Lose Stomach Fat Secret

Post-Training Meal: Best Foods for Right After Abs Workouts

First of all, forget all the over-hyped and often expensive post-workout supplement formulations that advertisers try to convince you are absolutely necessary. You can bet that natural food is always going to be better for you and more beneficial. A few ideas include:

Quickly Digestible Natural Carbohydrates

Frozen bananas, Pineapple, Raisins, Organic Maple Syrup, Honey: Foods such as these help trigger the insulin response you need to promote replenishment of muscle glycogen and an overall muscle building (anabolic) effect.

Quickly Digestible Protein:

The best source is either a good quality, non-denatured whey protein isolate or some low fat or fat free yogurt – or both.

One easy and delicious way to get the post-training nutrients you need is to whip up a smoothie. To kick start the recovery process after your workout routine, try these recipes:

Pineapple Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup water

½ cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup frozen pineapple

2 tbsp raw honey

30 grams vanilla whey protein powder

Blend together and enjoy! [35 g protein, 71 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fat, 425 calories]

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 cup water

½ cup skim milk

1 ½  frozen bananas

2 tbsp organic maple syrup

30 grams chocolate whey protein powder

Blend together and enjoy! [38 g protein, 72 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fat, 440 calories]

Note that if you want to lose stomach fat, a post-training meal needs to have the opposite characteristics of your other daily meals. That is, for this one meal your goal is to consume minimal fat, quick high glycemic index carbohydrates, and quickly digested proteins. If you have a sweet tooth, here’s the best news: This is the one meal of the day when you can afford to eat extra sugars because it will all go straight to your muscles instead of adding to your belly.

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The Most Important Meal to Help You Lose Stomach Fat

We’ve all heard over and over that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That is certainly true. However, did you know that when you are trying to lose stomach fat or dieting for overall body fat loss, your most important meal of the day might well be your post-workout meal.

Why? Completing an intense workout routine creates a catabolic state in which muscle glycogen is depleted, and an increase in cortisol levels begins an excessive breakdown of muscle tissue. This is not a good condition and not helpful to the goal you are trying to achieve. On the contrary, you want to reverse this condition, and the only way to get your body out of this catabolic state (and into a beneficial anabolic state) is to eat a meal as quickly as possible after your working. This post-training meal needs to consist of quickly digestible carbs that will replenish muscle glycogen, and you also need quickly digestible protein because it contains amino acids that give your body a jumpstart on muscle repair.

Note that one key phrase here is “quickly digested”. A 300-500 calorie meal such as this will provide a surge of carbs and amino acids, promoting and insulin spike that swiftly delivers nutrients to muscle cells. The calorie requirement depends on body weight. A 120 pound female may require only 300 calories whereas a 200 pound male might need up to 500 calories. In any case, the post-training meal should a carbs to protein ration of anywhere from 2:1 to 4:1. Also, this meal should include only the barest minimum of healthy fat because it will slow down absorption of the meal – exactly what you don’t want right after a great workout!

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5 Reasons to Avoid Treadmills and Elliptical Machines

If you hate forcing yourself to spend hours on an elliptical or treadmill, here’s some good news from Certified Personal Trainer Mike Geary. The workout you get on these machines is far less effective than other types of exercise. Why?

1. It’s boring. That makes it very difficult to be consistent, which defeats your good intentions and end results.

2. It’s unproductive. Other forms of training will give you much better results by stimulating your metabolism to a greater degree. (Not to mention that other options are far more interesting!)

3. It allows a disconnect between mind and body. These are called “steady state” exercises, which means you can read or watch TV while exercising. You’ll get much better results from exercises that require you to focus your attention and concentrate on what you’re doing.

4. It’s expensive. If you work out at home, purchase of an elliptical machine or treadmill for personal use is extremely costly. There are many other options that won’t cost you anything and will give you a much better workout.

5. It’s far less effective than natural exercises. For instance, studies show that factors such as abnormal stride on a treadmill decrease the benefits of your exercise. Natural running outdoors is better, and you’ll even burn slightly more calories.

Granted, if you truly enjoy the time you spend on a treadmill or elliptical runner, then you may want to stick with it. Even though the benefits are far less than other workout options, if you love what you’re doing, you’re more likely to be consistent about your routine. In the long run, being persistent will serve you well, no matter what your choice of fitness routine.

However, if you aren’t that crazy about such machine workouts anyway, stay tuned. In our next post we’ll give you ideas of options that will not only be more fun but work better too. You’ll be on your way to lose stomach fat and get six pack abs in no time!

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Is Body Fat Ever a Good Thing?

Absolutely! Not only is some body fat actually good, it’s essential. Why? It plays a vital role in protecting your health and in providing a supply of reserved energy required for certain body functions.

Basically, body fat is divided into three parts – essential, reserve, and excess. Essential body fat is made up of subcutaneous fat and intramuscular fat. Subcutaneous refers to the fat layer directly beneath the skin, and it provides insulation from extreme temperatures as well as protection from bruises. Intramuscular is the body fat contained within muscles, and this is the fat that serves as a source of emergency fuel for the body, plus it acts like a cushion to protect vital organs from impact forces.

Reserve refers to the level of body fat needed to avoid health risks. Yes, it is entirely possible to not have enough body fat! What is the minimum level recommended for your reserve body fat? It depends on your gender, height, and age. A quick search on the internet will lead you to dozens of online resources where you can calculate your appropriate level. One chart showing the percentage of essential fat and other levels for men and women is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage.

Excess fat, of course, is any body fat in addition to your combined Essential and Reserve body fat. This blog is all about that excess fat. Specifically, we’re focusing here on how to lose stomach fat.  However, before you attempt anything too drastic on your quest for six pack abs, you do want to educate yourself on the facts about fat loss and make sure you choose an approach that is safe and healthy.

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Lose Stomach Fat Without Sacrifice?

Why start a blog titled “Lose Stomach Fat”? As of today, typing the phrase “lose stomach fat” into a search engine returns over two million hits. Clearly, a lot of people are interested in, concerned about, or seeking solutions for belly fat loss.

Our waistlines tend to grow for many reasons. In addition to individual body type or biological nature, stomach fat is impacted by factors such as stress, lack of sleep, and jobs that keep us sitting at a desk all day. As well, our rat race lifestyle too often leaves us with so little time to eat that we grab whatever is quick and easy, which usually translates to high carb, high fat, empty calorie junk food. Worse, most of us have eaten junk food for so long that we’ve come to prefer it over fresh, unprocessed foods. We actually crave the bad-for-you stuff – the more refined flour and sugar the better!

That doesn’t mean there’s no hope, and it doesn’t mean we have to suffer. Yes, in order to lose stomach fat you do have to make some changes. However, the best way to start is to ditch all the negative thoughts in your head. Never mind what you will “have to give up”. That’s the sacrifice mentality, and it isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about what you really want, and if you’re serious about belly fat loss, start right now with a positive attitude. You aren’t “giving up this”. Rather, you are “choosing that”.

Sound silly? Well that little voice in your head doesn’t think so. Tell it you’re giving up something, and it immediately shifts into victim mode where all you can think about is how much you’re suffering. On the other hand, when you decide to choose something different like a healthier meal or snack, you suddenly have grounds to argue with that nasty little voice. You’re making a choice that’s going to help you achieve what you really want, which is to lose stomach fat. You’re saying yes, eating that chocolate donut would give me a moment’s pleasure, but it would also keep me stuck right where I am, where I don’t want to be. Instead, I’m choosing a different snack that will set me free from this rut. Finally, I’m taking back my personal power and choosing what I really want!

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Recipe for Healthy Chocolate Fudge

Attention chocolate lovers – and anyone with a sweet tooth. You can lose stomach fat and still have your dessert too, thanks to this awesome Healthy Chocolate Fudge recipe from Mike Geary.

For an added bonus, this recipe is easy and takes only a few minutes to make.

Mike Geary’s Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

…or if you prefer, omit the peanut butter for plain chocolate fudge

One 3-4 oz. bar Extra dark chocolate (cocoa content of 70% or more)

4 or 5 Tbsp organic nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter)

2/3 to 3/4 cup organic coconut milk (good source of healthy saturated fats)

2 tbsp rice bran (healthy fiber)

2 tbsp oat bran (healthy, soluble fiber)

1/2 cup raw pecans, almonds, or walnuts (more healthy fats, antioxidants, plus lots of vitamins and minerals)

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins (your preference, optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

A little Stevia to sweeten lightly (unlike harmful artificial sweeteners, Stevia is a natural non-caloric sweetener)

Heat coconut milk, nut butter, and chocolate bar in medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible. Stir constantly until melted together. After this mixture has melted, add all other ingredients and stir well to combine.

Line a baking dish with waxed paper, spread mixture into dish, and set in refrigerator to cool and harden. That’s it, you’re done!

No added sugar, no artificial sweetener, and only healthy fat sources – isn’t that great?! Granted, you do need to refrain from eating huge amounts because healthy as this is, it’s still dense in calories. However, it has less sugar and fewer calories than standard fudge, and a whole lot more nutrition. Enjoy!

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Foods that Help You Lose Stomach Fat

What are the best foods for burning fat? You may be surprised. You probably know that fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list of foods that are good for weight loss and better health. However, here are three that you may not be aware of, and they can actually help you lose stomach fat!

Avocados: Though typically known as a fatty food, the healthy fat in avocados actually helps control your appetite and fat burning hormones. In addition to containing healthy fats, avocados are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, they’re delicious! Experiment with adding this healthy super food to anything you like to eat – eggs and omelets, sandwiches, salads, soups, you name it.

Grass-fed beef: Unfortunately, most beef available in local grocery stores is grain fed beef. Often the cattle are in poor health, so the meat has lower nutrition values, and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fat is way out of balance. However, Grass-Fed Beef has much lower levels of the omega-6 fats that we all tend to get too much of, and it has much higher levels of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that we do need more of. A further benefit is that Grass-fed beef also contains higher levels of many vitamins and minerals, and it also contains a high level of a healthy fat called CLA that aids in muscle building and fat burning.

Egg Yolks: Am I kidding? No! According to Mike Geary, some nutrition information about egg yolks has been misleading. The cholesterol in egg yolks actually raises your level of good cholesterol and helps to balance proper ratios. Choosing cage-free eggs from free roaming hens is even better because the omega-3 content is higher with a more balanced fat profile. When it comes to vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients, egg yolks are one of the most nutrient dense foods on earth. If you eat only egg whites, you’re missing a great source of power-packed nutrition.

So don’t be afraid to eat these so-called fatty foods – you can get started on belly fat loss while enjoying them!

If you want to lose stomach fat, learn more about the smart and most effective way to do it. Send for your free 63-page nutrition and fitness report from Mike Geary (sign up at the top, right-hand side of this page), or click here to visit Mike Geary’s website.

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