Turkey time is almost here. For some of us this is a pretty stressful time. All of you P90x’ers may have some anxiety over the up and coming holidays, not knowing what to do when it comes to eating. Well don’t worry, here is a little information that will help.

First and foremost you need to know the average amount of fat and calories that are in your typical Thanksgiving meal.

Roasted Turkey-(no skin) 4 slices, about 4 oz. = 190 calories & 6g fat

Cranberry Sauce-1/2 cup = 209 calories & 0g fat

Cornbread Stuffing-1 cup = 431 calories & 21g fat

Green Bean Casserole -1 cup = 168 calories & 10g fat

Mashed Potatoes-1 cup = 243 calories & 11g fat

Pecan Pie-1/8 of 9″ pie = 456 calories & 21g fat

Pumpkin Pie (without whipped cream)-1/8 of 9″ pie = 323 calories & 15g fat

Having this basic information will help you to make the right choices. If you’re following the portion approach of the P90X diet plan then its pretty simple. All you have to do is make sure the portions fit within the parameters of your nutrition level. For example, if you are a Level 1 you’re allowed to have 1,800 calories a day, which consist of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, condiments & snack. Look to your P90X nutrition guide for more details on how many servings of each of these you should be eating.

If you’re not following the portion approach then its perfectly fine to switch over for the holiday season. It will make it a lot easier when making you food choices.

Also, you may want to plan ahead of time. Ask what is going to be on the menu beforehand and figure out what you can eat and how much. It will take the stress out of the holidays and you won’t have to feel guilty about your choices.

If you plan on making the meal yourself check out this video for cooking tips to reduce fat and calories in your Thanksgiving meal.

Thanksgiving Cooking Tips

Happy Holidays!

The short answer is no. Spot training does not work. Crunches will not immediately burn fat on your stomach. Nor do leg raises melt fat off of your thighs. There are several reason spot reducing isn’t effective. It’s true that genetics has a lot to do with where we gain weight and were it comes off first when we lose. For some people fat around the middle goes last. You can lose weight but because of genetics, your tummy won’t go until you really step up the exercise and buckle down on the eating.Although spot training will not reduce fat on those areas specifically, it will improve the muscle tone. For instance, if you are trying to lose weight in your stomach and do 200 crunches or 3 ab routines a day you won’t necessarily lose the fat there but you will gain strength and muscle tone in your midsection. What this means is when the fat finally does come off, it will reveal more defined muscles because you have already been training those muscles.
 
Also, spot training can increase metabolism and help you lose weight just like any other strength training routine. When you build muscle, your metabolism is increased thereby increasing the likelihood that your body will burn fat. This works because muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. As a part of any weight loss program , you must incorporate strength training. While this won’t burn fat immediately where you train (saggy arms anyone?) it will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat overall.
 
Also important in losing fat is cardio workouts. Cardio or raising your heart rate to an aerobic level immediately burn calories. Things like running, kick boxing, dancing, and biking are all good cardio exercises. While this calorie burn isn’t sustained like the one you get by strength training and gaining muscle mass, it is important none the less.
 
If you stomach or thighs are the last trouble area to go when you lose weight, it’s definitely time to pick up the fitness effort. By strength training and increasing cardio you can lose fat overall and gain muscle definition. Spot training won’t get you closer to your goal, but is an okay addition to any strength training workout.

Who doesn’t want to decrease body fat? In America today the answer is probably: very few. We all know that exercise will cause us to lose weight. Some of us probably even know the science behind weight loss. But for those of us just starting out on a fitness quest or a weight loss journey, the science can seem confusing and frankly overwhelming. With all of the information out there it can be hard to weed through it and find a simple explanation of how weight loss works.
 
You probably know that in order to lose weight your caloric intake must be less than your caloric output. In other words, you have to burn more than you eat. This doesn’t mean that if you eat 1800 calories you have to burn 1800 calories through exercise. Your body is burning calories right now. Your body requires energy to run. You burn calories simply by breathing and living, not to mention talking, reading, walking, and other daily activities. To find out approximately how many calories you burn on a daily basis, try this calculator.
 
In order to lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 calories. Don’t’ get scared, this isn’t in one day! A healthy weight loss is considered about a pound a week. So, if you want to decrease body fat at a healthy rate, create a weekly caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. This can be accomplished through cutting calories to a reasonable level and incorporating exercise.

Exercise works to decrease body fat in a few ways:

• First, the immediate effects. When you exercise you immediately bun calories as your body accesses fat stores for energy. By elevating your heart rate you are requiring your engine to run in high gear which requires more energy, and therefore more calories. This immediate calorie burn is best accomplished through aerobic exercise, or exercise that increases your heart rate. Things like dancing, running, walking, biking, and swimming are all good aerobic exercises.

• Exercise can also burn calories in the long term. Your “metabolism” refers to the amount of calories you burn while resting, or simple living. Several things can affect your metabolism. One major influence on your metabolism is your muscles. Muscles burn through calories faster than fat. So, by increasing your muscle mass you will burn more calories, even when you are sleeping! Strength training to increase muscle mass is the second prong in exercising to decrease body fat.

Tracking Your Fat Loss

Incorporating both aerobic (also called “cardio”) routines with a strength training plan will maximize your fat loss. Keep in mind that while you are losing fat you will also be gaining muscle. So, while the number on the scale may not budge, your measurements surely will. To more accurately track your progress try taking your measurements. For even greater specificity on your progress, track your body fat percentage by using a body fat caliper.

What is good in our mouths isn’t necessarily good for our health. However, just because it has the same name as that squishy stuff on your thighs, doesn’t mean all fats are bad. Learning the difference between good fats and bad fats can simplify how much and what kinds of fat you need to avoid in order to lose weight, feel better, and even have a healthier heart.We know that not all fats are good for us and plenty of us remember the “fat free” frenzy that took place in the 90s. Luckily that craze ended and science has gone on to educate us about the fact that there are good fats, which we all need, and bad fats, that cause heart disease and do nothing positive for us.
 
The human body needs fats to survive. Fat is an excellent source of energy and does things like protect our organs and keep our skin soft. Good fats go even further by helping to lower cholesterol and prevent the risk of heart disease. There are two types of good fats: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
 
Polyunsaturated fats, like Omega 3’s, are found in vegetable oils and seafood. It lowers all types of cholesterol. Fish is a great source of polyunsaturated fats and also a high protein, low calorie, all-around great diet food.
 
Monounsaturated fats not only decrease cholesterol but are thought to actually decrease the risk of certain types of cancers. These fats are found in things like olives, avocados, nuts and seeds. Monounsaturated fats are also typically rich in Vitamin E.

While these good fats are far better for you then saturated fats, they contain the same amount of calories, 9 per gram. Compare this with 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates or protein. This simply means that your fat intake still needs to be moderated regardless of what types of fat you are eating. Just because it’s a good fat, doesn’t mean you should switch to a diet of avocados and olives!

Educating yourself about the things you put inside your body makes you a more health conscious person. When you are aware of the effects of certain foods on your body you are more likely to make healthy choices that encourage a longer life and even weight loss. Remember this: 1) not all fats are bad, and 2) good fats have a positive impact on your heart and overall health.