Q: What do you know about EGCG? Do you know if it works in boosting metabolism?

A: EGCG is a naturally occuring antioxidant found in grape seeds, green tea, and pine bark. In addition to its role as an antioxidant it received a lot of press as a calorie burner which I have no reason to doubt. My only two concerns with it as a metabolism booster are the same as with any other supplement:

1. Is it as safe/effective in a processed supplement form as it is in its natural form?

2. Will it burn the 'right' calories?

Q: My goal was to lose 8 pounds by October 19th, and so far I have lost about 3 of it in two weeks, but last week I sprained both my ankles and my sciatica is really acting up due to my new job so I haven't worked out this week at all. Does that mean I will probably not reach my goal because this past week was dormant?

Q: Q 609: I have to admit that my genetic predisposition to being slender was an important factor.My diet was just a basic avoidance of junk food and fast food.I didnt avoid of the healthy foods that are considered fattening like potatoes,fruit juices etc.A diet like that would be too strict for me.I basically did 45 minutes of cardio followed by lower body weight training every other day.but this routine and diet is longer helping me lose weight or fat.
So I have decided to replace some hi-glycemic carbs with low ones like brown rice and wholehweat pasta and added upperbody weightraining.

Q: Hey Mike, I am the person from question 601. I found out my really bad problem that was hazardous to my health. I went from no exercise(literally no exercise) to running 4 blocks nonstop! I found out I need to make 'progression' in my exercise. How can I get into beter shape slowly so I would be able to run 4 blocks without getting sick? I am considering for myself to do a brisk walk for 5 miles everyday until it becomes comfortable everyday. What are your reactions to this? I am willing to take your advice :)

Q: if my bmr is 2300 calories and I reduce my diet to 1600 calories daily for 6 months will my bmr still be 2300 or will it decrease to 1600?

Q: Mike!!! there's this guy on the internet called Anthony Ellis, i'm sure many readers have heard of him, and it shows how he transformed his body from broomstick to one of the four horsemen in 16 weeks. is this possible?

A: No, it's not even remotely possible. With one-in-a-thousand genetics and using steroids (NOT RECOMMENDED!) one might accomplish something like that in under a year. It's absolutely not going to happen for an average person training naturally (i.e. without steroids) for many years and for many people it won't happen ever at all.

Q: How many calories do you burn off by doing sit-ups?

A: Not enough to make a difference. Please see http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/how-many-calories-does-one-sit-up-burn

Q: Mike, I have a big problem. Whenever I go running, i get a very bad sore throat the next morning. Can you tell me how I can prevent this because I want to run to lose weight. I am 14, 5'9, 200 lbs.

Q: mike can you help me im 200 lbs 5 ft 5 im 16 which one do u think i have Gynecomastia or just plain fat im hoping its just plain fat cause if it is it can go away by your diet but if it isnt is there anything i can do about it besides surgery

A: What you have is almost certainly simply too much fat and not any inherent health condition. By learning to eat right and exercising you can fix your problem without any surgery. Just don't try to fix it overnight and don't get frustrated if the progress seems slow -- it may take a year or two, but it will benefit you for the rest of your life!

Q: i have to go swimming in3 months at school for physical education im 16 i weigh 220 im 5'4 i got man boobs i i used to do 100 pushups a day 3 years ago but i stopped doing pushups and quit sports so i got sum muscle behind my fat because ican feel it when i flex can u give me a speaical diet and excersice that will shrink my man boobs and my stomach please i know ill get made fun of if i dont do anything about it

Q: hey mike i got a question if i eat a good cereal for breakfas like honey bunches of oats or somthing like that and for lunch i eat a salad with bacon bits and some fruit and ceasar italion fat free dressing for lunch and for dinner eat a steak or some other kind of protien is that a good weightloss diet

Q: Mike, final draft of diet and workout plan.. Monday: Chest, Triceps Tuesday: Back Biceps Wednesday: Rest Thursday: Shoulders Forearms Fri: Rest Saturday: Legs Abs Sunday: Rest
My diet: Meal 1: 1 orange, 1 egg, 1 egg white, whey Meal 2: turkey sandwich, apple, mini carrots, water Meal 3: Tuna sandwich (both sandwiches on whole grain bread), carrots, apple Meal 4: chicken, greenbeans, whey+creatine WORKOUT Meal 5: steak, califlower, fruit...
any other improvisions, am i getting enough protein per meal?if not which meal, and what should i add?

Q: I've been diagnosed with gynecomastia with puffy areolas. Will weightlifting, ie. bench press reduce some of the puffiness and present a more a more chiseled appearance?

A: Yes, weight lifting will help. One of the most common causes of gynecomastia is obesity or being overweight. If that is the case with you, please read this. Even if you're not obese or overweight, weight lifting will broaden your chest muscles making the fat over them appear significantly less noticeable.

Q: what do you think of adding mayo to tuna so it tastes better?

A: Sure, just don't go crazy on mayo -- it's very calorie dense and easy to overeat.

Q: how many grams in a kilogram

A: 1 kilogram = 1000 grams

Q: Hey Mike, reply to 580, this is a semi-final draft. Meal 1: 1 egg, egg white, orange, whey protein Meal 2: Turkey sammich w/7 slices of turkey, pickles,swiss, lettuce, and a little mayo meal 3: still problems, i dont want to have eggs again, because i worry that ill get sick of them to quickly, and then my breakfast will change to, turkey i dont want again because 7 slices twice a day will rid my turkey very quickly and i dont want to havem y parents runnin out every other night for food.

Q: Are there any foods that can make you have a bigger butt?

A: Yes there're, but they'll also give you a bigger gut, bigger lovehandles, and more fat everywhere else which is probably not what you want. If you want to build up some muscle to fill out your butt and give it some shape, do squats and lunges. You can find both of them shown here (look in the Legs section).

Q: im male 16 years old im 5 ft 5 i weigh 200 pounds does being overweight have anything to do with frequent facial blushing it seems like my cheeks are always a little red. when it gets hot outside it becomes bright red iv never had this problem until i got really overweight and i have alot of fat in my face is there anything i can do about this problem

Q: Q 571: I was really talking about a scenario where lets say one loses in the course of 6 months 6 pounds of muscle and loses also 20 pounds of fat.In such a scenario body composition has improved even though there is muscle loss.

Q: hey mike can you please help me i don't know how to lose my obliques and my stomach and also my thights can you recomand an exercise i can perform and how many times a week i should do that for. PLEASE HELP

Q: 562: Isnt it ok to lose weight and lose muscle if the result of that is an improved body composition?

Q: how can i get skinny without pills, diets,doctors,etc?

A: Please read and follow this. Remember that it'll take time, optimal fat loss rate is about 1 pound per week. But it's fat loss that will stick with you unlike million of various crash diets and pills which 'work' just for two weeks.

Q: Hey Mike, 2 questions. 1. what do you think of lunchmeat turkey (honey mesquite) if i had this, i would put on multi grain wheat bread stacked with turkey, lettuce, pickles, and a tiny bit of Mayo. Also. Im a highschooler, therefore im not gonna be able to eat many meals during the day. Im trying to gain muscle, but i dont want to have to eat ground flax seed, and salmon and stuff like that. Other then chicken and turkey,what is some good high protein foods. What else shouyld i be eating in my diet?

Q: i hve been physically active over the years,cheerleading ,tumbiling,softball,basketball , tennis etc. i have good calf mustles and arm mustles but i have a gut how so i get rid of it without a yucky diet ,pills or going to the doctor?im 15 i wanna look good:)

Q: What are the majority of healthy raw foods I can eat to lose weight??

A: Veggies!!! Tons and tons of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, radishes, carrots, etc. When you can't eat it raw, boil or steam it like with broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Veggies are your best friends and spinach and lettuce are your best friends from among veggies!

Q: How many grams of carboyhydrates does an average teenager need daily?

A: Sorry, that's kinda tough to answer in general. Typical consumption for an average growing boy might be around 400-500 grams of carbs. I would recommend a lower-carb, higher-protein diet. For your specific case, just fill outhttp://www.mikesfitness.com/content/fitnessguide specifying 'Build Muscle' as your goal -- a typical teenager should not in general try to lose fat, so build muscle is a more appropriate goal for the Guide.

Q: How did anyone determine the loss of fat and muscle?

Q: i was doing cardio for 30 minutes, 6 days a week, for 5 weeks. i was sort of eating healthy (half the time i was starving), and i did light/moderate weight training at home w/ no equipment 2-3 a week. weeks 4 and 5 i was doing HIIT. anyways, i don't think i lost any weight. but everyone keeps telling me my face is smaller. i don't notice it. is this possible? yet i still have a gut and semi-formed manboobs. what is going on? was i doing something wrong? although i try eating healtier (i.e. not starving myself), i haven't exercised in 6 weeks. i feel so bad.

Q: i would like to lose about 120 lbs in 6 months is this possible

Q: what is the importance of playing sports in ramadan

Q: Is whole wheat pasta less fattening than regular pasta.Would replacing High glycemic carbs with low glycemic carbs help me lose weight?

Q: I read on a website( http://www.buildingbodies.ca/Cardio/early-morning-cardio.shtml)that the levels of muscle and liver glycogen are low early in the morning before one eats.So if one exercises before breakfast the body will burn fat more easily. What do you think?

A: I agree that your glycogen levels are low in the mornings and that's exactly why I do NOT recommend doing cardio on the empty stomach. I give my reasoning in http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/trainer-advises-cardio-empty-stomach

Q: It's 9/21/05 and I weigh 168 lbs. I need to weigh at least 140 lbs. by 12/1/05. How many calories do I need to take in daily to make it happen? And I go to Curves 3 times a week. Is that enough, or should I use my treadmill? or a combination of both, alternating?

Q: I gained about 20 pounds having my son and lost it all in about 4 months from breastfeeding alone (I was not eating the best or exercising). I know that the body burns major calories to produce the milk but do you think some of the calories burned might have come from muscle?

Q: How much weight would I want to aim to lose in order to drop say 2 pant sizes? I'm not sure if it's relevant but I am a tall and slender female. I wear size 7/8 in pants and want to fit into size 5/6 or maybe a little smaller.

A: I'm guessing it's about 2-3 inches difference which corresponds to maybe around 15 pounds.

Q: i have a question for you i need to lose 20 lbs. that i gained after my pregnancy and i need to know if taking 1 pill of farenheit pills in the morning anf 1 pill for lunch and then at night i weight train for 30 minutes after i finish i drink a muscle milk shake.

A: I recommend you skip the pills and instead focus on your weight training and overall diet. All the pills in the world won't help you if you have a poor diet and conversely if you have a good fat-burning diet along with weight training then you'll have absolutely no need for pills!

Q: What is the best cardio workout? Which one is more productive for burning, toning etc? Running, biking or jump roping.

Q: Is eating packaged sunflower seeds a bad thing if I wanted to lose fat?

Q: Is anything i can do to lose the last bit of my belly fat without weight training?Iam thin overall and i eat 5 times a day,i dont eat junk food,i drink plenty of water and i do weight training but not progressive.In this status can i reduce slowly my belly fat?Any suggestions?

Q: How can I burn excessive fat stored in breasts?

A: Please see here

Q: i can't lose my final 10 pounds.what should i do?

A: Wish you gave a little more info about yourself and your current routine. As is I can only recommend that you make sure that you're doing everything that you should be doing when trying to lose fat: please read this article.

Q: Q 519: does aerobic recovery burn calories like muscle recovery?

A: No, aerobic recovery process is very different from and much less metabolically demanding than anaerobic recovery. The calories you burn during the actual aerobic (cardio) exercise is all you'll get out of it calorie-wise.

Q: dear mike, how many calories are burnt during complet rest in 24 hours. i am 63 years /180 ponds/66inches

A: What you're referring to is called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to use to just keep all your organs functioning normally. At your age and physique the number given will typically around 1500-1600 calories per day.

Q: Would I want to train my abs just minimally if I want a small waist? Doesn't it increase the thickness slightly if you have too much muscle there?

A: To some degree it's actually true -- your obliques (muscles along the front sides of your lower torso) can actually grow in size relatively easily and even make your love handles look bigger. It's not really the case with rectus abdominis -- the front of your lower torso. Rectus abdominis is a flat tape-like muscle that will only bulge out significantly when flexed.

Q: I increased the weights I use so that instead of being able to do 15-20 (or sometimes more) reps/set, I can only do 6-10. But now I don't get that muscle ache that you get when your muscle starts getting fatigued. Instead the muscle just gives out, but I don't feel a burn or an ache or anything. Just complete weakness to where I can't finish another rep. Is that ok?

Q: How much is it ok to spend at gym each time doing weight training?Is 2 hours ok or too much?Keep in mind that i only do weight training and breaks during this time and not losing time with talking or such things.When i say 2 hours i mean 2 hurs full of weight training.I would like your opinion on this.

Q: Even though I've been doing lowerbody weight training for a while already( 60-120 pound weights) I experienced a moderate amount of muscle soreness in my legs after my first day of playing ball hockey. I thought that my weighttraing would have prevented this.but I would have to conclude that playing hockey targets certain muscles that the leg machines dont target.

Q: dear mike hi my name is fuad and iam 19 and i wight 55 and iam tall 1.80 and i need to be in a good shape so plz help me and tell me what to do to be in a great looking shape and thank U

A: Hi, Fuad! Right now you're very very lean at only 55 kgs and 180 cms. So I'm guessing you're interested in gaining some muscle and becoming stronger. Good news is that at your age and physique you're in the perfect position to do so! All you have to do is weight-traing with heavy (heavy for you, not for someone else!) weights and eat A LOT!

Q: hey, i was wanting to take a daily dosage of 2tbsps of fish-oil and i was wondering if that would somehow get in the way of my losing weight since i know it is an omega-3 fatty acid.

A: Go ahead and take it. Even though you're training to lose fat your diet should by no means be fat-free (take a look at my recommended sample diets http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/lists/diet-programs -- about a third of total calories come from fat). Healthy fats like fish oil as part of the overall diet are vital both for your health and for losing body fat.

Q: is it ok to run twice a week and work out 3 times a week?

A: Yup, that's perfectly fine. Keep your runs to under 1 hour for a good mix of weights and cardio.

Q: Shouldn't we ignore the scale during weight training?

A: Good question! Yes and no :) Let me break it down... Suppose you're training to lose fat... Then you should ignore the weight scale in the sense that fast weight loss (when you see 1 pound less on the scale every other day) is NOT your friend. Instead you should use the scale to make sure your weight loss stays slow and steady, 1-2 pounds/week, which is the true FAT LOSS zone. And if you're a beginner then you can make good progress in losing fat and building muscle at the same time so your weight doesn't change at all!

Q: i have man boobs how can i get rid of them

A: Please read this carefully and follow its instructions. Good luck!

Q: how can i lose 16 pounds of fat in 1 month and burning 450 calories daily what should my schedule be or how many times a day or how much should i eat

Q: how can I get skinny

A: Please read this.

Q: i have man boobs, and i want to know how to lose them really fast

A: You can't lose them really fast (short of surgery), but you can lose them the right way: please read this. Good luck!

Q: I lift weights and all, and am in pretty good shape. But I still have man-boobs. How do I get rid of them?

Q: What areas do the treadmill target on your body?

Q: Why the only way to lose the last belly fat is weight training?Why u cant lose it by cardio like the rest of the fat?I mean how this is explained.

A: Weight training (combined with the right diet) is pretty much always the superior fat loss approach compared to cardio. Getting the last bit of belly fat is just an example of that. Check out the discussion in http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/lance-armstrong-calories-metabolism and other answers referenced in there.

Q: It seems to me that playing sports would be a superior way to lose fat.When one is using a treadmill or a stationary bicycle the physical movements are always the same and one is always using the exact same muscles. but when one plays a sport there are a lot of different movements like stop and go,twisting and turning,bending,accelerating and deceleration.Plus its a lot more fun!

Q: In regards to Q.487-how many pounds of muscle can I expect to gain just in my legs? I am a woman and don't want to have extremely bulky legs, but I am built with broad shoulders & skinny legs, so I just want to balance that out.

Q: Mike, is it normal that my left side (pec, bicep, calf) is bigger than my right side. Why does this happen? Can it be corrected?

Q: Say I wanted to lose weight overall but build bigger muscles in my legs only. How would I go about doing that?

Q: What is a realistic time frame to lose two inches off my waist if I were to follow your program?

Q: What BF% is low for a woman and what is average?

A: Average BF% for a woman in US is about 25%. I would consider anything under 20% low for a woman. Under 12% BF is considered dangerous for a woman's health.

Q: I can't eat six times/day. Can I eat 4 or 5 times and slightly increase the calories in each meal and still achieve the same results?

A: By all means! You have to take my suggested diets and make them fit your life. You may not get 100% results, but 90% or 95% is still pretty darn good.

Q: What is better ? beef or chicken.I have heard u mustnt eat many beef cause this way u have more chances for having cancer later.

A: Both are fine. With both you need to make sure to select leanest meat possible. For chicken that usually means skinless chicken breast (which is almost entirely pure protein) and for meat it's 90% or higher leanness (which is about half protein/half fat by calories, at 90% lean). If you're concerned about red meat, then you can skip entirely and go with only chicken or fish or other sources of protein.

Q: In a question i saw that u dont recommend fruit juices in order to lose fat but only simple fruits instead.If i wanna bulk up can i drink juices ?Is it ok?Also i dont eat many vegetables but i eat many many fruits.Is it the same thing?

Q: I love peanut butter sandwiches. Any way to keep them in my diet?

Q: in the no equipment workout guide it says pullups...how would you do pullups without equipment?

A: You got me :) Yes, you do need a chinup bar or at least an outdoor siwng set or a sturdy tree branch to do pullups. A basic chinup bar that fits in a doorway can usually be found for as low as $15 in any sporting goods store (and there're many fancier and more expensive variations, of course). If you have no other equipment at all, a chinup bar is one of the best values for the money.

Q: How i lose my weight.i m 18 yrs old.my height is 4'11.My weight is 69.
Ash

A: At 69 pounds you're very dangerously underweight and should under no circumstances try to lose more weight. Please think about what's driving you to try and lose more weight because it is not only extremely unhealthy but will certainly not make you more attractive either. I don't want to give a lecture, but please do think about your motives and whether what you are doing is accomplishing your short-term and long-term goals.

Q: I am quite a big guy and i have more fat stored in my breasts. Is there a way to get rid of that fat fast and how would i go about getting rid of this fat in my breast area?

Q: hi mike, i have a few questions for you from different people.
1) how does a 45yr old mother lose belly fat that she's kept years after having the baby?
2) I've heard a whole lot of beneficial things that come from having 2tbsp a day of olive oil, how does that fit in when youre trying to lose weight? Is olive oil fattening, should it be avoided while trying to lose weight?
3) What's your take on calcium pills?

Q: I have seen in some questions here that in order to lose the last belly fat when u are already thin u should do whole progressive weight training.This will enable u to obtain muscles.After,what u should do in order to lose the fat?I mean after six or more months of weight training and when u have already some muscles.U will have muscles of course but u will still have this fat also.So,after u gain muscles what u must do to lose this fat on your belly?Starting diet this way again?

Q: i have been told all types of different training methods at my local gym and it all seems confusing because everyone gives me differant advice, i want to loose my man boobs and side love handles around the lats, is decline bench press any good for my chest workout? should i train heavy for weight loss? what excersises are good for loosing fat around the lat area?

Q: I am sixteen and i want to lose my man boobs, i also wan to bulk up but i don't want my chest to be muscle and fat. what should i do?

Q: I ve heard nuts are a good source of protein but they contain much fat also.How many nuts can i eat a day so i take the necessary protein they can give me and avoid the mass fat the have.I use them as a meal-snack along with some fruits.

Q: I have been working out for just under six months, and although I have noticed some pretty good definition almost all over, I have seemed to remain the same size. Does it just mean that i've toned and haven't lost much fat, or maybe that I've replaced some of the fat mass with muscle? I do look a little better but my measurements haven't changed much.

Q: What happens if you take too much protein?Is it bad and if yes why?

Q: I have had shoulder tendinitis now for three months. If I wait till it completely heals I might have to wait another 6-9 months before I can weighttrain again.I dont have the patience to go one year without weightrainig and lose all the muslce that I have gained in the past. I have decided to weight train anyway.I can only lift40%(40 lbs weights) of what I used to lift before the injury. But at that level I am not going to gain any muscle anyway so I am not sure if its worth it.what would you do? Since its my right shoulder which is injured can I weighttrain each arm separately. My left arm can withstand about 2.5 times the weight of the injured arm.