Toning Tips

Ten Tips for Toning Up

 #1. Reduce caloric intake. Reduce the total number of calories that you are eating by reducing the portion sizes. This can be done by just not "super-sizing" at lunch. Leave something on your plate when you go out to eat. Did you ever stop and think why the portions are so big? They are big so you leave feeling full and satisfied. These feelings are great for the restaurant, but bad for your belly. Excessive calories are always stored as adipose tissue (ugly fat).

#2. Reduce carb consumption. Reduce the consumption of refined carbohydrates like pasta, bagels, donuts, etc. It is very easy to overeat these foods because they are very calorie dense and have fairly high glycemic indexes (how fast they get into the bloodstream and are stored). Instead of eating the pasta dish, choose the vegetable dish. The carbohydrates in vegetables are processed much more slowly and vegetables themselves are low in calories. Try eating a pound of salad - it will fill you up. If you must eat out, then you may consider using a "carb blocker" type of supplement. Although these are the current rage, don't think you can cheat your way to getting lean!

#3. Increase protein intake. By upping the amount of protein throughout the day, you will replace some of the calories lost from cutting down on the refined carbohydrates, and this will help you stay full a little longer. One nice thing about protein is that is requires more calories to digest than most other foods, thus making it increase the thermic effect of a meal. In laymen's terms, you burn more calories. The added protein will also help preserve the vital muscle tissue that you currently possess. Remember, muscle is metabolically active and you want to maintain as much of it as possible.

#4. Eat more fiber. By reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates that you eat and increasing the amount of vegetables, you will get more fiber - but you should eat even more. Fiber also increases the thermic effect of food and helps curb appetite. The added bonus is that you will be much more regular. By increasing the number of bowel movements per day, you will enhance weight loss as well as detoxification.
 

#5. Do some cardio exercise. Before computer games and television, we all played outside and ran around. Twenty years ago, kids were not as overweight. Why? Because kids exercised through play. So for you to get lean quickly, you will have to get moving. You don't have to join a gym, but you do need to get some exercise. Park a little farther away from the mall, run instead of walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator - just these little things will burn calories. One pound of fat is 3,500 calories, and 1 hour of a slow-paced walk burns maybe 500 calories…you do the math.

#6. Get a little resistance. Add some weight training into your exercise program. By adding just a pound of muscle, you will burn more calories than by just sitting around. Since we are talking about the swimsuit season, what is more attractive, a tight lean body or a body that weighs exactly the same but is flabby? Weight training can be done in the gym, at home with the proper equipment or with cans of soup. You don't have to spend money in order to lift weights - just find things around the house and develop a program that works the body and can be done with some sort of progression.

#7. Keep your body fueled. For the times that you do not have time to eat real food, get a meal replacement powder or bar. Hey, even if you sit at desk all day hacking on a computer, and don't like to stop to eat, you can frequently pause to eat a bar or slam a shake. This can be the difference between being successful and not. Losing muscle through starvation slows your metabolism and makes you look flabby!

#8. Turn up the "heat". Thermogenic products for getting in shape quickly are a must. Normally, you would work on the big picture, but with the season this close, we must pull out all the stops. When choosing a thermogenic, just make sure the product you pick has a ratio of 10:1 caffeine to ephedrine. Thermogenics work by revving up the body's ability to burn calories and by reducing appetite.

#9. Get some support. Some type of thyroid support supplement should be used as well. When you start cutting calories, the body's first defense against this self-induced starvation is to slow down the metabolism. The body does this by catabolizing muscle tissue or slowing the conversion of inactive thyroid to active thyroid. By supporting thyroid production, you may be able to slow the drop off of active thyroid. Eating enough protein and weight training should be enough to stop the catabolism.

#10. Drink more water! Drinking ice-cold water to burn calories is the poor man's thermogenic. One gallon of ice water requires 300 calories to heat up so the body can use it. At this rate, you would lose 1 pound of fat in about 12 days.

	Toning
	TONING EXERCISES If you are just starting out, walking would probably be best. It's also important to warm-up about 2-3 minutes before beginning any exercise, marching in place while doing shoulder rolls and arm circles works well. The Weighted Ab Crunch (1) Lie on floor faceup, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. (2) Hold a single dumbbell securely at your chest with both hands. (3) Using abs, slowly roll shoulders and upper back off floor. Hold. (4) Then slowly return to starting position. Repeat. If you are just starting out do 1 set of 10-15 reps. then as you progress add a second or third set. Rest about 30 seconds between sets. The Lunge (1) Stand with feet hip-width apart. (2) Tighten abs and step back one full step with your right foot. (3) Bend your knees and lower hips until left knee is aligned with your left foot and your right knee is pointed towards the floor. (4) Return to starting position switch legs and repeat. Do 1 set of 10-15 reps. to begin and add more sets when you feel comfortable enough. The Hip Blaster (1) Stand with feet hip-width apart, tighten abs and cross your arms over your chest. (2) Slightly bend your right knee and raise your left knee so your left ankle is even with your right calf. (3) Use your thigh muscles to extend your left leg higher in front of you. (4) Lower left leg back so it's even with your right calf again. (5) Now extend your left leg out and up to the side keeping your torso straight. (6) Lower leg back to starting position, left ankle even with right calf. Do one set of 10-15 reps with left leg then switch and do same with right leg. Add more sets when comfortable.

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