Departments

Fad Diets: Why They Fail and the Secret to Lifelong Fitness

Adkins, The Zone, South Beach, The Makers Diet, the list goes on and on. Americans are searching for that Magic-bullet diet that will transform them into a new, smaller, person. The failure rate of most diets is astronomical, yet people continue to try one after another, always hoping that each new scheme will provide the solution. Let’s take a look at why diets often fail and how strength training, a healthy appetite and something the popular diets don’t have- the power of the mind, can get you on the road to lifelong fitness.

Dieting fails due to a combination of hormonal changes, muscle loss, and flat out frustration. When faced with a shortage of calories, your body’s natural response is to conserve fat. However, we know that most dieters won’t keep up the starvation routine for long. They’ll eventually return to their old eating habits. When this happens, the weight inevitably comes piling back on. The kicker is that while you lost both muscle and fat during the diet, what you put back on is all fat! So, even though you may weigh the same as you did when you started, you now have a lot more fat and a lot less muscle than you did before the diet. This means that your metabolism is slower and your calorie requirements are lower. Even if you return to your pre-diet eating habits, you still require 500 fewer calories a day due to the muscle loss. That is the number one reason dieters are prone to regaining all of the lost weight and then some(1).

The solution to this vicious circle is an active lifestyle that includes aerobic exercise, a solid weight training program, and a healthy diet. What is a healthy diet you ask? A healthy diet is based around whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. Four to six small meals will keep your metabolism in high gear all day. It’s flexible enough to allow for popcorn at the movies or cake at a birthday party. No food is off-limits, but sweets and high fat junk food are eaten less often and in smaller quantities. A healthy diet is realistic and permanent, not something you suffer through for a week or two and then quit. I don’t know about you, but I hate to be limited- especially the low-carb diets. Make smart choices and your diet will be limitless. Your sub-conscious mind can be trained to help control your diet, more on the mind later.

The truth is that when you strength train, you will get smaller and heavier at the same time. Muscle is a much denser tissue than fat. A pound of muscle is like a little chunk of gold, while a pound of fat is like a big fluffy bunch of feathers. The fat takes up more space on your body. At this point, it's best to toss out the bathroom scale and rely on the way you look and the way your clothes fit. The scale can be misleading and discourage you when you're actually doing great. I stopped getting on the scale long ago. I remember always being disappointed by the scale when it was the fit of my pants that was the real measure of success.

To a dieter, muscle is worth its weight in gold. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. 1 pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories each day, with no other activity. Just sitting there! If you were to build 10 pounds of lean muscle, it would take 350 to 500 calories a day, just to maintain your muscle mass. You become a fat burning machine! Throw in 45 minutes of cardio- another 300 calories, and you have burned up to 800 calories. And Ladies, if you think intense weight training is going to turn you into some kind of freak- believe me, it ain’t gonna happen. You will, however, sculpt some highly sought after guns.

The bottom line is that you want to make strong, healthy, positive changes rather than punishing your body and your spirit with starvation. Your goal is the sleek healthy body of a naturally lean person who can enjoy what they eat. If you want to go to Mississippi Sweet’s for ribs and a salad- “let’s go!” On the Adkins diet- “Oh… No… Go without me…” You want to avoid, at all costs, the frail sagging body of a chronic dieter who has to measure every morsel.

The Secret to lifelong fitness is- there is no secret! You already know that the only diet plan that works is the good old fashioned, “Lay off the feed bag and get off your butt,” diet plan. There is one important element that is missing from all of the fad diets that can make the difference between success and failure- the power of the sub-conscious mind…
In the Martial Arts, we teach the power of the mind. We teach our students that faith is the head chemist of the mind. When faith is blended with thought, the sub-conscious mind instantly picks up the vibration, translates it into its spiritual equivalent, and transmits it to our Infinite Intelligence, as in the case of prayer.

"there are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge" Dr. Napoleon Hill In other words- remove "can't" from your vocabulary!
Visit our website at www.PalmBeachMartialArts.com for the complete, “Martial Arts Diet”. On the Martial Arts Diet, I personally lost 20 pounds of fat and packed on 10 pounds of lean muscle in 6 week! If you follow our physical and mental plan, you will succeed. We guarantee it!

Remember- "we are shaped by our thoughts, we become what we think." Buddha

1 Renee Cloe - ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Adults are Discovering the Health Benefits of Martial Arts

Many people get bored or tired of doing the same routine. They try staying in shape, but simply find it dull to do the same routine of lifting weights and/or cardiovascular training such as the treadmill, stationary bike, and elliptical trainer day in and day out. It's time to try something new: Martial Arts- they aren't just for kids anymore!

The benefits of martial art training are innumerable. Many have experienced both physical and psychological benefits. The physical benefits consist of: loss of body fat, healthier year round, becoming more energetic, better physical aerobic condition, as well as stronger joints and an improved physical appearance. New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that people in their 40's and 50's, who regularly practice Martial Arts, demonstrate astounding levels of physical fitness in comparison to people the same age who don't exercise at all. The study subjects who practiced martial arts had 12% less body fat, were able to do twice as many sit-ups, and twice as many pushups had enhanced flexibility and leg strength, demonstrated a stronger immune system and showed greatly improved balance.

Martial arts, even mild forms like Tai Chi, have long been known to confer tremendous anti-aging health benefits to their followers. Throughout Asia, it's not uncommon to see large groups of elderly (people in their 60's, 70's and 80's) practicing Tai Chi at sunrise in the community parks.

Despite their age, these people have better aerobic conditioning, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination than many typical Americans in their 30's who are already suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cancer. People who practice martial arts simply don't experience those diseases with anywhere near the frequency. As a result, they live longer, healthier, happier lives. Any form of martial arts or physical discipline will produce similar results. More aggressive forms of martial arts such as kickboxing and Taekwondo are also excellent for conditioning.

"Those who partook in Soo Bahk Do had nearly 12% less body fat than sedentary subjects."

The quest for the perfect body is of greater volume now, more than ever. I go to the gym and see guys in their 40s and 50s doing hundreds of crunches then they wonder why their beer bellies are still there. It is simple; they have too much body fat. It is especially difficult for the middle-aged person to continue training at such a high intensity due to the great demand on the body. Because of ab crunchers and products that advertise loss of body fat and a trimmer waist in weeks, we become intrigued and devote our time to these ineffective apparatuses and workouts. That is why when someone asks me how to get rid of those extra pounds; I recommend they take up Martial Arts. And they should know that Martial Arts aren't just for kids anymore. A big group of martial art practitioners are over the ages of 30.

With so many variations and types of Martial Arts now offered in classes around the country, it is astonishing that not more people join.

On-going Commitment

In this issue we will discuss four ways to build a strong value system in youngster.

First, we encourage our students to listen to the voice of their conscience. This helps them recognize that “small voice” inside of them that constantly tries to tell them right from wrong. We also teach them to respect that voice’s message. Additionally, we feel it is important for them to experience the pangs of a guilty conscience when they do make mistakes, forgiving them, but first allowing them to experience the pain of their mistake to insure that the lesson is learned.

We teach values at Palm Beach Martial Arts because we believe we are helping to build character in our students, both young and old. Sometimes we forget how important it is to remind school teachers and administrators that we want values taught in school. You can help by supporting local schools when they offer programs that teach values like honesty, self discipline and responsibility.

Another constructive thing you can do is tell your children stories about heroes and heroines. Good books about young heroes, old heroes, heroes of other cultures, and heroes from the past are plentiful. When you find good stories, share them with us. We have many such stories that we share in our school and will be glad to pass them on to you.

Finally, the most important way you can help your children learn strong values is to let your life demonstrate your values. Our students recognize the values of self-discipline when they see their instructors practicing Martial Arts. They know that we believe in responsibility when they see us cleaning our school. Let your children know what values you consider to be important and let them see you living your values every day.

At Palm Beach Martial Arts, we agree with you that every moment spent on the well-being of your children is not just worthwhile; it is beyond price.