Finding Time to Workout

One of the biggest complaints that I hear from people getting started, or trying to get stated, in working out is:
“Where will I find the time to workout?”
We all lead busy days and often the time between the morning when we get up and the evening when we go to sleep goes by in a blur of work, family, preparing meals, finding and foraging for food and getting a little bit of downtime.
So where do we find that few minutes a day to workout? I think that I have a bit of an answer.

Get you priorities straight
First things first. Look at your day from the time that you awake until the time that you go to sleep. What are you doing in every 15 minute block? You may think of this as micromanagement but really it is more important to look at your day and see little gaps and times when you are not batching your work.
Batching? Batching is where you get a bunch of things that are related and do them at once. An easy example is that when you are cooking food, if you are cleaning dishes as you are waiting for the cooking to finish as well as emptying and then refilling the dishwasher then you can see how these related items done in the same place at the same time will save you a lot of time.
Besides batching, you may also find that you are spending time surfing on the internet looking at the same new stories over and over again during the day. Get out of this habit and instead pick a time for news and surfing and do not go back to it unless it is part of the batching process.

How much time do you need

Everyone that does not workout a few times a week thinks that they have to find a couple of hours to workout. Everyone that works out efficiently knows that you can get a great workout in with only 30 minutes. If you are looking for 2 hours to train then you will never find it but if you only need 30 minutes then it is easy to find the time.
30 minutes to workout is not enough for some people but as you care more about this part of your life you will use that time better and maybe let it creep up to an hour. There is nearly no reason that any normal person not training for athletic events would need more than an hour to workout. In fact science says that even an hour may be too long.

Pick a downtime to workout

Either first thing in the morning or an hour after dinner are the best times to workout. Look at how early you are getting up. If you have a shower anyway in the morning why not have a workout as soon as you get up. This is the best time to workout as you are not going to get distracted by life at 5:30, no one even knows that you are awake.

Decide why you are working out

This may be the first thing on the list or else the thing that gets you working out harder. I always have another big fitness goal. These goals are not things like winning the Mr Olympia or anything but smaller ones that may be vane. For example,weightlifting hard in the Spring so that you would look better on the beach in Hawaii.
The thing is as the time of year changes and as your prioirites change you can get in great shape all the time by shifiting the reasons and types of workouts.
So there you have simple ideas for how to get time, prioirtize and get yourself on the road, into the gym or into the basement to get a heart pumping workout that will improve your health for today and into the future.

25 Ways to Stop Smoking

For all the intense efforts to reduce smoking in the world over the past two decades, the progress has not been stellar. Today; one in four men and one in five women still smoke.

For those who never smoked, this is a befuddling fact. Don't smokers understand that cigarettes are the number one killer in America, that they dramatically increase risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, and almost every other health concern, small or large? How could any habit be worth this?

The truth is, most smokers do understand. They also understand the huge financial toll of smoking, with a pack of 20 cigarettes costing $10 in some areas (imagine: $3,650 spent a year on cigarettes by pack-a-day smokers —often people of only modest resources).

Then why do millions still smoke? Maybe because the nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive. Or because the smoking provides psychological comfort to some people. Perhaps most of all, because quitting smoking is so hard.

Researchers and businesses have responded strongly to the last point. Never have there been so many tools, systems, and programs available for quitting smoking. And with every month that passes, there is more research showing the benefits of quitting, and the drawbacks of not quitting.

So if you smoke, consider again whether it is time, finally, to quit. If yes, you’ll need to think through the best approach, perhaps working with your doctor or an expert. But the following tips will help you succeed.

1. Make an honest list of all the things you like about smoking.

Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and write them on one side; on the other side make a list of all the things you dislike, such as how it can interfere with your health, work, family, etc. Think about the list over time, and make changes. If you are brave enough, get feedback from family and friends about things they don’t like about your use of cigarettes. When the negative side outweighs the positive side, you are ready to quit.

2. Then make another list of why quitting won’t be easy.

Be thorough, even if the list gets long and discouraging. Here’s the important part: Next to each entry, list one or more options for overcoming that challenge. For instance, one item might be: “Nicotine is an addictive drug.” Your option might be: “Try a nicotine replacement alternative.” Another reason might be: “Smoking helps me deal with stress.” Your option might be: “Take five-minute walks instead.” The more you anticipate the challenges to quitting, and their solutions, the better your chance of success.

3. Set a quit date

and write a “quit date contract” that includes your signature and that of a supportive witness.

4. Write all your reasons for quitting on an index card

and keep it near you at all times. Here are some to get you started: “My daughter, my granddaughter, my husband, my wife…”You get the idea.

5. As you’re getting ready to quit, stop buying cartons of cigarettes.

Instead, only buy a pack at a time, and only carry two or three with you at a time. Eventually you’ll find that when you want a smoke, you won’t have any immediately available. That will slowly wean you down to fewer cigarettes.

6. Keep a list of when you smoke, what you’re doing at the time, and how bad the craving is

for a week before quitting to see if specific times of the day or activities increase your cravings. Then arrange fun, unique things to do during those times.

7. Prepare a list of things to do when a craving hits.

Suggestions include: take a walk, drink a glass of water, kiss your partner or child, throw the ball for the dog, wash the car, clean out a cupboard or closet, have sex, chew a piece of gum, wash your face, brush your teeth, take a nap, get a cup of coffee or tea, practice your deep breathing, light a candle. Make copies of the list and keep one with you at all times so when the craving hits, you can whip out the list and quickly do something from it.

8. When your quit date arrives, throw out anything that reminds you of smoking.

That includes all smoking paraphernalia, leftover cigarettes, matches, lighters, ashtrays, cigarette holders, even the lighter in your car.

9. Instead of a cigarette break at work, play a game of solitaire on your computer.

It takes about the same time and is much more fun (although, like cigarettes, it can get addictive). If your company prohibits games like that, find another five-minute diversion: a phone call, a stroll, or eating a piece of fruit outdoors (but not where smokers congregate).

10. Switch to a cup of herbal tea whenever you usually have a cigarette.

That might be at breakfast, midmorning, or after meals. The act of brewing the tea and slowly sipping it as it cools will provide the same stress relief as a hit of nicotine.

11. Switch your cigarette habit for a nut habit.

four nuts in their shell for every cigarette you want to smoke. This way, you’re using your hands and your mouth, getting the same physical and oral sensations you get from smoking.

12. Carry some cinnamon-flavored toothpicks with you.

Suck on one whenever a cig craving hits.

13. Make an appointment with an acupuncturist.

There’s some evidence that auricular acupuncture (i.e., needles in the ears) curbs cigarette cravings quite successfully. You can even do it yourself by taping “seeds” (small beads) onto the acupuncture points and squeezing them whenever cravings arise.

14. Swing by the health food store for some Avena sativa (oat) extract.

One study found that, taken at 1 milliliters four times daily, it helped habitual tobacco smokers significantly decrease the number of cigarettes they smoked.

15. Think of difficult things you have done in the past.

Ask people who know you well to remind you of challenges you have successfully overcome. Be confidence to stick with your pledge not to smoke.

16. to minimize cravings, change your routine.

Sit in a different chair at breakfast or take a different route to work.

17. Tell your friends, coworkers, boss, partner, kids, etc.

, how you feel about situations instead of bottling up your emotions. If something makes you angry, express it instead of smothering it with cigarette smoke. If you’re bored, admit to yourself that you’re bored and find something energetic to do instead of lighting up.

18. if you relapse, just start again.

You haven’t failed. Some people have to quit as many as eight times before they are successful.

19. Put all the money you’re saving on cigarettes in a large glass jar.

You want to physically see how much you’ve been spending. Earmark that money for something you’ve always dreamed of doing, but never thought you could afford.

20. Switch to decaf until you’ve been cigarette-free for two months.

Too much caffeine while quitting can cause the jitters.

21. Create a smoke-free zone.

Don’t allow anyone to use tobacco in your home, car, or even while sitting next to you in a restaurant. Make actual “No Smoking” signs and hang them around your house and in your car.

22. Find a healthy snack food you

can keep with you and use in place of cigarettes to quench that urge for oral gratification. For instance, try pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, sugarless lollipops or gum, carrot or celery sticks. The last ones are best if you are concerned about weight gain.

23. Picture yourself playing tennis.

Or go play tennis. British researchers found volunteers trying to quit smoking were better able to ignore their urges to smoke when they were told to visualize a tennis match.

24. Quit when you’re in a good mood.

Studies find that you’re less likely to be a successful quitter if you quit when you’re depressed or under a great deal of stress.

25. Post this list in a visible location in your house.

Whenever you’re tempted to light up, take a look at all the ways smoking can damage your health:

· Increases risk of lung, bladder, pancreatic, mouth, esophageal, and other cancers, including leukemia

· Reduces fertility

· Contributes to thin bones

· Affects mental capacity and memory

· Reduces levels of folate, low levels of which can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease

· Increases likelihood of impotence

· Affects ability to smell and taste

· Results in low-birth-weight, premature babies

· Increases risk of depression in adolescents

· Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure

· Increases risk of diabetes

· Increases your child’s risk of obesity and diabetes later in life if you smoked while pregnant

Have a nice Sunday! :)

How Much Protein Do You Really Need Per Day to Build Muscle?

Protein could be one of the most popular and controversial topics in all of nutrition. It’s become the golden child of muscle building and fat loss. Wanna build big muscles? Eat your protein. Wanna lose fat and look like a fitness model? Eat your protein. After all, everyone knows you need to eat a minimum of 30 grams of protein every two to three hours.

But how much protein do you REALLY need per day to build muscle? Chances are that you may be actually overeating. But how much is enough to help maintain and build muscle? Is there a limit per meal that the body can use?

According to the recent researches, muscle protein synthesis maxes out after a meal at 20-30 grams and anything in over will actually not help stimulate more muscle protein synthesis, but rather just increase excess oxidation (burn for energy).

More Protein Does Not Mean More Muscle?!

If you thought it's scientifically PROVEN that more protein equaled more muscle. Don't be so sure!

While protein is of course essential to build up muscles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that just eating more and more guarantees bigger muscles. So how much do we really need in the first place? Well here’s some numbers for you:

·The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight of adults (or roughly 0.36 grams per lb of body weight). Or I have also seen advised that women need at least 46 grams of protein per day, and men need at least 56 grams of protein per day (to avoid deficiency).

· NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) recommends that for active people, endurance and strength training, a higher intake is advised at around 0.4-0.6 per lb of bodyweight (and up to 0.8g/lb for full time athletes).

*Note that most of these “body weights” for calculating protein are more based on “ideal” (or even “fat free”) weight.

These are interesting numbers and much lower than what you may hear out there. You can see that with more activity, and then the recommended amount of protein will increase. What is also important to remember is the overall calorie intake is also increasing with activity level. So in essence, while the amount of protein may increase the % of protein per daily calories may actually be the same (or less). Just something to keep in mind, as calories also matter.

Let’s take a look at one of the research studies that the super-high protein advocates always use to ‘prove’ that eating protein after a workout makes you build muscle.

If you were in this study, this is how your day would have gone:

You would show up at a research lab around 10 PM, and you would go to sleep (no eating). The researchers would wake you up around 6 AM and start poking and probing you (again no eating). After a bunch of weighing and measurements, you would start working out around 9 AM…you still haven’t eaten yet.

This would be one of the toughest workouts you have ever done. Most likely you would do 10 sets of 8 reps on the leg press machine, followed by 8 sets of 8 reps on the leg extension machine. All of your reps would be done at 80% of your one rep max. Like I said, it's one brutal workout. It’s about 10am now, still haven’t eaten.

After your workout you would be given a drink that contains 3 to 6 grams of essential amino acids (the same amount of amino acids found in a glass of milk).

After that, the researchers would take measurements for the next 4 hours and measure your rate of "protein syntheses". This is pretty much the standard protocol for these types of studies.

And guess what they found?

An increase in protein synthesis over these four hours. So what does this prove? It proves that if you haven’t eaten since 10 PM the night before, do a brutal workout at 9 AM the next morning, and drink a glass of milk, you will increase your protein synthesis for four hours!

So much for needing 30 grams of protein, and so much for needing protein every couple hours.

You know what else? The only reason for protein synthesis increasing for 4 hours is because after 4 hours the researchers stopped measuring. Who knows how long you would have stayed in a muscle building state. Some researchers have estimated that a single workout can put you into ‘muscle building mode’ for as long as 48 hours after your workout!

Even more interesting is that researchers have found similar results when they made people drink the amino acids before their workout, and even when they made them wait and drink the amino acids a couple hours after their workout!

First, the TYPE of protein you are consuming does matter
You can get it from a variety of sources, with the difference being the rate at which the body absorbs and uses it. For practical purposes know this, the average person has the ability to process and use:

Egg protein 1.3 grams/hour
Casein isolate - 6.1 grams/hour
Whey isolate - 8-10 grams/hour
At BEST if all your protein comes from Whey the most you can process in 24 hours is 240 grams. Bear in mind for even that to be the case; you have to ingest it through out the day fairly evenly. So, clearly any recommendation that puts the average person over this amount is false.

Secondly, not all of your body weight needs protein. Fat doesn’t

So don’t feed it. Calculating the body weight used without removing your fat stores results in too much protein, which in and of itself isn’t unhealthy. But it does mean that you are likely taking in too many CALORIES in total, which results in additional FAT GAIN, which is unhealthy. 

Thirdly, the FDA’s RDA is for sedentary adults

For babies and young children they double it to .75 gram per day per pound. Why? They are growing of course. Obviously then if your goal is to add lean muscle mass you too will grow. So at least .75 is needed. In fact it has been determined that 1.1 to 1.5 gram is good for active, strength training adults.

Lastly and most importantly, no amount of protein matters if you are not hitting the weights.

If anybody tells you that more protein will make up for any shortcomings in your training they are wrong. Erratic, high rep, low weight training will not add muscle mass even if you take Whey protein 24/7 intravenously.

In conclusion the amount of protein needed to add lean muscle mass is determined this way:

Your weight - (Your body weight X %body fat)] X 1.3* = Grams per day of protein
Example 1: you weigh 200 lbs and your body fat is 15%
[200 – (200 x .15)] = 170 x 1.3* = 221 grams Example 2: you weigh 200 lbs and your body fat is 25% [200 – (200 x .25)] = 150 x 1.3* = 195 grams 

* Younger people can use the 1.5 multiplier and be fairly safe in avoiding fat gain.

Have a nice night! :)