Written by IFBB Bikini Pro Jaime Baird
A tight midsection is a universal sign of good conditioning. A small waist sets off your proportions to help you achieve that hourglass look. A lean middle is a key to good health and longevity, as abdominal visceral fat can lead to serious health concerns and insulin resistance. All are great reasons to want a small and tight waist, so let’s get to it! Here are my “secrets” to making it happen:
“First Bite Warning: Foods That Make You Do Bad Things”
It’s a common slipup: After weeks of eating well, hitting the gym, and skipping dessert, you’re on track to lose those five pounds. You deserve a reward, some candy, a (non-diet) soda, or a side of fries. But hours later, the scene around you looks like “The Hangover” meets the Food Network.
In the same way that some drugs pave the way for even harder ones, a weakness for a certain food can open the door to an avalanche of bad eating choices, says Gary Wenk, Ph.D., author of Your Brain on Food. Some foods are like gateway drugs,” he says. “From your brain’s viewpoint, there is no difference.” These so-called gateway foods make you feel out of control, maybe even physically unable to stop reaching for more, in part because of their addictive effect on your mind and body, according to research. But rehab is probably easier than you think.
It may seem silly to think about being addicted to food, something we’d die without, but most of us eat for a lot more than just survival. Merely looking at or thinking about a food you know you love activates the reward portion of your brain, the nucleus accumbens, the same area stimulated by drugs and alcohol. This triggers the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that enhances your awareness of that food (so forget ignoring it!).
(Source: twitter.com)
Wow.. check out Kelsey Byers awesome transformation!
For more info on how she did it, including her workouts and meal plan.. here’s the link!:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformation-clean-eating-made-her-a-model.html
BMR = Basal metabolic rate.
“Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and the closely related resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state… The release, and using, of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, the heart, lungs, nervous system, kidneys, liver, intestine, sex organs, muscles, and skin.”
I hear far too often that girls are eating not only BELOW their BMR, but they are burning an additional 300+ calories through exercise!!! Please note the above description…. the BMR is when you are AT REST. When you shower, eat, talk, read, play on tumblr, work, go to class and do ANYTHING… you are burning calories! This means that your daily calorie burn is going to be substantially more than your BMR.
By eating at or below your BMR… you run the risk of going into starvation mode. Your body will cling to fat to preserve itself, it will burn precious muscle for fuel (remember muscle is a huge determining factor of your metabolic rate) and your organs cannot function well.Feed your body ENOUGH of the RIGHT foods so that it can function properly! Starving yourself is not healthy and is not going to give you long-term weight loss results!
Very cool chart about controlling cravings!
This looks so helpful! Veggie cooking cheat sheet!
