This is a great starting point for someone who is a beginner in fitness. Beginner’s have a hard time when they start working out because there is so much information out there that contradicts itself. One trainer will say heavy weights low rep, the next will say low weights high rep, high-protein vs low fat, etc. To make it even more difficult, those same opposing viewpoints/ methodologies can both be right. Getting into shape largely depends on the individual person and their goal. There is no one size fits all. We have a few universal laws but there are many ways to apply them. For example, to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. I can name 9 different ways off the top of my head to attain that goal. However, what has worked for me or another client may not work for you. You have to find the right tool to get the job done. Being well versed in many styles of training and nutrition is a plus.

To apply the scientific method to your own unique situation you will need three things. Pen, paper, and commitment. Use the pen and paper to plan your workouts/ nutrition and track the results. You will need the commitment to see the “experiment” through. Begin by asking what your goals are. What is it that you want to achieve and how can you do it? After that do some research on your goal. Let us assume that your goal is to lose weight. Read up on the best ways to lose weight from a credible source such as AlchemyFit.com or other good but not as great online resources, lol. Based upon your findings construct a hypothesis. It could go like this: ” If I took one of the hours I spent watching t.v. daily and exercised 4 times per week and cut back on processed foods I can lose weight”. For most people out there, these two simple changes would be enough to make a huge difference in results.

Next, you would test your hypothesis by experimenting. Your experiment consists of your exercise and nutrition program for an amount of time. I think that 8-12 weeks should do. Four weeks is not enough to see substantial change and twelve weeks is ample time to see results. Take your measurements, body fat percentage, and weight down before you start the program. At the end of the 8-12 weeks analyze your results and draw a conclusion. If you lost 20 pounds and dropped 7 percent body fat, you can conclude that whatever you were doing works for you. If you lost 6 pounds or even worse gained with no changes in your body fat percentage, you can conclude the program wasn’t very effective. Should you be mad, upset, or demotivated? No!!! Look at it like this, you didn’t fail you just found a way that didn’t work for you. Over the years I have tried many different programs with mixed results. All of them were part of my learning process. I absorbed what was useful and disregarded what was useless. Somethings that I found useful for me did not work for other people and things that were useless to me worked wonders for other people. So stop trying to find the perfect program and pick one and do it. Track the results, make some adjustments, and continue on.

If this post has helped you in anyway, please feel free to make a donation to our “Lose Weight, Save A Child” fitness challenge. We are raising money to help those who need it the most. Thank you.

This diet is called the Caveman Diet or Paleolithic Diet because it is based off of what our ancestors ate. Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers (Wow, I owe my 6th grade social studies teacher $5. I bet her I would never need to know about evolution in real life!). They primarily ate lean game meat, nuts, berries, and vegetables. Our bodies evolved over thousands of years on this type of diet. A balanced diet high in protein, lower carbohydrate, and ample amounts of good fats (Omega-3 and Omega-6). They never counted calories or held back from certain foods. Obesity and diabetes were also very rare in those times. Coincidence?

Take a look at our present diet and you can see why we are cancerous, obese, and diabetic. Sure diet isn’t all to blame, it only accounts for 80% of the problems (Note: that last 80% number hasn’t been scientifically verified but that’s just how the author feels and he wanted to get a message across). The other major issue is the sedentary life-style that we now have. We expend very few calories in search of our meals these days. We walk downstairs and open a refrigerator then pop it in the microwave. Back then, we had to hunt food. We would track them for miles in some cases and have to get in spear or arrow distance. When we hit the target it would likely still be running for a while longer and we would have to follow the blood trail. We would then have to carry it back to the camp and so on. Even though some of us still hunt today, it is nowhere near as difficult or strenuous.These days a rifle will drop game right where they stand and we haul it back home on the back of a pick-up truck.

The Caveman Diet is the only diet you need to know if you want to lose weight, stay in shape, and maintain optimum health. Over my years of research and trying different diets and implementing nutritional advice, I have yet to find anything close to being this simple and effective. I had also unwittingly adopted this diet without knowing the name for it. Piecing together the best aspect of the Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Mediterranean Diet, Volumetrics, etc. I had followed this routine with amazing results. I cut back on carbs, ate protein at every meal, and ate plenty of fruits and vegetables. The best part is that I didn’t count one single calorie. I ate until I was full and saved the rest for later. Also, a few cheat meals each week didn’t hurt my results. So lets recap: it is easy to do, not as restrictive as other diets, no calorie counting, and it works! Try it out for 30 days and let me know how it works for you.

If this post has helped you in anyway, please feel free to make a donation to our “Lose Weight, Save A Child” fitness challenge. We are raising money to help those who need it the most. Thank you.

Green
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, folate, calcium, fiber, lutein, vitamin C, calcium and phytochemicals. Some of the phytochemicals may also help keep bad bacteria out of the stomach and aids in digestion. The nutrients found in these vegetables lower blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol levels, support vision retinal health, fight harmful free-radicals, and reduce the risk of cancer.

Artichokes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Green Peppers
Kale
Okra
Peas
Spinach
Zucchini

White
White fruits and vegetables contain nutrients such as beta-glucans and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. Pears and Onions contain phytochemicals that can reduce the risk of cancer and may help with allergies.

Bananas
Cauliflower
Garlic
Ginger
Mushroom
Onion
Potatoes
Turnips

Orange/ Yellow
Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables are well known for having lots of beta-carotene and vitamin C. They also contain lycopene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, and potassium. These nutrients lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. They also reduce the risk of prostate cancer, age-related macula degeneration and promote collagen formation. Beta carotene is also converted into Vitamin A within your body. Vitamin A is important for your immune system, vision and skin. Cantaloupes and oranges are high in the mineral potassium. Potassium helps your heart to pump correctly and helps your muscles to contract. Yellow citrus fruits contain phytochemicals which can act as antioxidants. Some can actually prevent cancer-causing substances from entering your body.

Apricot
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Grapefruit
Lemon
Mango
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Peaches
Pineapples
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Sweet corn
Sweet potatoes
Tangerines

Red
Contain nutrients and phytochemicals such as lycopene, quercetin, and, ellagic acid. The nutrients in red fruits and vegetables lowers blood pressure, LDL cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of prostate cancer, They also help support joint tissue in arthritis cases.

Beets
Blood oranges
Cherries
Cranberries
Guava
Papaya
Pink/Red grapefruit
Pomegranates
Radicchio
Radishes
Raspberries
Red apples
Red bell peppers
Red chili peppers
Red grapes
Red onions
Red pears
Red peppers
Red potatoes
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Watermelon

Purple/ Blue
Purple and Blue fruits and vegetables include blueberries, grapes, purple cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, and plums. They are rich in a phytochemicals and nutrients such as vitamin C, fiber, quercetin, zeaxanthin, lutein, resveratrol, and flavonoids that help to improve memory. The phytochemicals act as antioxidants to keep your heart healthy and protect against cancer.

Black currants
Blackberries
Blueberries
Dried plums
Eggplant
Elderberries
Grapes
Plums
Pomegranates
Prunes
Purple Potatoes
Purple asparagus
Purple cabbage
Purple carrots
Purple figs
Purple grapes
Raisins

If this post has helped you in anyway, please feel free to make a donation to our “Lose Weight, Save A Child” fitness challenge. We are raising money to help those who need it the most. Thank you.

There are two things you have to do to take advantage of the thermic effect of food. Number one is eating 4-6 smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. Every time you eat, your metabolism goes up slightly for a few hours to process the meal. By eating more frequently you reduce the risk of overeating at a meal when you are hungry. Haven’t you noticed you tend to eat more food after going a long time without eating? It is hardwired into our primal instinct to do so. Our bodies took thousands of years to evolve into the modern day state. In early days food wasn’t always in abundant supply and there were no dollar menus. We also had to expend calories chasing prey down or foraging for nuts and berries. To protect us, our bodies became very efficient at storing body fat for times of famine. Fast-forward a few millenniums where you only have to take a few steps and open a refrigerator or drive up to a local fast food place to get a meal. We are the only animals (not in captivity) besides scavengers who spend so few calories to get a meal. Now you can see why there is an obesity epidemic going on in America.

The second part of the thermic effect of food has to deal with the macronutrients. The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Of the three, protein is the most relevant to this discussion. Your body spends more energy trying to break down proteins than it does for carbohydrates and fats. It is estimated that 25-30% of the calories consumed from protein sources are used in digestion compared to 15% for carbohydrates and 2-3% for fats. This goes to show that a calorie is not a calorie. If you were to eat equal calorie meals comprised of the different macronutrients, the protein meal would be more beneficial to your weight loss goals. Many people have seen great results by using the Atkins diet and other high protein diets due to this. In my opinion, some of those diets are too restrictive but you can up your protein intake in a balanced diet. My favorite is the 40/30/30 ratio -carbohydrates, protein, and fat respectively. That’s the percentage of calories you should get from each macronutrient in your diet. For example, if you were to eat 2000 calories daily this would be the breakdown: 800 calories (200 grams) from carbohydrates, 600 (150 grams) calories from protein, and 600 (66 grams) calories from fat.

If this post has helped you in anyway, please feel free to make a donation to our “Lose Weight, Save A Child” fitness challenge. We are raising money to help those who need it the most. Thank you.

How do you know when you are working at a higher intensity? We have a built in mechanism that gauges that for us. It is called our heart rate. Many experienced athletes and fitness enthusiasts can tell when they are pushing themselves intuitively but others should acquire a heart rate monitor. At the end of the article I have listed the top rated monitors available at Amazon.com. The constant change in heart rate is very beneficial for our bodies because of the indirect effect that it has on our EPOC levels. EPOC stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. EPOC occurs when the body’s metabolism is elevated for an extended period after exercise.

The intensity of the exercise is directly correlated with EPOC levels. Here’s a good motto to live by in regards to interval training; work harder don’t work longer. When you push your body for those brief but intense spurts it will continue to burn calories after the training session in order to replenish energy supplies. During training, you will have likely depleted all of your muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and your muscles will need energy. The muscles begin to breakdown fat to restore their energy in a process called fat oxidation. We will go into more detail about fat oxidation later next week.

Five of the most popular heart rate monitors and a body fat analyzer to track your results:

If this post has helped you in anyway, please feel free to make a donation to our “Lose Weight, Save A Child” fitness challenge. We are raising money to help those who need it the most. Thank you.