All this obsessing about weights and measurements, although necessary to a degree, can keep you from focusing on the important numbers the ones in your nutrition program.* Note I said nutrition plan, when I say or write about diet I am speaking of proper nutrition & supplementing. I do not believe in those trendy informercial quick fixes, so please do not mistake my use of the word diet. Here, then, are the digits you should zero in on to achieve true fitness succes.

#1 | Take in at least one gram (g) of protein per pound of body weight each day.That’s the magic number for maintaining a positive nitrogen balance, scientific lingo for creating an environment in your body conducive to muscle growth. When dieting, you may need to increase that number. When your carbohydrate intake remains extremely low for more than four consecutive days, you may need 1 1/2 g per pound of bodyweight; if you train twice a day and do cardio on a daily basis to cut up, you’ll definitely need 1 1/2 g.

#2 | Eat at least 2 g of carbs per pound of bodyweight.Ripping up requires that you slash both calories and carbohydrates, but sticking to such a diet for too long can backfire, slowing your metabolic rate. While you’re on a strict low-carb diet, bump up your carb intake to at least 2 g per pound of bodyweight every four or five days. The increase in carb consumption will energize you and trick your metabolism into believing the carb and calorie deprivation are a mirage.

The result: your metabolism will remain elevated, making fat loss a little easier.

#3 | Take 3 g of arginine 3 or 4 times daily.The amino acid arginine performs many valuable functions, the most critical for bodybuilders involving growth hormone and nitric oxide (NO). Arginine helps you produce more growth hormone, obviously important for those looking for more mass. In the body, arginine gets converted to NO, enhancing blood flow to working muscles so they can get more nutrients, hormones and oxygen. Take 3 g of arginine in the morning, before and after workouts, and before going to bed.

#4 | Consume a minimum of four cups of vegetables per day.Four is the minimum daily servings of veggies dieters require for appetite control. Eating low-calorie higher-fiber vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus and spinach, wards off feelings of hunger by taking up room in the stomach and signaling brain chemicals that shut down appetite.

#5 | Supplement with 3-5 g of creatine before and after workouts.Creatine taken before or after training boosts metabolism, kick-starts recovery and provides the raw energy required to support muscle growth. A lot of bodybuilders fall for the more-must-be-better mindset and go overboard.

It’s fine to load creatine, taking up to 5 g four times a day for the first week you’re on it, but after that, all you need is 3-5 g before and after training, and just 5 g total on nontraining days. I like proforms creatine, just throw it down and drink some water.

#6 | Consume 6 meals daily.This is the minimum number of meals the body needs to sustain an elevated metabolic rate. Every time you eat, your metabolic rate rises slightly eating every three hours, or six times a day, helps you take full advantage of this phenomenon.

When you cut calories and carbs on a fat-shedding diet yet adhere to the six-meals-a-day rule you’re less likely to unwittingly cause a metabolic slowdown.

#7 | Give your diet 14 days before making radical changes out of frustration.During the first 14 days of a diet plan, expect to look worse rather than better. At the start of a diet, the body loses muscle-glycogen reserves, which leaves muscles looking flat. Roughly at the 14th day, the body seems to make a big and important adjustment it starts to exert a maximum anticatabolic effect, conserving its muscle mass, while fully adjusting to the diet phase by ratcheting up fat burning.

#8 | Take 7 g of supplemental omega-3 fatty acids daily to support fat loss.These unique fats coax fat loss; however, you have to be eating fewer calories than you need and control insulin (the fat-storing hormone) by avoiding large portions of carbohydrates. Omega-3s spare muscles from being broken down for fuel, which helps maintain an active metabolic rate. They also support the immune system, which is stressed during stringent dieting.

Take 6-7 g divided into two doses the first at your first meal of the day and the second at dinner.

#9 | The ideal duration for a diet is 16 weeks if maximum definition is your goal.Getting cut while maintaining muscle mass is never an easy task. Taking your time, rather than trying to achieve a cut physique within a month or two, allows you to drop bodyfat slowly (and gives you some leeway if you screw up). When you lose fat at a slower deliberate pace, you can maintain more muscle tissue regardless of the particular dietary approach you choose.

#10 | Take 20 g of glutamine (split into four doses) per day.Glutamine is the amino acid that supports the immune system, prevents the burning of branched-chain amino acids and helps encourage the storage of carbohydrates as muscle glycogen rather than as bodyfat. Many hardcore dieters won’t see real results with just 5 g of glutamine a day. Four doses of 5 g each will help to ensure that you have a steady supply so that it can do its job. Take it in the morning, before and after workouts and before bedtime on an empty stomach.

#11 | A dose of 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine is an inexpensive and very effective fat burner.The catch is how and when you take it. Coffee contains chemicals that over time can interfere with the caffeine kick. That is, when you drink a 20-ounce coffee, your body does not absorb the total amount of caffeine therein. With a caffeine pill, you receive the full strength of the 200 mg (a typical dosage); in addition, the form in which it is delivered anhydrous is superior to coffee in reaching the bloodstream.

Take a caffeine pill with water and no carbs 20-60 minutes before cardio/ weights /boxing to maximize the fat-burning hormonal flux prompted by aerobic/anerobic activity.

#12 | Your weapon against metabolic and mental meltdown is 1,000 mg of tyrosine.Tyrosine is an amino acid that can help you feel more alert (it does so by changing your brain chemistry). Dieting and performing a lot of cardio can deplete your body’s supply of norepinephrine a chemical that makes you feel strong, alert and energetic, and also enhances fat metabolism. Taking 1,000 mg of tyrosine upon waking can offset the depletion and loss of this neurotransmitter, helping you power through hard workouts and cardio sessions. Tyrosine also helps the body convert its own thyroid hormones-[T.sub.4] thyroid to a type called [T.sub.3], which helps burn more calories.

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What is your philosophy on nutrition?

10 basic rules.

1. Food should be natural, fresh, pure, and whole.

I only recommend eating whole foods that are left in their natural, un-altered state because these foods are the highest in nutritional value. I try to avoid all processed foods, (especially white flour pasta, white bread, and white rice) but also bad fats, high fructose corn syrup and sugar at all times. Refined foods like white flour and sugar provide no nutritional value and are full of empty calories. PLUS, eating these foods also makes your liver have to work super hard to process it all, which can cause your fat loss efforts to slow down. If the stress on your liver wasn’t bad enough, these “dead foods” (dead because they aren’t living or grow) contain few if any nutrients, and if your diet contains too much of these food types you are at a high risk of being overfed, overweight, and undernourished. So always be sure to eat foods that are “alive” and unaltered by man. Your body can use the natural antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals found in unaltered foods to keep you healthy as well as keep your body functioning at its peak. If your body isn’t functioning at peak capacity, your training efforts will suffer.

2. Always try to eat every 2-4 hours and be sure to eat 5-7 small meals daily.

By eating smaller meals more frequently you will give your metabolism a boost and essentially burn more fat. This is also a surefire way to increase muscle mass. Of course the macronutrients will vary from person to person.

3. Always eat before you are starving.

This just re-emphasizes rule number 2. If you wait until you are absolutely starving to eat, you will most likely end up overeating, or hitting up a corner store or drive through joint and regretting it later. I also never, ever ever buy foods that are tempting. If you keep foods like cookies, cakes, and chips out of the house and office you will be less likely to cheat and blow your diet.

4. Always prepare your meals in advance.

Eating 5-7 meals daily every 2-4 hours is not easy, especially if you have a busy schedule. If you plan your meals in advance though, you will have prepared healthy food to eat throughout the day and be less likely to eat something unhealthy if you get a food craving. I usually take one day out of the week (typically on the weekend) and prepare all of my meals for the week ahead.

5. Keep variety in your diet.

Any diet is boring without variety, but even more importantly, when we lack nutritional variety we can’t supply the body with all of the nutrients that it needs to remain in optimal health. Most diseases are associated with a nutritional deficiency of some sort so it is very important that we add variety to our diet so that we get the full spectrum nutrients that we need to remain healthy, grow, and improve our physiques. In order to make progress and remain healthy it is important to eat enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats daily. However, each macronutrient should be eaten in the correct amount at each meal, and you should not eat the same foods everyday. Eating the same foods in excess can cause nutritional deficiencies because this means that other foods are not used in sufficient variety in the diet. Many bodybuilders and amateur lifters fall into the chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato every day trap. Your body will never recover and grow if it is lacking the essential nutrients that it needs, and the best way to get the full spectrum of nutrients is by mixing up your diet.

6. Never fry foods or use heated oils to cook food.

Foods that are cooked in oils and/or fried are cooked at high heat. This high heat food preparation process is dangerous because it lowers nutritional value and makes food almost impossible to digest. Cooking using heated oils and frying is also a contributing factor to heart disease, hardening of the arteries, and high cholesterol. This means you should also avoid heated healthy oils as well.

7. Eat plenty of fiber.

If you want to remain healthy and improve your physique, you cannot underestimate the importance of dietary fiber. Fiber improves digestion, keeps bad cholesterol levels down, and provides satiety which will keep you feeling fuller longer. I cannot emphasize the importance of dietary fiber enough. 20-25 grams daily is recommended.

8. Let nature work it’s magic to help you heal and recover.

We tear our bodies down when we train. In order to recover and keep our bodies steadily improving we must eat properly, get enough sleep, and supply the body with the nutrients that it needs to repair tissue.

9. Maintain an 80% alkaline and 20% acid ratio.

Proteins and starches are acid, most vegetables and fruits are alkaline. Just about all of the metabolic wastes of the body are acids so we need to eat alkaline forming foods like fruits and vegetables to neutralize these acid wastes. Acid wastes are especially dangerous because they are believed to cause a variety of health problems and chronic diseases.

10. Drink plenty of water.

Because our bodies are over 70% water, drinking enough water is very important. Water helps prime the body for fat loss, as well as flush out harmful toxins. Not drinking enough can lead to a water imbalance in the body, which can increase your risk of disease and dehydration. Be sure to drink between 64 and 128 ounces of water daily.

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Expert Q&A: Fighting Midlife Weight Gain

First, you notice shopping for clothes isn’t as fun or simple as it used to be. Next comes the “muffin top” spilling over the jeans. Then the scale delivers dire news: You’re 10, 15, maybe 20 pounds beyond your “normal” weight.

Midlife weight gain is common. Many Americans gain a pound or so every year as they make their way through young adulthood, ending up fat and flabby at age 40 and beyond.

But it is not inevitable, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, the author of the best-seller Fight FatAfter Forty. Peeke also serves as the chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health TV and often appears as a medical commentator on television news and talk shows.

Why do so many people gain weight in midlife?

Blame it on hormones in convergence with poor lifestyle choices, overeating, not exercising enough, and stress.

But hormones only account for about 2 to 5 pounds. The rest is the result of overeating, poor lifestyle choices — such as not exercising enough — and stress.

How can I not be one of those people who gains?

The keys are three: mind, mouth, muscle.

Use your mind to control stress. If you walk around and everything is stressful, you have a problem. You may respond to stress by making poorer lifestyle choices, such as not eating healthfully and not exercising enough.

Look at your nutrition — in terms of quality, quantity, and frequency of eating. You should eat often.

Quality is all about eating whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein.

Processed foods are bad. Anything that comes in a family-size bag, turn in the opposite direction and run.

Quantity is where a lot of people fall. The majority are baffled by what a serving size should look like. When eating out, and in doubt, eat half of it or less.

Be accountable for calories. You need a general idea of how many calories you need. An average woman, not an athlete, in her 40s or 50s, needs about 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day, on average, if she is exercising. A middle-aged man, average height and not an athlete but exercising, needs about 1,800 to 2,000.

Muscle, of course, refers to the need to exercise and, of course, to weight train.

Should my goal weight increase when I hit midlife?

A better goal than focusing on scale weight is to keep track of body fat. The goals should be to decrease body fat and optimize bone strength.

For a man, a body fat percentage of 18% to 25% is not bad for 40-plus. For women 40-plus, 22% to 27% is not bad.

To get that body fat percentage, you need to have excellent fitness to maintain a good muscle base.

Also, a man should have a waist circumference below 40 inches and a woman below 35 inches.

I’m 40-plus, eating right, and exercising but not losing weight. Why do I have midlife weight gain?

If you have tailored your portion sizes to ones that are appropriate, look at the frequency of your eating. Eat every three or four hours. But not too late at night. The later you eat, the lighter you eat is a good rule.

Eat a balance of lean protein, fats, and carbs. Make the fat good fat, not palm oil or hydrogenated oil, but high-quality good fats [such as those in nuts]. The protein should be lean — a turkey burger or a veggie burger.

Most people have been doing the same exercise routine for years, and your body acclimates. Fat cells at 40 are reticent to give it up. Mix up the exercise routine. Exercise at least five times a week, and I mean cardio.

Add intensity. Add some level of weight training, and challenge yourself with the weights. [Getting professional instruction is advised if you're a novice.] Weight train two or three times a week.

Building muscle gives you that metabolic edge, since muscle mass burns more calories than fat.

Does HRT cause midlife weight gain, is that the culprit?

You can’t blame the low doses of HRT in use today for midlife weight gain, at least not for any more than a few pounds. You do get a little more bloated on it, but it does not cause body fat accumulation. Overeating, not exercising, and stress do.

What’s up with this belly? I never ever had one before.

I call it the menopot. On a man, it’s the manopot.

Excess body fat occurring in the lower abdomen is associated with aging, after 40. This excess body fat in the normal range is usually only 2 to 5 pounds. And you do get a little pooch.

How can I lose this belly?

You minimize it by following the mind-mouth-muscle concepts.

But it’s probably unrealistic to expect a stomach as flat as your 20-something stomach.

Can I boost my metabolism?

Absolutely. You can optimize your metabolism throughout life relative to your age by maintaining the highest level of training you can, within the limits and constraints of your life.

If you lose muscle mass [by not exercising], obviously your metabolism is going to drop.

Of course strength or weight training is crucial.

What workout or workouts are best for midlife people?

Creative cardio. Burn 400 to 500 calories a day in cardio. On the elliptical, for instance, you can burn about 400 calories in about 35 minutes. Cross train as much as you can. Burn the 400 to 500 calories all at once or accrue it.

And don’t forget the weight training.

What’s your weakness? What’s the hardest part, for you, of staying on track and fighting flab after 40?

Because of long days and all my commitments, getting enough sleep. I remind myself: the poorer your sleep, the wider your girth.

Eating dinner not too late. Sometimes I am on a plane or a train, I don’t have the control I want over how late I eat. In general, do not eat dinner past 8:30. I like to eat right about 7.

Now that the kids are back to school, you still have to make sure that they’re getting 25% of their daily calories from snacks. These mini-meals should help them grow healthy. The problem is, what kind of snack would they love to eat?

The snacks you give to your kids should be nutritious, aside from being delicious. However, most kids would ask for candies, cookies, etc. Instead of foods high in sugar and fat, give them foods that contain fiber, calcium, iron and vitamins. Fiber makes them feel full and keeps their digestive tract healthy, while calcium is important for their growing bones and teeth. Moreover, iron helps them in staying active without feeling fatigued and it has a positive effect on their attention span which is important while they’re learning.

Healthy Eats suggests the following healthy foods that they would love to eat during school and after school snacks.

During School

• Fresh fruits such as banana, apple, grapes, strawberries or raisins. Put them in a small resealable baggie or plastic container.
• Yogurts, string cheese, dried fruit, natural popcorn or granola bars are also quick snacks that can be easily tucked into their backpacks.
• These snacks can be taken between classes before lunch break, which is often late in the day. They are definitely going to do better in school if they are not hungry.

After School

• Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/4 cup blueberries
• A slice of angel food cake topped with fresh berries
• An apple dipped in 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• 1/2 whole-wheat pita with hummus and sliced cucumbers
• Hard-boiled egg with sliced veggies like tomatoes, radishes or cucumbers on the side
• 1/2 cup pretzels dipped in 2 tablespoons of low-fat cream cheese
• Edamame (baby soy beans)
• A handful of almonds and dates: stuff 1 almond into each pitted date
• 1 cup of homemade popcorn
• 1 cup of cereal with 1% or skim milk
• Turkey or ham roll ups: 1 slice lean deli meat rolled with 1 slice reduced fat American cheese

Children also love to dip, so slice up some veggies, pretzels or baked chips and make your own dip: hummus, salsa, ranch dressing, guacamole.

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What to do after you’ve blown your calorie budget.
By Daphne Sashin WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
Holiday parties, gourmet meals, and celebratory dinners can easily get a little (or a lot) more decadent than you expected. Let’s face it: Everyone blows his or her calorie budget every now and then.

Do you need to worry? Is that old dieter’s saying, “a moment on the lips, forever on the hips” really true? And what should you do next?
Relax (For a Moment)
The good news is, one meal is not going to ruin you if you eat sensibly and exercise regularly the rest of the time and get back to your routine, experts say. You need to eat 3,500 calories to gain one pound of body fat, so it’s unlikely that a single overindulgence will show up on the scale, experts say.
“We call these ‘taking time-outs,’ and we all take them,” says Rebecca S. Reeves, DrPH, RD, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “No one is perfect in their eating habits. What we have to learn is that we are giving ourselves permission to do this, and as soon as it’s over, we should go back to the eating plan we normally follow. This does not give us permission to continue to overeat and binge.”
The problem is, overeating is not a one-time affair for most Americans, says cardiologist Allen Dollar, MD, chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
“Most people overeat somewhere between 500 and 1,500 calories every single day,” Dollar says. “If they don’t consciously think about their dietary intake every day, they will be overweight.”

Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Too many dieters throw in the towel after a splurge, says Kathleen M. Laquale, PhD, a licensed nutritionist, athletic trainer, and associate professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
“You may feel defeated and say, ‘Oh I blew my diet, and I’ll just eat the whole Christmas season and the heck with it,” Laquale says. “When you do overindulge, don’t be self-deprecating. You overeat for one day; let’s get back on track again. Let’s be more conscious of our portion sizes the next day.”
Think of Your Diet Over the Course of Several Days
It’s typical to eat more sensibly during the week and take in more calories on the weekend, says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, clinical associate professor at Boston University.
So if you eat more calories than you should at a party on a weeknight, consider that one of your “weekend” days and compensate for it accordingly.
“In other words, you had a party on a Tuesday, and that party was quite fun and it almost became like a Saturday,” Salge Blake says. “Just make sure that the days that come after that festive occasion reflect more of the structured Monday-through-Thursday eating pattern, rather than the weekend.”

Resume Sensible Eating
You may be tempted to compensate for the extra calories by skipping meals the next day. But skipping breakfast or lunch will only leave you hungry and at risk for pigging out later.
Salge Blake recommends cutting back throughout the day with a series of small meals packed with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables:
•    Wait until you’re hungry. Then have a light breakfast such as a bowl of low-fat yogurt and berries.
•    Mid-morning snack: A piece of fruit and an ounce of low-fat cheese
•    Lunch: A big salad with lean protein such as fish or chicken, or a whole-wheat pita pocket with lettuce and tuna or turkey
•    Afternoon snack: A cup of vegetable soup and an orange
•    Dinner: A piece of fish and plenty of vegetables

Skip the Scale
After a feast, your weight is bound to be inflated. That’s not because of an increase in body fat, but because of water retention brought on by the excess salt you likely ate.
Weighing yourself will only make you feel defeated. Salge Blake tells clients to weigh themselves on Fridays, when they’re likely to weigh their lowest.
Stick to Your Normal Exercise Routine
Compensating for the extra calories by over-exercising will leave you burned out or worse, Laquale says.
“If you overload and do more than your regular routine, you could strain a muscle, you could hurt a joint. So muscle soreness may set in. Then you can’t exercise,” she says. “So now we’re into your third day, and you’re tight all over and you’re still feeling down because you overate, so it creates a vicious cycle.”

Showing off the Cage Fitness™ logo on his fighting shorts Brian Ebersole gave a great show and won with no questions at UFC 127.

Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites. But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty.

1. Oats
High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with nuts and fruit in the morning, make oatmeal cookies for dessert.

2. Eggs
You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein. They are also a good source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may ward off age-related eye problems.

Serving suggestions: Huevos rancheros for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and frittatas for dinner.

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