ok so i’ve heard if you run early in the morning you shouldn’t eat breakfast before because if you do then you’re just burning what you ate, but if you don’t your stomach is empty so you’re burning fat. I’ve also heard that you should eat breakfast before because it gives you energy and helps you burn more calories. So which is better eating breakfast or not before you run(if you’re trying to loose weight)?

Answer:

If you’re trying for to maximize fat loss, there are SO many more important factors that come in to play.

Such as.. Meal frequency, types of foods eaten, number of calories eaten per day, type, intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise.

It is more important that when you exercise, you’re at peak performance in order to get the best workout. Getting a good workout allows you to burn Calories during exercise, and also elevates your metabolism afterwords (google ‘EPOC’)

So to answer your question, find a time to eat that you’re comfortable with — listen to your body.

For me, I would eat something smaller 20-30 minutes before the workout, but it would depend on other things like how long I’ve been up, etc.

Hope this helps!!

P.S. I added some audio to this post, so be sure to check it out by clicking play below.

Technorati Tags: breakfast, cardio, diet, fat loss, meal timing, weight loss

Question:

I have a skinny 6 pack when I flex but when i’m not flexing im just skinny. I need to lose weight to get the 6 pack to show normally. How many calories should I eat a day? How much should I run on the treadmill for ? How many crunches should I do?

Well, it’s good that you have your goal. You’re on the right track in knowing that you need to lose body fat (not necessarily weight) in order for your abs to show.

There are two major components to changing your body composition–Nutrition and Exercise

Nutrition

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First, the number of Calories you eat per day is just one factor that will affect your rate of fat loss. The answer to your question about how many Calories to eat per day depends on a few factors including your age, gender, and current level of activity–this could range from 1800 for an older sedentary female to about 4,000 or more for a young male powerlifter. More than likely, you fall somewhere in the middle, and to determine this number, your best bet would be to seek the help of a registered dietitian.

What I can tell you is that in order to get a six pack, an important factor is where your Calories are coming from. They should be coming from fruits, vegetables (think brocolli, carrots, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.), lean meat (think chicken breasts, lean ground beef, salmon), and healthy fats and oils (walnuts, olive oil, fish oil).

Follow these basic guidelines:

• Replace all juices, sodas, or any Calorie-containing beverages with water and tea, and even coffee (black). Yes, skim milk is a calorie-containing beverage.

• Eat more frequent meals (~6x a day)–when you eat these meals, eat for the purpose of preventing hunger long enough to last you until your next meal.

-Save your high carbohydrate starchy meals like oatmeal, bread, and pasta for hours following your workout sessions.

Exercise

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Running on the treadmill is one way to burn calories, but isn’t the most effective way of burning fat. A total body strength training program where you perform total body movements like squats, bench presses, rows, deadlifts, and stepups 3 days a week would be the quickest first step to fat loss.

As for core work, I’m not a big fan of crunches, but that’s a different post entirely. You actually don’t need to do as much ab work as you think. Five minutes three to four days a week will probably be fine–again, your focus should be on total body exercise and nutrition. I’m not saying neglect your ab work–it’s important–just not the determining factors in getting your 6 pack!

Conclusion

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If you follow the above nutrition guidelines with a total body strength training program, you should start to see those abs showing in no time. The key is consistency. If you slip up on one meal or miss a workout, no big deal–just get back on track when it comes time for your next feeding opportunity or exercise session.

I hope this answers your question and as will always be the case on this blog, your questions and comments are encouraged.

Technorati Tags: Core Training, fat loss, foods, get a 6 pack, Nutrition