LOSING THE BABY BULGE

Hi Fitness. I just had a baby five months ago but I still look six months pregnant. My stomach is just loose fat due to my C-section, so I drastically need to lose weight. My normal weight is 60kg but I now weigh 82kg! Is it a good option to take on the USN Challenge? Please help? I don’t want to build muscle, I just want to lose my fat and be skinny!
Charlene via info@fitnessmag

Dear Charlene,
Do not despair! There are a number of examples of success stories from role models who have gotten back into great shape post-pregnancy. In fact, Nicole Seymour, who is regularly featured on the pages of Fitness, as well as my wife (see the Jan/Feb issue of Fitness magazine for more info) are both great examples of losing the baby bulge.
It is always a good idea to have a strong goal to motivate you when attempting to lose weight, so taking on the USN Challenge may very well be worth your consideration, as it can prove to be a great motivator and sets realistic and achievable goals for you. Nicole, for example is not only a role model to many aspiring fitness girls, but her profession also revolves around the fitness and physique industry, which is what provided her with the motivation to regain her fantastic condition shortly after giving birth. As for my wife, she gained around 20kg while pregnant and then found a goal and strong motivation to lose her excess weight by entering Body Guru’s 12 week body transformation challenge (www.bodyguru.co.za), which is similar to the USN Challenge. Most body transformation challenges are also backed up with assistance, motivation and general dietary, supplementation and exercise guidance to help you achieve your goals, which makes the challenge all the more worthwhile. As an added bonus you will hopefully walk away with more than just the reward of losing the excess fat, by hopefully scooping up one of the great prizes generally awarded in these popular 12 week body transformation challenges.
The last comment I’d like to make is that you must not make the mistake of fearing muscle gain and avoiding resistance training. It is very difficult for a female to gain excessive amounts of muscle, as women generally don’t have the hormonal make up to allow significant muscle gain. The truth is that the little bit of lean muscle you will hopefully build by training with weights will significantly enhance your muscle tone and body shape, as well as positively impact on your metabolism, which will lead to easier and more permanent fat loss. So, challenge or no challenge, I’m going to recommend that you train in the gym with weights or resistance machines at least three times per week and back that up with three or four (five if you’re up to it) 30-40 minute cardio sessions a week. Combine that with a suitable diet and the motivation that comes with entering a challenge and I’m sure you’ll be well on your way to regaining your pre-pregnancy body shape.
Good luck. Mario

Do you have a question for our Pros? email us at info@fitnessmag.co.za

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COUNTING CALORIES

How do I know how many calories my body needs on a daily basis?
Thanks, Sibongile

Dear Sibongile,
The number of calories you need on a daily basis will firstly depend on your goals (i.e. whether you aim to maintain, gain or lose weight) and secondly, to a degree, on your age, height, weight, sex and activity level, amongst others. Technically speaking, while there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight, most females will lose weight eating around 1,500 calories (or less) per day.
To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to either maintain, gain or lose weight, you’ll need to do a few sums. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle you can assess your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Once you have worked this out, factor in your daily activity level and then accurately manipulate your daily calorie intake to achieve your goal. For example, if you are interested in burning fat and losing weight you’ll need to aim for a lower calorie intake and/or try to increase your caloric expenditure through exercise.

Step one is to calculate your BMR (as calories) with the following formula:
Women: 655 + (9.5 x weight in kg) + (1.85 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (13.9 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
Note – formula applies to adults only.

Step two is to factor in your activity level:
In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
•    If you are sedentary: BMR x 20 percent
•    If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
•    If you are moderately active (you exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
•    If you are very active (you exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
•    If you are extremely active (you do hard labour or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Then add this number to your BMR to get your daily caloric requirements. This figure will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. In order to lose weight, you’ll need to take in fewer calories than this figure, or burn in excess of it.
Note – as you lose weight you will need to re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.
I hope that gives you a better understanding of your daily caloric requirements.
Regards. Mario

Do you have a question for our Pros? email us at info@fitnessmag.co.za

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Angelique van der Linde

Angelique graces the cover of Fitness magazine for a record third time in the March/April issue of Fitness, following her amazing international success in 2010.

View this video for a sneak peek behind the scenes at the recent photo shoot. The March/April issue of Fitness magazine goes on sale on Monday 28 February 2011.

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WIN WIN WIN

SUPER FRUITICALS™ COMPETITION

Super fruit supplements to keep you glowing with health
Super fruits are fruits or berries which have powerful antioxidant properties and contain intense nutrient properties which are able to supply our bodies with extraordinary health benefits. Nutrifruit Labs® have introduced a new Superfruiticals™ range of super fruits in convenient capsule form to help keep you glowing with good health:

• Goji Berry – a potent antioxidant assists the body by enhancing the immune system and providing resistance again diseases, viral infections and may also help to balance blood sugar levels and with weight control.
• Açai – helps with lowering of cholesterol, improving digestion and build up cartilage levels and helps alleviate joint pain. It also assists with balancing blood sugar levels.
• Camu Camu – is used to strengthen the immune system and maintain healthy gums, teeth, eyes and skin. It can also help assist with mood swings and mental clarity.
• Mangosteen – helps to maintain intestinal health, strengthen the immune system, sustain a healthy respiratory system and improve cartilage and joint function.
• Noni – helps the body to strengthen the immune system, maintain a youthful appearance, stimulate cellular health, clear up infections and assist with chronic fatigue.

Available from Dis-Chem and select pharmacies for around R179 per pack.
Or order online: www.nutrifruitlabs.co.za
Enquiries: 087 802 7641

To win a Superfruiticals™ hamper valued at R950 simply email info@fitnessmag.co.za with the answer to this easy question:

Q: Name one super fruit included in the Superfruiticals™ product.
Entries close on Friday 15 October 2010.

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Fitness Videos

Looking for some Fitness inspiration, check out some videos we like:

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September is Heart Awareness Month

LOVE YOUR HEART THIS SEPTEMBER AND WIN WITH HEARTCHOICE OPTIMAL
The most important muscle in your body is actually the one you can’t see – your heart.  A healthy heart is essential for a healthy life.
The heart muscle uses more energy than any other organ in our bodies. CoQ10, an antioxidant found naturally in the body, is vital for optimal cardiovascular health and energy production, especially for people who lead active lifestyles. Simply explained, CoQ10 acts like a spark plug in the energy producing cells of the body.
Supplementing with 150mg CoQ10 has been shown to support and maintain healthy heart muscle function, healthy cholesterol levels, circulatory health, stamina and endurance.
HeartChoice Energiser (R172.95) and HeartChoice Optimal (R135.95) are available at selected pharmacies and retail outlets.

5 lucky readers stand the chance of winning a HeartChoice product hamper worth R300 each. Simply email info@fitnessmag.co.za with the answer to this question: What is one of the benefits of supplementing with CoQ10?

So get onto improving your heart, cholesterol and circulatory health as well as sustaining your energy and love your heart this September during Heart Awareness Month!

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
HeartChoice Optimal for Improved Heart Health
A healthy heart is essential for a healthy life. A deficiency of the vital compound, CoQ10 may lead to muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue. Unfortunately, the body’s ability to produce CoQ10 declines with age. Chronic disease, strenuous exercise and taking various medications like cholesterol lowering medication and hormone replacement therapy could also lower our CoQ10 levels.

New HeartChoice Optimal
HeartChoice Optimal is a unique combination of 150mg CoQ10, as well as Magnesium for regulating heart and muscle contraction and Resveratrol (the good stuff in red wine) known for its cholesterol lowering properties.
HeartChoice Optimal is available at selected pharmacies and retail outlets.

HeartChoice Energiser with CoQ10 for Active Lifestyles
CoQ10 is vital for optimal cardiovascular health and energy production, especially for people who lead active lifestyles. Simply explained, CoQ10 acts like a spark plug in the energy producing cells of the body.
Without adequate CoQ10, energy production declines and your cells can’t function properly. This can affect many different parts of your body, but particularly the organs that work the hardest, such as your heart, muscles, liver, kidneys and brain. Logically, individuals that use a large amount of energy by exercising will need more CoQ10 in order to produce that energy. CoQ10 also supports the body’s post-exercise recovery and helps protect against the free radical activity sometimes generated by aerobic exercise.

New HeartChoice Energiser
HeartChoice Energiser is now available and provides a unique combination of 150mg CoQ10 and 150 mg alpha lipoic acid, assisting with stamina, endurance and post-exercise recovery. HeartChoice Energiser helps give you optimal energy and supports cardiovascular health, so you can keep up your active lifestyle.
HeartChoice Energiser is available at selected pharmacies and retail outlets.

Information and prizes supplied by Sanofi Aventis
Visit: www.pharmachoice.co.za/coq10facts for more information

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Fitness magazine Women’s Day competition

Win this Women’s Day with Fitness mag & Trichotin Hair Regenesis

The 9th August is National Women’s Day in South Africa. This public holiday commemorates the national march of women on this date in 1956. They were marching to petition against legislation that required Africans to carry the “pass”, the special identification documents that restricted an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era.

To celebrate the women of this country Fitness magazine and Trichotin Hair Regenesis are giving away R2,000 worth of hair improvement products. Luxurious hair is a reflection of a healthy and vibrant body. Like the rest of your body, your hair needs quality nutrients to revitalise and maintain it in peak condition. Trichotin Hair Regenesis, with anti-ageing properties, has been specifically formulated to supply the essential nutrients required for healthier hair and skin, while promoting overall well-being. Trichotin’s high-tech absorption and delivery system stimulates blood flow and oxygen delivery to the skin and scalp via increased capillary perfusion – thus amplifying delivery and increased availability of essential nutrients and vital oxygen. This process results in regeneration of damaged hair follicles and skin cells.

Benefits include:
● Reduces hair loss
● Stimulates stronger, healthier hair growth
● Improves skin clarity

To win simply email your name, contact number, delivery address and answer to the compeition question to info@fitnessmag.co.za.
Q: List one benefit of Trichotin Hair Regenesis?

Entries close on Friday 13 August 2010.
Winners will be notified via email.

For more information and a list of stockists visit www.trichotin.com.

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Diet is Not Working

I have failed in losing weight. I’ve literally tried it all, just not for long. I have always tried a new routine for seven to eight weeks, but don’t see the results that I want. Recently I saw an article on the internet that says that you can lose weight by eating once a day, and I want to try it. Apparently it has worked for many people. Do you think I should be looking at all the past failures I have put myself through? How do I make sure I follow something that works for me?
Ookeditse via web

The Pro’s Respond

Hi Ookeditse,

To be successful at something often means that you will ‘fail’ until you find a winning formula. So don’t view your past ‘failures’ in a negative light as they were a necessary part of your future success!
To get into shape requires that you take an holistic approach that encompasses exercise, nutrition and motivation. They all play a role in achieving your goals. Following a sensible, well thought out nutrition plan will have far greater and lasting health benefits than a ‘quick fix’ one meal a day diet plan.
You will find all the motivation and advice you need in the pages of Fitness, where some of South Africa’s leading nutrition and fitness experts share their knowledge. Who better to learn from than those who practice what they preach? You will also find some useful tips by reading the questions and answers from previous issues of Fitness.

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Love handles and menopause

How do I get rid of the cellulite and love handles around the stomach? I’m 47 years old and I’m going through menopause. Can this be the cause of it, can it be hormonal? I have always had a flat tummy, up until two years ago. What are the best exercises to get rid of this unwanted bulge?
Marisa via web

The Pro’s Respond

Hi Marisa,

Let me start out by stating three absolute facts:
1. Cellulite is no more than the physical manifestation of surplus body fat
2. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but merely transformed from one form to another
3. Body fat is stored surplus energy

With the aforementioned in mind you will understand then that any excess body fat (cellulite in appearance or not) is created from an over consumption of calories (food energy). It’s as simple as that, whether we like it or not! If you have excess body fat then you have eaten excess calories through your diet. Basically our bodies have a daily energy requirement to sustain life. This we call our basal metabolic rate. Each of us has a different basal metabolic requirement dependent on genetic factors, level of muscle mass, age, activity levels, hormone levels, gender etc.
When we consume more calories (energy) than we each require our body has no option but to convert this excess energy into body fat (remembering that energy is neither created nor destroyed). Despite the fact that some of us are more fortunate, metabolism wise than others (perhaps due to age, hormonal levels etc. being in our favour), the long and short of it is that we will only store excess body fat if we are eating in excess of own body’s caloric requirements.
To get rid of this excess body fat, which you currently exhibit around your waist as “love handles” and stomach fat, requires that you eat fewer calories than your body requires, or burn more than you consume through physical activity to create a calorie deficit. Your body then has no choice but to tap into its stored energy reserves (body fat) as a means to fulfil its daily energy requirements.
Spot reduction, as in trying to target a specific area such as your stomach with specific exercises is not going to work in reducing body fat stores. Just like you can’t dictate to your car to draw fuel from the top left hand quarter of its petrol tank, you can’t force your body to preferentially tap into body fat stores in certain areas. Creating a calorie deficit through dieting and/or increasing energy expenditure through exercise will, over time result in body fat reduction throughout the entire body. This will (when overall body fat levels are eventually low enough) include those troublesome area we all have.
That is not to say you shouldn’t worry about training abs. Two or three sets each of crunches and leg raises twice a week should be sufficient to develop your muscles. The rest of your time in the gym should be spent combining cardio with basic compound movements targeting the major muscle groups (e.g. squats and leg press for legs, rows and pull downs for back, barbell and dumbbell pressing for chest and shoulders). These kinds of exercises will consume the most energy and have the most significant impact on your metabolism, as well as provide the stimulus required to develop and enhance muscle tone.
Train with passion

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Too many Supplements?

Is it possible to take too many supplements? If one is taking a multi-vitamin, a calcium tablet, a chromium tablet, fat burners, CLA and a Venavine tablet daily is that considered too much? Will this one day affect my liver or stomach lining negatively? I keep reading about the benefits of all of the above, but am slightly concerned that it will cause damage later in life. What are your views?
Judy via web

The Pro’s Respond

ulti-vitamin, a calcium tablet, a chromium tablet, fat burners, CLA
Hi Judy,

Thanks for your question. I am sure this is something many supplement consumers often ponder over. I think the real concern should be taking too much of one supplement or particular ingredient rather than too many supplements in general. In other words, as long as you are not over dosing on one particular ingredient (e.g. vitamin A or D), then you can basically take as many different supplements as you want without compromising your health. In fact, provided your daily supplement regimen is well thought out and planned, then each additional supplement you take should provide an additional health or performance benefit.
When you eat a healthy, well balanced, mixed whole-food diet you are consuming literally hundreds of different nutrients. These different nutrients work synergistically to enhance health and build a healthy body, not stress the digestive tract or liver. The same therefore applies to a supplement plan. Each individual supplement should work to enhance body and health in some way and not stress your system.
Personally I supplement daily with a multi-vitamin, vitamin C and E, Chromium Picolinate, ZMA, EFAs, Glutamine, Creatine, BCAAs, protein powders, Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin… and the list goes on. As one of the most health conscious people you’ll ever meet, I can thus assure you that your supplement regimen provides little concern of “over-supplementation”.
I hope that re-assures you.

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