MikeCFT's advice column | Page 26

home view feedback ask questions add as friend advicenators

Website:

Gender:

Male

Member Since:

January 1, 2006

Answers:

930

Last Update:

September 1, 2009

Visitors:

89351

Favorite Columnists

bLue_in_tHe_faCe

Main Categories:

about

advice

What are good things to eat before and/or after a workout? Thank you :)

Before a workout- white bread, grapes, a little bit of orange juice

After a workout- protein drinks are king

The reasoning behind this is the effect these foods have on your blood sugar. Before you workout you want to give your body a little bit of sugar to raise the blood sugar level and cause a better fat burning enviornment.

After a workout you will want to do the opposite, since everything in your body is going crazy already from working out you want to give it a quick shot of a slow digesting nutrient (protein) as the blood sugar stabilizes. This will help prevent bodyfat accumulation and keep your hunger levels in check until your next meal.

I want to lose just a few pounds. I'm trying to eat healthier, & excersicing more but I'll admit I cheat. I need help with what foods to eat and how often, and when & how long to excercise and stuff.

just thought you should know thoughh..I really don't like running it fees weird being out in my neighborhood i feel like people are watching me. i also cant go to the gym, im 13. oh yeah and i cant buy a video i dont have enough money

thanks

Don't feel bad if you cheat, it happens to us all and it's bound to happen either way. I know that getting into everything must be complicated for you because of all the different products and programs that claim to be the best out there but you really only need to do the basics. If you look at the biggest fitness icons whether it is Schwarzenegger, Jack LaLanne or whomever they all had one thing in common and that is the fact that they no matter how advanced they got they just stuck to the basics in fitness and nutrition- plenty of rest, good wholesome food and enough training to not go overboard. You don't need to buy a video, all you need to do is train 3 times a week for 45 mins to an hour and make sure you are eating as many fresh, wholesome foods as possible the best are tuna, skinless chicken breast, eggs, fish, fresh fruits and veggies and I can't emphasize this enough- WATER. Water is very very important. Unfortunately we are forced to do things we sometimes hate in fitness and I'll admit that I absolutely HATE doing cardio but it's just a necessary evil lol.

You mention that you can't go to a gym just because you're 13. I don't know whether you mean that you can't because you feel your body isn't mature enough to handle exercise or that 13 year olds are banned from gyms and really both are incorrect. At 13 you just need to work out a little less intense as someone older such as 16 years old and you need plenty of rest to help you grow. Gyms will let you work out there, some require you get certified in teen fitness and some don't but either way there are options available. Remember what I said- stick to the basics and you'll do just fine.

well they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. its always hard to make up my mind on what to eat before school.

and i'm asking if anyone knowns some quick healthy breakfasts that i could at least eat every other day. or what foods i could alternate with. thanx for the advice.

Nothing better than a breakfast of eggs, either whole wheat toast or oatmeal a fresh piece of fruit and milk or juice. And breakfast should be eaten everyday, not every other day.

whats the most weight you could lose in 3 and a half weeks healthily?

3 and a half weeks when you're working out the correct way and eating at least 4 or 5 times a day? Maybe 5 or 6 lbs, 2 of which is fat

3 and a half weeks of just training with no aim or not working out at all and not eating at least 4 or 5 times a day? 10 or 12 lbs none of which is fat.

I think option 1 is the better course of action.

This may sound crazy but i really want to know how i can gain 'healthy' weight. I know that sitting on the couch w/ potato chips is a way to gain weight but i want 'healthy' weight. Like my best friend isnt fat but BUFF (and i REALLY mean BUFF) and i know that i am under weight. not WAY under weight. i eat 3 square meals a day and walk my dogs usually 4 times a day and play basketball and soccer alot. I am really skinny and short. Being short isn't a problem (well kinda for me anyway) but i really want to gain weight so i can get healthy and 'more buff' (stronger if that helps) PLEASE HELP!!!!!
thanks alot:)

More food, more often. Don't gorge yourself but be prepared to eat and train hard. Protein from red meat, poultry and fish build muscle most effectively. Milk by the quarts, containers of cottage cheese and lots of eggs will add significantly to your muscle bulk and power building.

Whole grain breads, cereals and muffins work well for carbohydrate and fiber intake, while potatoes, rice and pasta are the most stable and popular sources of carbs. They burn clean, and with intense training they're not likely to store as bodyfat. Bring on the vegetables of your choice, variety here is good. Complex carbs, fiber abundant, vitamins, minerals and exotic micro nutrients lurk in these foods.

Between meals shakes of Bomber Blend protein, plus peanut butter and bananas are convenient and powerful ways to add to your positive calorie count.

Plan your menu daily. You'll need to eat often, upwards of 6 meals per day. Don't overload your system, we can expect to absorb about 35 grams of muscle building protein at a sitting. For serious weight gain commit to these principles.

Remember, lots of water, lots of calories.

Keep a training log. Record your meals, training program and poundages.

Only with heavy training will your heavy eating be productive. Add squats and deadlifts to your workouts.

Never allow your nutrition to falter, even for a few hours. Keep extra food, protein drinks and supplements at work, in your gym bag and in your car. We're on a mission..

For advanced training and elite performance, creatine, BCAAs and glutamine do work. Big time.

Don't neglect your aerobic work. 20 minutes, 4 times a week will keep you from getting sluggish, increase you blood volume, raise your fat burning metabolism and maintain maximum endurance for training on the gym floor.

Don't contemplate your navel — to get big and muscular you'll need to carry bulk. Bulk's fun. Your back, shoulders and arms spread out, tugging on the seams of your shirt. (This is mostly a "guy thing"...huge, bull, monster, etc.) With the size comes power. Power enabling to train heavier and harder and meaner. This training formula plus big eating equals big core muscle. So ignore cuts and a trim waistline. Focus on the mass, muscle separation and balance. There's a season for everything. There'll be a time for muscularizing and getting ripped later.

I am an athelete and am physically exhausted most of the time after practice. I told my mom this and she says I need more protein so I should eat more meat. However, I'm not a big meat eater. Does anyone have any ideas for easy ways to get more protein into my diet? Like a supplement or something? Thanks.

Well, you're not physically exhausted by a lack of protein most likely, but a lack of carbohydrates and fats. You have to be past a state called Ketosis in order for your body to start using protein as it's main energy source. I think your problem will be remedied with some extra carbohydarte, but you wanted to know about protein so here goes:

Supplements are called supplements because they are made to back up an already existing good diet program and without a doubt the easiest way to get extra protein is with a protein powder but you're going to have to eat lots of protein from foods such as chicken, meat, eggs and fish before you start worrying about taking a protein supplement too serious. Too many people become dependent on the protein powder and skip whole food meals too often and this is not correct at all. My personal favorite and the best protein I have ever come across is made by Optimum Nutrition and is the 100% Whey protein. Tastes great and is a lot less expensive than a lot of shitty powders out there. For more protein and carbohydrate at the same time, put in fresh fruit and skim milk with your protein drink and remember what I said- It's a supplement.

If a gurl is 17 in her boyfriend is in his 30s is it still rape! Dont answer if you are not sure!!

Depends on the state's age of consent...I know in NY its 17 so theoretically if it's NY then no...as far as the statuatory portion is concerned, as long as 17 is the age of consent in your state and its consensual...no its not rape. If it's below the state's statuatory age then it doesn't matter if its consensual or not.

is it true that the average joe only uses about 10 percent of their brain and that people like psychics or w/e have learned to "tune in" to the other part of their brain and thats how they "see" stuff?

No that isn't true. The great Harry Houdini spent much of his career trying to expose fake psychics and people claiming to have clairvoyant and paranormal abilities; even performing some of the feats in his stage shows. This came from the fact that he was constantly trying to contact his mother beyond the grave by holding a seance and even Houdini was conned by one of these people. I would love to see Sylvia Brown do her thing in a scientifically controlled enviornment just to prove she isnt doing what she claims she is.

I play Dance Dance Revolution and I was wondering about how many calories I should try to burn daily? I am 14 and a Male, 5 feet, 4 inches, and I weigh 145 pounds. So far I have managed to burn 500 calories well playing on workout mode (I own MAX version) I was also wondering how accurate the calorie counter is?

Dude...do you want the truth?

Well for one just because it says 500 calories doesn't mean you have burned 500...it just means that you have done 500 calories worth of work and everyone's body metabolizes the cals different so its not universal. Is dance a good workout? Yes, but you have to dance non stop for a very long time in order to burn a true 500 calories.

You're 145 pounds so I don't understand why you're trying to burn 500 calories at a clip, if I were you I would try and maybe lift weights and build your body mass up before you get into the whole cardio thing..unless you want to be a ballet dancer or something like that. If you really had to burn calories I don't think you should do more than 200-250 at a clip.

I want to know how to biuld up upper arm mucsle w/o my parents knowing. this is b/c they would go into shock b/c i am smart not athletic. thanks to those of you who respond.

Why wouldn't your parents not want you to be healthy and strong? Someone before me said it perfect...you can be smart and strong at the same time and not be the stereotypical "musclehead". That's just plain ridiculous. Your arms aren't getting very much stronger or bigger by doing push ups and all of that, you need to be in a gym and workout and do compound movements which you cannot do at home..besides you can only hide the increase in size from your parents for so long right?

I've completely given up junk food. I don't eat fast food, candy, sodas, french fries, pizza, ice cream, potato chips, donuts, all that stuff. So anyways, today my dad, my brother and I went to McDonalds for lunch and I didn't get anything, I said I'd wait to eat lunch when we got home. Then my bro said "You're just afraid of getting fat. And he waved a french fry in my face." I didn't know what to say... and it was embarassing. I'm not afraid of getting fat. I eat plenty!! Just not junky stuff. I want to live a healthy life. And some of my friends joke that I'm anorexic cause I won't eat popcorn at the movies or drink sodas with them. What do I say when they do that??

This is a tough situation for someone to be in. You're doing something that isn't very well understood by the people around you and they respond with hostility. It's commendable that you want to live a healthy lifestyle and you should continue to do it. People who aren't used to healthy living and eating are somewhat intimidated and in some cases jealous of it because of ignorance and immaturity mainly and deal with it just like when facing something unknown, they face it with aggression and cynicism. People sometimes think healthy people are self centered and egotistical without realizing that it is them who are being self centered by not appreciating and respecting the fact of what your health means to you.

The best way to deal with them is to lead by example and have it known not only through your words, but your actions that you plan on persuing a healthy life and that the criticisms of others aren't going to get to you because its that important to you. They won't understand until they do it for themselves, which unfortunately doesn't always happen. You can eat McDonald's once in a while, that won't kill you but like I said lead by your example...if you don't take care of yourself than no one else will.

Today, I did one of the workouts in they had in Seventeen magazine. It was the first time I did it. After, I felt kind of shaky and exhausted. I felt like "woozy". Is there something wrong?

Yes...you did a workout that was in Seventeen magazine.

Hey iam on the low carb diet and i was just wondering how many carbs does okra and squash have?

Not enough to warrant any worry.

Hi,

I recently bought some clothes from the Hollister at my mall. I am a 17 year old boy and think the clothes are nice.

When I got home and showed my 13 year old brother the clothes I got (a polo and a sweatshirt) he started screaming at me and said that only posers and gays were Hollister.

I know quite a few people don't like Hollister and quite a few people do.

I am wondering what people think of boys who wear Hollister?

I think it's pretty gay dude to be honest with you. I think you would be better off wearing Armani Exchange or Diesel..something like that; high class and looks way better than Hollister. Besides Hollister sounds like the last name of a serial killer or a doctor that everyone hates as a kid because he always gave you a needle.

they are going to show this episode on a three year old obssessed with her looks...and I was just wondering what is normal age that many people start getting concerned with how they look?weight,height,etc...etc...

Whenever they are old and still impressionable enough to watch that stupid ass channel MTV and think that the shows on it are real life.

alright so i asked a question a while ago on "do squats really benefit your legs?"

well i was just wondering if anyone knew how long it would be till i saw any change...say i was doing like 200 a day?

thanks so much

I think you may have misunderstood...I meant weighted squats with a barbell on your shoulders. Bodyweight squats really don't do anything because your legs are already acclimated to lifting your bodyweight in that motion so it comes to a standstill. This is why you need to add weight in the form of a barbell across your shoulders. However, you may wish not to do weighted squats though I don't recommend that and the 200 a day will come pretty fast because like I said; your legs are acclimated to the workload. Eventually you will need to do resistance training with weights.

What is the difference between saturated fat and fat?

Fats are categorized by how many hydrogen atoms are attached to the lipid itself. The more hydrogen atoms; the more saturated the fat is, there are polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats and when you read Total Fat on a label its the total amount of these 3 categories in accordance to how much a particular food has- Here's a visual example:

Polyunsaturated fat is like a strand of string that is perfect with no tangles

Monounsaturated is like a strand with just a few tangles

Saturated fat is like a strand all tangled up and messy.

Alrite im 17 almost 18 in October && female.

im about 30 pounds Over weight & im dying to have thatt dream body. Im not Actaully fat. I carry it good i guess you can say. But the fat is in all the wrong places. Thighs & butt & stomach.

I bought this oxygen magazine. Its exercises that give you that total body workout & you can see amazing diffrences in 30 days. I know im not going to lose all my extra weight in 30 days but i hope to lose quite a bit.

Im pretty much willing to do what it takes to lose this weight. Im going to start these exercises soon.

I love to run but it doesnt say anything abut running. I want to run but ill have to do it earrly morning say around 6-7am. I have a soccer field behind my house that ill run around. About how many times do i run around it?

------------------------------------------

Onto foods.

this is the meal plan in this magazine.

meal 1:
1banana, 2 eggs and 1/2 cup oatmeal.

meal 2: a shake of 2 scoops protein powder mixed with 1/2 cup low-fat milk.

meal 3: 2 cups lettuce with 2 tsp each olive oil & vinegar & 4oz chicken breast.

meal 4: 1 oz. almonds & 1 peach.

meal 4: 1/2 cup asparagus, 1 cup brown rice & 4 oz turkey.

meal 5: 1/2 cup light yogurt & 1 oz. walnuts.

---Its that like everything youll eat in one day or is that just ideas?

i know its kind of alot of questions but i really appreciate it. && anything you would like to add to help me out i would appreciate also.

That diet is ok for what you're trying to do but I would still add more protein to it. Add in tuna, more chicken or more eggs. Oxygen magazine isn't the best source for fitness information, but I will say that they gave you a good head start. Notice how each meal is broken down- The slow digesting carbohydrate of oatmeal is eaten first thing in the morning and the carbs become more simple as the day goes on. This is good in the fact that it keeps your hunger at bay and helps prevent the storage of bodyfat. Don't be afraid of carbs and fats though...you need them just like anything else. You're not going to see a drastcially different body in 30 days, I'll tell you that right now but you will see changes and most importantly you will learn discipline and what it takes to make REAL changes. Al is right, running is best done in the morning before you eat so that your body is burning fat over carbs since you haven't fed it all night (hence the meal breakfast to "break" the "fast" of the night.) Try the plan out, customize certain things to fit your taste such as food preferences; as long as they're healthy and be consistent. No one can promise you a drastically different body in 30 days...it just doesn't happen that way but I can say that you will learn a lot about yourself and what it takes to make those changes in 30 days.

does anyone know if doing those squats really benefits to your legs??

if so, how many should i be doing?? any tips?

thanks so much

Let me tell you this....there is NO better exercise in the world than squats. Not only does it benefit your legs, but the balance and breath that it takes actually makes it a whole body workout along with the ability to really get your heart rate up and your fat burning machine going.

I do my squats with a narrow stance and always make sure my thighs go below parallel to the floor. This is an advanced movement and it usually takes someone actually being there to teach you the correct way. One BIG thing to remember when doing squats is to remember that your heels are flat on the floor at all times, if they come up then you can really mess up your lower back. I think people should squat twice a week, 4 sets of 10-12 reps. Like I said there is no better exercise...so you picked a really good one to get going on.

i have trouble sleeping at night.. what can i do besides sleeping pills?

Milk...definitely and make sure it's warm.

Someone has already recommended Melatonin which is an excellent recommendation as it is all natural and already something your body produces. You can buy the pills or just have a tall glass of warm milk which already has a good amount of melatonin in it. If you do get the pills, don't go above 3mg per dose.

<<< Previous Advice Column

Next Advice Column >>>

humorist-workshop