Content provided in partnership with
Sinspiration: make the seven deadly sins work for you
Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004 by Shelley Drozd
>Slurp away your fat. Are you too lazy to even chew the right foods? There are certain drinks that can run your metabolism efficiently on auto-pilot, regardless of what your body is doing. The best of the lot? Green tea. Each cup has high concentrations of a trio of metabolism-boosting compounds: ECGC, catechins, and caffeine, all of which help maximize fat burn.
SIN NO. 4 LUST
Obstacle: You really want her. She kind of likes you.
Motivation: Resetting your mojo
- Most Popular Articles in Health
- Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...
- Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions
- Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...
- The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use
- The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...
- More »
>Create a new personality. Log on to a dating service such as match.com and create a new, improved you. Not necessarily taller or younger, but thinner and more fit--goals you can actually achieve. Then go about your lustful ways. Chat, flirt, role-play--whatever floats your boat. But while you're charming those online hotties, you should also be hitting the gym as hard as possible. Eventually, you'll find someone you want to meet in person. And she's going to expect the "real" you to match the online "ideal" you've created. Think of it as taking action to get some action and you should have no problem getting to the gym.
>Cheat (without going to Hell). Diets are like monogamous relationships: The longer they last, the harder it is to resist temptation. Still, if you've been faithful to your weight-loss program, an occasional detour off the diet high road won't kill you (unlike that murderous wench you're with). So go ahead and indulge your secret urges--hot slice of pepperoni pizza, anyone?--by repenting in the gym beforehand. Working out helps activate lipoprotein lipase and GLUT-4, two enzymes that mop up your insides and keep the damage from your dalliance to a minimum.
SIN NO. 5 GREED
Obstacle: Lamborghini taste, Hyundai salary
Motivation: Bigger bucks
>Work harder, get richer. So suggests a Ball State study of 366 entrepreneurs, which compared runners and weight-lifters to their more sedentary brethren. According to the study, men who exercised one to three days per week enjoyed greater productivity, success, and satisfaction in their work than guys who worked out less often.
>Suit up. The same Ball State research found that runners generally have much greater success in business than either non-exercisers or weightlifters--possibly because of the svelte way they fill their suits. "I call it the Clark Kent effect," says Michael Goldsby, Ph.D., who led the study. "You can be Superman underneath your shirt, but if you've got a bulky frame, it may make you appear less fit than you truly are." One fix: Toss the off-the-rack jacket-and-pants combo and invest in what's called a made-to-measure suit instead. (Imagine a custom-made fit but with a much cheaper price tag. You can find made-to-measure suits in most major department stores.) The idea is to get a suit that fits you correctly around the shoulders without looking boxy or bulky (read "fat") in the middle.
> Race for a good cause. No, not your beachside-condo fund. Charity competitions look good on an upwardly mobile resume--and leave you looking better, as well. Pick one race, triathlon, or other athletic event you want to participate in and then begin a training regimen to get ready for it. If the local 5K seems too pedestrian, pick an event you have to travel for, be it in the next state or halfway around the world. Why? If you have to buy airline tickets and book a hotel stay to compete in your event, you're making a financial commitment to your fitness--and you'll be much more likely to stick with the program.
Find Research Guides for:
Most Popular Articles in Health
- Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...
- Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions
- Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...
- The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use
- The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...
- More »