Friday, October 5, 2012
Fit Friday!
After my post last week my dad sent me an encouraging email with some really great tips that I thought I should share with all of you because it is great advice.
My dad's "wisdom" came from what he has read/heard many times: The best fat-burning exercises are the ones that:
a) use the big muscles of the thighs,
b) are not too intense,
c) last a long time (at least 30 minutes, but longer is better), and
d) are frequent (several times a week, if not daily)
The rule of thumb is that you should be able to carry on a conversation, but not to sing. Jogging is probably the best fat-burning exercise. I know you hate jogging, but jog until you get tired and then walk. Walking is also a good fat-burner. Mix in workouts where you build muscle, but if you want to burn fat your emphasis should be on jogging.
As far as food:
a) lots of fruits and vegetables
b) whole grains (you've got to read the ingredients, and the first ingredient must say "whole wheat")
c) protein from lean meats and beans
d) water or other low-calorie beverages
Obviously, portions can't be large (except for fruits, veggies and water). Avoid sugars and fats (desserts, fried foods, mayo, sauces - especially "cream" sauces). Avoid chips (sigh), alcohol (sigh), and all processed foods (loaded with calories and sodium). Satisfy sweet tooth with small portions, like a piece of hard candy, or healthy sweets (fruit, or even a fruit-containing cookie like a Fig Newton). Satisfy salty cravings with a small portion of nuts (good protein source but high in calories) or better yet, soy nuts.
Isn't my dad wise? I think so. I have started following his advice and changed up my workout routine:
Saturday - Run/walk 3 miles
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Run 2 miles
Tuesday - P90X Core Synergetics
Wednesday - Run 2 miles
Thursday - P90X Arms & Back / Ab Ripper
Friday - P90X Cardio
Repeat.
This has been my new routine and I like it. I don't love to run, but it is a nice change to be outside and I like that Garth and I are doing it together. I also plan to get the Paleo Diet Cookbook from the library and start cooking a lot of those recipes. I need to stay away from processed foods and creamy sauces in my cooking so I think this cookbook will help me with that.
What is your workout schedule? Any Paleo Diet must-try recipes?
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7 comments:
I have three amazing Paleo cookbooks that I go to every week for meal planning. "Everyday Paleo", "Paleo Comfort Foods" and "Make It Paleo". We are always set with meals among these three. Word of caution - whole wheat is pretty much considered the devil in the Paleo diet ;) No bread, whatsoever, no matter how "good for you" the experts say. Even beans aren't allowed. There is so much science behind it, I can't explain it all here. I'm a believer though...after going off bread and then having it occasionally, I get very sick. The benefits of cutting this out of your diet are truly amazing. All of these cookbooks have an intro to the Paleo diet so anyone can fill you in on all the in's and out's. Good luck!
Getting off the processed foods is awesome! The paleo diet is very strict but I love the emphasis on whole foods. Check out the Nom Nom Paleo blog. I love reading how she meal plans and always has emergency protein on hand. nomnompaleo.com
odI'm going to have to disagree with you about jogging being the best and that intense is bad. Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour. And according to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training. Not only do you burn more calories during HIIT workouts, but the effect of all that intense exertion kicks your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive. That means you burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after, say, a steady-pace run. If you just look up HIIT on google it will show you all of the great benefits. :)
I'm going to have to disagree with you about jogging being the best and that intense is bad. Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour. And according to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training. Not only do you burn more calories during HIIT workouts, but the effect of all that intense exertion kicks your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive. That means you burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after, say, a steady-pace run. If you just look up HIIT on google it will show you all of the great benefits. :)
Ditto on the jogging comment. You'll get no where fast doing that. Sorry :( Short bursts of high intensity plyo type workouts are where it's at. A few years ago a trainer told me to get my butt off the elipical and start doing shorter, harder workouts. After that, I dropped to 105 lbs without even trying.
Have you considered Insanity?
paleomg.com has great Paleo recipes. Ditto to everything Andrea and Courtney said. Long and slow "cardio" will hinder you more than help you.
I have lost more weight "only" doing CrossFit twice a week and eating Paleo than I ever did on the 90 minutes on the eliptical and eating low fat/high carb (but they were "good" carbs! ha) phase of my life.
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