9 Diet Plateau Hacks: Get Back On The Road To Lean

It's time to get lean. Get your diet moving full steam ahead and reach your fat loss goals with these nine tips and eating plan tweaks from bodybuilder Brad Borland.

Brad Borland is a strength & conditioning specialist, cancer survivor and the founder of WorkoutLab.

The devil’s in the details as the old saying goes. Sometimes the tiniest detail or the smallest adjustment can move mountains when it comes to our diet and training goals. We so haphazardly tend to think we need constant overhauls in order for our eating plans to cultivate the type of change we want to see.

Do you see yourself as that type? The type that feels the need to wipe the slate completely clean regarding your diet? Do you find that when faced with a difficult circumstance or roadblock that you must make a big change in order the see results again?

Don’t. Many times, no, most of the time small, gradual adjustments are called for instead of reinventing the wheel. Staying the general course and adjusting a few critical components is, many times, all that is necessary to get you back on the road to lean-town.

Below are a few common questions you may encounter at some point on your personal journey. Some or all may be just what you need to get the fire stoked once again and reap big dividends by making small changes.

9 Hacks to Reach Your Diet Goals

Hack #1 - Make a minor calorie adjustment

Has the scale stopped moving? As watching the scale isn’t a realistic tool in the war on fat it can still be frustrating when you know the fat isn’t melting off like it used to. Instead of throwing in the towel try a minor adjustment in overall calories. Either decrease or increase (yes you read that right, see #2 for more) your calories by only 200 to 300.

Also, give any new adjustment time (two to four weeks) to make an impact. Being too impatient and demanding overnight results is a surefire way toward frustration.

Hack #2 - Take a training break and bump carbs

Are you becoming too drained during training? This can be a sign of too much of a calorie deficit. If you feel stale and your training, energy levels and overall wellbeing are suffering then you may need a few days off from training in addition to a few more calories in your diet – namely carbohydrates.

When you eat too little the body tends to slow its metabolism down and conserve energy (it thinks it’s starving and wants to surplus energy in the name of fat storage). Increasing calories slightly and taking a short break from training will lead you back in the right direction. See also #7.

Hack #3 - Get creative & spice up your food

Have you lost motivation and enthusiasm on your current diet? A diet doesn’t have to be boring. Research interesting and tasty ways to prepare your food. A bland chicken breast and lifeless brown rice shouldn’t be what’s on your menu every day.

Look up how to spice-up certain dishes, how to prepare low-fat dressings and marinades and don’t be afraid to explore new tastes and new foods that you’ve never tried before. Spark your curiosity and get creative.

Hack #4 - Salvage your efforts by hitting the reset button

Do you keep getting of course with your diet? Does it seem like you are always trying to play catch-up? Do you feel like you are constantly getting knocked off your horse when it comes to sticking to your plan of action? Adopt a new perspective and work with what you have.

Instead of throwing it all away and starting over once again, pick up the pieces where you are currently and move forward. If you had a bad day of eating one day, simply do a little better the next day. Salvage your efforts and soon you will see that discipline and consistency is built over time.

Hack #5 - Inject a tweak into your plan

Is your diet stale and lifeless? This can easily be relatable to #3. In addition, try different techniques such ascycling your carbohydrate intake, increasing some healthy fats and/or install a weekly cheat meal or two.

Take time to prepare your food and add in more flavors, research fast ways to prep food and use unique meal combinations. Exchange ideas with others and create a small community of support. Healthy diet food doesn’t have to be bland and boring.

Hack #6 - Stop starving & increase calories

Are you starving all the time? Having that starving feeling is no way to live. The hunger reflex is your body’s signal that it needs fuel. Normally a sign of too few calories, feeling constant hunger pangs is a surefire way of running yourself into the ground.

Slightly increase calories over the next few days and keep track of how you feel. You may need to increase some healthy fats or complex carbs in order to properly fuel your muscle especially during intense training.

Hack #7 - Satisfy your cravings for missed foods

Do you miss your favorite foods? As I see it, this issue can be solved two ways.

One, if you need that binge fix after a week’s worth of dieting then schedule a cheat day at the end of the week. This will have you looking forward to a “reward” and will make the week easier to get through.

Two, as stated above, you can research ways of preparing your food differently to make it more appetizing each day. Who wouldn’t love marinated meats, grilled and spiced vegetables and quinoa?

Hack #8 - Lose the right kind of weight

Are you losing too much of the wrong kind of weight? We all have looked at the scale once or twice or 100 times in our lives but who is to know if it is the right kind of weight we are losing.

A weight loss or gain of one to two pounds per week is about the limit when it comes to putting on muscle or losing fat respectively. Again, as a lot of over dieters are guilty of, having your calories set too low will go against many or all efforts in the gym. You must feed your body to function and recover and have a slow and steady mindset regarding getting lean.

Hack #9 - Forget "perfect" and just start

Have you quit and are finding it impossible to start again? The biggest hurdle to any big endeavor is to just start. Start somewhere, somehow but the most important thing is to just start. You don’t need the perfect plan, with perfect execution to be successful and to start seeing results.

Every little action no matter how small will add to your self-discipline, consistency and effectiveness building each and every day until you can step back and see the monumental path you have taken. Your journey is made up of many single steps that build a foundation of positive habits and incredible willpower getting you closer to your goals.

muscleandstrength.com

• ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  
  

  Brad Borland

  Brad is the founder of Workout Lab. He has a Master's degree in Kinesiology and is a consultant, writer, strength & conditioning specialist, husband and father. Brad is a military veteran and a cancer survivor.

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Birth Control Plugs Male Malaria Mosquitoes

Mating of some disease-carrying mosquitoes would not result in births if scientists can disable the male’s mating plug. (University College London/Sam Cotton)
Rosanne Skirble
A team of scientists at Yale University is working on a new birth-control drug for male mosquitos that could slow the malaria epidemic, a disease that sickens more than 215 million people, killing 655,000 each year. 

Only female Anopheles gambiae mosquitos transmit malaria to humans and they are the principle vector for the disease. But chemistry professor Richard Baxter and his team at Yale University are focused on the males.
 

Malaria mosquitos mate in airborne swarms. Unlike any other insect, the male inserts a gooey plug to seal its sperm inside the female during mating to ensure reproductive success.

At a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia this week, Baxter and his colleagues announced a new approach for screening chemical compounds that would inhibit formation of the mating plug.

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This sterile insect technique has been successfully deployed in Africa against tsetse flies that transmit sleeping sickness, and in the United States to control the screwworm fly, which was once responsible for millions of dollars in losses in the cattle industry and has since been eradicated. 

Two boys sit under a net in Patigo, Papua New Guinea in this file photo. While indoor spraying and insecticide treated bed nets have been important tools for malaria control, mosquitos are becoming resistant to such measures.

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Baxter says this is important because malaria mosquitos are becoming resistant to insecticides and adapting to indoor control measures by biting outdoors, during the day.  

“So the idea is if we can actually suppress the mosquito, we will prevent the transmission of the disease and then eventually if you prevent transmission for several seasons, you will eradicate the parasite that itself causes the disease without eradicating the mosquito.”   

Over the next several months, Baxter will test various chemicals to see which ones disable the proteins, so mating would be unsuccessful. 

“If that works in the lab, then we can move on to semi-field trails, where we have a large cage, which is outdoors," he says.  "That would test the efficacy of the compound in a more realistic setting.”

After mosquitos are fed the inhibiting compound, the modified males would be released to mate with wild females. With no resulting offspring, the population would be reduced without the use of pesticides.


Source: http://www.voanews.com

5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch

Most schools are trying hard to upgrade their lunch programs and offer the best food they can. But not every school cafeteria provides appealing, healthy lunch choices. Educate yourself when it comes to what your cafeteria has to offer. For example, did you know chicken nuggets have more fat and calories than a plain burger?

Even if your school provides healthy options, it can be too easy to give in to temptation and pick a less healthy choice when you're feeling really hungry. How do you take control? Take a packed lunch to school!

Here are the top 5 reasons to pack your lunch — and snacks — at least twice a week:

1. Control. Do you ever wait in the lunch line only to find when you get to the front that you don't like what they're serving? So you reach for pizza again. A healthy packed lunch lets you avoid the lunch line (and any temptations). Bringing your own lunch also lets you control exactly what goes into the food you eat.

2. Variety. It doesn't hurt to cave in and enjoy the occasional serving of pizza and hot dogs. But if you're eating these foods all the time, your body probably feels ready for a change. A packed lunch a couple of times a week means you can enjoy some favorites that you might not find at every school — like a piping hot thermos of your mom's chicken soup; hummus and pita bread; or some crisp, farm-stand apples.

3. Energy. If you have a big game or activity after school, plan a lunch and snacks that combine lean proteins with carbohydrates to give you lasting energy and keep you going through the late afternoon. Some ideas: your own "trail" mix of dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds, whole-grain pretzels and low-fat cheese, or a bagful of baby carrots and yogurt dip.

4. Cold hard cash. Pack healthy snacks so you don't feel tempted to step off campus for a fast-food lunch, or hit the vending machine or corner store for chocolate and a soda! Put the money you save on such snacks aside.

5. That warm and fuzzy feeling. Remember when your mom or dad used to pack your lunch? Pack yourself a retro lunch featuring healthy versions of your old faves — such as PB&J on whole-wheat bread.

Whether you pack or eat in the cafeteria, what’s important is that you make healthy choices. If you're concerned that your cafeteria doesn't offer enough healthy choices, get involved in trying to make changes. Ask a teacher or someone in food service for advice on how to get started.

Want to know more on this topic? Check out the articles listed below.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2008

 

resource": http://teenshealth.org/

How to Grow Muscle All Night

Eat this before bed for gains while you sleep

by CJ Murphy

 

Your body is primed to build muscle two times a day—right after your workout and during deep sleep. With the right meal or supplement before bed, you can get stronger while you doze.

THE SCIENCE: Your body releases its biggest surge of growth hormone during REM sleep. If you have ample amounts of protein in your system, you'll take full advantage of the spike and make greater muscle gains. Also, your muscles will soak up protein through the night, so you won't go into "hunger" mode (where your body can break down muscle) as quickly.

WHAT TO EAT: A slow-digesting form of protein, such as chicken or turkey, is ideal. Or try low-fat cottage cheese with pineapple chunks and an ounce of almonds for healthy fats to help slow digestion further.

WHAT TO DRINK: A shake made with casein, a slow-release protein. Good options include BSN Syntha-6 or Labrada Pro V60 Plus. (Because it digests quickly, whey protein powder is not the best choice here.) For even greater gains, consider mixing in five grams each of creatine, BCAAs, and glutamine. You can add them to your shake separately or get them all in one product, such as VPX No Synthesize.

 

Source: http://www.mensfitness.com