You’re all set for your 3:00 workout. Pre-workout snack? Check. Exercise clothes? Check. But just when you thought it was safe to Push Play on your P90X^® DVD, you realize there’s one important thing missing: your water bottle!

That little 12-ounce bottle is truly a fitness enthusiast’s best friend. After all, adequate fluid intake during a workout is essential for comfort, performance, and safety. And the longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids.

Here are 5 important things to know about hydration and exercise:

1. Water works wonders. Did you know that in 1 hour of exercise, your body can lose a quart or more of water? (If you did, give yourself a big pat on the back.) It’s a fact: Water helps replenish your body because of the amount you sweat during a typical workout.Drinking water throughout your workout has a variety of other benefits too. Your muscles can start to cramp if you don’t drink enough. This is because water aids in the removal of lactic acid, which is the primary cause of muscle soreness.It also helps prevent the dreaded “D” word: dehydration.

   Becoming dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic performance, slowing you down and making you feel sluggish. But in extreme cases, it can also cause dizziness, heatstroke, or even death. Last time I checked, none of these seemed like appealing options.

   Want to make a preemptive strike against dehydration? Don’t wait until you begin your workout to get water into your system. So when should you start, you ask? Great question.

2. Drink water before, during, and after your workout. Many people tend to forget about drinking before exercise, which can be another major reason for dehydration. None of the water you drink when you start working out makes it into your system quickly enough to help your body. This is why you need to drink about 15 to 20 ounces 2 to 3 hours before you work out in order to hydrate properly. (Sorry, this doesn’t include alcoholic beverages.)It’s also vital to stay hydrated while you exercise. Remember to drink 8 to 10 ounces of water approximately every 10 to 15 minutes while you work out, not just when you’re thirsty. And once you finish working out? Since your body needs to replenish the electrolytes it lost during exercise, a good sports drink will do the trick quite nicely.
3. The skinny on sports drinks. Sports drinks are perfect for athletes, or those exercising at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more. These drinks contain fluids that supply the needed calories required for continuous performance.Be careful though, as most of these drinks add extra calories from sugar, which can wind up hurting your diet if you drink too much. How’s that for a catch-22?The bottom line is there’s nothing wrong with sipping on a sports drink throughout your workout, and afterwards to replace essential electrolytes.
4. Know the signs of dehydration. The first sign is thirst. I know this sounds painfully obvious, but it’s true. When the body is dehydrated, it sends a message to the brain that fluids are needed.The next sign is the ever-annoying muscle cramp. When you sweat, you lose sodium, which causes cramping of large muscle groups. People sweat at different rates, and those who sweat more are at greater risk for cramping.Next, it’s time for a little bathroom break. No, not now—during your workout.

   Basically, if your urine is the color of lemonade, you’re doing well. If by chance it’s leaning toward the color of apple juice, you need to reach for another glass of fluid. Other symptoms of dehydration include headache, poor concentration, fatigue, constipation, disorientation, and light-headedness.

5. Tips for “wetting” your appetite. Here are a few helpful reminders to ensure that you don’t find yourself on the verge of dehydration:
   • Carry a bottle. Many people find it useful to fill up a big plastic drinking bottle. If you carry it with you all day, you won’t find yourself without water when it’s time to work out. Plus everyone else is doing it, so you’ll look really trendy!
   • Set a reminder. Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder so you don’t forget to drink.
   • Track your progress. Keep a log of how much you drink. This will help increase awareness and help ensure you’re staying on track.
   • Little by little. Whatever you drink during your workout, take it in frequent small amounts. This proven strategy guarantees that your body will absorb fluids more rapidly and effectively—leaving you energized and well hydrated.

In truth, the dangers of dehydration are real and often overlooked. However, staying hydrated before, during, and after exercise will keep your body’s engine running smoothly. You’ll be protecting your internal organs and preventing your muscles from getting damaged. I’ll drink to that!

Howard Shapiro Issue: #240, October 14, 2011

You’re ready to get in shape. You’ve committed to an exercise program and stocked your kitchen with healthy food. Now it’s time to see results. Other than working out consistently and sticking to your nutrition plan, what else can you do to increase your chances of success?

While there’s no magic fat-loss fairy who’ll grant your wishes overnight, there are a few proven techniques you can use to boost your results and lose weight faster. Check ‘em out.

Burn more fat during your workouts.

1. Crank up the intensity early. A study from the College of New Jersey found that people who work out harder during the first half of their workouts and ease up a bit in the second half burn up to 23 percent more fat than people who start out slowly. What does this mean for you? After you warm up (never neglect this or you may end up injured), bump up your workout intensity and give it your all. You don’t have to pace yourself so you can make it all the way through; take breaks as necessary later in your workout.
2. HIIT it hard. By now, you’ve probably heard that the one of the most effective ways to burn fat is with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves short intervals of maximum intensity cardio, followed by intervals of low intensity cardio or rest. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec have discovered that people who do HIIT can lose 3 times as much fat as those who do steady-state moderate cardio. Try TurboFire^® for fun, high-energy HIIT workouts that’ll have you dripping with sweat and burning major calories.
3. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps. Boost your metabolism long after your workout by training with heavy weights. As researchers at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education have learned, the heavier you lift, the greater the rise in your metabolic rate and the longer the boost will last. The result? Increased fat loss. For amazing body-reshaping results, try ChaLEAN Extreme^®, P90X^®, or RevAbs^®.Special note for women: Don’t be afraid to increase the size of your dumbbells! You don’t have enough testosterone to bulk up like the Incredible Hulk, and a lean, strong body will help you burn calories around the clock. Plus toned and shapely muscles look beautiful and give your body symmetry. Still not convinced? Read my related Beachbody^® newsletter article, “10 Reasons Women Need to Lift Weights.”
4. Lift lighter weights for more reps. Wait . . . what? Didn’t I just tell you that you have to lift heavier to burn more fat? It’s true that training with heavy weights for fewer reps will burn more calories post-workout and give your physique a much more dramatic transformation. But there’s also a benefit to using lighter weights at higher reps. For one, you burn a lot of calories during your workout. And if you’re very out of shape or haven’t lifted weights in a while, going lighter will help you condition your muscles and joints and help you prevent injuries. Start with programs like Slim in 6^®, Power 90^®, or Brazil Butt Lift^® until you’re ready to progress to heavier weights.
5. Stay in shape. Once you become physically fit, keep it up. The more active you are, the better your body is at burning fat. According to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, you can avoid regaining belly fat by exercising as few as 80 minutes per week. Keep stoking your fat-burning furnace with regular exercise and good nutrition, and you’ll be lean for life.
   Let your kitchen help you burn fat.
6. Get your omega-3s. Fish and fish-oil supplements are helpful fat-burners because of their high levels of omega-3 fats. Two recent studies in Iceland and Australia demonstrated that people who consume fish oil burn more fat than people who don’t. Additionally, the Australian study showed that when fish oil is combined with exercise, the results were even better. To promote fat loss, take one or two Core Omega-3™ capsules with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
7. Don’t cut calories too quickly. You know that in order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories. But dropping them too quickly can cause your metabolism to slow down, because your body thinks it’s starving and desperately holds onto fat. A dramatic reduction in calories can also lead to what author Martha Beck calls “famine brain,” a condition in which your poor starved brain starts to freak out and all you can think about is food until you go nuts and eat everything in sight. The stress makes you much more likely to binge and end up fatter than ever. So what’s the easiest way to cut calories gradually and keep your sanity?Start by swapping your usual breakfast for Shakeology^®. It’s only 140 to 150 calories and tastes great, and you can add healthy ingredients like milk or a dab of peanut butter and still keep the total calorie count low. Next, try cutting your total calorie intake by 250 calories per day. Give it a couple of weeks and see if you like the results. If you’re losing weight, stick with it, and if not, cut out another 250 calories and reevaluate a couple of weeks later. If you’re already doing everything else I’ve mentioned in this article, you shouldn’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.
8. Drink green tea. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the catechins—antioxidant flavonoid compounds—found in green tea may stimulate the body’s fat-burning activity. You’ll get the most benefits from about 4 cups of green tea per day, but if you don’t want to drink that much, green tea extract supplements appear to have similar benefits. It’s kind of cool to think that you might be able to relax with a cup of green tea and burn fat at the same time!

Give these tips a try, and let us know how they work for you.

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It’s that time of year. The leaves turn majestic hues of red and gold. The air becomes fresh and crisp. We can finally put an extra blanket on the bed and cuddle up with a cup of hot tea. Yes, it’s fall. We just spent 8 months killing ourselves to get into that bathing suit, but now we’ve replaced it with a worn pair of jeans and a much more relaxed attitude towards food. After all, it’s the holiday season, and no one’ll notice a few extra pounds under layers of clothes. A little extra weight just gives us a New Year’s resolution to focus on, right?

Wrong. According to a study by researchers at Sweden’s Linköping University, those 4 weeks of celebrating can actually lead to long-term weight gain.

Essentially, the researchers took a group of healthy young people, increased their caloric intake by 70 percent, and lowered their exercise levels. They also had a control group whose diets weren’t altered. At 4 weeks, the participants in the test group had gained an average of 14 pounds. After 6 months, and no longer on an increased-calorie diet, only a third of these participants had returned to their original weight. After 1 year, the test group members were each still an average of 3.3 pounds heavier. After 2 and a half years, the “gluttonous” group continued to gain, while the control group still maintained a stable weight.

Now, most of us don’t increase our calories that drastically for 30 days straight. Sure, there’s Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving leftovers, Hanukkah, the work Christmas party, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, not to mention the extra sweets, cocktails, and (ahem) fruitcake. But according to the New England Journal of Medicine, the actual average weight gain over the holidays is only 1 pound. (They obviously didn’t poll my family or friends.) So what’s the big deal? The problem is, a year later, the vast majority of people have not removed that pound. Continue this pattern over 30 or 40 holiday seasons and the problem becomes—quite literally—huge.

So how are we supposed to get through the holidays without gaining weight? Here are eight effective ways to get yourself ready to beat the holiday bulge.

1. Buy clothes that fit right now. This first tip might be a bit pricy, but it’s a great motivational aid in staving off weight gain. A new addition to your wardrobe in a size that shows off your summer body can be all you need to prevent those extra pounds from creeping on. Imagine that beautiful holiday dress or great pair of pants, then imagine being unable to zip them up thanks to sugar cookies. Yeah, no one wants that. So before you begin the festivities, go buy yourself something perfect to wear to your parties and hang it someplace visible, so it serves as a constant reminder. Perhaps on the TV where you play your P90X^®, INSANITY^®, or TurboFire^® videos, or in front of that treadmill that might be starting to collect a little dust in the corner, or on your refrigerator door . . . that way, if it doesn’t fit quite the same way the next time you try to slip into it, you know it’s time to get back to work.
2. Write it down. We try to write down everything we eat, right? We spend countless hours each month staring at a food diary, adding up our calories, and seeing if we got the correct balance of macronutrients. And then the holidays happen, and our little book ends up in the bottom drawer. It’s almost like we’re hoping that if we didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen. Unfortunately, the scale doesn’t fit in that bottom drawer. The truth is, if we would write down the not-so-perfect meals and treats, we could find a way to compensate for them, at least a bit. For example, you have a peppermint brownie in the break room at work, which you know is carbohydrates and fat. Eat one less portion of carbohydrate and one less portion of fat for your dinner. It’s not ideal, but it’ll help. Or perhaps you couldn’t resist Mom’s homemade scones for breakfast. You could plan on an extra 20 or 30 minutes of your workout tonight. The point is, if we write it down, and do the math, we can lessen the damage. It isn’t a good long-term plan, but to help compensate for a few slip-ups, it can help.
3. Keep exercising. Most fitness trainers will tell you the slowest point of their year is between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Sure, their clients schedule workouts with the best of intentions, but then they cancel them for parties and gift shopping. It’s hard to remain balanced when you have a million things to do and gifts to buy. Yet the greatest gift you can give yourself is to stay focused on your fitness goals and get your workout in. Shopping getting in the way? Do it online and save some time. Parties getting in the way? Just show up later. Who cares if everyone else is a couple of cocktails ahead of you? You’ll be healthier, and you won’t have to worry about the embarrassing YouTube^® videos in the morning. Just stay consistent, even if it’s inconvenient. You’ll be much less likely to look like Santa (both belly-wise and red-nose-wise) at the end of the month.
4. Eat before parties. Most holiday parties don’t focus on low-fat, low-calorie refreshments, so unless you’re organizing the event, the best damage control is to show up with a full tummy. Make sure you eat your meals and snacks throughout the day, and try to eat a healthy meal before attending any party. If you’re going straight from work, prepare a healthy and filling snack to eat on the way. You’ll be a lot less likely to swim in mayonnaise dips and pigs in blankets if you’re full.
5. Get junk out of the house. The majority of people don’t get into their car at midnight, drive to the store, buy the ingredients for cookies, bake them, and then stay up to eat them. But if those homemade cookies that Linda in accounting made for you are already on your kitchen counter, you better believe you’ll find a way to justify it. Frankly, at 12:30 AM, after a rotten day, for most of us there’s nothing like a few cookies to drown our sorrows. The secret is to get the garbage out of the house. Send it to work with your significant other, donate it to a bake sale, re-gift it to your 100-pound friend with the perfect metabolism, or just dump it in the trash. Linda will never know. If you have holiday dinner leftovers, box them up for your guests individually and send them home with them. If your family still sends you that Pepperidge Farm^® cookie assortment, invite a bunch of people over for a pre-party party and serve ‘em up before the drinks. Try not to be wasteful, but get the less-than-healthy temptations out of your reach.
6. Offer to prepare healthy fare. This suggestion won’t be well received by those of us who’d rather spend Thanksgiving sitting around watching football than toiling in the kitchen, but if you do the cooking, you have the control. Your family could have a tasty and satisfying meal without ingesting thousands of calories and fat grams. The way the turkey is prepared, the type of stuffing, how vegetables are made, whether the cranberries are real, and countless other things can make or break the healthiness of a meal. There are tons of cookbooks out there, plus recipes in this and past newsletters, that can help you out. Yes, it does require a bit of work. But you’re part of the Beachbody community. You can do anything!
7. Choose wisely and proportionally. Something occurs during a holiday meal. It’s like a Las Vegas buffet—we feel like we have to eat some of everything. We feel almost like those foods will never exist again, and this is our last meal on the planet. This year, why not try to eat only your favorites, as in two or three items, and keep the portions to the size of your palm? If you’re still hungry, try to fill up on veggies (preferably ones that aren’t drowned in butter or cream-of-mushroom soup). If you want dessert, lean toward a small slice of pumpkin pie (220 calories) as opposed to pecan (a heftier 543), leaving out the hydrogenated nondairy whipped topping if possible. If you’re going to have an alcoholic beverage, go with a flute of champagne (100 calories) as opposed to that rum-laced eggnog (with more than four times more calories, at 420). Just a few wise choices will save you a ton of calories, and probably a significant amount of heartburn as well.
8. Don’t beat yourself up. Quite possibly the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over a bit of holiday indulgence. Yes, it does stink to backslide after working your tail off. But sometimes it doesn’t stink as much as dealing with your mother when you turn down her brisket and potato pancakes. Sometimes, we don’t have time to go to work, buy a Christmas tree, decorate it with our kids, make dinner, oversee homework, tuck kids in bed, and spend an hour doing our Beachbody workout of choice. We can only do our very best. Mentally beating yourself up will only make you feel worse, which never helped anyone get back to their fitness program. So if you happen to gain that 1 extra pound this holiday season, be part of the rare group who actually follows through with their New Year’s resolution and manages to shed it again. A week of hard work and a slight calorie deficit should do the trick. Resolutions don’t come easier than that!

A wise person once said, “The toughest part of a diet isn’t watching what you eat. It’s watching what other people eat.” That really is the crux of the problem with dining out in public. When you’re surrounded by people who are consuming the equivalent of their body weight in fat grams, it’s really tough to stick to that chicken breast and steamed veggies. But if you have a game plan, you’re more likely to walk out with both a satisfied tummy and a satisfied mind. So spend a few minutes on researching, on eating, and on exercising beforehand, and be strong when you get there. The effort will be worth it, and you might even be an inspiration to your dining partner. What greater reward is there than that? Oh, yeah—a six-pack.

By Stephanie S. Saunders, Issue: #246, November 23, 2011

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