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How To Enjoy The Foods You Love And Trim That Waistline

by Geraldine Marques-Frediani, Pilates Instructor

Eat Six Meals a Day

We're so used to hearing people talk about eating less food that it's become weight-loss doctrine. The new philosophy that I want you to keep in mind is "energy balance."

Researchers at Georgia State University developed a technique to measure hourly energy balance - that is, how many calories you're burning versus how many calories you're taking in. The researchers found that if you keep your hourly surplus or deficit within 300 to 500 calories at all times, you'll best be able to change your body composition by losing fat and adding lean muscle mass. People with the largest energy imbalances (those whose calorie surpluses or shortfalls topped 500 calories from hour to hour) were the fattest, while those with the most balanced energy levels were the leanest. So if you eat only your three squares a day, your energy levels are all over the place. That kind of eating plan is great - if your dream is to consistently gain weight. But if you want to look slimmer, feel fitter, and live longer, then eat more often. Simply alternate your meals with snacks and you'll keep your stomach full, which will reduce the likelihood of a diet-destroying binge.

Drink Smoothies Regularly

A blender may be the ultimate weight-loss assistant. Smoothies - blended mixtures of milk, low-fat yogurt, whey protein powder, ice, and other good stuff - can act as meal substitutes and as potent snacks. They require little time; the berries, flavored whey powder (you won't even taste it), or peanut butter will satisfy your sweet cravings; and their thickness takes up space in your stomach.
A University of Tennessee study found that people who added three servings of yogurt a day to their diets lost 61 percent more body fat and 81 percent more stomach fat over 12 weeks than people who didn't eat yogurt.
Researchers speculate that the calcium helps the body burn fat and limits the amount of fat your body can make. So drink an 8-ounce smoothie for breakfast, as a meal substitute, or as a snack before or after your workout.

Know What To Drink - And What Not To

There are many ways that alcohol can get you into trouble. It doesn't make you feel full or decrease the amount of food you'll eat. But it does encourage your body to burn as much as 36 percent less fat and make you store more of the fat you eat. And it can inhibit your production of hormones that help burn fat and build muscle.

Okay, so water isn't exciting, but drinking about 8 glasses of it a day has a lot of benefits.

It helps keep you satiated (often what we interpret as hunger is really thirst). It flushes the waste products your body churns out when processing protein or breaking down fat. And it transports nutrients to your muscles to keep your metabolism clicking. Otherwise, the best drinks you can have are low-fat milk and green tea (or, if you must, no more than 2 glasses of diet soda a day).

Protein (Whey) Powder

Superpowers : Building muscle, burning fat

Whey protein contains essential amino acids that build muscle and burn fat. But it's especially effective because it has the highest amount of protein for the fewest number of calories.

BMI, percent body fat, lean body mass, daily calorie, protein requirements, etc.

You can calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), percent body fat, lean body mass, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, daily calorie and protein requirements online :
http://www.style-pilates.com/diet.html

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Recipe

Banana Mocha Protein Smoothie

Good news die-hard coffee drinkers, you now have a protein shake recipe that will give you more sustained energy than a morning coffee alone.

Preparation Time : 5 Minutes

Servings : 1

Ingredients :
- 1/2 cup coffee or herbal coffee substitute, already prepared
- 1/2 cup frozen yogurt, low-fat or non-fat
- 1/4 banana
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
- 2-4 ice cubes

Directions :
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass or travel mug and serve.
Use more or less ice cubes depending on the thickness you want for your smoothie.

Nutrition Info - Amount Per Serving :
Calories          107
Total Fat         1 g
Total Carbs     5 g
Protein            12 g

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Exercise of the Month

Pilates on the Mat :: Bridge / Pelvic Curl

Start Position

Lie with back on floor, spine in neutral position.
Bend knees and place feet hip-width apart.
Body is relaxed, arms are at sides with palms facing floor.

Workout

Inhale to prepare.

Exhale, tighten abdominal muscles and lift lower back off floor, one vertebra at a time. Keep soles on floor.
Midway through the motion, use the hamstrings to lift pelvis and trunk higher.
Body and thighs should form a straight diagonal line.

Inhale, keeping body still. Keep shoulders and neck relaxed.

Exhale and lowering the upper body, then the pelvis, to the ground, one vertebra at a time.

Tips

Try to get a nice smooth and slow rhythm going with the breath and the movement of the spine.

Benefits

Strengthens the abdominal muscles and hamstrings - the muscles in the back of the thighs.

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