Part I

-Victoria Piscopo

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Whether you’re male or female, there are many ways that we wake in the morning­­. There are those who jump right out of bed in the morning at the first sound of the alarm. There are also those who hit snooze until they’ve realized that they have snoozed right into the time they had to get dressed and out the door. Either way, there never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything. Most men, because they’re so busy in everyday life, find it hard to take the time to take care of themselves.
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There’s one fact that you must keep imbedded in your mind always!  If you do not eat enough during the day you will NOT lose weight or gain any muscle—no matter how much you work out! Boys … your body is like your car. Without fuel, it will not run. Without oil, your transmission will break down—the same as your body.  Eating 5 to 6 times a day to keep your metabolism running is not just a fad. The body works on a built-in survival system. If you go more than 3 hours without eating, there’s an automatic timer that goes off inside your body that thinks you’re starving yourself.
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Eating something small every 2 and a half to 3 and a half hours will speed up your metabolism so your body will continue to rev and burn fat—not your muscle. You will also have more energy and focus to help you get through a hard day at work, and then when you get home, you’ll still have enough energy left to give attention to your kids.  If you’re only eating once or twice a day, your body is still going to break down the muscles you’re trying to build into fat because fat stores longer in the body. Don’t you ever wonder why you only eat once a day and you’re not losing weight? That’s my case in point.
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I’ve had a lot of my male clients say to me that they don’t want to lose weight they just want to “tone up.” Most of them are very active and participate in tons of activities like basketball, softball, soccer, triathlons, marathons, weekend boot camps, snowboarding, and surfing—all on top of working out 3 to 4 times a week. So why then is it so hard to TONE up?  I am going to answer that for you in the most direct way possible—you are not eating enough times during the day! The goal is to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. You’ve heard this before, I know you have. It’s the truth and you can say, “I know. I know” and “but I don’t have time.” Just like your job, and your family (if you have one)—make the time for yourself. If you’re better to yourself, you’ll be able to be better for the ones who count on you.
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Protein and carbs are crucial in gaining muscle. Eating enough times during the day is essential to losing weight. This has got to become a way of life—coincide it with your daily fitness training and activities. To reach any goal, you need planning and consistency. It’s a challenge and will take some work. You’re about to break a bad habit! You need to plan out your meals—just like you would plan out a workweek with meetings and project deadlines. This is the project for your health.  Completing your goal for yourself is your deadline. You do it for work, so why not do it for your body, too?

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