Over the Edge + December 15, 2010 — , 9 12 Mantras & Myths about Basic Fitness Battle the bulge this Christmas HUGH CURTIS AND ROSS WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTORS With the winter months and subsequent holiday occasions on their way, people of all walks of life inevitably face the battle of the bulge — with Christmas dinners, abundances of chocolate and frigid temperatures impeding outside activity, fad diets and lame exercise routines flood magazines, television channels and even some newspapers in an effort to help people keep off the extra pounds. Often, these solutions do nothing to aid fitness and well-being and can often make things worse. Consider this article a well-needed dose of disaster mitigation. In keeping with a holiday theme, 12 facts or faux-pas will be outlined in this article. 1. Losing weight is about taking in fewer calories than you burn. That's it. A food that contains 400 calories comprised of mostly protein and carbohydrates will do more to add weight to your body than a food containing 200 calories of all fat. Every 3,500 calories is worth one pound of fat on the human body. 2. The saying “I am going on a diet” is grammatically incorrect. Unless you are able to live on eating nothing, you are always on a diet - it's your day-to-day nutrition. These “fad” diets, such as the soup or cracker diets are just a sexy way of telling you to consume fewer calories. 3. Want a workout that will really make you sweat? Look up some of the exercises that professional martial artists use. While you may not be a fan of the aggression and bravado that accompanies cage fighting, you have to respect the training these athletes go through. 4. HFCT (high fructose corn syrup) is the devil. Stay away from it. It carries numerous health risks and takes the nutritional value out of any “healthy” food. It can be found in things such as ketchup, most breakfast cereals, and dried fruits. , 5. Less is more. Don’t divide your calories into a few huge meals a day. Starving your-body will put it in overdrive, and it will store all of those calories as fat when they finally get them. Eat lighter and more frequently, about every 2-3 hours. This will boost your energy and metabolism. 6. Drink lots of water, up to 4 litres a day if you exercise heavily. Water helps properly utilize nutrients your body takes in. Those who take protein supplements will be pleased to know that recent research has shown that drinking water regularly in combination with protein will affect muscle growth in a similar, albeit more natural way than anabolic steroids. 7. Fast facts about calories: there are four calories in every gram of protein and carbohydrates, and nine calories in every gram of fat. 8. If you are going to use one, choose aspartame (the main ingredient of most artificial sweeteners) instead of refined sugar. The health claims surrounding aspartame are largely unfounded and cannot be generalized. Sugar will spike your insulin levels, leaving you feeling lethargic and tired. 9. Try to cut back on sodium. While most people believe that this is only important as you get older and have to monitor blood pressure, keeping your sodium intake at around 2,000-2,500 mg a day will reduce your water retention. Excess water in a body can commonly be mistaken as fat. People who often struggle to lose fat and gain muscle definition are usually exercising enough, but are still taking in too much sodium. 10. All calories are not created equal. While this may seem contradictory to point #1, this does not refer to weight loss. While it will go towards gaining more weight, 1,000 calories worth of broccoli is more beneficial for your body than 500 calories worth of McDonald’s fries, any day of the week. 11. This is really beating a dead horse, but breakfast cannot be skipped. Eating first thing in the morning will kick start your metabolism after it has been stalled for several hours. 42. While milk is a practical source of calcium, it is high in sugar and fat. Those looking for alternative sources of calcium will find them in green vegetables, fruits, nuts and some fish products. Disgusting fact: Ready-made chocolate milk contains blood from the utters of cows. \\ _— ONLINE SOURCE Battle that bulge!