Tips for Gaining Weight…
             the HEALTHY Way


Tip 1.
Set attainable goals.
Face it, very few people are destined to appear on the cover of a fitness magazine.
Our body shape and size is determined primarily by genetics and secondly by our lifestyle. Healthy weight gain is a slow process that requires patience and realistic goal-setting.

Tip 2.
Eat breakfast. 
Every day. A well balanced breakfast is an excellent way to wake up your
metabolism and your appetite. Make sure you have a grain, some protein, and a fruit to start your day.
Try a yogurt berry parfait with granola OR a bagel sandwich with eggs & cheese and some juice. In a
hurry? Grab a fruit smoothie OR cereal with milk and berries.

Tip 3.
Follow basic nutrition recommendations.
Contrary to popular belief, living on fast food, pizza,
and milkshakes is not the best approach to weight
gain. Although these foods can be incorporated into
your meal plan, be sure to balance them with fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and a variety of protein
sources, such as meat, nuts, beans, and dairy.

Tip 4.
Plan to eat 5-6 times/ day, at least.
Prevent  excessive fullness by eating reasonable portions
spread throughout the entire day. Plan to have 3-4
meals each day with several snacks in between. At the
end of the day, your “energy in” must be greater than
your “energy out” in order to gain weight.

Tip 5.
Vary your diet, especially the protein.
 Eating  the same foods every day can be boring. Get creative
and try something new. Start with a variety of protein
sources: cheese, nuts, beef, fish, yogurt, pork, beans,
chicken, yogurt, turkey, cottage cheese, lamb, eggs,
etc.

     Biggest Loser 1-Week Diet Plan


You can lose weight like The Biggest Loser contestants without having to spend time
at the ranch. This free 1-week meal plan, excerpted from The Biggest Loser 30-Day
Jump Start, helps you follow a low-calorie diet with delicious Biggest Loser recipes
and meal ideas. The diet plan was designed by Cheryl Forberg, RD, the show’s
resident nutritionist. On this diet, you’ll eat three healthy meals and two snacks a
day for a total of around 1,500 calories per day. Start losing weight today!

DAY 1

Breakfast

1/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (cooked in 2/3 cup water) with 1/2 banana, sliced
1/2 cup fat-free Greek-style yogurt mixed with 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coffee or tea

Snack

PEANUTTY SPREAD
1 serving (2 tablespoons)
Blending creamy peanut butter with silken tofu cuts the calories and fat by nearly two-thirds. It’s the perfect high-protein snack, whether spread on a whole grain cracker or used as a dip for apple slices or raw vegetables. And one dollop makes a good topping for your favorite fat-free chocolate pudding.
1 cup (about 9 ounces) silken tofu, drained
1/3 cup peanut butter
4 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons lime juice

1. Place the tofu, peanut butter, honey, and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend or process until smooth.
2. Add a few teaspoons of water if necessary. Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 12 (2-tablespoon) servings (1 1/2 cups)
PER SERVING: 60 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates (3 g sugars), 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 30 mg sodium
Serve with 1 cup jicama slices

Lunch

TUNA MELT
6 ounces water-packed tuna, drained
Mix with 2 tablespoons diced onion and 2 tablespoons low-fat vinaigrette
Serve on a toasted Thomas Whole Grain English Muffin

Top with 1 slice low-fat Cheddar cheese

Dinner

PORTOBELLO “PIZZAS” (pictured)2 servings (2 pizzas)
Most people prefer to eat these “pizzas” with a knife and fork!
4 whole portobello mushroom caps (about 5” diameter), stems removed
1/2 cup low-fat marinara sauce
1/2 cup lean turkey Italian sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled
4 tablespoons shredded fat-free or low-fat mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Wipe the mushrooms clean of any dirt. Place them on a baking sheet, gill side up. Spoon sauce over each cap, then sprinkle on the sausage and cheeses. Place the mushrooms in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Makes 4 servings (4 small pizzas)
PER SERVING: 97 calories, 10 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates (2 g sugars), 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 22 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 305 mg sodium
Have with 1/2 cup red grapes
Ice water or iced tea.

GENERAL  TIPS  FOR  BACK  PAIN 

DESCRIPTION:

Eighty percent of adults will experience significant low back pain sometime during their lifetime.
Low back pain usually involves muscle spasm of the supportive muscles along the spine. Also, pain, numbness and tingling in the buttocks or lower extremity can be related to the back. There are multiple causes of low back pain (see below). Prevention of low back pain is extremely important, as symptoms can recur on more than one occasion.

COMMON CAUSES:

Muscle strain.
The muscles of the low back provide the strength and mobility for all activities of daily living.
Strains occur when a muscle is overworked or weak.

Ligament sprain.
Ligaments connect the spinal vertebrae and provide stability for the low back. They can be
injured with a sudden, forceful movement or prolonged stress.

Poor posture.
Poor postural alignment (such as slouching in
front of the TV or sitting hunched over a desk) creates
muscular fatigue, joint compression, and stresses the
discs that cushion your vertebrae. Years of abuse can cause
muscular imbalances such as tightness and weakness, which
also cause pain.
Age. “Wear and tear” and inherited factors may cause
degenerative changes in the discs (called degenerative disc
disease), and joint degeneration of the facet joints of the spine
(called degenerative joint disease). Normal aging causes
decreased bone density, strength and elasticity of muscles and
ligaments. These effects can be minimized by regular exercise,
proper lifting and moving techniques, proper nutrition and
body composition, and avoidance of smoking.

Disc bulge. or herniation, can cause pressure on a nerve, which can radiate pain down the leg. This generally
responds well to a strengthening and stretching program and rarely requires surgery.
Other causes of low back pain include bladder/kidney infection, endometriosis, cancer, or ovarian problems.

TREATMENT:

REST:
Rest from aggravating activity. Avoid prolonged sitting, driving, bending, heavy lifting and twisting.

ICE: Ice applied to the low back for 15 minutes every 1 – 2 hours is helpful in reducing pain and spasm.
Avoid using heat for the first 48 hours of an acute injury.

NSAIDs: Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin, advil, aleve, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium.

EARLY EXERCISE:
Gentle exercise for mobility and stretching (especially the muscles of the legs and back) can help decrease the severity, duration and recurrence of low back pain. Try the suggested exercises on the back of this sheet. Do not perform exercises that increase your pain.

POSITIONING: Modifying your sleeping position can help ease strain to your low back. Make sure your
bed is firm enough to give you adequate support, and use a small pillow for you head. If you sleep on your
back, try putting a pillow under your knees. Or if you prefer to sleep side lying, put a pillow between your
thighs and if you are side bent, a folded towel under your waistline.

PREVENTION:
Once the severity of pain has decreased, a rehabilitation program to strengthen your hip, abdominal and back muscles can help prevent recurrences.
Posture! Posture! Posture! The goal is neutral spine, not slumped or over-arched.
Proper lifting and body mechanics.
See your health care provider if you have the following: significant pain that persists beyond a week, unexplained fever, unexplained weight loss, redness or swelling on the back or spine, pain /numbness /tingling that travels down the leg(s) below the knee, leg weakness, bowel or bladder problems, or back pain due to a severe blow or fall.
If your symptoms do not resolve within 2-4 weeks please contact your clinician.

THE TOP 20 WAYS TO SCREW UP IN GYM

Not Eating Enough Calories And Eating The Wrong Calories

I know you have heard
it before but I will say it
again – if you are not
eating enough calories,
you will NEVER gain
weight, no matter what
you do. THERE IS NO
WAY AROUND IT! Even
if you have the perfect
training routine, you will
never grow unless you
provide your body with the
proper nutrients. It’s like
saying you want
to build a house
but you don’t
have enough
bricks, cement
or wood. It will
be impossible to
build that house.
It’s like trying to buy a
$100,000 house and you
only have $50,000. It’s
going to be downright
impossible.
Long story short – if you
are not growing, there
could be two problems:

1. You have not applied
energy balance (energy
in versus energy out)
properly. It is a lot
trickier than simply
multiplying your body
weight by a factor of
18-22 as most authors
suggest.This factor
neglects your unique
resting metabolic rate,
your unique cost of daily
activity, your unique
cost of exercise activity
and the thermic effect of
food.
2. You combine the
wrong food at the wrong
times. Obviously eating
3000 calories of chips
and Doritos is not as
effective as eating 3000
calories of high quality
carbs,fats and proteins.
There is no way around
it. This is the number
one reason why skinny
guys never gain weight
or why anybody, for that
matter, will not make the
quality gains that they so
desperately strive for.

   The Top 20 ways to screw up in the gym

Screw-up #1:

Fear Of Over training

Over training is a result
of training too frequently
and/or too long. Don’t
take a microscope to the
definition. Over training
is as simple as that –
over training. It is a result
of one of the following:
• Training too frequently
or in excess.

• Training too long.
• Inadequate recovery.
Mainstream bodybuilding
literature and science
have traditionally focused
on the symptoms rather
than on the prevention
of them. You often read
articles on ‘over training
syndrome’ and ‘planned
over training’.
This is unnecessary.
If you are in control of the training and
recovery process, if you
train for predetermined
periods and recover in
predetermined ways,
then you don’t need to
know anything about
‘over training syndromes’!

You will know exactly
how many calories
your body needs on
your workout and your
non-workout days. The
metabolic calculator will
take into consideration
your specific goal: Do
you want to maintain, cut,
progressively gain muscle
or gain muscle as fast as
possible? It takes into
consideration your age,
sex, body fat percentage
and non-exercise activity
level.

As discussed above,
hitting your goals calories
is only half the battle. I am
guessing that you want to
gain clean, lean muscle
mass? You don’t want to
get a damn pot belly in the
process to hide your true
shape?! You must eat
clean and healthy calories
in addition to your caloric
surplus.
I know how difficult it is to advanced recovery
methods to take charge
of your training and
accelerate your ability
to recuperate and train
again.

                                                        NOTE
Keep in touch for remaining 19 screw up.........................................

                  HOW TO AVOID
                  OVER TRAINING
                       WITHOUT
                         DRUGS:


Never perform more than 4-12 TOTAL
work sets per workout. Yes, this is far
less than performing the bodybuilders’
suggested 12-24 sets per muscle
group! Unless you are in a contest to
see how many sets are possible per
workout, then your focus should be to
spark the muscle into growth and then
go home.

• Never follow a program out of a
popular bodybuilding magazine
– unless you are on steroids. Chest
on Monday, Back on Tuesday, Legs on
Wednesday, and so forth. I question
the workout intensity and recovery
ability if anyone can make weekly gains
from this conventional approach -that
clearly reflects a blatant acceptance of
tradition without any thought applied.

• Never train continuously for longer
than 12 weeks. Hardgainers will
actually benefit from taking a half week
off every sixth week of hard training to
allow their muscular, neural, hormonal
and immune system to FULLY
recharge. Try this one tip and watch
your strength go through the roof!

• Following 3 sets of 10, 3 sets of 12, 3
sets of 8 – any program that begins with
3 sets of whatever was clearly copied
from someone else and, again, clearly
reflects the historical mistake of copying
tradition without any thought applied.
Doing 3 sets of whatever for each
exercise in the workout is a surefire way
of over training.

• Never train more than two days in a
row. I question anybody’s recovery
ability to train more than two days in a
row. It typically takes up to 24 hours to
fully replenish your glycogen reserves
so by taking a day off every two days
you are allowing your energy reserves
to be replenished and optimized.

                        FooD    FactS


Dietary Supplements

You’ve heard about them, may have used them, and may have
even recommended them to friends or family. While some dietary
supplements are well understood and established, others need further
study. Read on for important information for you and your family about
dietary supplements.
Before making decisions about whether to take a supplement, talk
to your healthcare provider. They can help you achieve a balance
between the foods and nutrients you personally need.

What are dietary supplements?

Dietary supplements include such ingredients as vitamins, minerals,
herbs, amino acids, and enzymes. Dietary supplements are marketed in
forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, powders, and liquids
.
What are the benefits of dietary supplements?

Some supplements can help assure that you get enough of the vital
substances the body needs to function; others may help reduce the
risk of disease. But supplements should not replace complete meals
which are necessary for a healthful diet – so, be sure you eat a variety
of foods as well.
Unlike drugs, supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose,
prevent, or cure diseases. That means supplements should not make
claims, such as “reduces pain” or “treats heart disease.” Claims like
these can only legitimately be made for drugs, not dietary supplements

Dietary Supplements can be
beneficial to your health — but
taking supplements can also
involve health risks. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) does not have the
authority to review dietary
supplement products for safety
and effectiveness before they
are marketed.

Are there any risks in taking supplements?

Yes. Many supplements contain active ingredients that have strong
biological effects in the body. This could make them unsafe in
some situations and hurt or complicate your health. For example,
the following actions could lead to harmful – even life-threatening –
consequences.
• Combining supplements
• Using supplements with
medicines (whether prescription
or over-the-counter)
• Substituting supplements for
prescription medicines
• Taking too much of some
supplements, such as vitamin A,
vitamin D, or iron
Some supplements can also have
unwanted effects before, during,
and after surgery. So, be sure to
inform your healthcare provider,
including your pharmacist about

any supplements you are taking.


Who is responsible for the safety of dietary supplements?

FDA is not authorized to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.
The manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements are responsible for making sure their products are safe BEFORE they go to market.
If the dietary supplement contains a NEW ingredient, manufacturers must notify FDA about that ingredient prior to marketing. However, the notification will only be reviewed by FDA (not approved) and only for safety, not effectiveness.
Manufacturers are required to produce dietary supplements in a quality manner and ensure that they do not contain contaminants or impurities, and are accurately labeled according to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and labeling regulations.
If a serious problem associated with a dietary supplement occurs, manufacturers must report it to FDA as an adverse event. FDA can take dietary supplements off the market if they are found to be unsafe or if the claims on the products are false and misleading.

How can I find out more about the dietary supplement I’m taking?
Dietary supplement labels must include name and location information for the manufacturer or distributor.
If you want to know more about the product that you are taking, check with the manufacturer or distributor about:
• Information to support the claims of the product
• Information on the safety and effectiveness of the ingredients in the product.
How can I be a smart supplement shopper?
Be a savvy supplement user. Here’s how:
• When searching for supplements on the internet, use noncommercial sites (e.g. NIH, FDA, USDA) rather than doing
blind searches.
• Watch out for false statements like “works better than [a prescription drug],” “totally safe,” or has “no side effects.”
• Be aware that the term natural doesn’t always means safe.
• Ask your healthcare provider for help in distinguishing between reliable and questionable information.
• Always remember – safety first!


     Some Common Dietary Supplements

• Calcium
• Echinacea
• Fish Oil
• Ginseng
• Glucosamine and/or
• Chondroitin Sulphate
• Garlic
• Vitamin D
• St. John’s Wort
• Saw Palmetto
• Ginkgo
• Green Tea