The ‘300′ look

By Ryan | April 5, 2007

Moviegoers chase that epic, ripped ‘300′ look - USATODAY.com:

Gerard Butler and the other male actors in the blockbuster movie 300 did grueling exercise routines for several hours a day for weeks to achieve the look of Spartan warriors. Now, mere mortals are wondering whether it’s possible for them to do the same. On the social networking website Facebook are groups dedicated to people who seek Spartan bodies. Stories about the “300 workout” — a circuit of 300 reps of various exercises some actors went through — have appeared online and in Men’s Health magazine.

[…] But Mark Twight, the trainer who worked with the cast of the movie, says the “300 workout” was just one of many exercises actors and stuntmen went through. The actors’ body transformations came from an intense training regimen that lasted 90 minutes to two hours a day, five days a week, for seven weeks before filming began. Twight and colleague Logan Hood led them through full-body workouts involving medicine balls, tires and kettle bells — weighted balls with thick handles — among other tools. The goal was to make them look “all sinewy and ripped.” This kind of transformation requires a change in diet, sleep patterns, stress levels and attitude. “If you can’t change your brain and your behavior, even the most perfectly designed and adapted training program will not work,” Twight says in an e-mail. But even with diet and exercise, most people will never get the perfect pecs and six-pack abs they see on the silver screen, says Wayne Westcott, fitness research director at South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass.

For about 90% of people, it is impossible to develop the body of a movie-star warrior. “There’s no way you can change your basic physique,” he says. “You do the best you can with what you’ve got.”

So, to get the ‘300′ look I have to completely change my lifestyle… I don’t think I can do that, I’m happy to be down to 152 as of today. Maybe it could be a summer project when I have more time. Unfortunately, I also like food a little too much.

Topics: Dieting, Exercise | No Comments »

Cheating the scale.

By Ryan | April 4, 2007

I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but am I the only one who cheats their scale? I’ve found if I weigh myself while holding onto something I come up 10-15 pounds lighter. Everytime after I do this, the scale comes up two pounds lighter than I was before I did my “cheat”. Does anyone else have their favorite weighs to “cheat the scale”?

Topics: News | 3 Comments »

My weight loss story

By Ryan | April 2, 2007

I’ve started documenting my weight loss story. As I go through my records (documenting my exercise and weight is a big motivation for me), I’ll continue to add to the story and post the updates here.

Topics: Site News | 1 Comment »

Evil food of the week, sodium and calories at Chinese restaurants

By Ryan | April 2, 2007

Can’t hide from sky-high sodium, calories at Chinese restaurants - USATODAY.com:

A plate of General Tso’s chicken, for example, is loaded with about 40% more sodium and more than half the calories an average adult needs for an entire day. The battered, fried chicken dish with vegetables has 1,300 calories, 3,200 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of saturated fat.

Since Chinese food is now what I call “evil”, it is something that I’ll have to keep to a bare minimum. That means eating it only at most once a month.

Topics: Dieting | No Comments »

Nutrition Myths

By Ryan | April 2, 2007

Dispelling The Top 10 Nutrition Myths:

10. Eating carbohydrates makes you fat.
9. Drink eight, 8-oz. glasses of water per day.
8. Brown grain products are whole grain products.
7. Eating eggs will raise your cholesterol.
6. All alcohol is bad for you.
5. Vitamin supplements are necessary for everyone.
4. Consuming extra protein is necessary to build muscle mass.
3. Eating fiber causes problems if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
2. Eating immediately after a workout will improve recovery.
1. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by eating foods low on the glycemic index.

Get the full scoop at Medical News Today.

Topics: Dieting | 1 Comment »

Wow, losing 160 pounds and participating in triathlons

By Ryan | April 2, 2007

‘Former fat girl doing the Ironman’ has lost 160 pounds - USATODAY.com:

Bonnie Crawford, 29, of Beaverton, Ore., is convinced that if she can lose weight, anyone can. Four years ago, she weighed more than 350 pounds. Since then, she has shed more than 160 pounds and now participates in triathlons — running, biking, swimming.

Topics: News, Exercise | No Comments »

Restaurants experimenting with smaller portions

By Ryan | March 27, 2007

Will Diners Still Swallow This? - New York Times:

As chief executive of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide he has chopped portion sizes at T.G.I. Friday’s, Carlson’s chain known for calorie-rich items like deep-fried potato skins stuffed with Cheddar cheese, bacon and sour cream. In a closely watched experiment, Friday’s will see whether diners will order what it calls “Right Size” portions that, on average, are about two-thirds the size of the usual serving.

All I can say is that it’s about time. I’m tired of looking at the senior citizen’s menu and its normal sized portions, and not being able to order from it.

Topics: Dieting | No Comments »

Make your own 100 calorie snack packs

By Ryan | March 22, 2007

The latest rage is the 100 calorie snack pack. Aimed at the people that “can’t eat just one”, it’s a great idea. It allows you to monitor how much you are eating very easily. I take it one step further and make my own snack packs. There are snack sized ziplock type bags available, which I fill with my favorite snacks to equal 100 calories. This is usually cheaper than buying the preprocessed packs, and you can have a wider variety. For example, you can get Cheez-its in the 100 calorie packs at the store, but you can’t get the fat-free Cheez-its (22 fat free Cheez-its equals 100 calories. :-).

Topics: Dieting | No Comments »

Free diet plans and weight loss programs

By Ryan | March 20, 2007

Here is a website dedicated to Free Diet Plans and Weight Loss Programs. It has a ton of articles and several calculators (BMI, caloric requirements, etc.).

Topics: Dieting | No Comments »

Obesity affects appetite

By Ryan | March 19, 2007

Obesity leads to destruction of appetite suppression system:

What was found was that high levels of leptin in a body—as would be found in severely overweight people—can lead to a leptin resistance in the brain. This in turn, leads to the body to stop responding to the hormone’s appetite suppressing effect. In essence, by becoming overly obese, the body can no longer regulate appetite, leading to further obesity.

Fortunately, appetite control returns as the person gets closer and closer to a normal weight. The hardest part still is getting started with a weight loss plan that works for you, there will not be a magic pill anytime soon. Remember, weight loss is HARD!

Topics: Dieting | No Comments »