The Dreaded Weight Scale (TIPS FOR WEIGHING IN)

The Dreaded Weight Scale (TIPS FOR WEIGHING IN)

 

THE INTRODUCTION:

The weight scale is one piece of equipment that holds the power to brighten or ruin someones day. Lets be honest, if your number is lower than you expected, you will be happy, and if it's higher, you are going to be in a bad mood. It's happened to everyone and it's happened to me. A big thing with weighing in is knowing when and how to weigh in. There are certain things one should avoid while weighing in. This article will cover these steps with some tips for weighing in.

DON'T BECOME ADDICTED:

Constantly weighing yourself everyday is a terrible habit. It's inaccurate and the numbers really never change. It's bad for the mental state to weigh yourself everyday too, it's just not a good idea. Don't let a simple number consume your mind, you are still you no matter what the scale says. I weigh myself once a week on Friday and keep track of my numbers. It's only once a week so it's not obsessive and I know this is my day to step on the scale. It's kind of something I can look forward too, because I know I'm working all week to see my new number. If you want to keep track of weight, weigh yourself once a week and nothing more. Stepping on the scale more than that will only mess with your mental, which is a bad idea.

CHEAPER THE SCALES, THE CHEAPER THE WEIGHT:

You know the saying, you get what you pay for? This statement also holds weight (LOL) when talking about scales. Those traditional and cheap $10 scales found in home bathrooms are notoriously inaccurate and light. Whatever number it gives you, most likely won't be correct, so don't bet on it. Scales found at gyms are typically heavy duty and will give an accurate reading. I just ordered this scale from amazon for $30. It had great reviews and seems like a good scale for a good price. I'd suggest something in this price range if you want an accurate scale (why wouldn't you). Regardless, just avoid using and buying those cheap scales, cheap is not accurate!

CLOTHING IS IMPORTANT:

Always make sure you aren't wearing anything ridiculously heavy while weighing in like hiking boots or pants, stuff like that. I'm not sure why you would, but people these days never amaze me with the things they do. I usually weigh myself in a shirt, shorts, and socks. These articles of clothing won't add any barely noticeable weight. You don't have to strip down to nothing to weigh yourself, but if you feel the need, go right ahead. Just avoid the heavy clothing articles while weighing in, it will obviously sky rocket the number. The less the better, is a good way to go here.

DON'T WEIGH IN AFTER A STRENUOUS WORKOUT:

If your just finishing up an intense cardio session or anything that involved a lot of sweating, don't weigh yourself. A body can lose a couple of pounds during a serious and long sweat session with all the water weight being lost. This will give you an inaccurate reading on the scales, since your body typically carries around this water weight. So, don't hop on the scale after playing a full court basketball game and be excited that your weight is 4 lbs lower than it usually is. Besides some fake happiness, you might be in for a rude awakening the next time you really weigh yourself. Don't fool yourself by giving yourself a low reading for the day. I typically weigh myself in after a lifting session, but always before any sort of cardio or serious sweating is done. Now that I have my own scale, my weigh in's will be done in the morning when I wake up.

BEST TIME TO WEIGH YOURSELF:

Typically, humans are lighter in the morning and heavier at night. This being said, weigh yourself in the morning once a week when you wake-up, hop on the scale and record the weight (before you eat typically). Avoid weighing yourself at night (you will be heavier, up to 3+ lbs) and after eating a huge meal, because the numbers will be inaccurate. It's always a good idea to get into a routine with weighing yourself. Weigh yourself at the same time, wearing the same amount of clothes every week, so you know the number is accurate. Weighing yourself can be a fun activity too, it's almost something to look forward too. I weigh in on Friday's and it's something to look forward too at the end of the week. Waiting to see if my number went up, down, or stayed steady. It also gives me an idea at the end of the week, how hard I need to push myself the next week.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Weighing yourself and having a scale can be a gift and a curse. This article hopefully armed you with the tools to have the gift, not the curse. Don't become a nut over you weight, always remember, IT'S JUST A NUMBER PEOPLE! The only person the number matters really is to you. Be happy with yourself no matter what the scale says if you are putting in the work everyday to better yourself and your health. Keep track of your weight, set a goal, and work your ass off to reach that goal. Set a plan, execute, and the results will always be worth it. Until next time everyone!

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

Failures Build The House Of Success

 Why Failures Build The House Of Success

One of the worst myths that people have about being dedicated to health and fitness, is that it has to be perfect. That if you don't dedicate your whole life to health, that you will fail. Every meal must be perfect and every lift must be executed correctly. This can not be any further from the truth. Many of these people will feel terrible after a bad meal or bad workout and just give up on being healthy. The road to being healthy is a long one, one that has ups and downs, and one road bump should not stop you from going down that road. Mistakes are inevitable, the most important thing is that we learn from them, not quit because of them.

Everyone has had bumps on the way to becoming healthy. We've all had a late nite trip to McDonald's, Taco Bell, Wendy's, whatever place you prefer. This is not a reason to believe that our goals are impossible. Nothing is impossible. If you have a bad meal, or over eat, WHO CARES? It's called a journey for a reason, it isn't short! Health and fitness is all about longevity, what you do over the course of months and years, not a day. The worst thing someone can do is lose track for a week and never get back in the gym again. Just because you miss one week, doesn't mean you can't get it back! Even if you miss a month, IT'S OKAY! There's never a reason to quit, but there is always a reason to come back.

If you slip up, don't look at what you've did last night, look at what you did that WHOLE week. If your whole week outweighs that one bad day, then smile. You completed the goal of having a successful week, even if you had a bump. This journey is long and takes years to accomplish, not days or week. Say you gain a 1 lb one week, but overall for the month you lost 4 lbs, THEN BE HAPPY! You were successful over the long term. 

We should be concerned about our long term progress, not the short term. Always look at the grand scheme of things instead of what happened yesterday. For example, last night I went to the Hibachi buffet and probably ate more than my weight in Chinese food with a friend. Mistake? I guess in a health sense, but I was with a friend and that's what we do when we see each other, so not really. Even though I slipped up, I had a healthy eating week overall that outweighs that one Hibachi trip. I'll hit the gym today too, which will make me feel a lot better about last night. These are the steps we have to take to become successful. Look forward, not behind.

The best thing about looking at health in the long term, is the ability to look over your mistakes. Instead of beating yourself up over the two McDouble's you had last night, you can look at the week and say, “Wow I really did eat healthy, next week I just won't have that slip up”. Let your failures build the bricks of your house to success, not tear it apart. I just want you guys to be thinking positively here. It's okay to mess up, because it happens to all of us and it will happen again. I have it tattooed on my right arm, “Before you succeed, you must fail” and there is no saying more true than that. We will fail, possibly more than we succeed, but those failures will build our house to success, I promise you that.

Hope you enjoyed this article. Please let me know if you guys have any ideas for blog topics! I love writing on things I know you guys want to see. Have a great weekend! Be successful!

Overcoming Distractions at the Gym

Overcoming Distractions at the Gym

THE INTRO:

 

Distractions at the gym can easily be the downfall of a great workout. A few simple distractions here or there can turn a 45 minute workout into an hour. Simple conversations or plugging away at the phone for a few minutes can really damage your workout. Plenty of times I'll catch myself on my phone after a set and BOOM, three minutes go by. Time can go really quick when one isn't paying attention, especially at the gym. It seems like half an hour lasts 10 minutes for me. This article will focus on ways to overcome distractions and avoid them at the gym so we can all get the most out of our workout.

LOOK UNAPPROACHABLE:

I mean this is pretty simple. If you appear unapproachable at the gym, not many people will stop you for a chat that could ruin your workout. I don't know about you guys, but I go to the gym to get my workout in and leave, not to talk to people. Maybe a quick 30 second convo here or there, but nothing too serious during my lift. The big key here is just staying focused on what your doing. Look mean, look focused in the gym, people won't bother you! I don't enjoy being bothered at the gym, so I keep a mean face on. This isn't social hour, this is when we crush our muscles people!

AIRPLANE MODE FOR THE PHONE:

This is a great tip. I know social media is distracting and this is so true at the gym. You can get done a set, check twitter, see something interesting, then get distracted for the next FIVE minutes. Five minutes!? You already should of done two sets in that time, but you sat there on your phone! This is exactly where airplane mode comes in and saves the day. Airplane mode basically turns off your service (saves a ton of battery too) but still allows you to use things that wouldn't require WiFi or your 3G/4G service. You can still listen to music on it, which is great. When I don't wanna be distracted during the gym, I turn airplane mode on, so when I go to take my phone out, I know I can't use it. I'll think, yeah I shouldn't do this, and then get back to my life. Airplane mode really keeps you in the lifting mindset, since you know twitter/facebook/WHATEVER won't work when it's on. It works for me and I bet it will work for you too!

KEEP THE MUSIC TURNED UP:

I can't life without music, I don't know about you guys. I don't see how people lift without music and if I don't have my headphones, I'd rather go back and get them rather than try to lift without them. The louder my music is, the less I'm concerned with whats going on around me. When it's loud, I'm focused. Whenever I'm doing a serious lift (bench, squat, dead lift) my music is always turned up very loud, so I'm completely locked in on my lift and nothing will knock me off my path. My music rarely leaves my ears, it will keep me concentrated and less likely to be distracted by something around me. Keep that music in and turned up.

MOVE APPS OFF THE HOME SCREEN:

This tip goes along with trying to stay off the phone during the gym. A few weeks ago, I noticed I was clicking on my social media apps too much while at the gym, it was burning up a lot of time. Minutes definitely add up in the gym! I decided to completely move them off (twitter, facebook, and instagram) my home screen on my phone. To get to these apps, I have too go into my menu and click them. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but to not see them on the home screen makes me less likely to click them. It's definitely the little things that add up when saving time and getting that workout done in a reasonable amount of time.

DON'T BECOME SEDENTARY:

Becoming sedentary (not moving much) at the gym can be a cancer! I don't like to just sit around when I'm done a set. I like to get up walk around, get a drink, just keep myself moving all the time. The more I move, the less likely I'm going to be on my phone or let my mind wander off for a few minutes. Walk around, get a drink, then get back to the next set. Maybe you want to throw some core exercises during set breaks so you really have something to do while resting! A body in motion stay in motion, something I try to preach at the gym!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

It's extremely easy to become distracted at the gym. A 1-2 minute rest can easily turn into 3-4 without even noticing. I really tried to highlight the things I've noticed by my patterns at the gym about becoming distracted. Make sure you keep that mean face on at the gym! Just remember when you leave to smile, don't want anyone thinking you are a grump, right?! I hope you guys enjoyed this article. Not sure what I'm doing for Saturday, but I'm sure it will be awesome :) Have a great week people!!!!

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

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Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Hey all, I know some of you have asked me about IF (Intermittent Fasting, will be using this acronym) and I've been meaning to do this article, so here it is! If you have any other questions about IF at the end, don't hesitate to email me and ask.

THE INTRODUCTION:

Intermittent Fasting is not a diet at all, so throw away all those notions. It is simply a different way of eating, a different scheduling. I've been practicing IF since the beginning of the summer and have no bad things to say about it. There are a couple ways you can practice IF, but I'm going to discuss the way I use it, because I think it's the simplest and most effective form. This form of IF consists of an 8 hour eating period, with a 16 hour fasting period. It also involves skipping breakfast, which I wrote an article on here. Typically wake up and take 3-5 hours before you have your first meal (I'll have coffee with a splash of cream and splenda with some water when I wake up); I use to eat my first meal around 1:30-2 pm and my last one around 8 pm. Since I've began working, I have my first meal around 9-10 am and my last one around 6 pm. While in the fasting period, make sure to stay under 50 calories to keep your body in this unique fat burning state. But, it doesn't matter when you start it, just do what works for you. Whenever you start, count out 8 hours after and that's when your eating period ends. Since I've began IF, I've seen weight loss along with a muscle increase. I'm stronger and leaner, who wouldn't want that? I'm eating the same things, just in a different and more structured pattern. IF has stopped my snacking completely, which is probably one of the best things I’ve gotten out of it, because I was a huge snacker (I know a lot of you are too!). So, now you probably have some questions on how this is all possible. Let's get to the explanation about IF and why it's so effective.

WHY IS INTERMITTENT FASTING BECOMING MORE POPULAR?:

Intermittent Fasting is becoming popular, because it's an effective way to lose weight without changing WHAT you eat. Like I said before, it's not changing what you eat, but how you eat. This being said, it's also a lot easier than the crazy diets out there, so you will be more likely to stick with it. With eating two meals a day, you usually wind up trying to get all your calories in these two meals. Unless you go completely insane and eat five cows a day, you will have a rough time doing this. So, you are creating a calorie deficit which is a necessity to lose any type of weight. IF requires little change and has endless benefits, why wouldn't you do it?

WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF INTERMITTENT FASTING?:

This answer is simple. A lot of people are unaware of IF, because it has ZERO marketing ability. There is nothing to sell about IF, except less meals and less food. Not one company out there will make money from you practicing IF, so no one is going to try to sell you on it. These companies will only make money from marketing there products and getting you to buy them. Why do you think that the whole 6 meals a day strategy was so popular for a while, BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGED YOU TO EAT AND BUY MORE FREQUENTLY! No matter if you eat 6 meals a day or 2 meals a day, THE AMOUNT OF CALORIES IS THE SAME, so it will do the SAME THING TO YOUR BODY. Really trying to stress that point there people. If the 6 meals or 2 meals add up to the same amount of calories, it will affect your body the same exact way. IF seems strange because it can't be marketed, but it really does work guys.

MY EXPERIENCE:

I started IF a little over a month ago. I use the 8 hour eating period and the 16 hour fasting period. The breakfast article in the introduction has the science on the 16 hour fasting period and why it works. I've dropped about 5 lbs since I've began, but that's not the best benefit. Having my two scheduled eating period has stopped my snacking completely. I know when I'm going to eat and when my next meal is going to come, so I never want to ruin it by mindless snacking. Especially after my last meal, I KNOW my eating is over till tomorrow, so that bag of goldfish will remain closed no matter what! I don't want to mess up my eating period for tomorrow, so that really makes me not even think about snacking. With the eating periods, my mental strength has increased by leaps and bounds. I don't revolve my life around food and I know I can go long periods of times without it. I've gone 24 hours without eating multiple times and have been completely fine. You WILL BE OKAY! Also, with only eating two meals a day, if I have a huge meal, I don't feel bad. I know its one of my only meals of the day and I need my calories, so there really is no guilt with having a huge meal.

SIMPLE BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING:

With IF you'll be eating less, so you won't have to buy as much. So one, you'll be saving money in the food store. Especially with not eating breakfast it will save a ton. I know every week last semester I went to the food store and bought a half gallon of milk and two boxes of cereal for the week, I loved breakfast. Thinking back on it, I spent quite a bit of money buy that stuff every week. Thinking now, I'm a lot happier knowing I won't have to make that trip and will save that $10 every week. Since you are only eating two meals a day, that's one less meal to worry about preparing also. Put the snacks down in the food store too, you won't be needing them. Plus, if you don't buy them, you can't eat them, so don't even buy them in the first place. Your saving yourself over 10 meals a week, around 40 meals a month, that adds up, doesn't it? This is a GREAT article on the health benefits on IF, I suggest you all read it.

THE MENTAL BARRIER:

This is the hardest thing to get over with intermittent fasting. Just the idea of skipping breakfast, or only eating twice a day might sound crazy. Not eating for 24 hours might also sound crazy, well hell, it probably does. Even if you don't decide to implement IF into your life, I suggest you all try a 24 hour fast once, just so you know you CAN and WILL live without food! You can all do it and your body will adjust to it, the human body always adapts to change, that's how it works. Don't worry about hunger pains from skipping breakfast, I go to work on an empty stomach every day (my job requires hard labor) and I am completely fine 100% of the time. You will not die if you don't eat, you will be fine, you will probably benefit more from eating than not eating. I knew the mental aspect would be the hardest part to get over with intermittent fasting, just adjusting. A little over a month into it and I can say that I've gained so much mental strength and completely destroyed the mental barrier.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The bottom line, is that IF is a simple way to drop weight. Everyone wants to drop a couple pounds and intermittent fasting can help you achieve this without changing your life. Have your eating period and then your fasting period (sleeping hours count as fasting hours). If you want to gain weight, eat more in your eating period, if you want to lose weight, eat less and keep it down to two meals. The best thing about intermittent fasting is that it will make you realize that you don't need food and that you can refuse food when it's put in front of you easily. Intermittent fasting also put some structure in life with eating, which really makes it easier to say no. If your eating periods are structured, you know when to say no and when you can eat, its simple. I believe the benefits of intermittent fasting are astronomical, it just makes so much sense. Still getting all the calories you need, putting your body in an exclusive fat burning state for 2-4 hours a day, and improved mental strength and clarity. Plus all the money one can save in the food store from eating one less meal a day and not eating breakfast anymore. Intermittent fasting is becoming more popular, because it offers tons of awesome benefits, without changing your life. No calorie counting, no crazy diet plan, no eating like a squirrel all day. It just makes sense guys and I hope some of you try it and begin to reap all of these benefits!

I hope everyone enjoyed this article. If anyone has ANY questions about Intermittent Fasting, please don't hesitate to e-mail me and I'll gladly help you out. Remember to click the ads on the side PLEASE and tell your friends about this blog! Have a great weekend.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

The State of Overweight America

The State of Overweight America:

I originally had a different topic for this article, but I felt like I had some things I wanted to discuss about the overall state of America in a health point of view. Over the past few weeks, I've been out and about a bit, and I've just seen a numerous amount of overweight people at all ages. Is this a surprise to me? No, but it sure as hell bothers me. As a health enthusiast this bothers me, because I live and breathe this stuff. Now, I'm not judging these people at all, because I don't know them or their situation at all, it was just something I observed. I would love nothing more than to try to sit down with these individuals and attempt to inspire them, but I can't, so this is my attempt to reach them or anyone that wants a change. If you want to be overweight for the rest of your life then GO AHEAD! I want to reach the people that want CHANGE and want to live a HEALTHY life. It's not the easiest thing to do, especially on your own, this is why I'm here. I just want to speak on this topic and throw some facts out there to see if I can make people realize the State of Overweight America.

OLDER AMERICA:

As a country, obesity is on the rise unfortunately. According to the CDC website, more than a third of older adults (65+) were considered obese from information taken from 2007-2010. This more than one third is around 35% of older America, which is around 13 MILLION OBESE OLDER AMERICANS. We know America is overweight, but when you look at these numbers, it's really shocking at how bad the problem is. Thirteen million older Americans are obese, just OLDER AMERICANS, we haven't even scratched the surface yet. Wait until we discuss the youth and adults in this country. I'm not blaming the older generation at all, I just want them to know, IT'S POSSIBLE! Healthy is possible, even if you don't think it is, nothing is impossible really. This goes for all ages, not just older Americans. I'm not asking you to run 5 miles a day, but just be active! You will be amazed at how great you feel.

YOUNG AMERICA:

Healthy People 2020 identified obesity as a leading health indicator for this decade, with a call for reduction in children and adolescent obesity. Unfortunately, the United States has made little progress towards this goal. Since statistics taken during the years 1976-1980 there has been a significant increase in obesity among young children to statistics taken from 2009-2010. The percentage of obese children ages 2-5 increased from 5.0% to 12.1%, children ages 6-11 increased from 6.5% to 18.0%, and children ages 12-19 increased from 5.5% to 18.4%. It's amazing that in the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled percentage wise with our young children. There has obviously been a culture change the past 30 years. Even though health is more prevalent now than it ever was, fast food markets have undeniably became more popular than 30 years ago. I believe this fact, along with the parents intentions of giving the kids what they want to make them be quiet, doesn't help at all. I know for damn sure, my child will not be entering this realm of statistics, and you should do the same. I was an obese child, although I was able to recover, not all will be as lucky as I was to make a change. We have to look at the parents here for the cause of this and that's probably the most disappointing thing about it.

ADULT AMERICA:

Statistics show that 33% of U.S. Adults 20+ are overweight, 35.7% are obese, and 6.3% are extremely obese. ARE YOU SERIOUS? While this is a wide range of ages, the statistics are still surprising to me, just because young adult America is apart of this. Why are these numbers so high? I believe health is more wide known now than it has ever been, importance wise, but how much change have we really made? While there is a bigger emphasis on health, the fast food and sedentary lifestyles sure seem to crush the huge health emphasis of this generation. Over a quarter of adults are overweight or obese, why just why? I think adult America really struggles with the motivation part of actually getting up to go workout, or just be healthy in general. I would advise just trying to exercise for an hour a few times a week, you don't have to start out in full Rambo mode. Grab a jump rope, shoot some hoops, go for a jog, JUST DO SOMETHING ACTIVE! I promise you'll feel 100x better when you are done. Asking for an hour a few times a week really isn't a huge commitment.

HOW DANGEROUS IS OBESITY?:

One of the worst things about obesity is the fact that it can lead to death. The WORST thing, is that people are losing their lives from something that is preventable. According to this study, approximately 280,000 US adults die from attributions from obesity per year. As a country, we're losing almost a quarter of a million people a year to obesity, isn't that sad? It's the second leading preventable death in the country next to smoking. IF DEATH CAN BE PREVENTABLE, THEN WHY DON'T WE PREVENT IT?

WHAT CAN WE DO?:

As a community of people who care about their health, all we can do is try and help people who WANT a CHANGE. There are some people in this world who don't want to change and we shouldn't waste time and energy on them. We need to focus on the people who want help, who want change, people that want to extend their life. I would never look down on an overweight/obese person, because I was once in there shoes and totally understand. When I was obese, I wasn't educated about health, I educated myself and changed my life. If these people want help, lets educate them and make them realize that becoming healthy is possible, no matter how far away you are. We can do this, we will do this. The obesity rates will drop and we will become a healthier America, one person at a time.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS AN OVERWEIGHT INDIVIDUAL?:

My best advice is to make a plan. First, step back and look at what you are doing, realize where the bad is and where the good is. Get active if you aren't, eat healthier, all that fun stuff. Have a plan, so you know where you are going, set a goal and nail it. The best thing to do is become more educated about health, so you understand what you are doing. If anyone reading this wants help, PLEASE e-mail me. I will be more than happy to help you change your life. We all have struggles in life, but your health is something you can control for the most part.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I focused this article on reputable FACTS. Everyone knows that obesity and being overweight is bad, but I don't believe many people are aware of how many people this country loses a year due to it. Look at these numbers, this country needs help. We can't sit around and expect the government to help us by getting rid of fast food or things like that, so we need to help this country ourselves. If anyone needs help, lets help them! If you want help, REACH OUT, and you will get help! Cut out the fast food, add some vegetables, fruits, greens, lean meats, nuts, etc. Get active 3-4 times a week for an hour of the day, take a jog, lift some weights, shoot hops, do something you enjoy doing. All I'm asking for is an HOUR OF YOUR DAY, to CHANGE your LIFE, and add YEARS onto your life

Everyone have a safe and blessed end of the week.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

Breaking Through A Plateau

Understanding a Plateau and Breaking Through It:

A plateau when lifting is definitely one of the more discouraging things that can happen and trust me, it WILL happen. Hitting a plateau means that you haven't been able to increase weights with your lifts for a increased period of time (over a month +). So if your bench press increased 10 lbs over a month and then the next couple months you haven't been able to lift anything more than that +10 increase, you my friend, are plateauing. This is so discouraging, because a lot of times it will happen after a pretty decent weight increase over a consistent period. There are many reasons why someone can hit a plateau, this article will try and explain the reasons, while also giving some tips to break through these plateaus.

WHY?:

Plateaus can happen for many reasons. A lot of times I'll hear about plateaus from people that just began lifting and had their “noob gains”, where their weight will rapidly increase over a few weeks then suddenly halt. This may not be really a plateau by definition, but just meaning that your body is now use to weight training and will go through normal strength gains, not 10 lb increases

every week. Plateaus can happen from muscles becoming over trained, exhausted, and stale. They can also be contributed to things like never changing workouts and choosing the same exercises for the same muscles every week. These will be explained below as ways to break a plateau.

VARYING EXERCISES:

Varying your exercises is a great way to break through a plateau. You know when you do something all the time and you get tired of it, most likely become lazy while doing it? Don't you think your muscles feel the same way when you make them go through the same exercises every day, without any change? Just like you need some spice in your life to feel energized, so do your muscles! Varying exercises will keep you energized in the gym also, so you don't become sedentary doing the same exercises daily. If you always do barbell bench, switch to dumbbell; if you always do cable curls for biceps, try using barbell or dumbbell; you get the point here. It's always a good idea to switch things up and give those stale muscles a break from being used every week, while also activating some new muscles. If you feel like your doing the same thing every week, break that habit and work some new exercises in. You and your muscles will appreciate it.

TAKE A BREAK!:

Everyone should know that muscles need REST to grow, they won't grow without it. This being said, your muscles may be over trained and exhausted if you haven't taken a weeks break in 2+ months. A whole week off can do so much for muscle strength and growth, if you can get over the mental barrier of not going to the gym for a week (hard for me). When hitting a serious strength plateau, a week off might do your body exactly what it needs to break off. Make sure during this week off, your still sticking with a healthy diet and getting the proper amount of protein so the muscles grow and recharge. The week off will allow you to come back more focused and energized, and also have a mental break from the gym. Personally, its hard for me to skip the gym for a WHOLE week, even a day for that matter. Stay positive and know your body is going to be a lot better once you get back in the gym after a whole week of rest and recharge. Just like we all need a break from work/school every once in a while, your body requires the same thing while lifting. But if you are in an obvious strength plateau, I recommend it to get through it; don’t work through it, rest through it.

CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE:

When going through a plateau, the body just isn't responding to what you're doing anymore. Something in your routine needs a change, whether it be nutrition, rest between sets, or the whole routine. Typically, when I see my gains start to halt, I'll completely change my routine. I know this works, because after I get use to a routine, I usually don't wake up sore after a workout. But with a new routine, I'll wake up with some sore muscles in my body during the first week or two. So I know that I'm crushing my plateau, since my muscles are being worked harder and differently than before, so gains will come. My best advice to break a plateau would be to completely switch your routine. I usually find great routines on www.bodybuilding.com, they have everything on that site. Try to change your routine every 2 months or so, this way you'll avoid a plateau before it hits. You may want to try resting more or less between sets, maybe add some super sets into your workout, just attempt some type of chance and see if it helps. A plateau is also a good time to look at your diet and make some appropriate changes that may be costing you in the gym also. Take a step back and look at the whole spectrum, see where you can make a change, make a plan, and put it into action!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The bottom line is that plateaus are a part of life, in every way. For sure in the gym, but even in life, everyone always comes to a standstill. I challenge you after reading this article to look at plateaus you may be going through in life and try to adapt these workout plateau tips to real life. Take a break, vary some things in your life, try to change something and make it fresh! I write these articles to help the world stay/become healthy, but a lot of my articles can be applied to real life situations also, outside of the gym. Breaking through a plateau should feel like a victory, because once we breakthrough ANY plateau, we should realize that we cannot be stopped by anyone. The only person that can stop you is YOU! When we hit a plateau, lets not be discouraged, lets use it as fuel to power through it. The mind is stronger than the body, so conquer your own mind and the possibilities are endless.

Sorry for the delay, had a busy weekend and wasn't around the laptop. Hope everyone enjoys the article and is looking forward to Wednesdays. Make sure to just click the ads on the side so I can receive a small payment for my blogging. Please like the FB page too: https://www.facebook.com/DrewsHealthAndFitnessBlog

As always, email me if you want advice, have questions, or anything related to this blog or health in general. I'm willing to help anyone.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

Why You Shouldn't Skip Leg Day

LEG DAY:

 

Any lifters hate leg day, I don’t think I’ve ever ran into a person that enjoys leg day. If you are anything like me, every time leg day pops up on my workout, a million reasons to skip it pop up in my head too. You know, it’s just your legs, biceps are better to look at; no one will ever see my legs anyways. But for every excuse like that, we are reminded of that person in the gym with the huge upper body, but chicken legs and non-existent calves. But seriously, every leg day there seems to be a million better things to do, or how easy it seems to push it back another day. I use to be this way for YEARS until recently. I’ll share what made me complete leg day consistently and why leg day is so darn important!

HOW I STOPPED SKIPPING LEG DAY:

My leg day use to be on Friday, no matter what type of workout I was doing, always Friday. From the beginning I was setting myself up for failure. Why put the most skipped workout day on planet earth on the least desirable body workout of the week!? When I think about it now, it makes no sense, except that it made it 10x easier to skip it weekly. The most important thing about leg day (and this can apply to life in general) is to NOT set yourself up for failure! The way my workouts were structured I was already setting myself up to fail before I even entered (or didn’t for this matter) the gym. About two months ago I switched to a new routine and this one had legs on TUESDAY! Wow, how revolutionary is that? Seriously, who ever can come up with a good enough excuse to skip the gym on a Tuesday? You kind of just go and get it over with on Tuesday's..and that's exactly what I do. Since starting this routine I haven't skipped a leg day on Tuesday and it has me doing back on Friday (I love dead lifts) so there's no skipping of that either! All I needed was a change, if you are having the same problem I was, try switching leg day to another day in the week, bet it'll work!

WHY IS LEG DAY SO IMPORTANT?:

Valid question, no doubt, and one I will attempt to answer. First of all, no one wants to be this guy, no matter how much you bench/curl the insults will NEVER stop! We all should be wanting to look like this guy instead (Georges St. Pierre has some jacked legs any lifter should die for!) (P.S. It's not homosexual at all to marvel at another mans legs, those things are awesome!). Okay, well now we know our target right. It should be noted that every great physique is carried by strong legs; just like a building is only as good as its base.

I don't know about you guys, but compared to every other day I'm in the gym, I sweat the MOST during leg day! It's insane how much I can sweat from a few sets of heavy squats. This is, of course, because of the extreme intensity leg day usually comes with, which is a good thing. The quadriceps are the main muscle being worked during leg day, which is actually the LARGEST muscle group in the body. This is important, because the larger the muscle, the more calories it burns. See what I'm getting out here? Leg workouts will burn more calories than any other workout! The big guns on your body aren't the biceps and triceps, its your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes!

Heavy compound lifts done during leg day (squats & leg presses) actually help release extra hormones in the body, which can only lead to positive outcomes. Also, during these compound lifts the core is heavily stabilized and worked, so it's getting stronger every squat completed. There can be a lot of injuries that can happen because of a weak core, especially back/spine problems. This makes squat that much more important, because of the pounding it puts on the core!Whenever you start moaning about doing squats, just think about the core baby!

WHAT SHOULD LEG DAY CONSIST OF?:

First and foremost, every leg day should consist of squats! Hitting a bunch of leg machines doesn't constitute as a complete leg day. My personal leg day consists of mostly barbell free weight exercises. I'll usually do Squats, Front Squats, Barbell Lunges, and Leg Presses; with some leg machines mixed in for the hamstrings. This routine is so intense, but I LOVE IT! I'm probably the only person I EVER see doing front squats, but their so beneficial. I recommend doing the crossed arm grip compared to the clean grip. As you can see in the photos, the clean grip puts an excruciating amount of pressure and pain on the wrists, which will lead to some problems down the road. I love doing two squat variations because it works the quads great in different ways and my core takes a pounding too. Leg days are typically short (45 min-1 hr) for me, so I really like to put a lot of intensity with my leg lifts. Always make sure you are getting your compounds done, they are essential to building muscle.

IN THE END:

Leg day is a necessity, regardless of how much you may hate it. Usually in life, the things you hate the most are the things that you have to get done to succeed, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT! Get on the squat rack and bend those knees baby! I just got done my leg day about 20 minutes ago, my walking might look at little funny and my behind might be sore tomorrow, BUT I FEEL AWESOME! If you hate something, the best feeling is when you get done doing what you hate, because its OVER! Always consider this fact when thinking about skipping leg day, it's not gonna go anywhere. It will still be there tomorrow if you skip it, so get in the gym and get it over with people! My golden rule for leg day: If you aren't walking weird when leaving the gym, LEG DAY ISN"T OVER!

Not sure what I'm doing for Saturday's article, if anyone want's to see anything let me know! I'm open for anything guys. Appreciate all the love. Have a wonderful end of the week.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

The Shakedown on Supplements

Supplements: The Good & The Bad

Ah, the world of supplements. There are so many out there, good and bad, so how do you really know which ones to use? How much is too much? What is this stuff really doing to your body? These should all be questions you should ask yourself before purchasing anything. Always research something before you buy it, don’t trust the guys in the stores; they are there to sell products! Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to supplements. There’s also a point where it becomes a little ridiculous at how much stuff people can be on. I’ve seen people on tons of supplements and people that aren’t on much, I never really notice a huge difference between the two, besides the amount of money in their pockets probably. I don’t advocate supplements at all, I’d rather hit the gym and get the gains myself, not with the help of some crazy supplement. I don’t want to get stronger because I’m on creatine, I want to get stronger because I’m busting my ass in the gym. Plus, supplements can put a hole in your wallet quickly, that’s not nice. With that being said, I’ll go over some of the basic supplements that are popular and my opinions of them. I’ll also go over when I think people can go over the line with supplements. Just remember, supplements can be useful, but there’s nothing better than natural food and hard work.

PROTEIN POWDERS:

 

Protein powders are probably considered the holy grail of supplements. Everyone seems to have a tub of protein somewhere, even the most passive gym goers. When lifting, muscles are torn apart in little sections and protein helps build the muscles back up, but stronger. There’s about a half hour window after a workout where your body will absorb the protein and simple carbs in a shake more effectively. In the grand scheme of things, don’t stress out about this 30 minute window. The difference if you get your protein from a shake after a workout or a meal a few hours later is so insignificant, you’ll never notice it. So, if you are coming home from the gym and are having chicken for dinner in like an hour, just skip the shake and chow down some protein infested chicken. The most important thing is that the body gets enough protein throughout the day. Protein can easily be found in natural food sources such as: chicken, milk, cheese, beans, etc. It’s always better to get your protein from natural food sources but, it’s a lot easier to make a shake rather than a meal for protein. This is why protein powders have become so popular, we love easy in America. One should be attempting to intake about half of their body weight in protein. So a 180 lb. person should aim for around 80g of protein a day, a 200 lb. person should have around 100 lb. a day, you get the math. Of course, this varies from person to person, but about ½ of your body weight is a good place to start. Optimum Nutrition is known for having some of the best protein, so I usually go for that. On occasion I will buy Body Fortress (sold in Walmart) it's very cheap ($15 a tub) and pretty much contains the same things as all the other proteins. I recommend protein powders when food is not available, or if you are in a rush; but real food is always the better option here. It's a SUPPLEMENT for a reason, you should supplement it when other options aren't available, not rely on it.

CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS:

Creatine is a substance that is produced by your body and found in food (mostly red meat and fish), so it’s natural. But, you should still know what you are putting in your body. The creatine molecule (phosphocreatine) can be converted into ATP, which is the body’s main source of creating energy. Creatine helps your body produce energy (ATP) more rapidly, thus making you lift longer, thus making you lift more, thus making you stronger. People that take creatine will almost always gain weight, so don’t take this if you are trying to drop a couple pounds. Most of the weight in the beginning will be water weight, but over time you will gain muscle because the increased energy is causing you to lift heavier and longer. This stuff almost seems like steroids doesn’t it!? Make sure you drink tons of water while taking creatine to avoid dehydration. I have used creatine before, didn’t see anything crazy or huge (like I’ve seen with most supplements). I still have a tub full of creatine monohydrate, maybe I’ll get back into it one day when I’m bulking (if that ever happens).I’d recommend getting a tub of Creatine Monohydrate if you want to try out creatine, don’t get crazy (there's tons of different types out there), Creatine Mono will get the job done and it’s cost-effective. Like everything, it affects everyone differently. Everyone can get big without creatine, so I don’t really consider it necessary. It’s like that shiny toy on the shelf at the store you want, you don’t really need it, but you sure as hell want it.

PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTS:

 

Pre-workout supplements are used to give a jolt of energy before a workout, to really lock you in and focus. Always use PWO in moderation because of the tendencies of high caffeine levels and other junk none of us have ever heard of. I don’t really have an issue with PWO’s, except that you will build a tolerance to the supplement eventually, making you having to take more to feel the effects. This is where things can get dangerous and you NEED to know what you are taking. Research all those names you’ve never heard of and find out what it’s really doing to you, I hate to be extreme, but it could end up saving your life. I’ve experimented with a few PWO’s (Superpump 250 by Gaspari Nutrition & White Flood by Controlled Labs) and had pretty decent results. I definitely felt more locked in and focused; I felt like I could take on the world. In the end, I never bought more than one tub because I felt it wasn’t worth the money. Supplements can get very expensive; PWO’s usually run around $30-$50 a tub, which adds up. Especially once the tolerance builds up, using more and more every workout, so it runs out even faster! I felt that I could get my workout done without the pre-workout; but if I had the money I would probably opt to keep one around. Just research the product thoroughly and know what it can do to you.

 

Fish Oil:

Fish Oil is a supplement that is concentrated more towards the body than anything fitness related, but it’s still important. Why is it important? So glad you asked! Fish Oil contains two Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EPA & DPA) that the human body CANNOT produce. These EFA’s are found in fish and only fish. This site has great information on fish oil and the effect it has on the body. Personally, I don’t eat fish, which is why fish oil is even more important for me (and you if you are like me). If I’m not taking fish oil, there’s no other way I’m getting these EFA’s. Even if you eat fish, I’d recommend keeping a bottle around. I take 2-3 per day, usually after a meal. Optimum Nutrition is the brand I go with, just because I have used their products for a while and their known for quality. Everyone should have fish oil, especially if you aren’t particular to fish like me.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

To be honest, I’ve tried tons of supplements in my days, even ones I chose not to write about because it gets repetitive. Most things I’ve taken, the only things I’ve seen are minimal gains, nothing ever blew me away when I was taking a certain supplement. It’s just not worth it to me. A lot of new lifters will load up on supplements, because they don't wanna wait to see results, they want the results right away. They will be disappointed when those gains don't come or they suddenly stop. There will be people who disagree with me, people who live by supplements, but this is just my point of view. When you are taking 5 different pills a day and three different supplements before/during/after workout, that's a little scary. These people can't possibly understand everything that stuff is doing to them. They can go ahead and put that stuff into their body, when they probably have no idea what half of it is doing. Especially the amount of money they are blowing on these supplements, because the world of supplements is definitely not CHEAP. I believe anyone looking to see gains should just grab some protein powder and bust their ass in the gym. Don’t wait for some pills/powder to make you stronger, hit those weights and let those naturally make you stronger. I’ll always choose hard work over pills and such, and you should too. This allows you to be proud of your gains that you got yourself, with no one’s help. As always, these are just my opinions. I hope you guys enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I’m not sure what I’m doing article wise next week so if you guys have any suggestions please let me know and I’ll get started on them! Thanks as always and have a beautiful weekend.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

Breakfast is NOT the Most Important Meal of the Day

Why Breakfast is Not the Most Important Meal of the Day

THIS ARTICLE WILL GO AGAINST EVERYTHING YOUR PARENTS HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT BREAKFAST:

I know this may sound crazy to some of you, but it’s true. Especially since all of our lives we’ve been taught this, but did we ever take time to research the facts? Or did we just believe what advertisements and mainstream media was spoon feeding us? The myths behind breakfast being the most important meal of the day obviously delve into bigger problems, but I’m just focusing on the breakfast aspect.  Companies have pounded into everyone’s head that breakfast is a necessity, through personal experiences and science, this has been proven false. I’m aware how hard of a concept this may be to understand, because it goes against everything humans have been taught.  I’ll do my best to attempt to prove why breakfast is not an important meal and my experiences with not eating breakfast. This all connects with a way of eating called Intermittent Fasting, which I will write a rather large article on eventually. If anyone wants tips on IF just email me and I’ll be sure to help, before I get that article out.  Not eating breakfast is especially a good tip for anyone looking to lose weight and who doesn’t want to drop at least a couple pounds? This article is great for everyone, in my opinion of course.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SKIPPING BREAKFAST:

                I began skipping breakfast when I started Intermittent Fasting, which was a little over a month ago. I know, it seems like a crazy concept, I thought the same thing. But you really shouldn’t knock something until you try it. It’s not skipping breakfast entirely, but changing the time period. I can still eat breakfast foods, but it’s just at a later time and not as soon as I wake up (read science below so it makes sense). I have an 8 hour eating period (usually consume two meals, first 2-4 hours after waking up, around 6 hours apart) and a 16 hour fasting period. Mentally and physically I feel stronger not eating breakfast, I feel stronger not eating food. I’ve gone 24 hours without eating more than once, I’ve worked out in a fasted state plenty of time, and must say I have some of the best mental clarity during these times (more fat is burned in this state also). My energy levels are higher, my thinking is clearer, my body and mind just feel 100 times better not eating breakfast. The human body is adaptive; at first it was a little difficult because I had been eating breakfast for 20 years. After about a week my body was use to not eating as soon as I woke and it became easier. I don’t wake up with hunger pains or anything, my body knows when it’s going to eat and it certainly won’t be when I wake up. My body is not dependent on food; I am not a victim to breakfast or my diet. There’s science to this stuff so it makes sense, which we will discuss next. Who doesn’t love a little science?

THE SCIENCE:

First of all, just because you don’t eat breakfast doesn’t mean that your body will start eating itself (starvation mode is a MYTH people) because you’ve gone 12+ hours without food (depending the last time you ate). This is a huge common misconception; I wish people would actually fact check things they hear! I’m going to try to not get too scientific, but some of this stuff has to be broken down that way to make sense.

Now, the human body only enters the fat burning state (fasted state) around 12 hours after the last meal is consumed. The body is in a fed state for about 3-4 hours after eating (body digests and absorbs food) and it’s hard to burn fat in this state because insulin levels (insulin is important in muscle growth, but also responsible for fat storage) are spiked. So, 8-12 hours after a meal is the post-absorptive state (body isn’t processing any food). Then your body enters the fasted state where it is a lot easier to burn fat because insulin levels are now low.  The body remains in the fasted state as long as anything consumed is less than 50 calories total (water, black coffee, diet sodas). Eating breakfast (especially a high carb breakfast) will cause a spike in insulin levels, making it harder to burn fat and taking your body out of its fat burning state before the day is even started. So, eating breakfast every day will make it harder to lose any type of weight.

This study took two groups of people (one group that ate breakfast and one that didn’t) and compared their cognition (ability to think), activity, and sleep. This study is definitely interesting and worth looking at because students are told that if they don’t eat breakfast, their performance will suffer. So, if they do eat breakfast, they will be more alert in class and get better grades pretty much. Unfortunately, people tend to believe generally accepted knowledge without doing research on it to see if it’s right or wrong. This is one of those cases, but this study goes against that generally accepted knowledge. Back to the study, the results found that a calorie restricted diet (skipping breakfast) produced NO decreases in cognitive performance, activity, and sleep. All of the moods that were assessed, including fatigue, were not affected by skipping breakfast. Even from my experience, I agree with this study. Not eating breakfast, I just feel better, definitely more alert and aware of everything going on. This study should help anyone with concerns about skipping breakfast in class or anything, the facts are right there.

THE OTHER STUFF:

For people who want to lose weight, skipping breakfast makes mind-blowing sense. In order to lose weight, one must create a calorie deficit, right? Taking a meal out of your day creates this deficit, while saving you money in the food store since you won’t be eating as much.  This also means freeing up time in the morning since you won’t be eating, who doesn’t pray for five more minutes every morning? You won’t be a victim to food, it has no control over you. The greatest thing I got out of skipping breakfast is just realizing how much more control I have of myself and temptations to eat.

A common misconception is that skipping breakfast is really unhealthy. This is because the people who aren’t eating breakfast most likely lead sedentary lifestyles (little to no exercise) and grab donuts on the way to work as a meal. These people aren’t active and eat like crap, so they will look like crap, to put it lightly. Any healthy individual that eats whole and healthy foods and exercises can benefit from skipping breakfast. Just because you eat breakfast, does not make you healthy; and just because you don’t eat breakfast, does not mean you are an unhealthy person. You don't just skip breakfast and lose weight, you have to be implementing the right tactics into your diet. Nothing in life works if you don't also work with it. Breakfast is a pretty unnatural thing if you think about it in an evolutionary mindset. Our ancestors probably never ate a huge breakfast, like a lot of people now are known or told to do. They had to go out and hunt their meal before they ate it, it wasn’t there for them in the morning, they had to go get it and prepare it. Think about all the work they had to do before consuming any calories (fight and take down animals, walk for miles, drag the animals back). I think you can get through your 830 class or whatever you have to do in the morning without breakfast if they did 10x that. If you consider yourself a healthy eater or individual in general, try this out.

SHOULD YOU SKIP BREAKFAST?

  

            Honestly, it’s completely up to you. Every single human body is different and some things that work for some people, won’t work for others. At most, I believe this is worth trying for a week or two, wait until you get used to it, don’t quit after a day. Like I said earlier, this is a great option for people looking to drop a couple pounds. I wouldn't  necessarily recommend it if you are trying to gain weight or something. If you chose to still eat breakfast, just remember the science behind the madness and try to make it healthy. Just because its breakfast doesn’t mean it has to be manufactured crap in a box. You can have a SALAD and CHICKEN for breakfast, or a bunch of fruit with some eggs. Try to keep the carbs to a minimum, because they will really raise insulin levels, making it harder to burn fat throughout the day. You do what works for YOUR body, not what other people tell you to do. This is merely my opinion, but it’s something I believe very strongly in, because it has worked for me. The bottom line is that we’re all trying to be healthy; I don’t believe anyone ever goes out with intentions to be unhealthy. Personal experiences and my own research lead me to believe that skipping breakfast works, try it out, and let me know if it appears to be working for you! 

Everyone have a great week and a happy 4th! Any questions/opinions feel free to email me. Next article will be on Saturday.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com

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Healthy Eating: BBQ Edition

TIPS FOR A HEALTHY 4^TH:

Hey all, being that its summer time and the 4^th is coming up (GO AMERICA!!!), I figure I’d give you guys an extra article this week with some tips on how to save calories during BBQ season. BBQ’s are known for having amazing food, but amazingly unhealthy at the same time. Plus, it’s pretty hard to not pig out at a BBQ, there’s usually enough food to feed an army. This won’t be too long, just some tips I think will be helpful to save calories but still enjoy all the pleasures of a cook out.

TIP #1: No Bread Please! Maybe Some Lettuce?

This is a tip that many people don’t even consider. At almost every cookout you’ll find hotdogs and burgers on the standard white bun/roll. Just one roll can hold upwards of 80 calories and 15G of carbs. I’m sure we’re all eating more than one, so that’s probably around 200+ calories and 50+ carbs just from the bread! I find it a lot easier to just skip the bread and eat the burger/hot dog as is, it’s more tasty to me that ways anyways. These are simple carbohydrates too, which means they get broken down very easily and go right to the stomach, something no one wants. It may not seem like much, but why put all those calories into your body if it’s not necessary? Every little bit saved, is a little bit earned. Another awesome idea is to wrap your burger, chicken, whatever in lettuce instead. I had some chicken wrapped in lettuce at P.F. Changs once and it made me realize how awesome it was. Get a huge piece of lettuce and wrap it up with all your favorite toppings! Definitely a lot healthier than any roll out there, it’s creative too. 

TIP #2: SLOW DOWN!

This rule applies extensively to BBQ’s, just because there is so much food in one place. It’s quite easy to eat four burgers in three minutes and still feel like you could go have three more hotdogs. We’ve all done it before, I’ve done it before, it just happens. My tip is to just try to remember what’s going into you and know how much you can eat before you get full. If you eat two burgers in a short amount of time, wait like ten minutes and see how you feel. Most likely you’ll begin to get full after you wait a few minutes, which will make sure you don’t eat as much. Just slow down the eating, instead of grabbing another plate, just grab a bottle of water and sip on that for a few minutes.

TIP #3: Keep the Chips Away!

Chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, stay away! These items are tasty, but people often get lost while eating. Especially since BBQ’s are a place for eating and talking, having a bowl of chips in front of you while having a conversation is dangerous since the whole bowl might be gone before you even know it! The best bet is to not even go near these foods, so there isn’t even a temptation. Keeping a bottle of water is always a safe bet too, instead of grabbing for the bowl, grab for the water instead (we love water!).

TIP # 4: Portion Control

Easy way to battle all the unhealthy foods is portion control. Just grab one cookie, one scoop of pasta salad, one burger, one of this, one of that, ONE OF EVERYTHING! A lot of times it’s not what you eat, but how much of it you eat. If there’s something you really want, but you know it’s not good for you, just have enough to satisfy your taste buds and move on.  The more bad food you eat, the worse it is for you, so the less you eat is..better for you, right? Well, it’s certainly better than eating more! Keep those portions down, especially when it comes to deserts.

TIP #5: Those “Salads”

Yeah, you all know about those “salads” that are famous for being at BBQ’s, that aren’t really salads at all. Those infamous macaroni, taco, potato, and pasta salads. None of these are healthy for you, especially since most of them are mixed with mayonnaise which is filled with fat and calories. The only salad I would advise going near is a fruit salad, can’t really go wrong there. Unless they have an actual salad there, eat that, but don’t eat the other ones! Refer to the above tip if you can’t resist the temptations.

TIP #6: Drinking..

Common place at a BBQ, don’t avoid it! Enjoy yourself; it’s what you are there for. A good tip if you are going to be consuming beverages is to break every beer or drink up with water every time. So, drink one beer, and then drink one water, rinse and repeat. You’ll probably end up running to the bathroom quite a lot, but it’s a lot better than all that beer in your belly. Sip slow while drinking too, so that will help decrease the amount you drink. Just remember the water trick and you’ll probably be better off. Plus it’ll probably stop you from drinking yourself into a stupor and being told ridiculous things you did that you have no recollection of.

TIP #7: Have a Plan:

This is huge! If you don’t go into a BBQ with a plan then you will eat more than your weight in food. Have a good idea of what you want to eat/drink and put that plan to work. BBQ’s have the same type of food almost everywhere, so you shouldn’t have a problem figuring out what you should and shouldn’t eat. Have a plan, execute it, and be happy with your choices.

TIP #8: ENJOY YOURSELF!

Take these tips in mind, but the bottom line is to have fun. Don’t worry about over eating or what you ate, or anything for that matter. BBQ’s are a time of great fun, not a health food convention. You know how to stay healthy, so try to stay that way. Maybe a BBQ took you off your path, but its only one day, it’s not the end of the world. Just do the best you can and please don’t stop having fun! Get it all back the next time you hit the weights and hit them with a vengeance, it’ll do you good! Have a great holiday weekend everybody :)

I still have articles coming Wednesday & Saturday; this was just a bonus for the holiday coming up! GO America!

dcorrigan50@gmail.com