Answer: Six Secrets to losing body fat and maintining muscle - i.e getting in "good shape:"

1. Eat smaller portions of food every 2-3 hours. Be sure to choose lean quality sources of protein like chicken, turkey, fish, egg whites or protein powder at every meal.

2. Avoid refined carbohydrates like sugar and processed white flour. Choose fibrous carbohydrates like oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, yams or sweet potatoes, wild rice and vegetables.

3. Drink a ton of water -- 64 oz. to 100 oz. per day.

4. Stick to protein at night. If you are still hungry after dinner eat more fish or chicken, boil a few eggs, scramble some egg whites or make a protein shake.

5. Perform cardio 4-7 days per week. The best time to burn body fat is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. (If you are hypoglycemic, you will want to eat a piece of fruit or some toast prior to performing any exercise.) If you have a healthy heart, vary your intensity between moderate and high. High intensty intervals will burn more calores than staying at a low intensity for a longer duration.

6. Lift weights 3 days per week. Shoot for 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Focus on compoud exercises first like squats, leg press, bench press, chin ups, lat pulldowns, and shoulder press. Complete isolations exercises for bi's, tri's, and abs last.

Lastly, eat a well balanced carb/pro meal within 30 minutes after exercise to prevent muscle catabolism.

Enjoy the journey!
Krista

E-mail your questions to [email protected]