Monday, March 16, 2009

Lose Fat in the Morning!

"Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life."
- Proverbs 9:11

This is an article originally written by Mike Roussell, Ph.D. I wanted to post it as today's blog since it gives good tips on how to begin losing fat first thing in the morning. It also goes with many of the recent blogs I've posted by Mike Roussell, Alwyn Cosgrove and the Warp Speed Fat Loss Program.

One of the best ways to ensure you burn maximum fat is to get your training done first thing in the morning. A common fat loss tip people often give out is just this - exercise in the morning to burn more fat.

Does exercising in the morning burn more calories? Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to prove that exercising in the morning burns more calories, but it may increase your fat loss.

How? Because it guarantees that you'll get your training done! If you are having trouble losing weight, sticking to your diet, and getting in all your exercise sessions, then training first thing in the morning could be just the thing for you.

In a previous episode of my Naked Nutrition Radio, my guest was behavior change expert Kara Mohr. Kara and her husband, Chris Mohr, hold exercise bootcamp for women in Louisville, Kentucky at 5:30 in the morning. Why? They call it the "No Excuse Hour." You don't have any excuses not to be there and not to do it.

My friend, and Men's Health expert, Bill Hartman exercises at 4:00am to ensure that he gets his training done - No Excuses. Bill runs two physical therapy clinics, a gym and is a family man. He has every reason to make excuses, but he makes the time.

Success Coach Brian Tracy always says that if you want to be successful, just find successful people and do what they are doing. If you are having trouble getting your training sessions in because your day is too busy, follow the example of these successful people and embrace the "No Excuse Hour."

You will feel invigorated, your metabolism will be blasting at its highest level, and you'll burn more fat.

The second important piece to the puzzle is diet. You need rock solid fat loss nutrition first thing in the morning to fuel your day. One important factor for many people (especially if they are exercising in the morning as well) is time. That is why I recommend you use a nutrition-packed shake to get fueled and get going with your day.

Here is a sample shake that you could make to help burn maximum fat:

Add to a blender: 8-12 ounces of water, a few ice cubes (optional), 1 ounce of walnuts, a "greens" supplement (such as Emerald Balance or Superfood), one scoop of protein powder (such as Metabolic Drive Low-Carb), and one cup of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and/or blackberries).

Take 2-3 grams of fish oil while drinking this shake, and you'll be ready to go. This shake contains low-impact carbs, a blend of essential and heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You would be hard-pressed to find a better way to start your day and start burning fat.

You need to decide. Are you going to starting losing weight tomorrow morning? Are you going to take advantage of the "No Excuse Hour?" Are you going to start your day with a fat-burning breakfast - or coffee and a bagel like the rest of the country?

Jumpstart your fat loss first thing in the morning, and you will reap the benefits throughout the day.

About the Author/More Info
Warp Speed Fat Loss is a complete 28-day diet and training system crafted to help you lose 10, 15 or 20lbs of body fat in just 28 days. To start losing weight fast visit Warp Speed Fat Loss.

Mike Roussell is a nutrition doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania. Mike's writings can be found in magazines such as Men's Health, Men's Fitness and Testosterone Nation. Mike specializes in fat loss nutrition and diets for busy men and women who need to lose weight fast without it interfering with their lives. Warp Speed Fat Loss is a complete Done-for-You A-Z Fat Loss Blueprint that gives you exactly everything you need to eat to lose weight in record time.

4 comments:

Elio said...

Hey Nate...Have you ever heard of P90X? I have talked to several folks using it and really liking thier results. Let me know!

Nathan James said...

Yes! In fact, Stacey bought the P90X program last November (she just hasn't used it).

For many people who may not have much experience with weight training or the whole health and fitness lifestyle, the P90X system is a great way to get in shape. It will also teach them many basic exercises and, most importantly, how to eat better.

It's also good for people who want to train at home with limited equipment rather than going to a gym. And the "follow-along-as-you-watch" DVD training format is great for many people.

The downsides to P90X (and this can happen with many programs), is that eventually, you'll need to do something else, as the body will adapt to the training (even though the program does a good job of allowing people to use it for several months and make continual progress).

It also focuses on a lot of isolation exercises (besides the pushups, pull-ups and lunges), and I believe that you should focus on as many compound, multi-joint exercises as possible to get the biggest bang for your buck. Also, compound, multi-joint exercises work more muscles in the body and burn more calories. But P90X is a good place to start and you can progress to the compound, multi-joint exercises once you have more experience (and confidence!).

Also, P90X is a six-day-a-week training plan with each session lasting approximately one hour (some are a little less, some are a little more). This is not ideal for someone who has a family, busy career and other commitments. But if you can stick with it for the full 90 days, then you will make great progress and then be able to switch to something else that may not be as time intensive (besides, it's always easier to maintain than it is to gain or lose - so you can cut back on training provided your nutrition is on track).

Overall, I think P90X will work great for some people, but it won't be great for others depending on the time they have available to train, their current experience and fitness levels, etc.

But that holds true of any program. There is no perfect program for anyone. And what may work for one person, may not work for another. And for some, the perfect program is the one they are not doing! ;)

So figure out your goals, the time you have to train, your commitment level, your current experience/fitness level, and then find the program that suits your needs.

I've done some of the P90X workouts. They are fun, and were a nice change of pace for me, but I'm much more advanced in my training to benefit from the workouts.

But people do get results from the program when they do it exactly as written.

Since you and Christy are getting ready for your wedding, this could be a great plan for both of you to get in shape in the next 90 days (and you could do it together to help motivate and push each other).

Elio said...

Nate,

I am doing the P90X workouts and they are really good...tough...but good. My question is if I am really sore from the previous workout do I continue through or wait a day to rest. For example...still sore from Back and shoulders, did plyometrics today, and tomorrow is arms and shoulders again! Any thoughts?

Nathan James said...

This is up to you. If it's a soreness that prevents you from moving or keeps you in a lot of pain, then take an extra day of rest.

However, in many cases you can continue to train as scheduled and the training will actually help to loosen you up and relieve some of the initial soreness.

Just know the difference between pain (injury) and soreness.

I think you will be okay. Just make sure you drink a lot of water each day, get plenty of rest and eat properly - it will help you recover quicker.