FitSugar

More Foods That Fight Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:30:36 PST

Since fighting fat with food is a popular topic, we thought it only appropriate to share with you five more edibles to help keep your waistline in check. Some of these foods block fat absorption, and others ward off cravings. But best of all, they're all packed with nutrients that are just plain good for you.

5 Foods That Fight Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:30:08 PDT

It's pretty easy to name a list of fatty foods - french fries, donuts, and cakes are a few that come to my mind. But what about fat-fighting foods?

Besides being good for you already, there's a growing list of foods that actually help burn fat. Check out our list of what to stock up on if you want to slim down.

Source: Flickr User thebittenword.com

Another Reason to Dress Your Salad With Vinaigrette

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:30:00 PDT

Ranch, blue cheese, and thousand island might make your taste buds happy, but they're pretty disappointing when it comes to nutrition. If you've been trying to fool yourself into thinking that a concoction of vegetables and saturated-fat-laden creamy dressing is healthy, it won't take long for your waistline to notice.

Enter your salad and weight-
friendly dressing, the vinaigrette. A medley of olive oil and vinegar, seasoned as you please and moderately portioned, is the best way to complement your greens. It's tasty, and what's more, new research from Japan suggests that ordinary household vinegar turns on genes that help fight fat.

Scientists put mice on a high-fat diet, and only some were given regular doses of acetic acid, the main chemical in vinegar. The mice who received the vinegar compound developed up to 10 percent less body fat than the mice who didn't receive it. Scientists believe that the acetic acid helps the body break down fats, which prevents fat buildup and weight gain.

Exercise Doesn't Boost Fat Burning After All

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:00 PDT

Eating well and exercising regularly work together to promote overall health, but when it comes to weight management, the two factors do not act equally. Consuming fewer calories for weight loss is old news, and a recent study suggests exercise is less influential at burning fat than previously thought.

The new research, involving 65 exercisers with controlled diets, disproves the notion that exercise boosts fat burning up to 24 hours after working out. It found that participants burned more fat during exercise, but that postexercise they didn't burn any more fat than the days they sat on the couch. Exercise physiologist Edward Melanson explains, "If you exercise and replace the calories you burn, you’re no better - with regard to how much fat you burn off - than if you didn’t exercise."

To find out the bottom line behind weight loss,

read more. Melanson asserts that while it's harder to lose weight through exercise than diet, the benefits of working out should not be discounted. MSNBC summarizes Melanson's logic perfectly with this comment: "That’s not surprising when you consider that it might take an hour to burn 400 calories but just five minutes to consume them." When you're weighing in on weight management, it's all about calories in versus calories out. The scale might not care whether you're tweaking your diet or working out more, but keep in mind the many virtues of exercise outside of weight issues. Reconnect with the countless other reasons to exercise, and stay fit! Source

Fitness Myth Busted: Empty Stomach, Exercise, and Fat Burned

FitSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:00:00 PDT

It may seem somewhat logical that your body would burn more fat as fuel when you exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. In fact, it just isn't true. The body needs fuel to work out, and that fuel is glucose, which comes from carbs.

After a full night's rest, your muscles' supply of glycogen, which is stored glucose, is greatly depleted. Not only do your muscles run on glucose, but so does your brain. Working out on an empty stomach can impair both muscle function and some brain function as well, and exercising with a fuzzy head in the early morning can lead to injuries.

The simplest way to fuel your body and feed your muscles before hitting the road, elliptical, or weights is a light carb snack. Try an easily digestible banana, or just half of the fruit and save the other half for your post-workout smoothie. Another good pre-workout snack would be some yogurt or a small amount of cereal with milk. I have found a simple rice cake works wonders before a 6 a.m. spin class.

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What to Eat to Burn Fat During Your Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:30:00 PDT

Deciding what to eat before hitting the gym isn't always easy, but new research might help narrow down your choices. Before grabbing a pre-workout snack consider that what you put in your mouth could determine how much fat you burn while exercising. New research, involving female subjects averaging 24 years in age, shows that a low-glycemic meal causes you to burn about 50 percent more fat during your workout.

Previous studies with similar findings were focused on male and endurance athlete participants, so this new study broke new ground by focusing on women with a "typical healthy weight." Women who ate high-glycemic breakfasts before exercising burned half as much fat as the women who ate low-glycemic meals with the same caloric values. The reason? High-glycemic carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike sharply, while low-glycemic carbs let the body use energy for fat burning instead of blood sugar.

To maximize fat burning during your workouts, aim to consume low-glycemic meals consisting of foods like muesli, yogurt, skimmed milk, whole grains, porridge, some whole grain cereals, and soy. What do you eat in the morning before a workout?

Source

Does It or Doesn't It Boost Your Metabolism?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 PDT

Who out there doesn't want to boost her metabolism and burn calories more efficiently? Take this quiz to see if you know what foods can help rev yours up.

Source

Question 1 of 6

Does eating breakfast boost your metabolism?

You Asked: Fat Burning Zone vs. Endurance

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Dear FitSugar,
I have a question, I am trying to get toned and lose a little weight, but I
have heard a couple of things. I have heard not to run too fast so you
stay in your fat burning zone heart rate, but I have also heard it doesn't
matter if your heart goes into the endurance zone because you are still
burning calories and fat. Which is true? I just want to make sure I am
getting the best bang for my buck when I am running, thanks!
- Fat to Burn

Who of us hasn't been suckered into the notion of the "fat burning" zone? Truth is though, to lose weight you need to burn up calories, and endurance training does that more efficiently and effectively than staying in a lower heart rate zone. While it is true that the body burns a higher percentage of calories from fat during more mellow exercise like walking and easy cycling, when you increase the intensity of your cardio workout, you burn a greater number of overall calories (which should be your focus for weight loss) and subsequently just as much total fat.

So be efficient and do both simultaneously, burn it all up getting your heat rate above the Fat Burning Zone. To add intensity and calorie burning potential to your workout you should try interval training. It not only increases your cardiovascular fitness but it also increases your body's potential to burn fat! If you want a workout in this vein, check out Get IT Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Interval Training.

Source

Make Your Gym Time Count

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:30:00 PDT

When it comes to exercise you want to make the most of your workouts, especially if you are pressed for time. And these days, who isn't pressed for time.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your workout:

Warm Up Prior to Strength Training Session:
Just 5 minutes of cardio before lifting weights will increase blood flow to your muscles by about 55 percent and this makes your muscles contract better.
Added bonus: Warming your body up also lowers your body's perceived exertion of how hard your exercise session is, making you feel less taxed.

Work the Circuit:
Keep your workouts exciting and varied by creating a circuit for yourself by performing 3 to 5 several strengthening exercises, followed by short 3 minutes cardio segments. Pick 3 weight machines that work different parts of your body and intersperse with sets of abdominals, then cycle for 3 minutes. Next work your arms with free weights, sprinkle in lunges and squats then jump on the elliptical.
Added Bonus: Since circuit training is so fast paced and varied the chances of getting bored and stopping are much lower. Plus it is an efficient calorie burner that increases muscular strength and decreases body fat.

Mix Up The Cardio:
Cross train with at least two types of cardio. Try mixing running with swimming, or mix cycling with step aerobics. By incorporating different types of cardio you will increase your fitness level and work your body in different ways.
Added Bonus: Varying the type of cardio you do greatly decreases your risk for injury because you won't be over using just one muscle group.

Source

Which Program Should I Use on The Cardio Machine?

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Almost every cardio machine has a menu of pre-set programs aside from just going at it on your own (manual). Lots of us don't venture there because we don't know what they mean and we don't want to take the time to figure it out.

So with that in mind, here is a general overview of what each program should do (keep in mind each machine may have different variations of these programs):

Weight Loss: These programs usually consist of extended intervals of work and rest intensities.
Fat-Burning: These programs usually consist of lower intensity, gradual increases over the duration of the program. Some Fat Burn programs are interactive as the program adjusts the intensity throughout the workout to maintain your heart rate at 65% of maximum heart rate.
Cardio: These programs will usually consist of gradual increases in intensity until you hit a certain level, and then you will remain at that level over the duration of the program. The intensities will range from moderate to high in order to challenge the heart and lungs.

There are additional settings, so

Heart Rate: These programs will typically build the intensity until your desired heart rate is reached. Then the machine will automatically lower and increase intensity based on your heart rate reading to keep it at where you indicated, usually within 2 beats.
Interval (Hills): These programs provide you with variety in your workout. Having the machine constantly changing intensities as intervals can keep the workout interesting and challenging as well as increase your total calories burned.
Fit Test: Fit Test is a cardio fitness evaluation. The test can be used to periodically monitor your own improvement in aerobic capacity -- I do it at least once a month.

Fit's Tip: Most pre-set programs have a cool down built in, if not, try and stay past the program until your heart rate decreases significantly (for example, on Fit's Calculator this would be at the Getting Warm Zone.)