5 Tips to Help you Stay on Track and Get Results

5 Tips to Help you Stay on Track and Get Results

Most everyone knows that exercise can help us burn body-fat, build muscle, and improve our fitness. But now, as science moves forward and unveils more of the incredible benefits of exercise, we’re learning that it can be utilized as a medicine to both prevent and treat conditions ranging from the common cold to cancer. And it can also be utilized as a potent mood brightener (as or more effective than prescription anti-depressants) and cognitive performance enhancer. Exercise is the best medicine I know of and all of us should be participating in it now, and for life!
Here’s 5 Tips for getting back on track and sticking with it…
#5 — Team Up!

Scientific studies show that people who connect with others for support, encouragement, and accountability get better results in the short and long run compared with those who try to go it alone. And this is something that I recommend that everyone take advantage of. Whenever possible, work out with a friend or as part of a group. Meeting a personal trainer at the gym or walking with co-workers at lunchtime will give you a tremendous advantage in consistency. If for now you’re flying solo with your workouts, at least join an online accountability group where you can share your workout plan with others each week, and then report back to them to let them know how you’ve done. And in return, offer to help support, encourage, and keep others accountable. Whenever we team up like this, we always have an extra advantage that can help keep us going strong!

#4 — Plan and Prepare

Far too often people get so busy trying to keep up with the seemingly urgent things in their life, they forget perhaps the most important thing, which is to take care of themselves. When we’re run down and not feeling good, our ability to help others, even our own families, will be compromised as a result. Knowing that, what I teach others and what I want you to consider is to plan your workouts in advance and write them into your schedule. I want you to see showing up for your workout is as important as showing up for a doctor’s appointment. Because as I shared in the introduction, exercise is very much akin to the best medicine there is. You can simply write down what time you’re going to exercise in the day ahead, where you’re going to do it, and what form of exercise or routine you’re going to complete. Just adding this one element of planning can make all the difference when it comes to sticking with a workout routine and enjoying the results it produces.

#3 — Keep Showing Up

By far and away the most important factor with getting wonderful results from exercise is consistency. Whether it’s walking, jogging, weight lifting, or following a home exercise video, you have to do it consistently to get results. And when you are consistent, any and all of those forms of exercise will help you become healthier and enjoy your life more. What I want you to know is if you’re not used to exercising regularly—whether it’s been a while since you were in the groove with it, or if it’s something you’ve never clicked with, you have every single bit as much potential to get the hang of it as me and everyone else. The breakthrough comes when you make it a habit—a pattern of action. Our patterns are the things we do without having to even think about it—we’ve got patterns and habits for how we work, how we relate to others, how we take care of ourselves and so on. And with exercise, we want to make it one of those automatic patterns so that it feels more natural to do it than not. This is best accomplished by making a commitment to show up, no matter what, for at least a month. If you don’t feel like working out or you don’t feel like you’ve got the energy to work out, go to the gym or go stand on the treadmill in your garage or basement for five minutes. Just show up. And don’t break this routine for anything. Of course, more than 9 times out of 10, when I do this myself, I get to the gym, I stand on the treadmill and I think, “What the heck… I’m already here, I might as well start walking and jogging…” Promise me you’ll keep showing up and I promise you it will get easier and easier. to stick with this good habit.

#2 — Have a Back-Up Plan

So many times people make the mistake of having an all-or-none attitude about exercise. That is, if they can’t make it to the gym for their planned exercise session, they do nothing at all. What I want you to do is have a back-up plan for those times when things don’t go as scheduled. This could be a basic routine of push ups, sit-ups, and other exercises you can do any time, anywhere, without exercise equipment. So many times, when I’m traveling and staying at different hotels, I’ll fall back on a plan like this, just to make sure I’m doing something to keep the habit of my routine going. Taking an evening walk is a good back-up plan for when you can’t get to the gym during your work day. Walking the stairs in a hotel, or your apartment or office building is also a good back-up plan. Having a basic set of free weights at home that you can work out with when you don’t have time to get to the gym will help you avoid missing work outs too. Remember, we’ve got to keep our momentum going once we get started — putting this tip into action is a surefire way to do that.

#1 — Know Your Reason

For each of us, there’s a purposeful reason for making the healthy changes that we’re deciding to make in our lives. It can take some soul searching to find it in some instances, and in others, we simply need to open our eyes and see. Why is it important for you to exercise and be healthy? Do you want to set a positive example for your children, and also be around for them as they grow up and someday have children of their own? Again I ask, what are the inspiring reasons behind your decision to transform your body and life? Give it some consideration and you will be able to identify one or more things that motivate you from within. Then I want you to remind yourself of that every single time you’re choosing whether to work out that day or not. What many people have discovered is that one inspiring reason will override a hundred excuses. So please, know yours and think of it often — allow it to strengthen your determination and commitment to follow through each and every day. The better your reasons…the better your results!

No Bad....Just Good.....Better and Best

No Bad.....Good...better & Best!

Over the last few months I've done allot of reading and research and I've seen some really poor articles and I've seen some really great articles that provide people with information they can actually use.

Some self proclaimed industry experts are writing articles to self promote their own personal agendas and that in my opinion is where the confusion begins. Many of these gurus will bash sound exercise programs telling people that some exercises that have been around for decades are absolutely useless. In fact I read just a few days ago where one of the self promoting gurus announced that the Tricep push-down exercise is a complete waste of time. In fact the use of machine weights were a waste of time in his strongly opinionated article. What's really sad many people will buy this garbage and stop the exercises completely.

In my opinion, there is always a good, better & best with everything and that includes exercise.

Every single person that has decided to begin an exercise program should do just one thing to start and that is get up off your butt and MOVE!

No one will ever improve their health sitting around talking about how they are going to get in shape. So less talk and more action!

Next is really simple, do NOT get caught-up reading articles in magazines because 95% of them are written to get you to buy a supplement or a program by the gurus of the industry.

The bottom line is any exercise beats no exercise every day of the week.

If you are wanting to lose body fat, great stick to the basics, squats, dead-lifts, Olympic style lifts and high impact cardio. Build the big muscles in your body and let them burn your fat.

If you are in shape already and want to do some fine tuning of a particular muscle group great, add those tricep push downs or bicep curls to your routine.

In my opinion if you are exercising your are making progress to a healthier YOU! If you need help seek out a good trainer that can take you to the next level. Find one that fits your personality, don't hire the first one that you meet, interview several and pick the trainer that best listens to your needs and proves to be knowledgeable and will be able to take you to that next level. Remember YOU are the client and it's your money, the trainer works for YOU.

In closing the object of this article is just to help you get going in the right direction and that all starts with ACTION! Sitting and talking about it never accomplished anything. Clearing the air about all these self proclaimed experts was also important, do not get caught-up in believing that one program is superior to another. In the big picture all programs are either good, better or best. It's all up to YOU on what best fits your own personal needs.

Mental Attitude for Training.

Mental Attitude for Training.

To get the best out of your training every time you prepare to train, make sure you have cleared your mind of all the negative.

Having a clear mind and letting go of daily stress will help you preform better in your training session.

We've all heard that stress is one of the leading causes for heart attack and stroke but many of us never really think about what else it's doing to our bodies. Just because your heart is functioning as it should does not mean you are not effected by the stress.

Stress produces cortisol and cortisol helps fat stay right where it's at and locks up fat loss. Stress also causes hypertension, and elevated blood pressure especially during resistance exercise can be very dangerous.

Recent studies have also shown that stress reduces the production of ATP within the Mitochondria of the cells and limits your anaerobic endurance. Reduced levels of ATP will make your training session a real struggle. Cortisol also slows down the healing process and can bring on symptoms of over-training and cause disruptive sleep patterns making it even more difficult to train properly.

So when you walk into the gym make sure you take a moment and clear your head of daily stress and focus on the job at hand.

The truth be told, the stress you created is all in your head and only you can allow it to consume you or LET IT GO!

I highly recommend reading a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer entitled,
"There's a Spiritual Solution for Every Problem". This book has nothing to do with religion, it simply tells you how to let go of the stress that is effecting your life.

Remember being fit in the gym is just 1/3 of being totally fit. Remember to exercise the mind and spirit as well. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

I don't lift weights because I do not want to have big muscles.

I don't lift weights because I do not want to have big muscles.


Yes there is a dark side and it is full of myths that keep you from reaching your goals.


Myth Buster number 1:

Ladies, lifting weights will not give you big muscles, classic example in our very own studio is Amanda Harris, (one of our personal trainers) She is 5'3" tall and weighs 125lbs at about 15% body-fat (leaner for competitions). Amanda has been lifting extremely heavy weights since she was 8 years old. In fact at age 10 she set a world record in the squat with a lift of 220lbs at a body weight of 64lbs and today she squats well over 400lbs. By looking at her you would never believe the numbers I just told you, but hey the proof is in seeing it for yourself. Amanda has documented her career as a 17 time World Champion Powerlifter by posting over 100 videos on Youtube. (just search Barbie Barbell).

"I don't want to workout lifting weights because I don't want to build big muscles " or "I just do aerobics and sit ups to lose weight because if I lift weights, I may build muscle and looked like a man."

Ladies. Have you made these comments before? Awww... c'mon ladies, if you have ever uttered these words, you have just done a terrible disservice to yourself and are missing out on many great benefits that working out with weights can give you. Have you ever pointed to your belly or butt and sweetly proclaimed, "I want lose weight here." So managed to convince yourself that sweating profusely is the answer to a slim and beautiful body and you hit the gym day in and day out just to sweat off your tummy or butt fats!

So you peddle away on your stationary bike in the gym just like little hamsters or frantically stepping away on the step up machine and then you woefully do crunches after crunches in the hope of having a flat belly and a well rounded shapely butt not realizing that there is no such thing as spot reduction.

You never even bother take a look at the weight lifting machines or the free weights lying everywhere in the gym not to say even touching those weights. Gosh, this terrible myth of building big muscles on women is creating so much fear in women causing them never to train with weights at their detriment.

Ladies! If you are listening, I want to say this loud and clear. There is no way women will build big huge muscles unless you are on special supplementation and specially designed training system. Some of those muscle bound ladies you have seen may even be taking steroids which are banned and obviously harmful. Never touch steroids to build muscles.

So the, why is it difficult for women to build big muscles? Well, it is simply because you do not have enough of testosterone, a male hormone that encourages your muscles to grow. In fact, women have ten to thirty times less testosterone than their male counterparts. Women who accept the myth that they will build big muscles if they workout with weights will miss out on all of the benefits that weightlifting and bodybuilding can offer. This myth is so ingrained in women's psyche that even after explaining the facts to my women clients, they are still afraid to lift weights. So will women who lift weights in their workouts build more muscle tissue? Yes, of course, but it will not be those big huge muscles like those of male bodybuilders. Your muscles will give you the body shape that you most desire, resulting in a tight, firm, healthy, attractive and desirable body. The body shape that is ever so sexy and healthy. Yes, you may have noticed an increase in weight when you step on a scale. This is because muscles weigh more than fat. Thus, as you increase your muscle tissue, your weight will increase but your fats will be reduced giving you a well toned sexy body which most women can only dream of.

Myostatin (also known as growth differentiation factor 8, abbreviated GDF-8) is another big reason females CAN NOT gain muscle size. Myostatin prohibits muscle growth and females typically have 10 times the amount of myostatin in muscle cells as do males. So combine the increased Myostatin and low Testosterone levels it makes it next to impossible for you to gain any male like size or characteristics that you see in the magazines. Trust me the women you see in the muscle magazines have been hormonally enhanced with testosterone. The only way a female can gain that type of size is by abusing her body with illegal drugs!

There are major benefits to having a little more muscle on your body.

Muscle burn calories naturally even when you are sleeping. In fact, research has shown that for each kilo of muscle you build, you will burn 70-100 more calories per day. So, if you gain 2 kilos of muscle and lose 2 kilos of fat, you will burn about 75 more calories per kilo, which equates to burning 150 additional calories per day, which translates into 4200 additional calories per month and ultimately results in a fat or weight loss of 7-8 kilos a year without doing anything! One kilo is 2.2 pounds. Doesn't that sound great?

Another reason that women should do weightlifting is the benefit it can have on your bones. Weight training is a powerful preventive action against osteoporosis, a disease caused by porous bone and low bone density. Women have a much higher risk than men to suffer from osteoporosis. In fact, most women will suffer from this disease as they age. Those plagued with osteoporosis have an increased susceptibility to fractures. These fractures can even be fatal. So, women should exercise with weight to strengthen and increase bone density. Research has shown that six months of weightlifting may increase bone mineral density by as much as 15 percent. As you increase your muscle tissue, your bones must adapt to accommodate this increase in your muscle mass, your bones respond by increasing in density. The result? You will own a stronger skeletal structure and a reduced risk for osteoporosis.

So, don't completely swear off weightlifting fearing that training with weights will build big muscles and turn you into an Incredible Hulk! You won't and you can't. Period.

OK girls, the weights are over there. Let's lift them now! Have the last laugh when your girl friends tell you that they don't want to lift weights and yet watching you transform your body that will make heads turn when you are in your bikini.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Kidney Stones: 5 Facts to Know

 

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Kidney Stones: 

5 Facts to Know

 

A Message from our friends at The Global Healing Center

& 

Dr. Edward Group III

 

 

Since the late 1980s, HFCS has replaced regular table sugar, honey, and similar sweeteners. Prolonged consumption of HFCS is the topic of debate and, like other genetically modified products, may be bad for your health. A number of studies conducted over the past few decades indicate consumption of HFCS is connected with some health concerns.

1. Significant Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity

A study conducted by Princeton University ^[1], found that rats that were fed HFCS gained fat 300% more quickly than those fed an equal (or slightly larger) serving of fruit-derived sugar.

2. Increased Risk of Developing Type-2 Diabetes

Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup can lead to a huge increase in the likelihood of developing diabetes ^[2]. This life-long condition can be avoided in most cases. Excessive amounts of soda, energy drinks and junk-food aren’t worth losing a foot or going blind for.

3. Hypertension and Elevated “Bad” Cholesterol Levels

High-fructose doesn’t just make your body fat, it also makes your heart fat. There is a strong link between the irresponsible consumption of high fructose corn syrup and elevated triglyceride and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels ^[3]. Together, these can cause arterial plaque build-up and lead to heart problems including hypertension, heart disease, and even stroke.

4. High Fructose Corn Syrup and Liver Damage

This is a big one. Like anything else you eat or drink, your liver, gallbladder, and kidneys, processes HFCS. And it’s especially destructive to your liver. When combined with a sedentary lifestyle, permanent liver scarring can occur ^[4]. This greatly diminishes the organ’s ability to process out toxins and, over time, can lead to an expansive range of other negative health concerns. Another study suggests that HFCS may also cause fatty liver ^[5].

5. Mercury Exposure from HFCS

Did you know high fructose corn syrup is often loaded with alarmingly high levels of mercury? One study found mercury in over 50% of samples tested ^[6]. Mercury exposure can result in irreversible brain and nervous system damage – especially in young, growing bodies. Way too many foods aimed at children are LOADED with high fructose corn syrup!

Alternatives to High Fructose Corn Syrup

The dangers of high fructose corn syrup are both numerous and severe, if it’s in your diet, remove it. Some estimate more than one-third of the American food supply has been polluted by this trash. I urge you to read product labels and avoid those with HFCS. Replace HFCS with raw honey or Xylitol for sweetening needs.
– Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

References:

1. Hilary Parker. A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain. Princeton University. 2010 March 22.
2. American Chemical Society. Soda Warning-high-fructose corn syrup linked to diabetes, new study suggests. ScienceDaily 23 Aug. 2007.
3. Jennifer K. Nelson R.D.,L.D. What is high-fructose corn syrup? What are the health concerns? Mayo Clinic. 2012 September 27.
4. Duke University Medical Center. High fructose corn syrup linked to liver scarring, research suggests. ScienceDaily. 23 Mar. 2010.
5. Laura G. Sánchez-Lozada, Wei Mu, Carlos Roncal, Yuri Y. Sautin, Manal Abdelmalek, Sirirat Reungjui, MyPhuong Le, Takahiko Nakagawa, Hui Y. Lan, Xuequing Yu, Richard J. Johnson. Comparison of free fructose and glucose to sucrose in the ability to cause fatty liver. European Journal of Nutrition. 2010 February. vol. 49 issue 1, pp. 1-9.
6. Dufault R, LeBlanc B, Schnoll R, Cornett C, Schweitzer L, Wallinga D, Hightower J, Patrick L, Lukiw WJ. Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. Environ Health. 2009 Jan 26;8:2. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-8-2.
   

 

EAT MORE - WEIGH LESS! Part 3, Conclusion

EAT MORE - WEIGH LESS!

 Part 3, Conclusion

There is one thing I hope you take from this article, you do not have to starve yourself to death to look good. You simply have to eat the right foods at the right time of day based on your activity levels for the next 3 hours. If you remember in Part 1 I spoke about the Golden Rule, "Eat for what you are about to do, not for what you have already done." The second thing I hope you will remember is, "Eating fats will not make you fat"! Eating the wrong foods at the wrong time WILL!

Here's what you need to know in order to establish you caloric requirements for the day.
1. Body weight
2. Lean body mass weight
3. Body fat % and lbs of body fat you carry.
4. Your body type (endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph)
5. Daily time and activity chart
6. Gender
7. Age
8. Activity history and basic medical back ground.
9 Hydration level
10. Blood Type

I personally like to add a comprehensive blood panel to check for possible metabolic dysfunction or hormonal issues that may be causing problems.

Once you take in all the data you can sit down with a nutritional consultant and establish your daily BMR and calorie expenditure for the day. Once that has been established you can then design your custom nutrition program based on your needs and desire to obtain that lean stealth look.

Meals should be eaten every 3 hours, why? To keep your blood sugar stable and keep your muscles fed with protein.

The volume of food for each meal will be based on the type of activity you will have for the following three hours of your day. Too many carbs during an inactive time of the day is something you need to avoid, in fact lower calorie meals should be eaten before your periods of inactivity. Breakfast should always be no less than 1/5 of your calories or 20% for the day, get your blood sugar levels to normal range and get your metabolism running in high gear.

The highest calorie meals should be eaten before you most active periods of the day. IMO Protein consumption should be distributed evenly with each meal throughout the day, your carbohydrates and fats should fluctuate based on your energy needs during the day.

Another big tip: Take 1 gram of L-Glutamine with each meal and your hunger levels and cravings will all but disappear.

If you recall I also said I would discuss the fat intake today. What you are about to read may very well go against what your current nutritionist or personal trainer may recommend. So please discuss this with them before you change you eating program.

There are fats that in fact will speedup your metabolism and speed up fat loss. However it will require some disipline on your part to stick with the program.

Recent medical studies and several Universities have done extensive research on the use of fats 
to increase the metabolism and in fact turn on the fat burning machine within our body.



Some people struggle with weight loss simply because they are using the wrong foods for energy and we have ALL been mislead by the medical industry on how evil fats are to the human body, when in fact the truth is the complete opposite of what's been preached since the late 1960's. What I mean by wrong foods is simple, many people have digestive resistance to carbohydrates and in particular GLUTEN. You very well could be one of the millions of people that would do far better on weight management on a diet low in carbohydrates and higher in healthy fats.

Fact: Coconut Oil (in it's raw form) Is by far the healthiest fat you can possibly consume. Contrary to popular beliefs Coconut oil is 100% MCT oil and does not serve as an Omega 6 fatty acid. Too much Omega 6 can and will cause inflammation in the body. Coconut oil aids in reducing inflammation and also serves as an excellent energy source for the brain and yes even muscle tissue as well.
So if you think you may be sensitive to carbohydrates you really need to have your program constructed using fats in your meals over complex carbohydrates. The biggest group of people that benefit from a program like this are typically have type O blood but is not limited to just this particular group.

Coconut oil is quickly converted into an energy source called ketones. The awesome thing about ketones is they cross the blood brain barrier and feed our brain the valuable nutrients it needs to function normally. The second benefit is it turns on the fat burning furnace in our muscles.

The key to success is to maintain ketosis for extended periods of time and allow the body to burn the stored fats that are typically left untouched when carbohydrates are present in the diet.


I know I mentioned I would talk about caloric requirements and I did, I just did not give you any numbers or percentages just yet. The fact is every single person will have different needs based on their ten (10) question we ask when you visit us. Yes even the percentages of proteins to carbohydrates to fats will vary based on a number of factors. This is what makes your programs with us so unique. I often here people comparing notes on their diets and that get confused because what they are eating may be the complete opposite of what the next person is eating. There are just too many variables to give a base program that will work for everyone.

EAT MORE - WEIGH LESS! Part 2 of 3

EAT MORE - WEIGH LESS! 
Part 2 of 3

I left off yesterday making the statement that it's more calorie management than it is calorie restriction. 

The key to fat loss is to feed enough nutrients to the body so it will not feed on itself, maintaining normal blood sugar throughout the day and allowing the muscle to burn the fat. The basic rule is you must burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight. TRUE, however it's more complicated than that if you want to lose just fat.

Here's where knowing what to eat and when to eat plays a valuable roll in fat loss. There are a million different diets out there and guess what there are a million that don't work! The key to fat loss is NOT a diet, it is a life style change and educating yourself on the proper foods and beneficial supplements that will make your fat loss permanent.

First and most importantly you must feed your body the proper amounts of protein throughout the day. Protein should be consumed in amounts proportionate to your personal needs.
For example; A 25 year old male with body weight of 215lbs and has a body-fat percentage of 12% can easily consume 25-40 grams of protein per meal where a female same age at 125lbs and 18% body fat should consume 15-25 grams of protein per meal.
The key is to keep the body in a positive nitrogen balance so your body will burn fat and leave the muscle alone. Eating to much protein at one sitting can cause your body to store the excess calories as fat. Not all proteins are created equal while some are excellent other proteins can cause health issues. That's why you should understand the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) of the foods you eat.

I will be going into more details about protein assimilation at the seminar on March 20 at the Studio.

The next step is learning what the Glycemic Index is all about.

The Glycemic Index (GI) relates to the way your body’s sugar levels respond to certain foods. Foods are given a rating from 0 –100 on the glycemic index with glucose in the highest position. High Glycemic Index foods (such as simple carbohydrates) will increase the body’s sugar levels rapidly whereas low glycemic index foods will increase the body’s sugar levels slowly. A good understanding of the glycemic index can assist in weight loss and help control diabetes.

The glycemic index is complicated and cannot be generalised to all people. Different people will have different reactions to food. The body’s response to food will relate to several factors including; age, activity level, insulin levels, time of day, amount of fiber and fat in the food, how refined (processed) the food is, and what was eaten with the food. In addition to this, other factors such as the ratio of carbohydrates to fat and protein as well as how the food was cooked (eg. Boiled compared to fried or baked) and metabolism will determine the way your body’s sugar level responds after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index will have little effect on the body’s sugar levels. Comparatively, foods that have a high glycemic index will have an instant affect on blood sugar levels. Ratings on the glycemic index have resulted from numerous studies; however, individuals should test their own reactions to food in relation to the glycemic index.

Here is a link to a Glycemic Index Chart online, although I do not agree with it 100% it is fairly close and will give you an idea as to how your blood sugar goes up and down based on the foods you eat.

http://www.glycemicindex.ca/glycemicindexfoods.pdf

As I stated before just counting calories does not work you have to know what the calories you are eating are doing in your body. That's why it's important to educate yourself on the foods you eat.

We will get into more details at the March 20 Seminar on Carbohydrates and their glycemic rating.

Tomorrow I will talk about healthy fats and how they can aid you in dropping unwanted fat pounds. I will also talk about the percentages of proteins, carbs and fats you should be eating (This will surprise you) and I will also talk about one of the most important things that most nutritionist leave out when they design a nutrition program for someone.