Ask James Fitness Questions!
 

I have been coaching, training, and selling supplements for a few years now, so ask me your training/weight loss/supplement questions.

How can I get rid of my pot belly without liposuction? :confused: I have lost weight, but can't lose the belly.

Now I don't know who to ask the important questions of life -- James or Arya?

Cream. Try walking on your hands for the next ten years or so and see if it reverses the effects of gravity! Then you'll have a bigger chest and smaller tummy.

James, I knew it, a druggie pusher of of the Herbal type! What a Grin!!!!:)

Healt Hut is in the same center but the owners wife looks enimic, and the Nordic employee looks good except she is to old for me!!! She must be in her 50's and taller than me!:o

If only it were that simple, lol! :)

Cream,

OK then, I'll be in the City in mid-June. Don't eat or drink until I get there.

You have to lsoe more body fat without sacrificing muscle. After a certain point, the more weight you lose the flabbier you will get.

Do you follow a diet/workout program at all? If so which one? What do you eat daily? Do you keep a log of it?

Try mixing a concoction of jelly and eggs and rubbing it on your belly! The jelly acts as a fat absorbant (because it's sticky) while the egg acts as a natural moisturizer for the covering up of cellulite. :p

HE HE HE! Sorry, just had to throw a crazy joke in here!

my best guy friend is mortified about his body. i told him not to worry about it that much. he's about 135 lbs and 5'5. never been fat in his entire life. the thing is, he has stretch marks all over his body, and you can see it. i think in 8th grade he started to work out and it made his skin strecth, i don't know, but that is when it started to show. his entire back, elbow, under the arm pit area, legs, and butt area. he is afraid to go out in public and do the outdoors type of things like swimming or just taking off his shirt for volleyball. he also wants to rush next semester and does not want to because of this situation. is there anything he can do to get rid of this? he only saw the doctor once for a physical and that was it. the doctor didnt say anything at all. anyone can answer this.

I was on Atkins and lost 10 pounds. I am the right weight for my height according to those charts. (I'm not sure how accurate the charts are.) I got sick of low carb and have been eating moderately for a couple of months now. I have kept the weight off. I don't keep a log of my food/calorie intake.


I don't really work out. Apparently, I need to tone and build muscle. I just don't know what to do. James, share your wisdom with me please. :)

Excuse me while I put the jelly and eggs back into the refrigerator. ;)

I don't have cellulite or stretch marks just a soft lower belly. :) You know, that area below my belly button.

Cream,

My ex (the personal trainer) told me the best way to get rid of my gut (that I too complained about) was to run like the wind. He claimed cardio was the best! Hmmm...excuse me while I grab another beer and watch my brother run on the treadmill ;)

You have got to get pretty big pretty fast to get sytretch marks like that. Thats just odd. What you are saying is that he has never really gotten "bigger" as in hugely muscular or fat and yet for some reason his skin has stretched.

he has NEVER been fat, i think it was the early exercising. they say you get it by gaining weight or loosing too much weight at once. he has never experienced both of that.

I had stretch marks on my "Jennifer Lopez Booty." lol.

Seriously though, I would tell him to see a dermatologist. I went to one and she told me there was nothing to do for them to completely get rid of them. I'm sure that a good derm. has some kind of creme to at least make them less noticeable. I rubbed cocoa butter lotion on mine to lighten them. I know this might not be possible for him but losing weight or muscle mass would help a little, but like you said he is not overweight.

TexasAGD- many guys have stretch marks from working out, usually on their arms, but they can happen anywhere on your body. They are also caused by an increase in hormones, probably why he developed them in adolescence. I would definately tell him to see a dermatologist- especially one that specializes in cosmetic dermatology. They have more options as to how to remove them or cover them up.

I don't feel that I gained weight really fast, just some people's skin stretches. I saw one on my knee the other day! odd. you can't tell me that my knee is fat! lol
I'm not overweight either, I'm actually low weight. 5'9'' and 130, and muscular but all my junk is in my trunk!

I have stretch marks, I hate them...I am going on a weight-loss and exercise campaign starting June 1st. (When my gym membership starts again.) I have lost 9 lbs since the loss of GPBoy so I figure I might as well keep up the trend. My goal is to go down 2 sizes by the end of the summer. :)

Body for Life: fluke or fact?

Fact.

Body for life could also be titled: The Dummies guide to basic and intermediate bodybuilding.

Hey James, can you give me some diet, fitness, and/or exercise tips for my problem area? Thanks. :) I want to look good in a bikini in July.

Ok do it tomorrow. but you need to me one favor.

Tell me what you ate yesterday, today and also tomorrow. And what times you ate it. As well as, as close as possible, the calorie and protein/carb ratio.

Should I keep a log of everything I eat?

I don't remember yesterday's menu.
Pork chops, mixed vegetables, and salad for dinner, I think.

Friday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal

1:30 Lunch: Thai garlic chicken with stir fry vegetables and salad

6:30 Dinner: Steak, veggies, and fries

I walked 2.5 miles today. I need to slowly work my way into running as per Hootie's suggestion. :)

The basics of weight loss, muscle building and general fitness are pretty much the same. And tedious really.

Most people fail because they get psyched up for working out or dieting but get bored with the everyday stuff.

Writing it down can be the most powerful tool you have Cream. If I gave you no advice at all but you started keeping absolute track of what you ate and when, as well as excercise and sleep, you would probably hit your goals pretty fast.

Why? Because it would make you much stricter.

I did that when I was on Atkins, but the diet was way too restrictive. I did pick up some good habits from that diet. I am off junk food and sugar. I try to limit my carb intake. I can't eliminate carbs.

So I'll keep a log of my food and exercise and sleep. I just want abs of steel for my cruise in mid July. :) Now I am going bathing suit shopping. The horror! :eek: ;)

I think everyone hates bathsuit shopping! :p

The cure for stretch marks: NOTHING! :( But the best thing that one can do it to moisurize the area with Vit E. Get the jell caps and safety pin, poke a hole in it squeez and... ta da the best way to reducs the visability of stretch marks. It works, I do it!

Body for Life: One of the best books I have read concerning health a fitness. My best friend is a certified personal trainer and he told me to read it. It seriously is better than one of those _____ for Dummies guides. It has pictures, charts, etc. The best part is the personal stories and the before and after photos to keep motivation.

Atkins: I refer to it as the double edged sword. Sure people are amazed at what cutting carbs out, but even going up to maintance level will kick ys in the ass and most people do gain back some weight. It has to be a change of lifestyle not a fad.

Thats my two cents, and I hate trying to fit my cardio in everyday, and I like to eat good food. But if your trying to lose weight, it's a lot of change and thats why it so tough. Make little changes here and there... they will add up! :)

Some fitness advice please!

I want to work on my lower body (hips/thighs/butt/legs)

What is the best way to do this? I don't want to be very muscular, just more toned.

Would I have to follow a certain diet for this?

I PMed you James. Respond ASAP :D

It wasn't as bad as I thought. I tried on 6 or 7 and bought 3 bikinis. :) I actually looked pretty good in the mirror in the dressing room. I just need to tone up.

James, I could use some of your fitness wisdom so I can get those abs of steel. Thanks. :)

cardio

are you nuts? walking on your hands is simple?

Cream,

Ok. Go back on Atkins. And use this ratio of 3-1 fat to protein calories.

Shoot for 10 calories per pound of body weight distributed in 5 meals.

Shoot to lose ten pounds more than you need to . . . because you will rebound.

Change up your cardio. Do you have steps available to you? Walk up and down the steps for 20 minutes daily. Take one minute rest after the first 3 minutes, and after every 5 if you need it. Just walk. It will eat the fat off you.

KEep a log of diet and training. Train with weights. If you don't you will mess yourself up.

Do you belong to a gym? What resources do you have available?

So back on Atkins I go. I love steak and salad. :D Bye bye pasta, bagels, fries, and rice. :( How can I eat 3-1 fats to protein? I would need to saturate everything in olive oil, butter, and cream.

I don't belong to a gym. I'm a few blocks from Central Park so I can walk miles there now that I have dusted off my Reeboks. It is beautiful this time of year. I have stairs in my building. I used to walk down them daily. I could join a gym since there seems to be one on every block. I'm not really sure if I want to. I need to think about that. I think that if the weather is good, I could easily walk two miles a day. I've been taking public transportation lately instead of walking.

I know nothing about weight training. I have those 5lb things somewhere, but I think that you mean something more intense. :)

That's all that I can think of now. Tomorrow I am back on Atkins. Today I am enjoying my last bagel for a few months. :p

I hate to interrrupt James but....
 

Cream-
Please don't get back on the Atkins diet!!! It's bad for you... here's why:

Your brain ONLY uses glucose (sugar) as fuel. Thus, you need to eat food with glucose in order to fuel your brain (carbs, complex carbs, fruits with simple sugar, milk). If you eat no glucose, your body will make ketone bodies (glucose-like substance) to feed your brain from other protien sources in your liver. Ketone bodies are toxic, and elevated levels in your bloodsteam can be life threatening (ketacidosis is common when diabetics go into insulin shocks).

Now, most peoiple on the Atkins diet don't reach life threatening ketosis because of "hidden carbohydrates" in their food (and the acid-base buffer in our blood). However, carbohydrates are essential to your cells and metabolism and not eating them throws your body into an abnormal metabolic state.

So eat carbs! You cells need them.
The rest of Jame's advice is sound. :-)
-M
-M

Re: I hate to interrrupt James but....
 

I have to respectfully disagree michelle. But certainly you are not the only one to espouse this incorrect point of view.

Rather than point out that there is no literature on ketogenic diets causing damage I will point out the fact that doctors put children on ketogenic diets to control epilepsy for up to years.

And they put them much deeper into ketosis than we would be because they also limit their water. The idea that the seizures are controlled by really high blood ketone levels.

During the time they are on it, they don't even check for liver damage or kideny damage or whatever. Because it doesn't happen.

And children are more susceptible to damage of that kind than adults.

Here is a couple web sites to sink your teeth into.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/ketodi....html#Heading2

http://epilepsyontario.org/faqs/keto.html

Note: You can hurt adults but you can't have procedures that hurt kids. They get shut down.

posted twice
 

Some fitness advice please!

I want to work on my lower body (hips/thighs/butt/legs)

What is the best way to do this? I don't want to be very muscular, just more toned.

Would I have to follow a certain diet for this?

Both sides have valid points...

I'm a Dietetics major and I will eventually be an RD. And I'm supposed to tell you exactly what XOMichelle says. The ADA does not believe in the Atkins diet... If you follow the Food Guide Pyramid, you will be eating healthily. If you lower your calorie intake and increase your exercise at the same time, you will lose weight.

That said, most people find great weight loss success on the Atkins diet... and unlike ephedra, Atkins hasn't really been PROVEN to be dangerous.

I've never really studied the Atkins program in depth, but I would give one piece of advice:
Make sure that the carbs you DO eat are nutrient dense. I know Dr. Atkins believed in whole grains, and you should too! If you aren't going to eat a lot of carb-rich food, please choose wisely so that you will still get the recommended amount of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs. Animal products do not offer much in this area. Also be choosy with your fruits and vegetables... salad is low in calories but iceberg lettuce isn't really fulfilling any major nutrient needs. Same with bananas... they have potassium but that's about it.

And I would have to add this: Cream, you are a woman. Women have curves and most of the time, it's fairly difficult to get rid of that small lower abdominal roundness if you are already quite slim. You are probably the only person that notices it :)

Hey James, I probably could have asked you about this on IM but I just got really frustrated yesterday.

I've been working out for soccer as I told you, but on top of that I'm trying to lose weight as well. My exercise regimen is 5 days/week weights as follows:

Physical therapy exercises for back and stomach (I have a sway back)
3 sets, 15-25 reps of the following, depending on the strength of each muscle group:
Hamstrings
Calves
Quads
Groin
Biceps
Triceps
Shoulders
Pectorals (trying to lose some boobs :p )

To warm up, I run 7 minutes on the treadmill, and to cool down, I run for 10. (In a few weeks the amount of running will go up.) I'll In addition to this, I run outdoors for 15 minutes 3 days a week at my own pace.

I'm gaining weight. I don't think it's muscle, because there's no change in the areas I'm working, and my clothes are fitting tighter across my stomach. I'm exhausted on a daily basis. I eat a lot healthier than I used to, drink lots of water and green tea, don't drink any more than 2 glasses of wine/week. I try to stay low carb but I take in a little so that I have enough energy. I eat only enough to fill myself, so I don't overeat.

Any ideas for another diet change, or is there something wrong with my exercising?

Ooooh, and while I'm here, are there any more back-friendly stomach exercises I can do? I don't think I'm ready for crunches yet but I've been doing some leg lifts until I fatigue.

It's funny. Ask James fitness questions has turned into the help Cream get rid of her tummy thread. :p

I think that I will start back on the induction phase of Atkins for at least the next two weeks. It I will also incorporate exercise which I something I haven't done in a while. I don't have any pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. I also was on Induction for one month in January and moved on to phase two where you slowly incorporate 5 more grams carbs into your diet each week. The type of carbs that Carolina Cutie described. I have been off the diet, but I have maintained the weight loss. I just want to be toned. Unless I make this a full time job, I think that abs of steel are only a dream for me.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

James, what type of exercise should I do besides the steps? What type should texas*princess do? :)

Take up badminton - singles preferably. I don't know how much you care for the racquet sports, but playing singles in any of them are great for your lower body. I think badminton is the best because it's constant lunging and jumping.

James, what do you think of Yoga. Is it effective for weightloss. I hate going to the gym, and I mean HATE!!! I do love Yoga though. I know after I complete a class it makes me feel rejuvenated, but can it help me lose weight?