Bodybuilding

No, don’t fret if you feel like giving up on that diet plan. All you need to do is need focus on the task at hand, and think of the road ahead. And while you’re trying to do that, here’s how to defeat those diet-busting urges …

It’s no surprise that 80 percent of diets go belly­up, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Why? Because we tend to give up right when we are very close to attaining our aim. what do we do? Give a thought to the following.

You’re starving!

Eat, but eat differently. Grab foods with lots of fibre water. Also keep a stash of dry fruits by your bedside. Create a healthy mix of almonds and raisins in a jar- a tasty hunger-killer. When your stomach is empty, the hormone ghrelin kicks in, which stimulates appetite. By eating foods packed with fibre like fruits and veggies, you’ll feel full while controlling ghrelin production.

You’re cranky

Boost your mood with snacks that satisfy your hormones, not your stomach. Snack on complex carbohydrates, such as a whole-grain treat of a bowl of cereal with your choice of sweet, chopped fruit thrown in blueberries and a little milk. You’re cranky because you’ve eliminated sources of quick mood-boosting energy- like chips and colas. So, you’re going to go through a time when you don’t feel great. Let carbohydrates raise your serotonin levels without inflating your waistline the way sugary carbs can.

You crave food

Give in to snack attacks, but wisely. Keep some low-fat cheese ready at all times. You need ready access to healthy sources of protein or fibre to off set sudden, out-of-nowhere cravings, which are nothing but your brain, by way of your cells, hunting to replenish fat starved cells.

The ‘what the hell …’ syndrome

Weigh in. You need to keep your eye on your rate of weight loss. Setting targets blows away complacency. A study at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth shows that people who weigh themselves regularly are more likely to stay focused. They’re continually reminded of their success so far.

You reach a plateau

Diet less, exercise more. It’s probably going to be easier to exercise more frequently than to further restrict a diet that’s become an ingrained habit. If your exercise is mostly cardiovascular, devote more time to weight lifting. Because you need to burn off more in order to continue to see results.

want your life back?

Let loose- a little bit. Being on a strict diet can drain you mentally, so there’s a huge temptation to let things slide. If you’re meeting your goals, give yourself a break. If you love ice cream, try a lower-fat version. And instead of the all-meat, extra-cheese pizza, top your pizza with vegetables.

Even more influential with regard to dietary supplements, the DSHEA, legally known as Public Law 103-417, was signed by President Clinton on October 25, 1994 in response to concerned nutritional supplement consumers and manufacturers who needed reassurance that safe dietary supplements would remain available to those who want to use them.10,11 In fact, for the 2 years preceding the DSHEA, many congressmen reported that they received more correspondence and phone calls regarding dietary supplements than on any other subject, including the national deficit, healthcare reform, and abortion. Consequently, members of Congress approved the measure unanimously.

The DSHEA basically allows supplement manufacturers the freedom to market more products as dietary supplements and to provide information about product benefits so that consumers can make informed choices. Although the DSHEA was welcomed by manufacturers and consumers alike, in the eyes of some consumer advocates, it “weakened” the enforcement ability of the FDA, but not as much as its original sponsors had intended.

Ingredient and Nutrition Information Labeling

The most visible DSHEA-mediated change is written on the packaging of nutritional supplements. Through requirements of the DSHEA, dietary supplement labels have been redesigned to be more consumer friendly. A dietary supplement is easy to recognize because the product label reads “dietary supplement.” Among other requirements, supplement labels will provide a “Supplement Facts” panel, a clear identity statement, and a complete list of ingredients. Supplement labels will be further described in this chapter under “Consumer Savvy.”

Distinguishing Among Foods, Food Additives, and Nutritional Supplements

Historically, the FDA regulated dietary supplements as foods for several decades. This was done to ensure that their labeling was accurate and that the supplements were safe and “wholesome.” Under the 1958 Food Additive Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&:C Act), any new dietary ingredients for use in food or supplements were evaluated for safety. Frequently, the FDA previously viewed ingredients contained within dietary supplements as being analogous to substances that are added to foods. This perspective was problematic for supplement manufacturers because if a substance was not recognized as safe (GRAS) based on ample scientific literature, then the substance was categorized as a food additive, categorizing it in this way had several consequences for a dietary supplement.

According to the FD&:C Act, to market a food additive required petitioning the FDA for permission. To successfully petition often required much new research, money, and patience; it sometimes took the FDA more than 5 years to approve a new food additive. Because this previous system seemed unnecessarily complex, Congress amended the FD&C Act with the DSHEA to incorporate many provisions for dietary supplements. One major provision of the DSHEA is the precise clarification that the term “food additive” does not apply to dietary supplements. Hence, the DSHEA excludes the ingredients in dietary supplements (and therefore sports supplements) from the pre market safety assessment that is mandated for food additives or for new uses of previously established food ingredients. Binders, fillers, diluents (substances used to dilute), preservatives, and colors that may be used in nutritional supplements are still subject to food additive regulations (New and old ingredients are defined by the FDA with respect to whether they were marketed for nutritional supplement use in the US before or after October 15, 1994.)

The Supplement Police

With the new legislation, the regulatory role of the FDA was changed from that of evaluating pre market safety to policing the industry. Essentially, the FDA went from playing the role of the teacher granting a hall pass to assuming the role of the principal patrolling the hallways for violators. Thus, the burden of proof now rests on the FDA. However, dietary supplements are not exempt from all safety provisions.

What is a “Safe” Supplement?

The DSHEA categorizes a nutritional supplement as adulterated (impure, or of questionable safety) if it or one of its ingredients poses “a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury” when used as indicated on its label. If there are no directions on the label, then the supplement must not present a risk when used under normal conditions. Also, any new ingredient may be considered unsafe if there is inadequate information from which to draw conclusions about its safety.

The government did receive some new authorization as a result of the DSHEA. For example, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may proclaim a dietary supplement “to pose an imminent hazard to public health or safety,” which would effect an immediate ban on sales of the product.

Using Literature to Inform Consumers

Before the DSHEA, any publications used to promote dietary supplements could be regulated by the FDA as labels when used at the time of a prospective sale. Literature that claimed any role in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease was particularly targeted. These claims, though not made on the product itself, would have made the supplement subject to regulation as a drug. So according to the old statutes, supplement sales­clerks should not have promoted products by showing customers any publications that claimed disease-prevention benefits This restriction was even true of scientific publications. Despite these restrictions, however, these marketing strategies were widely practiced.

The new legislature offers significant freedom to those who wish to use literature to market nutritional supplements. Furthermore, the publication must meet several criteria, it must not be false or misleading; it must not promote a particular brand or manufacturer; it must be presented with similar material in a balanced fashion that illustrates the sum of the available scientific literature; when displayed, it must be physically separate from the supplements; it must not have any additional information, such as product promotional literature, affixed to it. Given these amendments, a supplement salesclerk may now legally promote supplements by showing consumers scientific literature detailing the health benefits of particular supplements.

According to the ACSM, the optimal approach to weight loss combines mild caloric restriction with regular physical activity. Together these two strategies should provide a caloric deficit not to exceed 500 to 1000 calories per day. The physical activity component should manipulate exercise intensity and duration to burn from 300 to 500 calories per session and 1000 to 2000 calories per week.

Use of Calories

One of the obvious benefits of physical activity is that it burns calories. Calories are consumed according to body weight, so heavier people burn more calories per minute than lighter people for the same activity. To use it, multiply your body weight by the coefficient in the calories/min/lb column and then multiply this value by the number of minutes spent participating in the activity. For example, to determine the calories expended by a 170-pound person who walks at 4.5 mph for 30 minutes, do the following:

Body fat contains about 3500 calories per pound. Fat storage, however, which includes some lean support tissue muscle, connective tissues, blood supply, and other body components-represents approximately 2700 calories per pound. If this person performs this exercise daily, 1 pound will be lost in approximately 11 days or 33 pounds in 1 year, provided caloric intake is unchanged.

Aerobic exercises, such as walking and cycling, contribute significantly to weight loss. Minimal guidelines for maintaining fitness and losing weight require 300 calories per exercise session performed at least three times per week or 200 calories per session performed at least four times per week. Added weight loss can be accomplished by increasing the length of each exercise session and/or the number of sessions per week. High-intensity activities burn extra calories, but low-intensity exercises are recommended to prevent injury. Complete to determine the number of minutes that you should participate in your favorite activities to burn a minimum of 300 calories.

Deconditioned people should start slowly and gradually progress to using 300 to 500 calories per exercise session. For many people, low-intensity, long-duration physical activity, such as walking, is optimal. For weight loss, all calories do not have to be expended in one exercise session. Three 15 ­ minute walks in a day result in a substantial expenditure of energy. Any physical activity above the amount normally done in a day is a bonus for weight control. The cumulative effect of activities such as walking upstairs, mowing the lawn, and mopping floors can be combined with a structured exercise program to produce steady, safe weight loss.

Exercise Stimulates Metabolism

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy required to sustain life when the body is in a rested and fasted state. BMR is measured in calories and represents the energy needed to keep the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and all other organs functioning. More calories are used to maintain BMR than to perform any other function. Approximately 70% of the energy liberated from food is expended to support BMR.

Metabolism is affected by age, gender, nervous system activity, secretions from endocrine glands, nutritional status, sleep, fever, climate, body surface area, and amount of muscle tissue. Because men have more muscle tissue than women, their BMRs average 5% to 10% higher.

BMR declines with age, primarily because of the physical inactivity and muscle loss that often accompany aging. The annual decrease in BMR beginning at 25 or 30 years of age, though imperceptible, has serious ramifications for weight management and accounts for a significant amount of the weight gained with age. Authorities estimate that the loss of muscle tissue is equal to 3 % to 5 % every decade after age 25 to 30 years. The subsequent decline in BMR produces changes in body composition . Exercise and physical activities are the keys to weight management because they increase and/or sustain muscle tissue, thus accelerating metabolism and using calories.

The Key to Weight Control

Although scientifically controlled studies have not yet proven that physical activity is instrumental in losing weight, they provide compelling evidence as to its importance in weight control and weight loss maintenance. People who lose weight and keep it off almost always exercise daily. Studies that attempt to identify predictors of successful weight maintenance point to physical activity as one of the best markers for long-term success. Researchers at the University of California at Davis found that 90% of the women who had lost 20 pounds and kept it off for at least 2 years were avid exercisers; of the women who had regained the weight, only 35% were physically active. At the Baylor College of medicine in Houston, another group of researchers put 160 obese adults on one of three year-long weight loss programs: diet only, exercise only, or exercise and diet. Everyone lost weight. (The exercise and diet group lost the most). But 2 years later, the exercise-only participants were the only ones to keep the weight off. Other large-scale studies that follow men and women in weight-loss programs for 10 years consistently show that major weight gain is much more likely to occur in people who are sedentary than those who are physically active. Thus although physical activity as a singular strategy has modest effects on weight loss, it is the key strategy for lifelong weight control. More importantly, moderate exercise improves health and reduces risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality for the obese just as it does for normal-weight people.

Combining Dietary Modification and Exercise

Because caloric consumption and expenditure are involved in weight management, both should be manipulated to be effective. Combining sensible exercise and sensible changes in eating habits that can be maintained for life is the most effective approach to permanent weight management. Dieting alone can promote significant weight loss, but a substantial component of the weight loss may be lean tissue. Physical activity alone results in modest fat loss and an increase in lean body mass. Combination strategies involving both food restriction and physical activity meet the goals of weight management most effectively: it improves body composition by promoting weight loss, fat loss, and lean-tissue gain.

BeHavioral Effects

Some evidence suggests that obese people are more likely than normal-weight people to eat in response to external cues. A clock that says it is suppertime; media messages advertising food and beverages; and the sight, sound, and aroma of food are more apt to elicit eating behavior in the obese. This is the basis of the “externality” hypothesis: if people can learn to eat in response to external cues, they can also learn to recognize cues that stimulate eating behavior, substitute other behaviors for eating, and use techniques that decrease the amount of food eaten. As a result of this training the response to external cues should be reduced and replaced by attention to internal hunger signals. Many techniques have been developed over the past 20 years that may assist people in resisting the tendency to eat indiscriminately or to overeat. Generally these techniques employ one or more of the following approaches:

1. Self-monitoring: a journal or daily log is kept, recording food consumption, physical activities, and circumstances related to eating.
2. Control of precursors to eating: the events and circumstances that elicit eating and overeating are identified.
3. Control of eating: behavioral modification techniques are used to control, change, or modify specific eating behaviors.
4. Reinforcement through the use of rewards: rewards tied to the achievement of behavioral goals are identified and used.

These techniques may be useful to some people especially if they are combined with sensible food choices and exercise.