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Is Being Fat in Our DNA?
This is a question I have pondered for some time now. We all have different body types and some individuals are naturally more muscular while others are predisposed to be more rotund. So this fact got me thinking what if some of us are descendants of a cave man clan of fatties? Is the huskier portion of the world’s population actually an evolved version of an original group of fat prehistoric peoples? Perhaps this type of early human held on to extra body fat to preserve their own lives in times of food supply shortage.
One organ that is scientifically proven to have been utilized for internal food storage is the appendix. If the appendix served as a back up calorie source in times of need why wouldn’t fat storage as a whole be equally valuable? We have all heard the joke: “Hey, I may be fat but I’ll survive a food shortage!” I have used that line once, twice, or trice in my life time.
So can having extra fat keep you alive in a post apocalyptic nuclear crisis? I say yes! When Earth’s food crops are molecularly incinerated and the local Taco Bell is nothing but a pile of rubble sound filled sour cream fat folks will rule the Earth. I can definitely imagine a slow trekking group of chubby cave people. I think we better craft new depictions of what early man’s body looked like, less muscle more flab. Extra large on the Woolly Mammoth skin pimp trench coat please!
Extra FAT Facts:
Our genes determine the fat and muscle composition in our bodies. Genes and heredity even call the shots when it comes to where on our frame we carry fat. If your mom has a fat butt chances are you will have one. But I advise all male readers not to blame your mothers for your man boobs.
Extra FAT Facts:
Extra fat can serve as a shock absorber during weight training. Most competitive body builders hold on to body fat during intense training to help prevent joint injuries. Of course muscle heads eventually shed the excess fat and water weight the closer they get to contest day. Nevertheless fat and water can do wonders to keep you injury free during heavy lifts and mass building. Drink at least half a gallon of water before and after training. So take that skinny people!
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Is Being Fat in Our DNA?
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Losing Rocks: Motivation and Inspiration
So there I was, turning on Skype to see who was on. I was minding my business when I saw a buddy of mine who I hadn’t spoken to in a while. His name is Alejandro Reyes. I met him a while back online and we’ve been cool since. Flash back to about 2 months ago or so: I recall asking him about losing weight. He said he was planning on it, but it was sort of like a shrug off. So I left it alone.
Back to now and my Skype session. I visited his site and was pleased to see that he was starting on a weight loss journey, complete with videos, a new blog got posts, and enlisting as many people as he can to help steer him straight. I was ecstatic!!!
Alejandro is extremely motivated/motivating about everything. If you check out his videos you will see what I mean. I love stuff like this, especially when you put yourself out there in front of tons of people. Accountability man, it’’s such a motivator. He’s already been at it for a week and dropped 11 lbs. Is that motivation or what? I’m going to be honest here and say that he has restored something that has been missing in me for a while. I don’t know why but I’m re-inspired!!!
Check out his new weight loss motivation blog and welcome him to the community! He is doing some cool live streaming of his journey, so check his Losing Rocks Ustream channel too.
We all need as much help as we can get when it comes to dropping the weight.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Losing Rocks: Motivation and Inspiration
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X - Country Half Marathon, Alafai State Park, FL
Race: X - Country Half Marathon, Alafai State Park, FL
Time: 1 hour 31 minutes and 40 seconds, 10th of 178
I was really pumped for this race, I had been training hard and running about 40 miles a week. I ate well the week prior to the race and had a solid training week. End result: worst half marathon ever by two minutes.
Everything started as planned race morning. I got up early , had my powerbar and, got to the race early. After paying to park (arghhh) I had to walk 1 mile to register which suddenly put me behind schedule and barely at the starting line on time. I took off well and was cruising until I realized there were no timing or mileage markers on the course. I figured I could live without these but apparently not.
Overall, I was not happy with the race for many reasons but I need to put the blame all on myself. For myself and others I recommend thorough research of the event you plan to attend. I also recommend a positive attitude which I know I did not have once at the starting line.
Physically I felt fine but mentally I was not there. I took some days off after the race and did some reflecting and am back in the full swing of training with another half coming right up. I got down on myself but know I would be even angrier in the future if I do not achieve my goals of besting my half marathon time and completing a full marathon.
Oh yah, I also am growing the beard back so I can be a badass like Chuck Norris!
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“Prefontaine” is a Team Fat Man sponsored athlete based out of Tampa, Florida. To learn more or join the team, visit TeamFatMan.com
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
X - Country Half Marathon, Alafai State Park, FL
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Vitamins for Eyesight
Fact: Vitamin A is good for your eyesight. It contains retinoid, a group of compounds that has been proven to have a positive effect on vision, bone growth, and cell division amongst other things. Found in many vegetables and dairy products, Vitamin A is also referred to as anti-infective, because it strengthens the body’s immune system. And if your body is left without Vitamin A you may experience vision problems.
Carrots are perhaps the first primary product that comes to mind when talking about foods that are good for your eyesight. Containing significant amounts of Vitamin A, the foodstuffs below all have a positive effect on your eyesight:
• carrots
• lettuce
• pepper
• sweet potatoes
• pumpkin
• grapefruit
• apricot
• broccoli
• cantaloupes
• winter squashes
• fish
• egg
• liver
• milk
• butter
Why Vitamin A is important for eyesight
Retinol is the form of Vitamin A that plays an important role in your current and future vision. Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin, closely related to the retinoid family and is furthermore required for the body’s production of rhodopsin, a visual pigment of the retina.
The retina is the light-sensitive part of the eye’s inner layer. Ingesting Vitamin A thus has a rather direct chemical effect on our eyes. Without it, rhodopsin cannot be produced for the retina and our eye’s ability to absorb light will decrease. That is why a lack of Vitamin A often leads to a worsened state of your vision.
Can you lose your eyesight without Vitamin A?
By eating regularly and keeping a healthy diet, you will consume your daily need of Vitamin A. Most of the listed products above are part of our daily food ingestion. However, if you do not eat fruits, vegetables and the occasional fish, lack of vitamins may lead to:
• Nyctalopia - night blindness, due to insufficiencies in the eye’s rhodopsin production for the eye.
• Lowered immune system - without Vitamin A the body’s immune system is weakened increasing the risk of infections and viruses.
In conclusion, Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyesight. But vision deficiency may also be caused by other factors, so getting your eyes checked regularly is strongly advised. An eye examination by a licensed eye doctor will determine the state of your current eyesight and whether or not you will need glasses or contact lenses while consuming your daily dose of Vitamin A.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Vitamins for Eyesight
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Thanksgiving Binging…Get Over It!
As you may already know, it’s Thanksgiving today in the USA. For some it’s a time to share thanks with your friends and family, for some it’s a time to enjoy each others company, but for some like me, it’s a time to eat and then eat some more.
I love eating. That is why I’ve had problems with my weight. Even when I was in the best shape of my life I ate a lot. Food tastes good. Especially my grand ma’s cooking. She has that special touch that you acquire from years of cooking from memory. While I won’t be with her this year, I will definitely be thinking of her food. This year we are driving up to Fort Lauderdale to spend the next couple of days with friends. I sure hope that they can cook!
What’s my plan for eating this Thanksgiving? My plan is to eat until I don’t want to anymore. It’s simple. I keep reading about how you should not eat this or not eat that on Thanksgiving.
Eat whatever you want. Just today, not tomorrow, not the day after. Take today and let it be your cheat day. Once it’s over you get back on track with your exercise and proper eating. It’s worked for me in the past and I plan on doing the same.
There was one Thanksgiving when I hadn’t eaten all day (I was saving up for the feast later that night). By the time dinner came around I could barely eat half the plate. I was so pissed! The food was especially good that night and I was there all full.
So let’s recap:
1. Eat whatever you want, TODAY. Don’t think too much about proteins, carbs, calories, processed, unprocessed…just eat and relax. It’s your cheat day.
2. Tomorrow you get back on track. Remember, today is your cheat day. This is your one day of the week, or month, to let loose and feast. Unleash that beast within!
3. Done. Gobble, gobble.
Happy Thanksgiving!
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Thanksgiving Binging…Get Over It!
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5 Kick-Ass Workouts That Can Be Done In Under 8 Minutes
Time is of the essence. A cliche for sure, but oh so true. Not having the time to workout is one of the most common excuses people use to let their fitness levels deteriorate. The five workouts that follow will not only crank your metabolism into a fat burning furnace, but they can also be done in 8 minutes or less. Some of them much less.
1. Tabata Sprints - Find a track or a long straight road. Run as fast as you can for 20 seconds. And I mean HAUL ASS! Walk for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times. You might want to arrange for a ride home from this one. I’m serious. If you do this with maximum effort you should be seeing stars and begging for mercy. Total time: 4 minutes.
2. Burpee - Push Up Opposing Ladders: Do 9 burpees, then do 1 push up. Do 8 burpees, then do 2 push ups. Do 7 burpees, then do 3 push ups. You get the picture. Continue until you complete burpees 9 through 1 and push ups 1 through 9. Do not underestimate this one. It’s a BITCH! Total time: 5 - 8 minutes depending on fitness level. Reduce the number of repetitions as needed according to your current state of fitness.
3. Deadlift - Box Jump: Load a bar with 60% of your current 1 rep max on the deadlift. Deadlift for 10 repetitions, then immediately hit a 20 inch plyo box for 20 box jumps. Repeat the cycle three times. Total time 4 - 8 minutes. Your legs will love you for this one.
4. Squat - Pull Up: Load a bar with 60% of your current 1 rep max on the back squat. Squat for 10 repetitions, then immediately hit the pull up bar for maximum repetitions. Kip your ass off on the pull ups if you want. Repeat for 3 - 5 sets with little or no rest between sets depending on fitness level and time available. Total time 5 - 8 minutes.
5. Power Clean and Press - Load the bar with a weight you can use for about 12 repetitions until muscle failure. Perform as many reps as possible in 8 minutes. Rest as needed but work as hard as you can for the 8 minutes. Record your number of repetitions and try to increase the reps in 3 - 5 weeks.
Don’t have enough time to work out? Lame. You can get a great workout in during the time it takes to watch the commercials for your favorite reality TV show. Kick the “no time” excuse to the curb and get started today with one of the 5 kick-ass fat burning workouts that can be done in under 8 minutes.
Train Hard!
Editor’s note: This is a guest article by Vic from Gym Junkies. Gym Junkies is a hard core, intense method of training. They provide videos, iPod workouts, and great articles.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
5 Kick-Ass Workouts That Can Be Done In Under 8 Minutes
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The Truth About Snacking
“Snacking” is a term which many people love to hate. It’s normally used to describe the hunger binges that many people (including the strictest of dieters) indulge in, and is something that has been seriously misinterpreted over the years. Heavily influenced by the media and reinforced by pushy diet groups, snacking has quickly become a taboo in our society because of the “unhealthy stereotype” that it’s been tarred with. Because of this, hundreds of thousands of people are inadvertently ruining their metabolisms – and chances to lose weight – by not snacking.
Today, I’m going to lay down the truth about snacking so that you can finally free yourself from the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and night-time hunger pangs that haunt every single one of us.
You see, snacking isn’t this “monster” that needs to be avoided. It’s a gentle, caring creature which you can use to your advantage. Because your body digests complete meals every 3-4 hours, you start to feel hungry every 3-4 hours… This means that if you had your breakfast at 7:00AM, you’re going to start to get pretty hungry around 10:00-11:00AM. Likewise with lunch – if you have it at noon, you’re going to start getting hungry again at 3:00-4:00PM
Because of the way we’ve evolved, our bodies NEED food every 3-4 hours otherwise they start to break down stored fat – and that slows down your metabolism. Although this might seem like a good thing, believe me when I say that a slow metabolism is the LAST thing you want, especially if you’re trying to lose weight… It means that in the long run, MORE of your food will be stored as fat and it will be HARDER to burn that fat off.
To combat this inescapable problem, we’ve got to resort to snacking. However, regardless of all the horror stories you’ve heard, to keep your figure and metabolism in check, you just need to keep your stomach “topped up” with simple, healthy snacks.
By eating small, healthy portions of food, you will give your body the fuel it needs to keep on ticking over until the next meal. Your metabolism will remain fast because it thinks you’ve got plenty of food to last a long time and you will be able to concentrate and enjoy your day more!
Some of the most popular diets in the world actually get you to eat smaller meals but 4-6 of them a day… just to boost your metabolism. You can mimic these diets by eating healthy snacks when you feel hungry.
But what food can you snack on without the guilt of over-indulgence?
Put simply, you’ve got to keep your snacks as filling but healthy as possible. Typical examples of great healthy snacks include all types of fruit (and anything with a lot of fiber in) and smoothies.
You can get away with almost anything as long as you keep your consumption of it to a bare minimum, just to keep your stomach ticking over.
Editor’s note: This is a guest article by Richard Peck, an Internet author and fitness fanatic. His latest project, 100 Calorie Snacks, is proving to be extremely popular as it shows people how to make delicious, healthy snacks which are all under 100 calories.
*Photo Courtesy of s2art
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This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
The Truth About Snacking
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Walking For Lunch, or Any Other Down Time You Have
Want to get in some simple exercise that has great benefits? I have a solution for you…go for walks during your lunch break. It’s way better then sitting around eating. All you have to do is pack some sneakers, or comfortable footwear, and schedule a walk for your lunch hour.
The AARP has a list of benefits that walking provides. Obviously, it is a great way to get in some cardio while enjoying yourself. You can even set up lunch break walking groups with your co-workers. Supporting each other while tackling your health. That’s a cool initiative!
It doesn’t necessarily need to be your lunch break. Maybe it’s the last 15 minutes of your day, or the first 25 minutes. Or maybe it’s right after you get home from work where you go for a walk with your entire family. There really aren’t too many limitations. Just be creative and think up ways to walk. The key take-away here is to walk, no matter when you do it. Just walk. Make it a habit and you will start seeing, and feeling, the benefits.
Spread the Health News? - Get all of the latest health news, submit your own, and vote them to the top.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Walking For Lunch, or Any Other Down Time You Have
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How Do I Find The Right Gym?
Editor’s note: This is a guest article from Zane. He runs a website called Best Diet Pills that provides consumers with no b.s. reviews of diets and diet pills.
How Do I Find The Right Gym?
If you’re in the market for a gym membership, there are plenty of details and amenities that may help boost your motivation and success. Today, fitness facilities aim to provide individuals with unique and wide-ranging services, from group fitness classes to child care support, you should check out the specifics before signing any gym contract. Below is a list of questions to pose when you are seeking a new gym membership.
What Specific Details Should I Look For?
When investigating gyms, consumers should always check for 8 details. When investigating these details, consumers can also ask a gym employee or salesperson specific questions to provide further insight and information.
Location - Is the location convenient to your home or place of work? Will the location be convenient to access during rush hour traffic?
Cost - Can you afford the cost of the membership? Are there any promotions? Are there any added membership fees or sign up fees? Can you pay the full year’s membership up front for an added discount?
Hours - What time of day do you like to work out? Do the gym hours accommodate your workout preferences? What hours are the busiest times
Equipment - Does the equipment suit your needs? Are there both cardio and weight machines? Are there free-weights? Is there enough space in the workout area to comfortably exercise and utilize the equipment?
Group Fitness - Are group fitness classes available? What are the types of classes and times of classes? Is there an added charge for group fitness? Who are the instructors, and are they certified and professionally licensed?
Amenities - Are there childcare services, and is there an added cost? Are there towels and personal care items included in the membership? Are there spa services included? Is there a pool and/or Jacuzzi and sauna available? Does the gym provide personal training services?
Staff - Do the instructors and trainers seem qualified? Are staff members licensed and professional? Are staff members friendly and welcoming?
Atmosphere - Is the gym more family oriented or adult professional oriented? (In other words, do you personally prefer a gym that incorporates child care and children’s activities, or do you prefer a gym that caters only to adults?) Is the atmosphere friendly and social, or is it quiet and reserved? Does the gym promote any social functions, such as community races or holiday gatherings? (Many gyms are involved in the extended community, which some potential members may prefer and enjoy).
Before Signing the Contract
Ultimately, before signing your gym contract, try to find out if the gym offers a free trial pass, or a free guest pass. Oftentimes gyms will allow potential members to test out the facilities before signing up. If this is an option, you’ll be able to personally assess the quality of the facility. Adding to this, try to speak with fellow-members before joining the gym; find out what their insight is about the pros and cons, so you’ll be able to make a more informed and educated decision.
Have anything to add? Leave a comment!
*Photo Courtesy of djwhelan
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
How Do I Find The Right Gym?
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Weight Loss in 5 Important Steps, Be Consistent
So, you need to lose a few pounds, eh? Well don’t we all, luckily managing that extra something on your stomach doesn’t have to be too much trouble by following a few careful but important steps.
- No more late eating. Seriously. Try to keep yourself from consuming foods or sweats past 9 p.m. or four hours before bedtime. This is crucial to maintaining a healthy metabolism and not allowing your body to store the extra food overnight as fat.
- Set some realistic goals. Losing 10 pounds in one week is not only unrealistic, but darn right unhealthy. If you fail to achieve your goals there are only so many times you will want to get back up; so do yourself a favor and set goals that are easily attained. Start out with two pounds in the first week and work up from there.
- Take before and after photos. Ouch, nobody likes to see themselves in a photo with their shirt off and their chunk hanging around, however, I bet if you saw it, you would get off that computer seat and start doing some push ups. By documenting your progress by photos, you can actually see the results more clearly, giving you motivation. So get on it, tubby! I did it with my weight loss pictures.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. So what if Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are stick thin! Every body is different and by now you probably know if you have a slow or fast metabolism, if your weight goes to your hips or thighs, and what your favorite binge food is (sugar cereal anyone?). Keep your goal in sight and do not be discouraged if someone is showing better weight loss than you are.
- Monitor your calories. When I followed a strict regimen of counting my calories during the course of a week I realized something, I was eating way more calories than I thought. By keeping tabs on what you eat and counting the calories each night you will be shocked and just how much food you consume in a day. This is an easy, fun and eye opening effective way at cleaning up your bad diet. Try counting the amount of protein, fat, and carbs you consume too.
Remember that everybody has a different body and different goal in mind. Remember to stay on task and to be consistent, consistent, consistent. By following a strict regimen of exercise and diet using these five simple tips, you will see a drastic change in your health, mentally and physically.
A bonus tip is to drink green tea. It’s does a body good! Just make sure you get the good, all natural kind.
This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com’s Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.
Weight Loss in 5 Important Steps, Be Consistent
