Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
The first and most important change that you will make on your quest for a lean and mean body will be an increase in the amount of Protein that you consume. This applies whether your goals are to build muscle, burn fat, or just get into better shape. The reason for this increase in Protein intake is that Proteins make everything in and on your body. That's right, everything. Fingernails, hair, skin, brain, internal organs, teeth, and of course, muscle.
Muscle is the key word here because the amount of muscle that you have directly affects your metabolism, not to mention your looks. The lean and hard physique that men desire as well as the tight and toned look that women want can both be achieved by adding more muscle. The way to add more muscle is to workout with weights, consume adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, and get enough rest. (Note to women: Working out with weights will not make you "bulky." Testosterone causes men to get that big, bulky look. Women, by definition, do not have enough Test to get that way. By putting on more muscle, you will increase your metabolism and look more like a fitness model than a bodybuilder.)
Let me explain how this works: Contrary to popular belief, you do not build muscle when you workout. When you lift weights, you are actually breaking down your muscle tissue. Immediately after working out, your body begins to repair and recover. It does this by taking Protein and breaking it down into individual Amino Acids, then reconfiguring them and placing them wherever they need to go. Instead of just rebuilding your muscle back to normal, your body super compensates. That means that you will be gaining muscle. This is what happens if you have enough Protein in your system. On the other hand, if you don't have enough Protein, your body goes into a catabolic state.
This, unfortunately, is what happens to most people. In this situation, your body does not have enough Protein to rebuild, so it begins to break down your existing muscle to repair what was broken down in the gym. Obviously, this is not productive. This is the reason why so many people don't get the results they want and get disillusioned with working out. Fortunately, you can avoid this common mistake by simply taking in an adequate amount of Protein each and every day.
Figuring out what an "adequate" amount of Protein is for your body is fairly simple. For a woman, it is anywhere from a gram to a gram and a half of Protein per pound of bodyweight per day. For example, a 130 lb women would take her bodyweight (130), times 1.5 and divide that by 6 (you should consume at least 5 smaller meals per day, but preferably 6-7). So it would go like this: 130 x 1.5 = 195. 195 grams of Protein per day divided by 6 meals = 32.5 grams of Protein per meal.
For a 200-pound man, it would figure like this: 200 x 1.5 = 300. 300 divided by 6 = 50 grams of Protein per meal. Now, unless you have the time to pre-prepare your meals and take them with you, eating this many times will be next to impossible. That's why Protein supplements are essential. Out of all the brands that I carry, the MaxPro is the best High-Protein, Low Carb shake, bar none. It comes in four great flavors and easily mixes in a shaker cup. It has a very thin consistency and tastes awesome with none of that "chalky" aftertaste.
Why should I eat more often if I'm trying to lose weight? Shouldn't I eat Less? Not at all. Probably the biggest mistake that people make who are trying to lose body fat is to not eat enough. The human body is designed to be fed every three to four hours; that's how our metabolism burns. By eating only twice or three times a day, you are putting your body into a fast state. When it is in this state, it is in storage mode. That means that if you wait longer than 4 hours to eat, you're body is more than likely to store the meal as body fat, even if it is a good meal. On the other hand, if you eat every 4 hours, and your meal is in the right ratio of macronutrients (which means higher Protein, lower Carbs and lower Fat), your metabolism will be kicked into high gear!
This an analogy that I use to illustrate my point:
You have just lit two fires. On one fire, you toss a big fat log and let it sit for a couple of hours. The second fire, however, you feed foot long chunks of firewood into it every 20 minutes or so. Now, which fire is going to burn hotter and more efficiently? Obviously, the fire that you are constantly feeding with the right fuel.
The first fire, by the time it is dead, you'll still have half the log leftover while the second fire is hot enough to melt glass . As far as your body is concerned, the "log" that is left over represents what is left of that big meal you ate and will now be stored as fat.
Earlier, I said that having more muscle will lead to a faster metabolism. This is because the only thing that powers your body is muscle. Every action from walking to breathing and even blinking is powered by muscle. Muscle is the only part of your body that burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, period. That means that even sitting on your butt, doing nothing, you will burn quite a few more calories if you have five more pounds of muscle than you do now. Conversely, if you have less muscle mass, your metabolism will be slower.
This leads me back to what a Fast state is. When you are in this state, it means that you have not fed your body for at least four hours. After the four hours are up, as I pointed out earlier, your body tends to store whatever food hasn't been used for energy now as energy for emergencies (which is body fat). Now, whatever energy you have for whatever you do is being supplied by muscle mass. Yes, your body is now sacrificing brain tissue, internal organs, skin and muscle mass to supply you with the energy that you need to get through your day. Talk about a vicious circle! Not only are you depriving your body of the Protein it needs to rebuild and repair what you destroyed in the gym, but your storing record amounts of body fat and permanently lowering your metabolism by breaking down precious muscle mass and using it for energy! And it's not even that great of an energy source. You will find that, once you increase your Protein intake, you will sleep better, recover faster, and have TONS of energy!
Muscle is the key word here because the amount of muscle that you have directly affects your metabolism, not to mention your looks. The lean and hard physique that men desire as well as the tight and toned look that women want can both be achieved by adding more muscle. The way to add more muscle is to workout with weights, consume adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, and get enough rest. (Note to women: Working out with weights will not make you "bulky." Testosterone causes men to get that big, bulky look. Women, by definition, do not have enough Test to get that way. By putting on more muscle, you will increase your metabolism and look more like a fitness model than a bodybuilder.)
Let me explain how this works: Contrary to popular belief, you do not build muscle when you workout. When you lift weights, you are actually breaking down your muscle tissue. Immediately after working out, your body begins to repair and recover. It does this by taking Protein and breaking it down into individual Amino Acids, then reconfiguring them and placing them wherever they need to go. Instead of just rebuilding your muscle back to normal, your body super compensates. That means that you will be gaining muscle. This is what happens if you have enough Protein in your system. On the other hand, if you don't have enough Protein, your body goes into a catabolic state.
This, unfortunately, is what happens to most people. In this situation, your body does not have enough Protein to rebuild, so it begins to break down your existing muscle to repair what was broken down in the gym. Obviously, this is not productive. This is the reason why so many people don't get the results they want and get disillusioned with working out. Fortunately, you can avoid this common mistake by simply taking in an adequate amount of Protein each and every day.
Figuring out what an "adequate" amount of Protein is for your body is fairly simple. For a woman, it is anywhere from a gram to a gram and a half of Protein per pound of bodyweight per day. For example, a 130 lb women would take her bodyweight (130), times 1.5 and divide that by 6 (you should consume at least 5 smaller meals per day, but preferably 6-7). So it would go like this: 130 x 1.5 = 195. 195 grams of Protein per day divided by 6 meals = 32.5 grams of Protein per meal.
For a 200-pound man, it would figure like this: 200 x 1.5 = 300. 300 divided by 6 = 50 grams of Protein per meal. Now, unless you have the time to pre-prepare your meals and take them with you, eating this many times will be next to impossible. That's why Protein supplements are essential. Out of all the brands that I carry, the MaxPro is the best High-Protein, Low Carb shake, bar none. It comes in four great flavors and easily mixes in a shaker cup. It has a very thin consistency and tastes awesome with none of that "chalky" aftertaste.
Why should I eat more often if I'm trying to lose weight? Shouldn't I eat Less? Not at all. Probably the biggest mistake that people make who are trying to lose body fat is to not eat enough. The human body is designed to be fed every three to four hours; that's how our metabolism burns. By eating only twice or three times a day, you are putting your body into a fast state. When it is in this state, it is in storage mode. That means that if you wait longer than 4 hours to eat, you're body is more than likely to store the meal as body fat, even if it is a good meal. On the other hand, if you eat every 4 hours, and your meal is in the right ratio of macronutrients (which means higher Protein, lower Carbs and lower Fat), your metabolism will be kicked into high gear!
This an analogy that I use to illustrate my point:
You have just lit two fires. On one fire, you toss a big fat log and let it sit for a couple of hours. The second fire, however, you feed foot long chunks of firewood into it every 20 minutes or so. Now, which fire is going to burn hotter and more efficiently? Obviously, the fire that you are constantly feeding with the right fuel.
The first fire, by the time it is dead, you'll still have half the log leftover while the second fire is hot enough to melt glass . As far as your body is concerned, the "log" that is left over represents what is left of that big meal you ate and will now be stored as fat.
Earlier, I said that having more muscle will lead to a faster metabolism. This is because the only thing that powers your body is muscle. Every action from walking to breathing and even blinking is powered by muscle. Muscle is the only part of your body that burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, period. That means that even sitting on your butt, doing nothing, you will burn quite a few more calories if you have five more pounds of muscle than you do now. Conversely, if you have less muscle mass, your metabolism will be slower.
This leads me back to what a Fast state is. When you are in this state, it means that you have not fed your body for at least four hours. After the four hours are up, as I pointed out earlier, your body tends to store whatever food hasn't been used for energy now as energy for emergencies (which is body fat). Now, whatever energy you have for whatever you do is being supplied by muscle mass. Yes, your body is now sacrificing brain tissue, internal organs, skin and muscle mass to supply you with the energy that you need to get through your day. Talk about a vicious circle! Not only are you depriving your body of the Protein it needs to rebuild and repair what you destroyed in the gym, but your storing record amounts of body fat and permanently lowering your metabolism by breaking down precious muscle mass and using it for energy! And it's not even that great of an energy source. You will find that, once you increase your Protein intake, you will sleep better, recover faster, and have TONS of energy!
Last edited:
