Fitness Training Tips: Rule Of Thumb!
Nowadays we get bombarded with new fitness training tips on an everyday basis. The problem is figuring out which advice actually makes a difference. No matter what you do, though, DO NOT forget that there are no magical solutions for weight gain! A good diet and exercise are a must in staying fit and healthy. All other fitness training tips should be treated as mere supplements to those two major factors. To give you a perfect example, I'm going to talk about how the quantity of meals we consume everyday and the amount of sleep we get CAN make a difference on out weight-gain; but also how these two factors play a very small role compared to the food you eat and the calories you burn.
Most of us have already heard that eating 5, 6, or even 7 small meals a day is healthiest. Eating healthy, small amounts of food often leads to a faster metabolism. However, the majority individuals find it difficult to eat more than the traditional three meals every day. Adding extra meals, especially nutritious ones, takes lots of planning. Planning takes time and most people just don't seem to have enough of it to fit these extra meals to their already busy schedules.
But what about just eating one, large meal a day? This is precisely how many meals Lieutenant Stanley A. McChrystal, the current U.S. commander in Afghanistan, consumes each day. It is hard to believe that a man who sleeps about 5 hours a night and runs an hour every morning could function on just one meal a day. Furthermore, the fact that he is sleeping less than 7 or 8 hours a night should also be wreaking havoc on his metabolism. Dr. Melina Jampolis, a nutrition specialist writes, ?Short sleep duration, defined as less than seven hours per night, is associated with an increased risk of obesity and diabetes because of its negative effect carbohydrate metabolism.'
So why is Lieutenant McChrystal faring so well on such small quantities of food and sleep? Why do other individuals try staying fit by eating many small meals a day and making sure they catch up on their Zzz's, but still fail at losing weight? The answer to that is very simple: because the most important factors in weight gain will always be a) how many calories you consume and b) how many calories you burn daily. Sleeping very little and not eating often enough makes a difference, but not one as substantial as what you eat and how much physical activity you get. I'm pretty sure McChrystal's meals never consist of greasy hamburgers and fries washed down with sugar infused sodas. And I'm also pretty sure he pushes himself hard when running that hour every morning.
The long and the short in staying fit is: there is no easy way out! You can try to make your life easier by sleeping those 7 hours a night and eating lots of healthy meals a day, but that should always be done in addition to eating smart and staying active. Period.
For more great advice on staying fit and healthy, visit my website Fitness Training Tips and get in better shape today.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
