hope this helps!  

Tony's Tip:  Try making this for a quick, low fat and low carb meal:

Grill one or 2 pieces of boneless chicken breast.  The George Forman Grill has become my best friend.  I use mine constantly.

Then slice up some fresh veggies.  For this dish I like to use colored sweet peppers, mushrooms and asperagus.  Throw them into a frying pan.  Add about 1/4 cup of water.  Place a lid on the pan and let the veggies steam for about 5 minutes.

Then slice up your grilled chicken and add it to the pan for a minute.

Once it's all heated thru, remove and plate it!

Doesn't that look good?  Try this for a quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

The Truth About Advertised Healthy Foods

In today’s world people are more health conscious than ever because of the alarming statistics on American obesity. If you are unaware of this statistic an outrageous 68% of all adults over the age of 20 are overweight and 34% of these adults are considered obese (BMI of 30 or more) according to http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/.  

Because everyone wishes to live a healthier lifestyle they quickly jump on fad diets, pills, or foods which promise weight loss. The major problem with this is that companies will use the label “healthy” in order to sell their product. This scheme reins supreme in stores all over America. A common strategy that companies will use is to load a product with vitamins, minerals, and protein in order to make it appear to be healthy and beneficial to you. However, behind that mask is usually tons of sugar and fat which will only hurt weight loss. Another strategy that companies use which I guarantee all of you know about is 100 calorie packs. Now, it is true that as long as you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight and these packs are convenient for portion control. However, a 100 calorie pack of cookies is exactly the same as a regular sized cookie which is filled with fat, bad carbs, and sugar. The problem with this is that if a person cannot control what they eat they can end up eating more food as a result of the hunger they feel from eating the cookies because of the negative affect sugar has on appetite. 


I don't want to make myself out as a food Nazi who doesn’t ever advocate the consumption of sugar. Sugar in moderation is fine just like everything else.   I just feel that the labels on these foods are misleading and more often than not a large amount of sugar is used in them. A case in point example of this is a popular protein shake sold in most stores. This beverage is advertised as healthy with an abundance of vitamins and minerals and a large amount of protein. At first glance this product looks great to the normal person, they are going to get protein and nutrients from this drink, however the label on the back tells another story about this “healthy drink”. The drink is loaded with 27g of added sugar which equates to108 extra calories. With those unnecessary calories you could have had 4 oz of chicken, stayed full for a couple hours and had 24g of protein, more protein than there was in the shake. 

Please, more than anything, I advocate looking at the nutritional label of foods because it is very easy to save hundreds of calories per meal by being a smart shopper. And always remember the affect food has on your appetite - protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats will keep you full and energized throughout the day, while bad fats/carbs, and sugar will leave you feeling tired and hungry. 


Next week I'll post a list of healthy alternatives to everyday foods which allows me to eat great but stay lean and talk about how eating healthy can become part ofyour everyday routine without hassle. On this list will include healthy nachos, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, ice cream, and much more.

One more thing I want to remind you of is that I used to be there. I practice what I preach 100%.  In 7 months I went from a kid who weighed 215 lb’s with a BMI of 34 (over 1/3 of my body was fat) to someone with 85 lb’s less body fat by following the same exact stuff I am telling you. I promise it can be done, it can be done right, and it can be done fast.


Tip- look at the nutritional label when you purchase an item. Check what the item has in it and if your diet allows for it, then go ahead! Try to keep track of your calories and how you feel when you eat the foods you do. I always suggest eating to keep yourself full and satisfied so if you can do this and lose weight you are well on your way to living a healthy lifestyle.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

Q & A - What About Carbs?

QUESTION:   Understanding begins with learning and you have clearly outlined the basics. Let me ask you Tony, is it BAD if I just cut the carbs like the Atkins Diet? I don't know if I could give up my pasta? 
And, are there any good fast foods? I see Subway uses the low fat and calorie advertising angle, what about the others?

ANSWER:     im glad u asked this question. No it is not bad to cut your carbs out but there is an even better way to do it then going cold turkey. There is a dieting method called carb cycling, where you have low carb days med carb days and high carb days. i could go much more in depth but i'd like to devote an entire post to the science of carb cycling. 

I personally watch my consumption of carbs but i could never cut them out completely! my suggestion would be to eat like you normally would and if your diet consists of a large amount of carbs, cut them in half or even more than half a couple days of the week. and if you really wanna kick your changeing the way you eat into gear change all your carbs to whole wheat and whole grain, they give you longer energy, and keep you fuller for longer. 

I am warning you though that you may feel more tired when not eating as many carbs. as far as fast food, you can make any fast food place healthy, when ordering a carb get a whole wheat or whole grain carb, when eating protein get something lean. i would say subway can be very healthy, stay away from the sauces as they are high in fat as well as the cheese, load your sandwich up with veggies to keep you full. fast food places such as mcdonalds and burger king sell salads, you can get a salad with low fat dressing or leave the dressing off ( thats what i do ) get grilled chicken on it and skip the cheese. perfectly healthy, fast and cheap. a good rule to follow when eating fast food or any food is to avoid sauces, gravies, cheese, fried foods, buttery foods, and fatty meats, as these are full of fat and will be the largest source of calories.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

  

My Weight Loss Stopped and Nothing is Working

At some point in everyone's diet their weight loss is going to stop - it's inevitable. When this happens they automatically assume they need to eat less or do more cardio or a combination of both. This is not the problem however. The problem is that when the body is in a caloric deficit for a prolonged period of time, it begins starvation mode. This is when the brain is telling the body to stop burning fat because your life is in danger of starving. 


I ran into this problem my senior year and ended up going down to 1100 calories and working out 2 hours a day and not losing any more body fat. In fact the only thing I was losing was muscle in my legs and back because they were the two muscle groups I never lifted weight with at the time. By losing this muscle it only decreased my metabolic activity and made me burn less calories naturally. However the fact that I was burning less calories than normal was not the reason why I was not losing fat anymore.


At that point in my diet I had been under 2000 calories a day for months and my body was in starvation mode. There is a hormone in the body called leptin which is the king of body fat metabolizing hormones. This is the strongest hormone in the body that tells it to burn it for energy. But because I was eating so little my leptin levels were drastically low. The only way to increase your leptin levels is to actually eat MORE. When I say eat more I mean go out and for one day eat pancakes, pizza, burgers, cake, anything you want. 

By doing this ( eating way over your maintenance level) your body thinks it is done being starved and will continue to burn fat for energy. As soon as I started eating more, my weight began to drop - it didn’t make sense to me at the time because I was eating 1000 more calories than I used to but my bf was going down!

Most people will not have to worry too much about starvation mode until they get down to sub 12% bf ( in my opinion ) or have been dieting for months and always eating at a caloric deficit. However I do advise anyone who is dieting that if they are eating 500 less calories a day than they are burning or losing 1-3 lbs a week they should eat about 500 calories over their maintenance level 1-2 times every 2 weeks ( depending on how lethargic you feel). This will restore leptin levels and cause you to continue burning fat at an amazing rate.

　

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

Barthel Fitness Sponsorship

Barthel Fitness is holding a sponsorship contest for the person with the biggest body transformation.  You all know my story and how hard I've been working toward total fitness.

Please take a minute to go to the Barthel Fitness FB page and LIKE my photo transformation.  They are giving a sponsorship and I've love to get involved with this.

Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=312010518835298&set=a.189839024385782.42025.144317992271219&type=3&theater

Thanks for your help!

Your Body Type & Why Commercial /Fad Diets Fail

Although everyone’s body is unique there are many commonalities from person to person. To start off there are 3 main body types - they are the ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Now, the reason your body type is important is because each one processes food and uses energy in a different way.

An ectomorph is a person who is naturally skinny and can eat mostly whatever they want and not gain weight. Ectomorphs process carbohydrates very efficiently and can handle eating as many simple carbs as they want. The characteristics of an ectomorph include a small frame, flat chest, small shoulders, thin, very fast metabolism, and find it hard to gain weight and put on muscle.

An endomorph is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. An endomorph is commonly regarded to “gain weight by looking at food”. Endomorphs do not process carbohydrates efficiently and this is the main source of their weight gain. Endomorphs should not consume simple carbs and should fill their diet with large amounts of lean protein. They have a hard time losing fat off their body and have no trouble putting it on. This fat is commonly accumulated in the mid section as well as the back. Endomorphs can put on muscle fairly easily due to the fact that they have slower metabolisms. The characteristics of an endomorph include a round face, short, stocky, and round body, slow metabolism, and finds it difficult to lose weight.

When someone has a body type between that of an ectomorph and endomorph they are a mesomorph. Most people would regard this body type as the ideal body type. Mesomorphs are naturally muscular and lean, they put on muscle very easily and can lose fat very easily. Mesomorphs don’t need to worry as much about what they eat as endomorphs but can't eat as freely as ectomorphs. The characteristics of a mesomorph include broad shoulders, well defined square body, quick metabolism, tall, and a large chest.

Now, why fad diets fail. They fail because they are not personalized to each persons body. Its true that for the most part it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight ( don’t take this literally because if all you eat is junk then you’re going to run into problems). My point is that everyone needs to eat in a way that their body best responds. Since the majority of people who have difficulty controlling their weight are endomorphs I will discuss what type of diet I suggest for endomorphs. 

Being an endomorph myself I assure you this manner of eating works well. Because I am always hungry and put on weight by looking at simple carbs, I fill my diet with foods that fill me up. If you are an endomorph I suggest you eat only complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables lean protein, and healthy fats. An example of these foods would be oatmeal, all fruits ( especially apples and strawberries because they are lower in sugar and will keep you full), all vegetables ( especially asparagas, broccoli, and celery because they are high in fiber and lower in calories) whole wheat/grain bread and pasta, brown rice, whole wheat cereal with fiber and bran, turkey, egg whites, fish, chicken, lean cut steak, lean cut pork chops, natural peanut/almond butter, and any raw nuts. These foods are extremely filling and will leave you satisfied. I eat every 3 hours to ensure I’m never hungry. Foods which an endomorph should stay away from are white carbohydrates, with the exception of some rices, foods with added sugar ( cookies, cake, candy) dressings, fried foods, sauces, gravies, anything high in fat because fat does not fill you up.

It may take you some time to get used to whole wheat/grain carbohydrates and not eating fatty foods and sugary foods all the time but I ensure you that if you eat the foods which I listed above you will be able to eat more than you ever have before, be fuller than you ever have before, and lose more weight than you ever have before.

To show you the difference in foods and how they fill you up I have included four pictures.  The first picture is the scale I use to weigh my foods.  It's just a simple scale we bought at Office Depot.  

On to the food display..... The first is an ounce of sugar which is 110 calories, the second is one pound of broccoli which is 120 calories, and the third is a whole grain flat bread with 100 calories.  This is just an example to display how foods have the same amount of calories but will effect you in a different way.  Obviously the broccoli and flat bread are going to fill you up significantly more than the sugar. This is why I stay away from all foods with added sugar - they will not fill me up and even make me hungrier.  Studies have shown that the average American consumes 355 calories from added sugar a day.  If everyone eliminated that sugar and ate vegetables, fruit, complex carbs, and lean protein in its place, they would be much fuller throughout the day.

Todays Tip- drink a lot of water throughout your day. Water will flush toxins out of your body, keep you hydrated, and keep you full. I drink over 2 gallons of water a day which works well for me because of how much food I eat. I suggest drinking at least 1 gallon of water a day. Also, try counting your calories this week, eat like you normally do for the first 3 days and add up your calories and write them down, then for the last 4 days try to fill your diet with the foods I listed above, note how full you are and then add up your calories.   I guarantee you will have eaten fewer calories and have been more full.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

(google images)

Q & A - Current Routine

QUESTION  :  Hey mate, great job!! im starting off around the same weight as you so im wondering what your weights routine was? i currently do cardio 5 days a week (about 40mins) and do workout 3 body parts a day so i do each body part twice a week?




ANSWER:  this is my current routine and i have found that it works very well. i stay between 8-12 reps and make sure i go to failure in the rep range and i do 3-4 sets of each exercise. i also wait a full week to train the same body part as the muscles need at least 5 days to fully repair themselves.

monday- biceps/triceps- barbell curls, concentration curls, preacher curls. pushdowns with rope, reverse pushdowns with bar, close grip bench, and skull crushers.

tuesday- shoulders/traps- dumbbell military press, reverse fly, dumbell side raise, dumbell front raise. upright row, barbell shrugs, dumbbell shrugs.

wednesday- back- deadlift, bent over row, t bar row, pull downs, cable row. 

thursday- legs- squat, leg press, weighted lunges, leg extension, leg curls. 

friday- chest- bench press, flat fly, incline bench, dips. barbell decline bench. 

drink a protein shake and eat a banana after llifting weights or after your cardio

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Staying Full & Not Overeating - Part 2 - Carbs

Carbohydrates are predominantly the base of most individuals diets. Most people consume, pasta, bread, and rice on a daily basis. These foods in their natural form are very healthy for any person. However when these foods are stripped of their nutrients they wreak havoc on your appetite. Most white breads, pastas, and rice’s will fill you up quickly, however they do not keep most people full for very long. This is because white bread, pasta, and rice are stripped of their germ and bran during processing. When this occurs most of the vitamins are taken out of the product. When the germ and bran are removed the product also looses fiber. The reason why fiber is so important is because it keeps you full. This is also the reason why most white breads, pastas, and rice’s do not keep your stomach satisfied.

My diet before I lost weight consisted of all white breads, pastas, and rice’s, therefore leaving me feeling hungry and causing me to eat more. The other problem with the foods I was eating was the large amount of sugar in them. Snacks such as candy, soda, cookies, and cake are very high in added sugar. Sugar affects your body in a very negative way. Rather than getting into detail about why it affects you I will simply explain how. When sugar is eaten it affects the hormone in your body called insulin. Your insulin hormone level spikes high as a reaction to the sugar, then falls very low very quickly when the sugar has been used for energy. When this happens your body wants more so it tells you to feel hungry and this leads to overeating! Table sugar is one of the most simple carbohydrates there is therefore leaving you feeling hungry soon after consumption.

When sugar is eaten it will inevitably make you hungrier soon after consumption, therefore leading you to eat more. The combination of these two factors lead to gaining weight.


The best way to keep yourself full from your carbohydrates is by consuming whole wheat or whole grain breads, pastas, and rice’s. These foods are very high in fiber and will keep you feeling full. Another way to keep yourself full is by limiting your consumption of products with added sugar. When I say added I mean sugar that is not in the food naturally. Sugar in dairy products and fruit will not affect you like table sugar because it is broken down in a slower process when it is eaten.

Here are some sources of high fiber foods- vegetables, fruit, whole grain and whole wheat bread/pasta/bagels/tortillas, oatmeal.

If you fill your diet with these foods as well as watch your consumption of added sugar you will feel exceptionally full throughout your day as well as have more energy. This will also cut your calories by a large amount and you won’t even realize it. This is how you will never feel like you’re on a diet. If you are always full, and allow yourself a treat once in while, that’s what I call changing the way you eat,not a diet.


Today’s tip- when you’re looking for something sweet to eat, instead of grabbing a cookie, take a piece of fruit. The sugar in the fruit will be satisfying as well as give you longer lasting energy and keep you full.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Q & A - Cardio & Working Out

Here's another question from a reader:

Question for you Tony. When I work out what my low intensity heart rate is, I get 116. I've been getting on the treadmill and walking after lifting weights and it' been 130-140 right when I start and when I keep the treadmill around 2.5 mph, it hovers around 150. So should I take a break between lifting and cardio? Let myself settle and then build it back up to 116ish?

That brings up another thing. Cardio before or after lifting? What worked for you?

Thanks again for doing these Tips. It's like you read my mind because I've been meaning to look up optimal heart rate for weight loss.




Answer:  I suggest doing your cardio right after working out with maybe only 5 minuets in between to catch your breath if you need to. When i lost my weight I always did cardio after I lifted weights and many professional bodybuilders also do this to stay lean. If you don't feel like you're pushing yourself too hard when doing your cardio I'd say having your heart rate around 150 is fine. Take deep breaths and just try to relax while doing it and your heart rate will most likely drop a bit. Also, the formula for determining heart rate is not exact. I know you're very active in outdoor activities and therefore your heart is probably stronger than the formula can account for. Over time you will learn what feels right for you, so for now just do your cardio at a pace you feel like you're not straining yourself.  Again, don't do anything without the ok of your doctor first and stop if you feel out of breath or any pain.

cheers =)

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Staying Full & Not Overeating - Part 1 - Fats

Hello everyone,

One thing I remember from when I was overweight is that I was hungry all the time. This was one thing I never understood and I figured that was why I was overweight. Looking back at my life I now know why I was always hungry. If you experience this then my next 2 posts will help you a lot.

When I was overweight my diet consisted of all the wrong foods. Chips, fried foods, sauces, gravies, crackers, foods that were very high in fat. The problem with these foods is that you can eat a lot of them and not get full because they are very calorie dense. What I mean by that is that for a small amount of food you are getting tons of calories. This is the main problem with foods that are high in fat. Foods which are high in fat do not fill you up and they give you too many calories. The problem with today’s world is that so many foods are full of fat, therefore most people are eating foods that are giving them more calories than they need, but not the satisfaction of being full. 

Cutting these foods which are high in fat out of your diet is one of the best things you can do for your weight loss. The reason for this is because you can replace those foods with foods which are lower in calories and that will fill you up. The best type of food for this is lean protein.

Now, how to keep yourself full and not feel like you are on a diet. Eat foods which are lower in fat and higher in protein. The reason being is that lean protein will take a long time to digest, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. You can eat twice the amount of lean protein than fat for even fewer calories because protein contains 4 calories per gram and fat contain 9 calories per gram. 


Now, I am not saying cut fat out of your diet, everyone needs fat for healthy hormone production and even to burn fat. The types of fat which you should consume are monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. These fats can be found in nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, grape seed oil, macadamia nut oil, and fish oil/flax seed oil/ krill oil ( the vitamin). 

Here are some sources of lean protein- chicken breast, turkey, lean cut steak, extra lean ground beef, egg whites. Some options for healthier eating are to buy steak that is leaner cut ( steak with less fat) or buying a normal steak and trimming the fat off, buying lean or extra lean ground beef instead of normal or even using ground turkey, and trimming extra fat off pork chops.


Today’s Tip -Eat a source of lean protein at every meal.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.

 

Q & A - How to get rid of gynecomastia ( man boobs )

This is a question off my youtube account that I get on a weekly basis....

I had like the same body as you before and i started working out and dieting and lost a lot of weight. But I still have my man boobs! how did you finally get rid of yours! THANKS MAN!!!!

Answer:  The best way I have found to get rid of man boobs is to cut your calories in order to shed the fat in the area. But it doesn't stop there.  You should also incorporate weight training and focus heavily on the chest and upper/middle back in order to tone the area.

If you are new to weight lifting it will even be possible to add muscle to the two areas which will stretch the skin and distribute the fat more evenly among the area thus flattening the chest.

I hope this helps!

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.