Cardio Training vs. Weight Training

MUSCLE MASS MATTERS. A LOT.

Do you like walking up stairs on your own or would you rather take one of those home stair lifts? Have you seen one of these things?

First you have to wait for the lift to ever-so-slowly make its way down the stairs. Then you get in it and slowly go up the stairs.

I tried it once with my pet turtle Herb. Herb jumped off half way up. He didn’t have the patience and decided to walk up the stairs.

On a more serious note: For a while, I researched treatments for muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes severe muscle loss. Do that kind of research for a day or two, or talk to people with muscular dystrophy, and you’ll quickly recognize the vital importance of maintaining muscle, even if your goal is to lose weight.

My biggest peeve in the weight loss industry is that weight loss is the measurement for success. For example, here are some other ways to lose weight:

1. Amputation.
2. Osteoporosis.
3. Stomach flu (though intestinal parasites will do in a pinch).
4. Coma.
5. Chemotherapy.
6. Shaving all your hair off.
7. Lobotomy.

Thanks, but I’ll pass on all of those.

Muscle helps you walk up and down stairs and pick up a soup can. And, of course, keeping you moving is muscle’s most important function.

But muscle can also help you lose fat and stay lean.

MUSCLE METABOLISM

Increased basal metabolism is probably the most obvious advantage of having more muscle. Actually, to be more exact, the more muscle you carry, the higher your resting energy expenditure (REE).

Since REE is the biggest part of your total energy use in a given day, it can change how many calories you burn [1] .

Have you ever wondered why muscle uses energy when you’re doing absolutely nothing? Seems like a waste.

Well, muscle is always up to something. It’s constantly being broken down and re-constructed, or synthesized. In fact, all tissues, to one degree or another, are constantly being remade.  It takes about seven days to completely regenerate your skin, and seven years to replace every cell in your skeleton [2].

What makes muscle special is that you can make more of it – a lot more. In other words, unlike bone and skin cells, muscle generation is, to some extent, within your control. Whereas after puberty, you can’t make a lot more of other tissue. Except fat.

The moral of the story? Throw away your scale (or at least hide it for awhile.)

Generally, you don’t need to convince men to gain muscle, but women tend to be more concerned about getting “too big.”

Here’s why women should gain muscle.

LOSE WEIGHT THE EASIER WAY

Here’s a familiar scenario. In January, Jane and Bob agree to lose weight – together. Jane watches what she eats, counts every calorie, and spends hours on the treadmill every day. After a month, she’s down by a pound.

Meanwhile, Bob decides to drink less soda and manages to cut down to one can a week from his usual four. He gets to the gym when he can – maybe three times a week – but half the time, he ends up cutting his workout short. One month of this, and he is ten pounds lighter!

What the heck? Why does this happen? (I can hear women around the world gnashing their teeth from here.)

There are many physiological reasons, but the difference in their muscle mass is one of the biggies.

Let’s compare two women. Jane and Mary both have the same amount of fat, but Mary has an extra 7 kg (15 lb) of muscle.

If, for one year, Jane did exactly what Mary did to maintain her weight– snowboarding, sleeping, swearing in six languages, whatever – Jane would actuallygain 8.5 kg (18.7 lb) of fat, increasing her body fat percentage to 35.8%. Just because of the differences in their resting muscle mass.

The other thing you might notice is that since Mary has more muscle and weighs more overall, despite having the same amount of fat, she actually has a lowerpercentage of body fat.

 

Next Up...IN-N-OUT BURGER

They have some great menu options and are especially friendly to a "paleo" diet, however, there are some menu items you want to steer clear from. Here's what you shouldn't eat the next time you're there, and what you might want to try instead.




















DON'T EAT: Double-Double

The Double-Double with onion clocks in at a cool 670 calories, 370 from fat, and an artery clogging 41 grams of fat. The other killer on your Double-Double is the spread. Even though it tastes so delicious, opting for mustard and ketchup instead will spare you nine grams of fat and 80 calories. 

INSTEAD EAT: Go "Protein Style" with the bun replaced with lettuce and you'll cut out 30 grams of carbohydrates and trim 150 calories.

DON'T DRINK: The Chocolate Shake

Something about milkshakes, burgers and fries really makes you feel like a patriotic American. However, as a healthy American, these work against you. The 15 ounce chocolate shake is a mean 590 calories, and has over 29 grams of fat. No shake solutions here either. The Vanilla shake has the most fat of any of the shakes, and the Strawberry shake finishes the trio with 81 grams of carbohydrates. 

INSTEAD DRINK: Stick with the aqua or a diet soda (if you must), and enjoy your burger even more.

DON'T EAT: Cheeseburger with Onion

How could you pass up a 480 calorie cheeseburger, with half of those calories from fat? Very easily if you care about your waistline. 

INSTEAD EAT: Opt instead for the hamburger, protein style, without the spread. You'll lose about 90 calories and a significant amount of carbs and saturated fats. It washes down nicely with a bottle of water! You still get that great In-N-Out taste, but without as much of the artery-clogging goodness.

DON'T EAT: French Fries

I hate to keep piling on to In-N-Out's already limited menu, but sticking clear of the fries saves you about 400 calories and about half of those come from fat. Not to mention the oil they are fried in. 

INSTEAD EAT: If anything, I recommend carnivoring it out and opt for the protein style, no spread Double-Double. You'll get about the same calories for a single and fries, plus cut out all the empty carbs from the fries.

In-N-Out's menu isn't all that large compared to other fast-food or burger joints. However, that being said, they offer the most customization options to make your burger better for you and not so figure-killing. Opt for protein style, and stay away from the burger spread and sweet stuff like the milkshakes. If you can stick to these simple ideas, you can enjoy In-N-Out after a hard workout. Let it be your reward for a job well done in the gym, on the track, or wherever! 

Applebee's "WHAT NOT TO EAT"

Applebee's promotes that they're a neighborhood restaurant that uses fresh ingredients and they tout the benefits of their Under 550 Calories menu. And though the restaurant chain has done a lot of work to give healthy options--like having Weight Watchers endorsed menu items--there are still several items you should definitely stay away from.


  
DON'T EAT: Appetizer Sampler

This behemoth of an appetizer is meant to share, however there are plenty of better first course choices on the menu. Stacking up between 2,300 and 2,460 calories, with up to 160 grams of fat (depending on which items you choose), this will set you back hours and reps in the gym. 

INSTEAD EAT: The better choice here is the Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos or even the Classic Wings in Southern BBQ or sweet and spicy sauces. The tacos are a safe 610 calories and pretty low in total (27 grams) and saturated fat (5 grams) content The wings will set you back 660 to 690 calories and have a moderate 35 grams and nine grams of fat and saturated fat, respectively.

DON'T EAT: Chicken Fried Steak Meal

Sometimes you need to eat that food for your soul. Cook that at home and avoid this country fried fiasco. This entire meal comes in at 1,200 calories, 59 fat grams and almost 4,000 milligrams of sodium. It is the worst steak option on the menu that you can get. 

INSTEAD EAT: Opt instead for the protein and omega-3 packed steak and grilled shrimp combo. Choose vegetables without butter as your sides to avoid unnecessary fat content.

DON'T EAT: Riblets Platter

Ribs are pretty bad for you any way you slice them, plus you know how when you eat them and get sauce up to your elbows and up around your eyebrows? No one likes that. Avoid the platter and you'll stay away from up to 1,810 calories, almost 90 grams of total fat, and a headache inducing 5,000 milligrams of sodium. 

INSTEAD EAT: If you want to brave the barbecue sauce, try the double glazed half rack. You'll still pay the price at about 900 calories, but at least you'll feel a little more health conscious if you choose a garden salad as your side.

DON'T EAT: Crispy Orange Chicken

I'm outing myself here. I love this dish. However, it doesn't love me or anyone else for that matter back. The Crispy Orange Chicken is the worst chicken dish calorie-wise on the menu at a staggering 1,520 calories with 208 grams of carbs. (Fat-wise, the Chicken Parmesan Stack is the worst with 72 grams of fat.) 

INSTEAD EAT: If the bird is the word for your dinner craving, try the grilled chicken Caesar salad, half portion. Trust me on this one!

DON'T EAT: Hand Battered Fish and Chips

Applebee's has several great health conscious options for like-minded patrons. This isn't one of them. Plenty of seafood options exist that are WAY better than the hand battered fish and chips. Here's the skinny on the fat...almost 1,600 calories, 105 grams of fat and 108 grams of carbs. Just. Steer. Clear. 

INSTEAD EAT: The blackened tilapia has only 410 calories, an entire 75 percent less than the fish and chips.

What NOT to eat at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

G'day Mates! Outback Steakhouse has been in the headlines in this case before. Men's Health scored the Bloomin' Onion as the worst food for you a few years back and since then Outback has stepped up their healthy-menu options. In addition, they are one of the best and most accommodating restaurants for patrons with gluten sensitivities. However, there are still some items you should be avoiding on the menu. Let's take a closer look at the do's and don'ts of the Outback Steakhouse.



















DON'T EAT:
Bloomin' Onion

The most popular appetizer--er, Aussie-tizer--to share is the Bloomin' Onion. It's also the worst. Brace yourselves: all told it wallops the waistline at 1,959 calories, of which 1,450 are from fat. It's like deep fried fat. Add the bloom sauce for dipping and we are talking over 170 grams of fat. 

INSTEAD EAT: If you want to munch on some appetizers, try the Ahi Tuna (small portion). At only 413 calories, it's a great, healthy option full of taste, omega-3s, and 17 grams of muscle-building protein.

DON'T EAT: No Rules Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Scallops

Don't be fooled by the pasta choice at Outback. The No Rules Pasta clocks in at an unlucky 1,313 calories, 70 grams of fat, and 81 grams of carbs. The creamy parmesan sauce really is the culprit here. 

INSTEAD EAT: Instead opt for the Grilled Chicken on the Barbie which is a fit and lean 305 calories and puts on lean muscle at 57 grams of protein and only three from fat. By far my favorite menu item, the Grilled Chicken is the way to go instead of the No Rules Pasta.

DON'T EAT: The Porterhouse

The steak lover's steak does not respect your goal to lose those 15 pounds by beach season. This hunk of beef is 1,009 calories, marbled with 641 from fat. Thirty-one grams of saturated fat also do more to make this steak less appealing. 

INSTEAD EAT: If meat is on your mind, may I suggest the six ounce Outback Special. At only 254 calories and only 13 grams of fat, the six ounce special is chock full of 37 grams of protein. Aside from the Grilled Chicken, this is the next best thing on the menu to help refuel and rebuild muscles after a good day at the gym.

DON'T EAT: The Bloomin' Burger

What happens when you combine the worst appetizer with the worst sandwich? You get the Bloomin' Burger, and you need to steer clear. 1,029 calories and 1,766 milligrams of sodium make you want to avoid it. Seventy-one grams of fat doesn't do much to make it any more enticing. 

INSTEAD EAT: If you want a sandwich, the Grilled Chicken and Swiss has about half the total fat and over one-third less calories. Pair it with a baked sweet potato for a protein and carb-packed dinner that will help to repair and grow muscle fibers.

DON'T EAT: The Chocolate Thunder From Down Under

This sinfully sweet dessert clocks in at 1,554 calories with 949 coming from fat. Don't eat this dessert! You'll regret it at the gym on Monday morning! 

INSTEAD EAT: If your sweet tooth is getting the better of you, opt for the classic cheesecake. At a fifth of the calories and all of the taste, you won't regret indulging your sweet tooth on that.

Wendy's - What NOT to eat!

Wendy's was built on the ideas of founder Dave Thomas. For the most part, they do a good job of providing quality ingredients, and their hamburgers are pretty good calorie- and fat-wise. The nutritional menu on their website lets you build your own meal and provides not only nutrition but allergen content as well. However, there are some menu items you just shouldn't eat. Here's what to avoid.



DON'T EAT: Baconator

This just screams "eat me and clog your arteries." Beef plus bacon? I suggest you pass up on this one. 970 calories, 570 from fat, 63 total grams of fat, 2,200 mg of sodium. This is a monster that will wreck your waistline. 

INSTEAD EAT: If you can't satisfy the hunger beast and you absolutely must indulge, look instead to the new Son Of Baconator. It's smaller and won't do as much damage, but there are still plenty of better options than these two.

DON'T EAT: Chili Cheese Fries

Wendy's recently revamped their menu, and the addition of the chili cheese fries was one of those new items. The chili by itself is one of the better menu items. So is the baked potato. Add the chili and cheese and fried potatoes, and you get this stomach-churning concoction. 570 calories, 30 grams of fat and 58 grams of carbs are all in store for you here. 

INSTEAD EAT: Skip the Chili Cheese Fries and go for the baked potato without sour cream and a small chili and call it a day.

DON'T EAT: Asiago Ranch Chicken

By far the worst chicken meal on the menu, the Asiago Ranch chicken is a fried chicken patty, bacon, lots of cheese, and a sauce spread chock-full of empty calories and high fat content. 

INSTEAD EAT: Try instead a grilled chicken sandwich (classic) without mayo. Better yet, you could opt for the chicken go-wrap from the value menu and pair it with a garden salad with light dressing for a perfectly health-conscious meal.

DON'T EAT: Chocolate Frosty Shake (Sm)

The Frosty could be America's national dessert. However, the Chocolate Frosty Shake should not be.  A small is 580 calories, 120 from fat, and a large is 880 calories, 160 from fat.

INSTEAD EAT: if you have a sweet tooth the next time you visit Dave's joint, opt instead for the classic Junior Frosty. It has just enough flavor and the size is just right to satisfy anyone's craving for a little sweetness.

DON'T EAT: Premium Cod Filet

It's pretty much a no brainer at this point that regardless of the place, a fried fish sandwich is going to be one of the worst items on the whole menu. Wendy's is no different. Unfortunately, this is the only seafood option at good ole' Wendy's. 

INSTEAD EAT: I would skip it entirely and stick with one of the better options on the menu. If you must have fish/seafood, I strongly suggest finding an alternative with freshly prepared and not fried ingredients.