What Happens When One Door Closes?

I got this note from the universe today:

It's not just that when one door closes, another door opens.

When one door closes, Rob, choirs burst into chorus, orchestras orchestrate, bugles bugle, marching bands march, dogs catch Frisbees, cats 'chow, chow, chow,' pigs fly, and 10,000 new doors open.

Kind of makes you want a door to close, huh?

-The Universe

Kinda on topic for me

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]

Calorie Restriction Weight Loss Program For Longevity

Since the 1930s studies show (in rodents, dogs, cows, mice, worms, spiders and monkeys at least) that by restricting calories, we can extend life. Calorie restriction also reduces the incidence of virtually all diseases of aging such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, auto-immune disorders, neurological decline and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. (source)

No tests have yet to be done on man, however, in 1991, quite by accident, 8 scientists sealed themselves up in a giant airtight terrarium in the Arizona desert for a 2 year experiment on self sustaining ecosystems called Biosphere 2 and quite quickly found that indeed, they could not grow enough food to support themselves.

Roy Walford, the teams physician, had been studying calorie restriction diets for a number of years and convinced his fellow scientists to give it a try.

I dont really think they had a choice.

When their project ended and they exited the bubble

tests proved them healthier in nearly every nutritionally relevant respect than when theyd gone in

Walford is the author of The Anti-Aging Plan: The Nutrient-Rich, Low-Calorie Way of Eating for a Longer Life--The Only Diet Scientifically Proven to Extend Your Healthy Years, but himself passing away at the age of 79 from Lou Gehrigs disease. Ironically however, caloric restriction may have accelerated the course of ALS for Dr. Walford, as mice genetically engineered to develop ALS experience faster disease course and shorter lifespan when placed on a calorically restricted diet

Ive done my own bit of calorie restriction as part of an experiment of ABCDE, Anabolic Burst Cycling of Diet and Exercise I did back in 2003. ABCDE is about two week cycles of diet and exercise. Two weeks of double caloric intake plus 1000 calories along with heavy lifting 3x a week and no cardio. This is immediately followed by two weeks of lower calories (in my case, 1800 per day) along with cardio and light weight training just enough to keep the muscle built during the first phase.

The idea behind ABCDE was presented to my by Bill Phillips during an interview he did with the ABCDE designer and I followed this program for 2 months. In a way, I experimented with a version of the calorie restriction program.

Calorie Restriction Test

What would it be like to follow this program for 2 months?

Thats the premise behind a story done by New York Magazine writer Julian Dibbell who did an entire 2 months on a calorie restricted diet. Her account leaves her 20 pounds lighter, an improved sex drive, dreams of immortality and, well, hungry.

Im not sure if its worth it really.

I enjoy food and I always have.

Id be lying if I said I didnt enjoy the junk food I ate when I was younger, but have now come to love whole foods, imported beer and great wine.

Ive often said that the reason I train so hard is because I like eating. I love training hard for all the benefits it provides both physically, mentally and emotionally and then I get to eat more too.

Is calorie restriction something you do or would consider doing? Read the Ultra Extreme Calorie Restriction Diet Test and make up your own mind. Personally, Id like the freedom of earning my food because of the work I put in.

But hey, thats just me.

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]

5 Whole Food Soup and Stew Recipes

Gone are the days of dieting for weight loss, in is the smart way to get results eat higher quality food full of nutrients, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. Cutting calories doesnt necessarily cut it anymore. Instead of starving your body, feed your body to a healthy slenderness.

If youre new to whole foods, some recipes would certainly help in getting your started.

Soups are great meals to prepare in the cold winter months and can be easily packaged to take to work with you for a healthy meal.

Here are 5 whole food soup recipes you can create at home to provide essential nutrition for your weight loss program.

Black Bean Soup - When it comes to three basic categories of nourishment - protein, fiber and anti-oxidant related substances - few foods have as solid a nutritional profile as black beans.

African Peanut Stew Featuring Chickpeas (Garbonzo Beans). A prominent ingredient in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and East Indian dishes such as minestrones, hummus, and falafel, whole Chickpeas have a mild yet hearty flavor and keep their unique round shape when cooked. In addition to being a good source of protein and calcium, Chickpeas are especially high in iron.

Barley And Lentil Soup - Lentils are a delicious and nutritious food high in protein, minerals, and fiber that can be easily used as a substitute for other staples such as meat, pasta, or potatoes in soups and stews. Unlike dried beans, they require no soaking and cook relatively quickly.

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Curry Soup - Butternut squash is a winter squash with a sweet nutty taste that can be steamed, roasted, pureed or mashed and used in any type of recipe. This Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup is just right for the cold weather as the ginger gives it a bit of a kick.

Broccoli Lentil Soup With Roasted Pepper Coulis - The lentil is a brushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. With 26% protein, lentil is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans, and because of this it is a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, and especially South Asia.

Technically, these are soup recipes and stew recipes, but Im sure youll love them anyway.

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]

McDonalds Advertising On Report Cards - Get Good Grades - Get a Happy Meal!

About 20 million children in the United States qualify as overweight or clinically obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and now 37 schools in Seminole County, Fla. are contributing to it through a corporate-sponsorship program that awards high-achieving students with McDonald Happy Meals.

The "report card incentive," as the program is known, is explained on the front of specially produced envelopes bearing the image of Ronald McDonald and in which the report cards for every student in the county's 37 elementary schools are sent home.

The incentives are described as "food prizes," and a report card of all A's and B's or an attendance record blemished by just two absences is enough to earn a student a free Happy Meal.

source

John Banzhaf III, a law professor George Washington University says

The next thing the school should offer is cigarettes and alcohol. Why aren't schools selling Hustler or Playboy magazines out of vending machines too? Schools shouldn't be selling things that endanger children just to make a buck.

The Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood released a press release demanding that McDonalds immediatly stop advertising on children's report cards

this promotion takes in-school marketing to a new low. It bypasses parents and targets children directly with the message that doing well in school should be rewarded by a happy meal

says Susan Linn, the director of CCFC and psychologist at Judge Baker Children's Center.

the press release states the Happy Meal promotion explicitly mentions cheeseburgers, French fries, and soft drinks as options. Happy Meals featured on the report card can contain as many 710 calories, 28 grams of fat, or 35 grams of sugar.

one parent was quoted as saying that her daughter worked so hard to get good grades and now thinks she has earned a happy meal. The parent has to be the "bad guy" and explain that McDonalds is not the kind of food that they eat.

what is happening in our schools?

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]

sleep deprivation and weight gain: How does it happen?

By Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
www.BurnTheFatbook.com

You've probably seen the magazine articles or news blurbs that say, "lack of sleep can make you fat!"

There is a lot of confusion however, about the mechanism.

It's not uncommon for people to believe there is a cause and effect relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

However, if that were the case, then you would always gain weight if you slept less even if your food intake stayed the same.

To the contrary, if you sleep less AND eat less, rest assured you will lose weight.

If you are awake more hours and you are more active during those increased waking hours, again, rest assured you will lose weight.

Almost all the research on this subject has been cross sectional and therefore does not prove causality.

We Eat More When We're Sleep Deprived

Research suggests that the likely explanation is a disruption in hormones which can affect appetite and food intake so you are more likely to eat more when you are sleep deprived.

For example, a new study published in the December 2007 issue of "Nutrition Research Reviews" says that sleep deprivation can reduce leptin (the anti starvation hormone, also known as an anorexigenic hormone) and increase ghrelin, a stomach hormone that increases hunger.

This makes total sense. Think about it:

1. less sleep equals more awake time


2. More awake time equals greater energy needs


3. Greater energy needs can be satisfied by increasing hunger hormones


4. Leptin and ghrelin are appetite-stimulating hormones

The human body is incredible and amazingly self-regulating, isnt it?

In addition, when hormones are out of balance, that can affect nutrient paritioning.

Nutrient paritioning refers to where the energy comes from when you have a calorie deficit - fat or lean tissue - and where the energy goes when you are in a calorie surplus - fat or lean tissue.

So, when partitioning hormones are messed up due to sleep deprivation, it's entirely possibly that you are more likely to add fat (not muscle) when in a surplus and lose muscle (not fat) when in a deficit.

This is similar to what happens during stress. Stress also does not "cause" fat gain, but it certainly correlates to fat gain, for similar reasons. Imagine what happens when you are stressed AND sleep deprived?

Some people seem to get by with less sleep than others. I know many people, myself included, who excel physically on 6-7 hours a night, so there is certainly a variation in sleep needs from person to person.

Developing Good Sleeping Habits

Developing sleep habits that promote deep, high quality sleep may also reduce sleep needs an hour or two. This includes:

• going to bed and waking up at the same time every night


• getting to sleep early and awake early to maximize night time sleeping hours and daylight waking hours


• sleeping in a dark room


• avoiding alcohol and stimulants prior to bedtime


• reducing stress and exercising regularly

However, in light of past research and the new data that was just published, if in doubt, it's surely better to err on the side of a little more sleep than a little less sleep, if more muscle and less fat is your goal.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Mens Exercise, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's Fat Loss program, visit: www.burnthefatbook.com

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[Source: Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog]