› Measure portions accurately.
› Avoid skipping meals.
› Eat some fat.
› Chew your food.
› Try to dedicate time for eating.
› Drink plenty of water.
› Fiber intake.
› Train smart. 
› Ten Tips to Building Muscle.

 

Measure portions accurately.
Underestimating portion sizes can sabotage even the most well conceived weight loss program. If you have a diet scale - use it. However, estimating portions can also be done without a scale, using the following general guidelines:

• 3 oz. of meat, fish or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards.
• 1/2 cup of vegetables is about half of the size of a tennis ball.
• A medium piece of fruit is about the size of a baseball.
• 1 1/2 oz. of cheese is approximately the same size as pair of dice.
• 1 tsp. of butter or margarine is about the size of a bottle cap.

Avoid skipping meals.
Skipping meals can unwittingly 'trick' your body into slowing down its metabolism in an attempt to conserve calories where limited fuel is available. To keep your metabolism high, eat 4-6 small meals throughout the day. Studies indicate that consuming several small meals can contribute to greater weight loss by keeping your metabolism working more continuously and efficiently than if you eat just the three traditional meals per day. Start with four meals and increase gradually to six. ‹‹ return to top...

Eat some fat.
Dietary fat can take up to 3 1/2 hours to digest, whereas refined carbohydrates (the kind that are most prevalent in the American diet - including cereals, pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, etc.) empty from the stomach in much less time. Consume carbohydrates mainly from natural sources (vegetables and whole grains). These sources are high in carbohydrates - so limit intake in the evenings. Consume the majority of carbohydrates early in the day so your body can metabolize them before bedtime.  

Regular consumption of 'healthy' fats containing Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids can help keep hunger at bay and may contribute to effective and fast weight loss in other ways. These 'healthy' fats can be found in vegetable oils (like canola, olive and flaxseed), nuts, seeds and fish. ‹‹ return to top...

Chew your food.
It takes about 20 minutes for the digestive tract to inform the brain that the stomach is full. As a result, eating quickly is likely to lead to over-eating and will work against your weight loss program. If it seems impossible to slow down, try eating with your non-dominant hand. Since that hand is less coordinated, it will invariably take longer to eat. Other interesting research has demonstrated that people are more apt to eat fast and/or overeat while in brightly colored rooms or in the presence of music with a fast beat. Avoiding these situations may also help to promote more leisurely meals. ‹‹ return to top...

Try to dedicate time for eating.
Overeating is more likely to occur when attention is focused on a task other than eating. So try to make it a point to avoid activities such as work, reading or watching television while you eat to improve the performance of your weight loss program. Brush your teeth after every meal. This is not just a practice of good oral hygiene, it will also remove any unpleasant tastes and odors from your mouth, which tend to encourage continued eating and undermine weight loss programs. ‹‹ return to top...

Drink plenty of water.
Water does not directly assist in burning fat but it is essential for several bodily functions including: temperature regulation, food dissolution, nutrient delivery, and toxin excretion. Many claim water increases weight loss success because it fills the stomach allowing less room for food (less food = less calories = weight loss).

TIP: Drink your water as cold as you can possibly stand it. Why? Your body can only effectively use water when it is around body temperature. Consequently, the colder the water the more energy (calories) your body will have to expend to heat the water.  More calories burned equals higher weight loss.  ‹‹ return to top...

Fiber intake.
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are relatively low in calories, high in nutrients and absorb water to create 'bulk' which helps to fill you up while trying to attain weight loss. Fiber also helps to promote regularity, controls blood sugar fluctuations and even binds and transports natural toxins out of the body; shoot for at least 25-35 grams everyday. Individuals who find it difficult to obtain sufficient fiber on a regular basis, or desire more fiber than is typically possible on a very low carbohydrate diet may find a fiber supplement to be an effective solution.

NOTE: Dietary fiber is listed as a part of total carbohydrates on food and supplement labels. It does not digest well and it does not affect blood sugar or insulin levels, so even those on the strictest low-carbohydrate weight loss programs need not worry about carbohydrates derived from fiber.  ‹‹ return to top...

Ten Tips to Building Muscle

1. Be strict. Avoid the wrong fats, excessive salt and simple sugars. This obviously means most fast foods and soft drinks. Choose one day each week to cheat on these junk foods.
2. Never miss breakfast. Make sure your breakfast contains enough complex carbohydrates, protein and fats to ignite your metabolism and provide you with fuel and muscle-sustaining ingredients. Remember protein (like Amplify) builds muscle while carbohydrates (like X-plode) and fats (like Censor) supply fuel for energy. Also, add a good vitamin and mineral formula, such as Natural Man Multivitamin.
3. Eat six meals a day. This means to feed yourself every three to four hours. Again, each meal consisting of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
4. Eat enough protein. (Amplify) Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. If you are familiar with ounce units, the conversion of grams to ounces is roughly 28:1. So an individual who weighs 175 pounds should be consuming at least 6oz of protein.
5. Avoid simple carbohydrates (sugars, sweets etc.). Excessive sugar plays havoc with our insulin metabolism and leads to fatigue, poor performance and fat storage.
6. Eat before and after you workout. Eat a small, easily digested meal about an hour before you train. This will give you the fuel you need to train harder. Ideally, eat again within one hour of finishing your workout. Your body needs to repair and rebuild your tissue to build muscle. Try Xplode and/or Amplify to meet either of these needs.
7. Drink a lot of water. Carry around a gallon jug of water and drink at least one per day.
8. Work out each body part no more than 2 times per week. Muscle builds when you are at rest. Hitting one muscle group hard once per week is ideal. When the muscle is overworked, you have constant "tear down" and the tissue has no time to repair/rebuild. 
9. Follow a supplement regimen. Be consistent. Repetition and dedication are the keys to success.
10. Get adequate sleep. Sleep is important for muscle recovery. It is recommended that you get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night.