SO... what is the meaning of all this? Why am I putting up this particular blog? Well it's pretty simple really and I couldn't have said it better myself. "Abs are made in the kitchen." Tony Horton has brought us some phenominal workout programs. From the start of Power 90 to the current second year of his One on One workouts, he has continued to push us to our physical limits.
Just when you thought the workout wasn't going to challenge you, the sweat starts pouring and the muscles start burning, yet with all this hard work some of you wonder . . . where are my abs?
As easily as abs being made in the kitchen, they can also be very easily lost there as well. Not only by stuffing our faces with non essential nutrients like cookies, pasta or double decker white bread sandwhiches stuffed with numerous quantities of greasy cold cuts and cheeses but also by not putting enough nutrient rich calories in to make our bodies work properly.
Yes, our choices in the kitchen are very important but so is the quantity we decide to consume. Both too much food as well as not enough to help us fuel the lifestyle we choose, is just as important. If you are a fan of Tony Horton or other intense Beachbody programs and find yourself working hard everyday and still checking the kitchen cupboards for your abs, then you must reevaluate what is, or what is not being stuffed into that food consuming void just north of your chin.
Most people seem to forget that the human body requires a certain number of calories to simply function. Breathing, digesting food, talking, walking and just pushing that remote control to the idiot box consumes calories. This can easily consume over 1800 calories a day for the average person. The American Heart Association recommends that at a minimum each day to cover normal bodily functions (not including the idiot box remote). A lot of times we forget that any exercise program, especially one with as much intensity as something like P90X, requires additional calories to keep us functioning properly. When we do not compensate for these additional calories required to fund our exercise plans, our body will not get the amount of fuel it needs and begin to shut down. Not only will we "bonk" or lose energy quickly during our workouts, but we will also see our mid sections begin to aquire a nice soft fatty appearance, even though we are working out hard everyday. This can lead to frustration and in some cases an attitude of, "why bother...it isnt working anyway".
If you are participating in a program like P90X or even a daily exercise routine, you must remember to fuel the furnace to keep the fire burning. A proper level of calories that include a low fat diet complete with whole grains, fruits, vegitables and lean meats will help you locate those abs you've been looking for. Feed the beast within and the results will follow!
I have always given the example of our body being like a wood stove. Too much wood at once, the fire snuffs out and not enough wood to keep the fire burning hot results in a cold stove. The only way to keep the fire burning hot is to add small amounts of good long burning wood to the fire, keeping the coals red hot and burning all day. Your body is the same way. If you don't stoke the fire all day with good healthy food your metabolism will shut down. Choice of food for your body is as important as the choice of wood for the wood stove. Whole grains and complex carbs require more effort on your bodies part to digest, thus increasing your metabolism for a longer period of time. Turning up the heat!
Stop checking under the sit up mat for your missing abs. You won't find them there. Work hard everyday and eat the proper nutrition and they will make their presence known! You may actually be surprised at the amount of calories you can actual consume each day while working out. There is no future for your abs if you starve yourself in hopes of losing more weight. Find out what your resting metabolic rate is and make the adjustments for your current exercise plan!
Simple formular to check your daily calories needed to maintain your weight:
The Harris-Benedict Formula
The Harris Benedict equation is a calorie formula using the variables of height, weight, age, and gender to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is more accurate than calculating calorie needs based on total body weight alone. The only factor it omits is lean body mass and thus the ratio of muscle-to-fat a body has. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (Harris-Benedict will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very fat (Harris-Benedict will over-estimate calorie needs).
Two Steps to Determine Daily Calorie Needs
First, determine your BMR.
Second, apply the Activity Multiplier.
-Harris Benedict Formula for Women STEP 1
BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kilos) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years).
Notes:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.
-Harris Benedict Formula for Women - STEP 2
To determine your total daily calorie needs, now multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are Very Active = BMR x 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.
-Harris Benedict Formula for Men
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kilos) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)
Notes:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.
-Harris Benedict Formula for Men - STEP 2
To determine your total daily calorie needs, now multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x1.2
If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x1.55
If you are Very Active = BMR x 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.
If you are wishing to add some weight loss to your fitness plan, you should take the number you get from that and subtract 500 calories per day for each pound you wish to lose per week!
Example for a 41 year old, 6' tall, 200 pound man who wants to lose one pound per week....
Formular for Daily maintanence;
66+(13.7 x 90.2)+(5 x 182.8)-(6.8 x 41)= 1,983.52 calories per day
if we were to say he was on P90X we would multiply that number by 1.725 giving a total of
3,421.572 calories a day or simply 3,422 calories to maintain his weight while on that program.
Whereas he wants to lose 1 pound a week and he knows that 3500 calories equals one pound of fat, then he needs to subtract 500 calories per day from his intake to reach that goal.
His total calories per day to hit his mark would be 2,922 per day while doing p90x! This goes to show that we normally shortchange ourselves when it comes to nutrition and this is why we always fall short of our goals!
Remember that the American Heart Association says 60% of those calories should come from complex healthy carbs (for our example that would be roughly 1,753), less than 20% from healthy fats keeping the saturated fats to a bare minimum and the balance from lean proteins!
Follow this forumular and work out giving yourself an honest 100%(only you can be true to yourself!) and you will not only reach and surpass your goals but you will also find those abs!
"Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your body!" Tony Horton
