Forget the simplistic calories-in, calories-out concept of weight loss.
"You see it on The Biggest Loser where people are starving themselves, over-exercising and they don't lose any weight," J.J. Virgin, the nutrition and fitness coach to the stars, explained in a phone interview from her home in Palm Springs, Calif.
"They even gain it because their body's going, 'Stop it!' It goes into a stress response and starts holding on to weight."
Calories only count to an extent; where they come from counts most, notes Virgin.
The 47-year-old former nutrition expert for the Dr. Phil show says she's actually eating more total calories these days and she's leaner than ever.
At six-foot-zero, Virgin weighs 148 pounds, wears a Size 4 and has just 12 per cent body fat (an average woman has 25-29 per cent).
Her mantra is: "Your body is not a bank account. It's a chemistry lab and a history book."
Virgin — whose A-list clients have included Gene Simmons, Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo — prefers to see the body as a complex machine.
"Especially women. We are a little more complicated," she added. "Guys are like the VW bugs and we're the Ferraris. We have cycling hormones, so we add even more to the mix."
Virgin recommends eating nutrient-dense calories from lean protein, healthy fats, non-starchy veggies in a rainbow of colours and low-glycemic, high-fibre starchy carbohydrates and fruit.
She calls sugary and processed foods "crap," and noted that all carbs aren't equal.
"It's the type of carbs and the amount of carbs," she explained. "If you're eating lentils, quinoa, non-starchy vegetables and some berries — great. If you're chowing down on potatoes, white bread, rice and bananas — problem."
Virgin, co-star on TLC's Freaky Eaters reality series and the author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, eats every four to six hours, but doesn't believe in snacking.
"It's a ridiculous concept created by the snack food industry," she said. "And it makes you fat because it keeps your blood sugar elevated, which elevates your insulin, which makes you better at storing fat and worse at burning it off."
Virgin drinks water and green tea between meals.
She recommends managing stress and getting seven to nine hours of high-quality sleep every night, which has been proven to aid in weight loss.
"It's really basic stuff, but society has moved away from it to 'less sleep, more work, rush everything,'" she added. "When you rush your meals, you're not going to get your nutrients, you're not going to digest well and that's going to screw up everything."
Virgin's exercises include interval training involving running hills, climbing stairs, hiking or biking.
She also does her trademarked 4x4 Workout, an intense resistance-training program that splits the body into four areas: upper body pulling, upper body pushing, hips and thighs, and power core. (Her 4x4 Workout is free at jjsfitclub.com.)
Virgin's 20-60 minute workouts don't include her mindlessly churning away on any cardio equipment.
"I'm not a big fan of endurance training," she said. "It just burns up muscle mass, stresses you out and makes you fatter. You need to do cardio in burst-style."
And Virgin is a firm believer in "pumping up the volume" during exercise.
That means keeping the intensity high.
"Intensity rules," she added. "Exercise is only exercise if you're getting hot and sweaty and it hurts."
Source http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3004827
"You see it on The Biggest Loser where people are starving themselves, over-exercising and they don't lose any weight," J.J. Virgin, the nutrition and fitness coach to the stars, explained in a phone interview from her home in Palm Springs, Calif.
"They even gain it because their body's going, 'Stop it!' It goes into a stress response and starts holding on to weight."
Calories only count to an extent; where they come from counts most, notes Virgin.
The 47-year-old former nutrition expert for the Dr. Phil show says she's actually eating more total calories these days and she's leaner than ever.
At six-foot-zero, Virgin weighs 148 pounds, wears a Size 4 and has just 12 per cent body fat (an average woman has 25-29 per cent).
Her mantra is: "Your body is not a bank account. It's a chemistry lab and a history book."
Virgin — whose A-list clients have included Gene Simmons, Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo — prefers to see the body as a complex machine.
"Especially women. We are a little more complicated," she added. "Guys are like the VW bugs and we're the Ferraris. We have cycling hormones, so we add even more to the mix."
Virgin recommends eating nutrient-dense calories from lean protein, healthy fats, non-starchy veggies in a rainbow of colours and low-glycemic, high-fibre starchy carbohydrates and fruit.
She calls sugary and processed foods "crap," and noted that all carbs aren't equal.
"It's the type of carbs and the amount of carbs," she explained. "If you're eating lentils, quinoa, non-starchy vegetables and some berries — great. If you're chowing down on potatoes, white bread, rice and bananas — problem."
Virgin, co-star on TLC's Freaky Eaters reality series and the author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, eats every four to six hours, but doesn't believe in snacking.
"It's a ridiculous concept created by the snack food industry," she said. "And it makes you fat because it keeps your blood sugar elevated, which elevates your insulin, which makes you better at storing fat and worse at burning it off."
Virgin drinks water and green tea between meals.
She recommends managing stress and getting seven to nine hours of high-quality sleep every night, which has been proven to aid in weight loss.
"It's really basic stuff, but society has moved away from it to 'less sleep, more work, rush everything,'" she added. "When you rush your meals, you're not going to get your nutrients, you're not going to digest well and that's going to screw up everything."
Virgin's exercises include interval training involving running hills, climbing stairs, hiking or biking.
She also does her trademarked 4x4 Workout, an intense resistance-training program that splits the body into four areas: upper body pulling, upper body pushing, hips and thighs, and power core. (Her 4x4 Workout is free at jjsfitclub.com.)
Virgin's 20-60 minute workouts don't include her mindlessly churning away on any cardio equipment.
"I'm not a big fan of endurance training," she said. "It just burns up muscle mass, stresses you out and makes you fatter. You need to do cardio in burst-style."
And Virgin is a firm believer in "pumping up the volume" during exercise.
That means keeping the intensity high.
"Intensity rules," she added. "Exercise is only exercise if you're getting hot and sweaty and it hurts."
Source http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3004827
You need to reduce calories in your body if you're on a weight loss diet. Take vitamins and supplements such as Lorna Vanderhaeghe to support your health.
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