Yoga for Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet!

once attained, will be discarded for the old habits that made them a fat cow in the first place. A diet might help you lose some weight, but it’s the lifestyle modifications that you continually adhere to that help you keep off what you lose. Healthy eating is the perfect complement to your YRG workouts; if you decide to stick to both, the positive effects can be permanent.
    The battle of the big belly is fought using the weapons of dietary changes, exercise, and most importantly, discipline. Your diet turns into a healthy lifestyle once the application of discipline becomes an ingrained habit. This book has given you the exercise program. In the next chapter, we will also inspire you to stay focused and disciplined, but now, we’ll talk a little about the healthy eating part of your lifestyle that can take you the rest of the way.
    YOGA-DOC SAYS …
    Almost everybody has heard something about theAtkins Diet, a high-protein, very low-carb and moderate- to high-fat program. This diet relies very heavily on the process of
ketosis
, which is when the body uses what it needs from the intake of protein and then converts any excess protein into the minimum amount of carbohydrate necessary to run the body. The less the amount of carbohydrates consumed, the less fatty deposits that will be stored in the body. So, you might be asking, what falls into the carbohydrate category, anyway? Cookies, ice cream, candy, cakes, potatoes, chips, any type of bread, rice, pasta, beer, wine, liquor (sorry), soda, juice, fruit, veggies, and absolutely everything with sugar. Many people have lost weight on this diet. But it is definitely a short-term eating program and certainly not a lifestyle program that can be sustained, because this diet can be quite stressful on the kidneys and may also cause an increase in blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
    I’ve had many patients who have been very successful using a more moderatelow-carb diet known as theSouth Beach Diet. This eating program can be used on a more long-term basis, but it is not for anyone who has dairy sensitivities. TheZone Diet is a time-tested and very successful lifestyle program that can be sustained for an indefinite period for those who stick with it. It is based on eating meals that are 40 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
    I’ve had patients who have reported sustainable weight loss by simply cutting their portions down by 25 to 30 percent per meal without changing anything else. I like to eat four or five small meals per day that consist of mostly protein and vegetables. I recommend that you eat your biggest meal of the day at breakfast or lunch, because your body is more likely to store what you eat for dinner as fat. This is because we have a tendency to be less active at night, so our bodies won’t have as much of a need for instant energy. I have a favorite saying, “If you want to gain weight, just eat late.” Now, listen guys, it’s hard to eat right all the time, but I find that if I eat right for eight out of every ten meals, I’m a happy guy.
    The Yoga-Doc pretty much hit things right on the head when it comes to eating to lose weight and stay in shape. And now, I’m going to even make it easier for you.
    If you’re trying to lose that tire around your stomach or lose weight in general, immediately start writing down everything you eat and drink and what
time
you ate and drank it. Writing down what you eat and drink makes you accountable for your actions. I will really get into this subject in the next chapter. When you write down what you are eating and what time you are eating it, you will definitely see what you are dealing with when it comes to the changes you need to make.
    You should always eat your carbohydrates before your proteins because your stomach and small intestines will always attempt to break down and absorb the carbs first. Carbohydrates are digested the quickest to supply the body with instant energy as well as enough fuel to help you digest whatever else you eat. Yes, it takes energy to digest all that food that we pile into our bodies. This is why many folks get very tired after a meal.
    So if you happen to eat your proteins and good fats before your carbs, your digestive system will give the carbohydrates priority, which will cause the proteins and fats to sit in your stomach until all those carbs are broken down and absorbed. This is not the healthiest scenario for your digestive tract.
    The