JimGetsSlim.com

First off I would like to apologize for my absence, I haven’t posted since February 14th.  These annoying things called life, career, Kerry Washington stalking, and MBA applications got in the way of my updating the sight as frequently as I would like. However, that is all in the past and I can now continue with the regularly scheduled program.

This is like the bat signal for fat people.

So as you may have guessed by the title of this post I am back in school at Duke getting my MBA.  Despite hating reading and math, I’m pretty sure it will be much better than spending another year in public accounting.

Don’t Worry Terp Fans. Duke may pay me but Maryland raised me!

 Attending Duke presents a couple of unique opportunities for myself. The three most important ones as I see it are:

 1. To really expand the content and offerings of jimgetsslim.com and  put my personal trainer talents to good use and integrate that with the website. Hopefully if time permits we can see more videos (sorry guys Susan doesn’t live in Durham)

2. A chance to do college a bit differently. The last time I went to college I gained the freshman 50 (not fifteen) and I probably went to class about as frequently as a solar eclipse. I’m going to try and do things a little bit differently and try to balance going to class and being an ass. Hopefully this time around, I can lose weight and not add it.

3. Develop as a leader. For some reason people have always identified me as a leader. Though for the most part I have shied away from that role for a couple of reasons. Leadership often involves politics, and for the most part I hate politics. Second, I hate taking responsibility for the success of others. Often times I find that those who aspire to be leaders seldom understand the consequences of leadership. Leadership is more than a title its a lifestyle. Finally, being a clown is way easier than being Mr. Serious all the time.

Now that I have sufficiently bored you guys enough. I just want to say to look for more interesting articles, and tidbits in the coming weeks as I get back into the groove of blogging…

The last and probably the most desired somatype is that of the mesomorph. A mesomorph typically has a medium to  large large bone structure, large muscles and an athletic physique. Mesomorphs find it easy to gain and lose weight and they are naturally strong individuals. I attribute a lot of my weight loss to the fact that I do have some mesomorph type qualities.

The mesomorph body type responds very well to training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. However,  mesomorphs can also gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. They have to watch their caloric intake or they can quickly become out of shape. An excellent example of this is Janet Jackson whose weight sees more fluctuation than the stock market.

From Chunky to Chiseled...

Exercise:

Male mesomorphs need to focus on keeping their body fat percentage down, as many mesomorphs are prone to weight gain,  even though they lose it fairly easily.  A balanced combo of cardio and weight lifting make the male mesomorph the physical cadillac of men.

In the last blog post I disussed some of the trait of the endomorph somatype and how they should diet and eat. Now I’m going to take it to the other extreme and dicuss the ectomorph body type.

I'd like to ecto into her morph....

The ectomorph is characterized by long and thin muscles and limbs. They typically have low fat storage and are characterized as being slim. In other words these are the douchebag who can eat whatever they want and never worry about gaining weight. Hopefully, there is a special place in hell reserved for thee fools.

As an ectomorph you are naturally slim, but what if you’re not happy with your frame and you want to bulk up and get ripped? Without the proper diet and exercie you would find it very hard to add any significant muscle gain because your metabolism is naturally high and your body type does not pack on muscles

Exercise

Ectomorphs should focus on doing heay lifting and avoid too much cardio. Thirty minute of cardio 3 time a week is sufficient to maintain cardiovascular health. As an ectomorph it is important to focus on weightt training. Your workouts should be fairly heavy  in weights and workout pace slower (longer rest periods between sets) a you are trying to build muscle and not definition. Weight training is very important to an extomorph and its recommended that they incorporate strength training into their workout at least 3-4 times a week. It is important to keep your sets low and a pyramid workout scheme is encouraged.

Diet

As ane ectomorph you tend to lose weight fairly easily due to your metabolim, but dont be fooled. You’re still susceptible to chronic diease such as diabete and high blood pressure if you’re diet is piss poor. In order to gain muscle an ectomorph must eat a diet high in calories and full of complex carbohydrate and proteins in order to pack on the lean muscle mass and get ripped. It is important that they get more calories from the proper sources in order to fuel their muscle gain

If you have any questions please feel free to hit me up and I’ll answer your questions or point you in the direction of someone who will…

Nope this article isnt about my type of women, though if anyone is wondering I like my women athletic like a Carol Rodriguez or Alexandra Joner. Please send applications to jimgetssliminfo@gmail.com, nude photos are always encouraged…

Rather I am writing about the different types of human body shapes. While all humans are equal some people have more ideal body types for losing weight and maintaining an attractive figure.

When it comes to humans there are three types of body shapes, ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. While most people are a combo of  body types, most fall strongly into one particulary somotype.  So how do the different body types affect how you lose and maintain your weight?  I’ll focus on each body type and explain how they should structure their diet and exercise routines and how to maximize their results.

Endomorph:

An  endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs  tend to gain fat easily. The body fat that an endomorph somatotype tends to carry around the midssection (enveloping vital organs) and can potentially be very dangerous to your health. Endomorphs tend to have very strong leg muscles. They also tend to be short and have very thick limbs.  So what does this mean for you if you fall into this category?

As a fellow endomorph, I have insight into what it takes to lose weight as an endomorph. Endomorphs must employ a combo of cardio and weight training and a healthy diet to keep the fat off and the sexy on.

Exercise

Endomorphs should do low to moderate weight workouts with a high number of repetitions per set. I would tend to recommend doing circuit training and supersets with limited rest time between sets to keep the heart rate elevated and to maximize results. Although endomorphs tend to gain fat easily, they can also develop lean muscle mass rather quickly. The typical endomorph should lift weights 2-3 times a week while supplementing their workout with cardio routines 3-4 times a week.

Diet

It is important for an endomorph to eat regulary and drink lots of water since their metabolism are naturally slower than the 2 other body types.

Additionally, endomorphs should avoid carb snacks and deep fried foods because they end up going straight to your belly, thighs and backside. I know some people would like that but there is a thin line between a phat ass and a fat ass and some of you have crossed it and dont even know it.

It is imperative that an endomorph eat foods high in protein because they provide long lasting energy and they assist in losing fat and gaining muscle. They should also limit their complex carb intake to the first half of the day, because their bodies tend to hang on to carbs and store them as fat.

Although being an endomorph is tough when it comes to realizing your ideal physique, a little bit of discipline, hard work, and focus,  can help you achieve your ideal body type.

When it comes to fitness and diet, I consider myself far from a noob. However, yesterday I pulled a very amateur move by not eating before doing an intense cardio/weightlifting circuit workout. In my quest to fine tone my figure for the summer,  I forgot to eat something to provide my body fuel for my workout. By the time I was on my second circuit of four, I was seeing stars and thought that it was very possible I would end up dying on the Gold’s Gym floor.  That would have sucked…

Preparing to eat my pre-workout meal...

As my life flashed before my eyes I thought it would be a good idea to write a post on why you should fuel your body before doing weightlifting workouts, to prevent others from making the foolish mistake I had made.

Why?

Its important to eat before you lift because weightlifting is an anaerobic activity.  This means your body is burning glycogen to create ATP, for energy to your muscles. Without the  proper nutrition before a workout, your body will burn muscle to make glucose, via glucogenisis. Basically you’ll end up burning muscle and looking like a puny individual.

What?

It is important to have a pre and post workout meal. Your preworkout meal should be low  in fat and fiber so it’s easily digestible. It is also important to remeber not to each foods with too much sugar so you dont have a energy crash before you reach the gym. Try to pick foods that are easily digestible. A good idea for a pre-workout meal is oatmeal and a solid protein. Chicken, fish or even a protein shake would be an adequte source for protein. This combination will give you the energy you need to perform to the max while not weighing you down too much.

When?

It is ideal to eat about 30 minutes before you workout for maximum results.

Here are a few other pre-workout foods to consider.

• A protein shake
• Raisins
• Nuts
• Fruits like apples and plums
• Hard boiled eggs with no yolk/Egg Whites
• Turkey breast on whole wheat bread
• Tuna

Meal 1: Toasted Multi-Grain Bread and Kiwi Fruit

Meal 2: Went to Raku in Bethesda had rice with curry and breaded chicken breast, removed the bread, and also had a nice side salad.

Meal 3: English Muffin Thins Toasted

Meal 4: The rest of my meal from Raku along with  grilled turkey breast cutlets

Meal 5: Protein Shake after a great workout.

I haven’t done any of these in a while. Got a chance to shoot two vids today. A while back I did an article on squats and their importance for women. Many women shy away from squats for fear that they’ll get too bulky. However, squats are a woman’s best friend if she is trying to tone and firm up her lower body. In the first video Susan demonstrates the power squat. Notice her form and the pace at which she works out at. Remember if you want to get toned, low weights, high rep and slow pace.

Thanks to James for shooting this next video. I’ve known about hanging leg raisers for the past two years. However, I never felt I had the athletic ability to get them done. I tried them out for the first time today. If you’re looking for a lower abdominal workout this is what you need to do. My abs felt so tight after doing them, now  if only they were actually as tight as they felt.  You can do oblique twists off of this workout, but I don’t think I have the stamina to do it yet. The key is to not use momentum and to come to a complete stop after each rep.

I’m always talking about diet in my blog postings as the most important aspect of losing weight. It is imperative that anyone who wants to lose weight change their diet. One of the largest misconceptions that people who try to lose weight think is that they can lose weight by starving themselves.  I blame Oprah for this, I don’t know why but I do. On the contrary when you starve yourself you are encouraging your body not to burn calories. Instead your body will hold on to the calories as a form of self preservation. Think of your metabolism as a fire, without wood or  food in this case it won’t burn.

It Even Says "Great For Snacking"

In order to increase your metabolism it is important that you eat 5-7 times a day. Ideally this would include your staple meals of breakfast lunch and dinner. However how do you fill in the last 2 -4 meals you still need to keep your metabolism burning.  When I first started I would just split my lunches into 3  meals I would eat at 12 pm, 2pm and 4pm. However, as my schedule got increasingly busy, I found out that I didn’t have time to eat chicken breast and veggies every 2 hours. That’s when I discovered the miracle of dried fruit.  Small, compact, delicious and healthy.  Dried fruit is probably the best thing ever invented besides BBM and Google.

I buy my dried fruit from Target and its like less than $1.50 which is pretty cheap and still allows for me to save for my “Propose to Meagan Foxx on National TV Fund.” Additionally, there are a variety of flavors bananas, apple, apricots, pear, raisins, etc. Dried fruit are like women, if you have variety, you’ll never get bored (I am not speaking from experience).

As a former fatty (I’m still one on the inside) I have to warn you that these things are ridiculously good and you’ll be tempted to eat the whole bag in one sitting. However that would defeat the purpose of “small meals” you should try and go through a bag every 1.5 days. Snack just a little and train yourself to eat small meals. It will take a while but eventually you will get it.

Good Luck.

JimGetsSlim.com-Because no one wants to be fat…

P.S.: I tried to come up with a catchy title for this but I couldn’t think of anything that was G-rated or funny.

One of the things I always harp on in my blog writing is diet. Losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I have seen people lose tons of weight just by changing their diet. One of the ways you can change your diet is by substituting fish for red meat and in some cases poultry.

Baked Salmon...so good.

I have to admit that I haven’t always been the biggest fish fan in the world. I’m not sure whether its my many near death experiences from choking on a fish bone as a child or the fact that it can  smell like dirty female naughty parts, or so I’ve heard. However, once I discovered salmon, and all the things you could do with it, I knew that God loved me even though I was fat. The great thing about salmon is that it has all the benefits of fish with out the bones. It’s like the Cadillac of fish.

 

Tuna Steak...the Buick of fish I guess?

Fish is an excellent source of protein. In addition to being an excellent source of protein, fish is lean and has very little “bad” fat and calories in comparison to poultry and beef.  Studies have shown that fish helps one to control their appetite, and that it acts as a natural hunger suppressant. Fish is also full of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Basically if you know someone whose really dumb, its probably because they don’t get enough omega 3-fatty acids. On top of that research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

Grilled Catfish...Beware of Bones!

Not all fish are created equal though, the best types of fish to eat generally  are salmon, tuna, halibut, swordfish, catfish (baked not fried). It is important to remember that the method of preparation is key. Avoid frying foods or using oils to cook your fish. The best ways to prepare fish are to either grill it or bake it.  If you serve it with a healthy side of steamed vegetables then you have the ideal meal.

Fish tends to be more expensive than the other meat choices, so I suggest going to a farmer’s market or waiting till it goes on sale at your grocery store or at Costco and stockpiling up on it then. Remember, that fish is proof that God or whatever higher power you believe in loves you. And if you don’t believe in a higher power well then just eat fish.

Spring hit the Washington, D.C. area this past weekend and with that the gym has become packed with people trying to get their beach bodies after long winter hibernation. It is not uncommon for me to go to the gym and see some Hefty Harry huffing and puffing away at some random abdominal or core machine. It’s probably wrong but I often laugh at this exercise in futility. If you’re 20 pounds overweight or more you’re not going to get six pack abs by slaving away doing crunches, or abusing the ab slider machines. That is not to say that you shouldn’t work on your core, but if you’re doing crunches and other abdominal workouts in order to get rock hard abs you’re wasting your time. You’d better be served gluing a poster of Mehcad’s Brooks abs to your stomach. Six pack abs are like girls, if you ignore them and focus on other things they’ll eventually come to you.

Genetics are bitch...

Great abdominal muscles are a combination of genetics, diet, and cardiovascular exercises. People often ask, me “How do I lose weight in my stomach?” The answer to that question is you can’t, there is no such thing as spot reduction, if you have fat stomach it’s probably because you have fat in other places of your body. Abdominal muscular definition only becomes apparent at about 11% body fat and less depending on genetics, and if you get it down to 8% you could be Calvin Klein underwear model. For females it is about 17% because women tend to have more body fat due to their fun bags. If you’re a female and you can get it down to 14% you’re going to give Scary Spice a run for her money.

You could iron your shirt on her abs...

I bet you’re probably wondering if crunches, sit-ups, and the various abdominal machines don’t work then what does. The answer is diet, cardio, and diet. In order to get great abs, you’re going to have to lower your overall body fat percentage, and the best way to do that is to run baby, run. However, in order to maximize your results, I have found that HIIT training and the stair mill are your two best friends. Using the tread mill on the fat burner or calorie burner setting, will melt the fat off your physique and give you an awesome workout. I have spoken about HIIT training before and information on it is all around the web. However, I have found doing HIIT in a fasted state produces excellent results. Additionally, lifting high reps and low weight will build muscle tone and help burn fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat so don’t be afraid to hit the weights and hit them hard.

Ridiculous...

Eat right and your tummy will stay tight

Exercise is just one part of great abs. The most important part of health and fitness is your diet. Remember, you are what you eat! In order to get abs, I would recommend a strict diet of little to no carbohydrates. Any and all carbs should be limited to the morning meals. Also lean meats such as chicken breast, turkey, and fish should be eaten along with a healthy dose of vegetables. Eating at least 5-7 times will help to speed up your metabolism and burn away that excess fat. Another thing to remember is that you should minimize sodium in your diet as they make your body retain water and will prevent you from seeing the results you want to see

If you have any more questions hit me up at jimgetsliminfo@gmail.com and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.