Night Time Eating? Yes or No

One very common question I get is about eating at night.

People want to know if they should eat anything after dinner or if they should eat anything past a certain time or any other combination of this question.

I don’t know where this idea of not eating past 6pm (or whatever time) got started.  I’m sure Oprah said it at some point, so I’ll blame it on her.

There is a little truth to not eating at night after dinner, but I think there’s a bigger picture involved.

Why do you eat at night?

Are you really hungry or is there another reason?

I think the reason that you eat at night is twofold.

Number 1 is that you’re bored.  The day is winding to a close and you are watching some reality show because there aren’t any scripted shows on thanks to the writers’ strike (I miss 24) and you need something to do.  So you go to the refrigerator or cupboard and grab some comfort food to take up the time.

The other reason is that you want to relax at night.

Everybody wants to relax at night.  It’s instinctual.  Your body is naturally getting ready to sleep and you need to relax or wind down in order to sleep.

There’s actually a scientific reason behind this as well. 

Most snack foods are high in sugar.  Sugar releases opiates in the brain that make you feel good. 

When you feel good, you relax.  When you relax, you are ready to sleep, which makes your body happy.

But these same feel good foods make you fat, which doesn’t make you happy, it makes you mad.

So, the question still remains is it OK to snack at night or to eat past a certain time.

Of course it’s OK to eat at night.

It’s definitely OK to eat past a certain time.  The thought that there’s some magical cutoff in the day that if you consume anything after this magical hour you’ll be gaining lots of fat is ridiculous.

The problem isn’t eating at night, it’s what you eat at night.

Are you eating the high sugar, fat-laden snack foods?  Or are you eating something good for you like a piece of fruit or some fat-free dairy or some almonds. 

All of those foods I just mentioned will help you relax and get ready for sleep, by the way and are good if you want to lose fat.

That’s the key to eating at night.  Eat healthy snacks.  And remember, healthy doesn’t have to be boring and healthy isn’t inconvenient, either.

So take that Oprah!  You can eat at night and lose fat too!

I think I should have my own talk show called “Ed”. 

I know for a fact that my “favorite things” episodes would be much cooler and there’s no way Tom Cruise would jump around my furniture without getting a slap in the head.

Have a good week and snack well!

10 Minute Workouts For Fat Loss. Real or a Bunch of Hooey?

One of my preferred ways of working out is by doing 10 minute workuts.

They’re quick, intense and leave me huffing and puffing long after the 10 minutes is complete.

But I’m a personal trainer and already in good shape, so are they effective for the everyday person looking for fat loss?  Can you really do a 10 minute workout and expect to lose fat?

My answer to that is a resounding YES!

If you are someone who says they really don’t have that much time to workout and that’s what’s keeping you from losing the weight you’ve put on, then 10 minute workouts are definitely for you.

Or, if you know you have a busy week coming up and are worried that your regular workouts are going to have to be put on hold, then 10 minute workouts are also for you.

The most important thing to remember when doing 10 minute workouts is that you need to throw out the time wasting exercises like bicep curls, triceps kickbacks and crunches and stick to exercises that work your entire body or at least a good portion of it.

I’ll give you an example of what I did earlier today.  I had a very busy that was packed full of clients, however I had a 30 minute window where I needed to get a few things accomplished, one of them being my workout.

So here’s what I did after my quick warm-up:

1)  1-Arm Dumbbell Swing supersetted with 1-leg Decline Push-ups

2)  Dumbbell Squat w/Shoulder Press supersetted with Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

I did each of those supersets for 5 minutes completing as many sets of 10 as I could. After I was done with 1 set of the first superset, I would rest for 20 seconds and repeat.

Then, when 5 minutes was up, I went on to the second superset and did it in the same fashion.

By the time that 10 minutes was up I was huffing and puffing, and my heart rate stayed elevated for a while.  I still felt pumped up for quite a while into my next training session.

So give that workout a try, or come up with your own.  Just make sure that you pick exercises that use a lot of muscle groups like push-ups, squats, lunges, rows, etc. and stay away from crunches and isolation exercises.

Or, if you want a bunch of 10 minute workouts laid out for you, check out my Fat Loss To Go fat loss program by going to www.fatlosstogo.com  In it you’ll find an entire eBook dedicated to nothing but 10 minute workouts!

As President I Will Fix Healthcare By Doing…

Given the presidential race and all the hullabaloo revolving around whose healthcare plan is better, I thought I’d dip my toe into the dirty water and give you my fix.

You may not like my plan, but it makes the most sense.  It doesn’t raise taxes and it will save you money and lead to a much happier lifestyle.

Are you ready for it?

It’s called “Take Care Of Yourself, America!!”

Pretty easy, huh?

Think about it, though.  There was a report that just came out that said that by the year 2017 for every $5 spent, $1 will be spent on healthcare.  Take that number out farther, for every $500 spent, at least $100 will be spent on healthcare.  That is insane!  Think of the repercussions this will have on our entire economy.

And much of this spending is due to preventable health issues.  Not genetic issues or things that are out of our control or routine physicals which we all should do.  There will always be things you can’t control, but a good chunk of healthcare spending (or sick care as I like to call it) is spent on things that need not occur.

I’m going to give you 2 areas of statistics to prove my point.

The first area is obvious…being overweight.

The last time a survey was taken over 60% of our population was either overweight or obese.

This can lead to a whole host of preventable health issues and diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, muscle pain, asthma, etc.  The last time I checked all of those health issues require a medication or medical intervention of some sort, and a lot of it.

So, if as a population we were to take care of ourselves a little more and actually eat better and exercise this would greatly decrease the amount of spending on health care.

Many people think they exercise enough because they go for a walk occasionally or play some golf when the weather is nice, but it takes a lot more than leisure activity to lose fat.

Also, I have statistics on my side that says that the majority of people in this country do not exercise.

The CDC reported in their National Health Review that 53% of men NEVER engage in any vigorous physical activity.  Never!

It gets worse for women.  A whopping 65% of women NEVER engage in any vigorous physical activity.

Now you may be thinking that they used the word “vigorous”, but vigorous is a relative term and when the government uses that term it usually refers to anything more than a leisurely stroll around the block.  Plus what I didn’t mention was that 65% of women and 53% of men never engage in vigorous physical activity lasting longer than 10 minutes.  10 minutes!

The second area I want to give you some statistics on are related to back pain.

Back pain is huge in this country and it’s mostly because we’re too sedentary. 

We sit at desks all day, drive too much and sit on the couch too much.

This leads to muscle imbalances, muscle weakness and a whole lot of muscle pain.

As many as 50% of Americans report some type of back pain every year.  Some of these may be minor, but as many as 30% of adults have thought their back pain needed a trip to the doctor to help alleviate.  That’s a lot of people considering our population is around 300 million.

There are some experts that say that as many as 4 out of every 5 people will experience back pain in their lifetime…and not just a little twinge here or there, either.

These next two statistics are staggering.  In 2001, close to 14 million people visited their doctor to deal with their back pain, and I think it’s safe to say that many of them went more than once.

A Canadian study reported that 40% of all work absences were due to back pain.  I don’t even want to know how much that equated to in lost revenue.

So do yourself and your country a favor, take care of yourself.

I guarantee that if we got more people exercising, eating better and paying better attention to their bodies that the cost of healthcare will go down.

The only problem is I can’t force anyone to do anything, unless that is that you come to my boot camps or train with me…then I can get you moving.

But you know what?  Neither can a politician.

You have to take the initiative for yourself and tell yourself that you’re going to start exercising more, so get up and start an exercise regimen that includes resistance training and cardio.

Start eating healthier meals that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and packed with fiber.

Start moving around more if you’re desk bound or spend a lot of time behind the wheel.  For every hour you spend sitting, spend at least 10 minutes up and moving around to keep your muscles limber and the blood flowing.  This will do a lot to help curtail back pain.  And if you already have back pain, get a massage from a good massage therapist.  It will do wonders for your pain.

Think of the children.  Sorry, that was too good to pass up.  I had to get some politician speak in there when dealing with healthcare.

Want to Lose Stomach Fat? Part 3

Well, today is part 3 of my “Want to Lose Stomach Fat” mini-series.

So far you’ve learned the easiest things you can do nutritionally as well as how you should do resistance training to lose that tummy fat.

So I guess the only thing left, for now, is cardio.

Cardio is the most misunderstood aspect of fat loss, although a close second is doing endless amounts of crunches in the hopes of getting a flat stomach.

There are a couple schools of thought when it comes to cardio, however given that most people in today’s world don’t have tons of time to devote to exercise, let alone cardio, I’m going to tell you the quickest way to get it done by doing what I call “smart” cardio.

Personally, I hate cardio.  I don’t like to run, which many people are surprised to hear. 

When I do my cardio I have to do it very quickly, in front of the television, or I get very bored, very fast.

So when I talk about “smart” cardio I’m referring to the fact that you don’t have to spend hours every week doing long, boring, moderate-intensity cardio, unless you have tons of time on your hands or want to train for a marathon or other endurance race.

Rather, smart cardio, to me, refers to interval training. 

Interval training has been proven time and again to burn more fat, specifically from your belly, than long, steady-state cardio (such as walking on the treadmill for 60 minutes).

Studies are routinely finding that interval training is a good way of doing cardio because it keeps your metabolism (calorie burning) elevated for hours after you’re done, while traditional cardio brings your metabolism back down to its normal state within the hour.  That means you burn more fat throughout your day by doing the intervals…even while you’re not exercising.

Even while you’re sitting on your couch in the evening watching “Lost” or “CSI”, you’re burning more calories after having done interval training for 15-20 minutes than if you would have gone for a 60 minute walk or rode your bike at a low intensity for 30 minutes.

Some people misconstrue interval training for being some sort of a “sprinter’s workout”, when it really isn’t. 

All it means is that you intersperse bouts of higher intensity exercise with bouts of low-intensity exercise.

Here’s an example of what I just did yesterday on the stationary bike.

Warmed up for 4 minutes.

Rode the bike at a perceived exertion of 8 on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being all out, legs shaking sprinting intensity) for approximately 30 seconds, then rode at a perceived exertion of 4, on a scale of 10, for 60 seconds. 

That was 1 round. 

I did that for 4 more rounds and cooled down for another 3 or 4 minutes. 

That was it.  I was off the stationary bike in about 15 minutes and it kicked my butt.  I was huffing and puffing and it felt awesome.

On a side note, when you try this, it’s easiest to do it on a piece of cardio equipment, rather than trying to run outside.  Running at higher intensity levels requires a lot of warm-up time, plus it’s a lot harder on your joints.

I was eating lunch in a park once and saw a man trying to do sprints for his interval training.  I think he thought he was back in high school on the track team. 

It wasn’t pretty.  I thought I was going to have to do CPR or take him to the orthopedic surgeon because his hamstring muscles were going to pop off his legs.

Aside from the guy I just mentioned, interval training can be adapted to anyone’s fitness level, unless, of course, you have a medical reason not to do this type of exercise.  Heart issues, etc. 

Everyone can figure their own perceived rate of exertion on a scale of 1 to 10, which means that everyone can figure out what is intense. 

What’s intense for you may not be intense for me and vice versa.

That’s probably the most important aspect of interval training.  To go at your own level of intensity.  You know what’s intense for you and maybe walking at a speed of 5 miles/hour is very intense for you, while that might be very easy for others.

I want to leave you today thinking about something. 

If you look at interval training for cardio as I just explained it and remember what I teach about resistance training (doing supersets and getting done in a short period of time), is there really any difference from a cardio standpoint?

If done right, both have you working hard for a certain period of time, followed by a rest period.  Both elevate your metabolism for hours after you’re done.

What that tells me is lots of cardio for fat loss is over-rated.

Don’t get me wrong, cardio is very, very important, especially when it comes to general health.  I do cardio workouts 3-4 times per week. 

My point is it’s not the end-all approach to fat loss.

It takes a combination of all 3 things I talked about over the last 3 weeks.  Not going crazy praying to the treadmill gods and not severely limiting your food intake and not doing lots of exercises that don’t do much good from a fat loss standpoint.

Make sense?

Have a good week!

Ed Scow

P.S. – If this type of exercise tripped your trigger, then you’ll love my Fat Loss to Go workouts.  What I have explained over the last 3 weeks is the basis of that program.  To learn more, go to www.fatlosstogo.com

Want to Lose Stomach Fat? Part 2

Did you start eating healthier after what I told you last week in Part 1? 

Did you add some fruits or vegetables?  How about getting rid of the pop and juices?

In the art of full disclosure, I think I should tell you that I ate pretty poorly over the weekend.  I let myself get too hungry and let my cravings get the best of me.

In fact, on the way home from church on Sunday I was practically drooling thinking about what I wanted for lunch…my wife can attest to this.

But you know what?  I can’t change what I did over the weekend.  It’s over and done with.  All I can do is try better from here on out and resist the evil temptations presented to me.

I’m also splitting this into a 3 part newsletter.   So stay tuned for part 3, next week where I cover cardio.

Now onto smart resistance training. 

Notice I said “smart”.

“Smart” resistance training does NOT include spending lots of time devoted to “arm” exercises like bicep curls and triceps kickbacks.  Nor does it refer to spending a lot of time doing crunches. 

Doing hundreds of crunches everyday will NOT get you a lean, flat stomach.  Your body just doesn’t work that way.  It would be nice if it did, but it doesn’t. 

You cannot spot reduce.

Smart resistance training means that you spend most of your time using dumbbells and body weight exercises and do total body exercises and total body workouts.

By doing total body exercises and total body workouts, you’re ensuring you get the biggest caloric and fat burning effect possible in the time you have, while using dumbbells and bodyweight exercises ensures you get the most muscle involved while doing the workout.

To burn fat you’ve got to use a lot of muscle, because the only tissue in your body that burns fat is muscle and if you work lots of muscle at one time, you burn lots more fat including when you’re not working out. 

Whereas if you spend lots of time doing arm exercises and lots of crunches, you’re not using very much muscle overall which means you’re burning very little fat.

This doesn’t mean that you have to have huge, hulking bodybuilder type muscles – or work to get those big muscles.  So don’t worry about that.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean.  What exercise do you think works more muscle and thus burns more fat?  A push-up or a triceps kickback?  Push-ups work virtually every muscle in your upper body – including your abs and core.  A triceps kickback, on the other hand, only works the back of your arms. 

You may say that you want the backs of your arms to look better, which is why you do the triceps exercises, but I say that you work the back of your arm a heck of a lot harder by doing a push-up.  Plus the push-up works your chest, shoulders, abs/core, upper back and even your biceps get a little work. 

Remember what I said earlier about muscle being the only tissue in your body that burns fat?  Well, after reading that sentence about the push-ups should make you understand why I stick to total body movements and total body workouts…you just work a heck of a lot harder, work a heck of a lot more muscle and get done in a lot less time, meaning you also burn more fat.

Do you want that put into a practical example?

Here’s a couple exercises from a workout I just did as an example of what I’m talking about:

1A)  Dumbbell Chest Press  (Works your chest, shoulders, back of your arms)

1B)  Bent-Over Dumbbell Row  (Works your entire back, front of your arms, and core/abdominals)

Can you see what I’m talking about?  Those 2 exercises used every single muscle in my upper body and each exercise worked multiple muscle groups which ensures I get the most fat burning possible.

That was just the first superset.  I did a few more that also included my lower body and hit my cardio system.  The best thing of all was that it took me about 20 minutes. 

Not bad, huh?  Especially if you think you need to spend hours in the gym to get a good workout.

That’s about as easy as I can make it for resistance training and losing belly fat. 

Stay tuned next week for part 3 where I get into probably the most misunderstood aspect of losing fat…cardio.

If you want to learn more about smart resistance training, check out my Fat Loss To Go downloadable fat loss program by clicking here.   www.fatlosstogo.com

Have a good week!

Ed Scow

www.fatlosstogo.com

www.elswellness.com

P.S. – Don’t forget to stay tuned next week where I cover smart cardio.

Want to Lose Stomach Fat?

How do I lose stomach fat?

That is by far the most asked question I receive.

When asked this, I used to respond by asking people lots of follow-up questions, give long answers, etc, but I’ve since narrowed it down to a short and concise answer.

Well, it’s not too short because I have trouble shutting up sometimes, so nothing from me is a short answer.

Anyway, here’s my answer so read it and remember it.

You don’t need complex ab workouts that contain loads of sit-ups, crunches, etc, nor do you need to buy the latest gadget off an infomerical.

You especially don’t need to buy the latest “fat burning” supplement because they don’t work.  They might drain your water weight off and make your wallet smaller, but that’s about it.

Here’s what you need to do to lose stomach fat.

     1.  Eat to lose fat, not gain it.

     2.  Use smart resistance training and smart cardio

Today we’re going to focus on eating to lose fat, not gain it and next week I’ll follow up with the resistance training and cardio information.

Nutrition is a huge component of losing fat, especially from the belly. 

If you really want to lose that stubborn ring around your waist, you need to begin by eating more fiber rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Fiber is nature’s appetite suppressant, meaning that you feel fuller longer after eating a fiber rich meal.

If you don’t believe me, try eating a lot of broccoli in one sitting.  You probably won’t be able to do it because of the fiber content in the broccoli.

That’s not to say there is a lot of calories in that broccoli, because most fruits and vegetables are low in calories, it’s just the way the fiber acts in the digestive system.  It bulks.

The next thing you should do is cut out all processed carbohydrats and sugar.  Processed carbohydrates will make you fat.  There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.

That means no more foods out of boxes like crackers, cookies and chips.  It also means no more white bread.  Whole wheat and whole grain bread is fine and should not be taken out of your diet.

You should never feat breads that are made of whole grains.  They are very good for you and are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

You also should cut out all sodas and juices.  This includes diet soda and “low calorie” juices.  These do nothing but add fat to your stomach. 

If you are a regular pop drinker, youcan gradually cut it out if that will help keep you sane.  However you MUST cut it out because it will add fat to your waist line.

You should then replace your pop or juice habit with something like grean tea or just plain ol’ water.

The next thing is to never let yourself get to the point where you feel like you’re starving.  This will only lead to bad decisions and overeating.

I say this from experience.  If I allow myself to get to the point where I am famished and really, really hungry I will immediately start to think of how good a greasy cheeseburger and french fries would taste.

However if I make sure to always keep some healthy snacks around like home-made trail mix or some fruit, I’m good to go and keep eating healthy, fat fighting foods.

That’s about as easy as it gets nutritionally speaking.

If you do those things, you’ll be well on your way to losing stomach fat and once you do those things, then we can get into your eating habits more, but these are the basics and you should conquet them first.

That’s it for now, but stay tuned for Part 2 next week when I dive into resistance training and cardio for belly fat loss.

Have a good week!

Ed Scow

P.S. I almost forgot.  Did you know that Memorial Day is about 16 weeks away?  Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer.  It’s when the kids get out of school and the swimming pools open.  It’s when people start heading to the lakes.  Wouldn’t it be nice to show off a new fat-free body this Memorial Day? 

Well, you know what else is 16 weeks?  My Fat Loss To Go program.  It’s a 16 week program and if you follow it, you will lose fat.  I guarantee it.  Learn more by going to www.fatlosstogo.com

Some of my more common questions and answers

I get a lot of questions every week from clients, friends and family members and I thought I’d share some of the more common ones and my answers.  Be prepared because I might be blunt, but often times that’s what’s needed.

Question #1:  I have trouble finding ways to fit fruits and vegetables into my day.  I know they’re important, but it’s tough to fit them in.

Answer:  No, it’s not tough to add fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.  They are actually the easiest things to add.

Think about it.  Most fruits and vegetables are already prepared for you.  All you have to do is grab them, wash them, and go.  There’s no prep time, no boxes or bags to open, no crumbs.  They’re easy.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get the recommended 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in my daily diet, but I do get a lot.  It’s all about habits.  Before you walk out the door in the morning grab an apple, banana or small bag of baby carrots (or better yet, all of them) to eat throughout your day.  How tough is that?

For lunch have a lettuce salad (with limited dressing) and put some carrots, broccoli, cucumber, etc. on it and you’ve just added a ton of vitamins, fiber and phytonutrients to your day.  How tough is that?

Anybody that says they can’t fit fruits and vegetables into their daily diet is just making an excuse, and a bad excuse at that. 

The easiest route to take is to get yourself into the habit of adding 1 fruit and/or vegetable to your daily routine every week.  If you forget one day, don’t worry about it.  Just remember to do it the next day.  Start right now by eating an apple.  A medium sized apple has about 4 grams of fiber and is loaded with vitamins and phytonutrients…just don’t peel the skin off.

Question #2:  I looked over the workouts you told me to do (or from my Fat Loss To Go eBook) and they aren’t that tough.  Can you make it more difficult?

Answer:  You followed the workout and it wasn’t that tough?  Really?  I do those workouts regularly and they kick my butt. 

I think it’s more of a case of you not making the workout hard enough.  Before I really offend you, let me explain. 

If the workout calls for 8 repetitions, they should be 8 hard repetitions.  You should not feel like you can do 30 repetitions with the weight used when the workout calls for 8.  So increase the resistance until those repetitions are difficult to perform.  And no, you won’t get huge, hulking muscles just by using heavier weights.  It takes a lot more than that to get big muscles.

Also make sure you aren’t going too fast.  You must go slow (not too slow) and be under control when doing strength training.  Each repetition should take around 3 seconds to perform…not be done so fast you’re done with the entire set in a couple seconds.

Question #3:  I always do so well with my eating habits through the week, then on the weekends I go crazy.  I swear I gain 5 pounds over the weekend and lose it all during the week.  How can I change this?

Answer:  I think this is more common than I previously thought because I get this question a lot. 

Many people get into a routine during the work week, only to see it all fall apart on the weekend because they go out to dinner at night with their spouse or friends, eat lunch in a fast food place if they’re out running errands and eat donuts on Sunday morning.  Not to mention the alcohol intake which adds hundreds and maybe even thousands of calories that go straight to your gut, butt or thighs in just a couple of days.

The easiest way to combat this is to keep your same routine on the weekend that you do during the week.  Eat the same breakfast, same snacks, lunch, etc. 

You can relax a little and have your “cheat” meals during the weekend.  Just make sure that this is only 1 or 2 meals and not the entire weekend.

And watch out for alcohol.  Alcohol can wreak havoc on your fat loss goals because it’s just empty calories…and a lot of them.  Your average beer contains anywhere from 90-150 calories.  The same goes for wine.  Hard liquor can have more, and that number can skyrocket if you have mixed drinks.  Especially if they contain lots of sugar-packed juices or creams. 

So steer clear of alcohol if you want to lose fat and keep it to a minimum if you want to maintain your current weight or just stay healthy.

Just because it’s the weekend doesn’t mean you can go crazy and throw all your healthy, fat fighting eating habits out the window.  As many of you know, you can do a lot of damage in a 2 day period.

I could do this all day, but you probably don’t have all day to read.  So I’ll save more questions/answers for later.

Have a good week!

The absolute worst phrase in your fitness vocabulary is…

This last Sunday night I came downstairs after helping my wife put our baby to bed and I was exhausted.  I was exhausted emotionally and mentally.

The problem was I had a couple things I needed to get done.  Plus, I was hungry.  I’m sure that many of you have been in that same situation.  Tired, with things needing to be done and hungry.

That is a very bad combination.

My first reaction was to say “I’ll do it tomorrow”, to the things that needed to get done and head for the fridge to find something sweet to eat.  I crave sweets and peanut butter cups when I’m hungry.

As I was headed over to the fridge that stupid little voice came busting into my head.

“Weren’t you going to write a newsletter about this very subject?”  That’s what the little voice said to me.  They say you’re only crazy if you answer the little voices…so I said “yes, I was going to write a newsletter about this”.

Stupid little voice.  I had my heart set on ice cream.

My inner voice was right.  I was planning on writing a newsletter on that evil little phrase of “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Or the other one is, “I’ll start tomorrow.” 

That phrase is so easy to say, yet it is the absolute worst thing you can possibly tell yourself if you want to start living a fit and healthy lifestyle.

How many times have you told yourself that you were going to start eating better and exercising, but that you were going to start after this one last meal, or this one last weekend?  Then that’s it, all bets are off and you’re living the straight and narrow.  If you’re like me, or the millions of others out there you’ve said it countless times. 

But was it true?  Did you really “start tomorrow”?  Or did something else get in the way that impeded your new fitness lifestyle?  Or maybe you lasted a couple days, then fell back on your old ways only to start the process all over again within a few weeks or months.

But why?

What’s so special about tomorrow that you have to wait?  Is tomorrow some special, magical day that serves some special purpose?

The truth is there is no better time than right now.  If you make the decision to start eating better, exercising, stopping smoking, or whatever, there is no better time than right this very instant.

Put down the cookie you’re eating while reading this.  Put the bowl of ice cream in the sink.  Shut the refrigerator.  Do some squats and push-ups.  It doesn’t matter, just start right now.  It doesn’t have to be something major. 

You’ve already made the decision to start, just start right now rather than tomorrow.  If you do things right, living a healthy and fit lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of the treats you love.  You just have to partake in those treats less often.

So stop telling yourself that you’re going to start tomorrow.  You’ve said that enough times, now just buck up and start right now. 

I mean it. 

Start this very instant. 

As soon as you’re done reading this, do something that takes a step in the right direction rather than something that takes you a few steps back.

Eat an apple.  Eat a handful of almonds. Make a smoothie.  Get some rest.  Go workout.  Go for a walk, or jump on the treadmill if it’s too cold where you are.  Clean all the junk out of your cupboards.

Do something, anything.  Just don’t start tomorrow.  Start NOW!

Have a good week!

P.S. – If you need help getting started, let me know and I can help.  Or you can buy my Fat Loss To Go eBook by clicking here.

Resolutions?! We don’t need no stinking resolutions!

First off, let me wish you a very Happy New Year.  I hope 2008 brings you everything you hope for.

Second, I hope you “got” the subject line of this newsletter.  If not, go rent Blazing Saddles.

Anyway, with the New Year comes the resolutions.  Every year millions upon millions of people make resolutions and most resolutions are the same this year as last.

Have you made one before?  I have.  Have you followed through with those resolutions?  I haven’t.  In the past I failed miserably on pretty much all of my resolutions.

My resolutions were the same every year and included something about my fitness level, money, personality, etc.  Does that sound like you?

Why is that?  Why does the majority of America tell themselves that they are going to do “X” this year and that this year is going to be different than last, only to go back to the way they were within a few weeks (if they make it that far).

One reason is that for the most part, resolutions are all empty promises.  They have no “oomph” behind them.  They’re too general.   They focus on huge, unreasonable expectations.  Plus most fail to take action.

In terms of fat loss resolutions, most people just say “I want to lose some weight”, or “I want to get in better shape”  My favorites are always the people that say “I want to lose 30 pounds in a month” or “I want a body that stops traffic” (I actually had clients tell me both – and they didn’t last).  Those resolutions are all set up to fail.

Why?  A lot of reasons actually.  For one, the first two examples are way too general.  The second two are unrealistic.  All 4 are doomed for failure.

On a side note…Did you know that January is THE biggest month of the year for the health clubs?  Why do you think they make you  sign a 12-month contract?  Because they know you probably just set a fitness based New Year’s Resolution and will have you locked in for an entire year of automatic withdrawals from your checking account.  The health clubs LOVE this time of year.  They love the gluttony of Christmas parties because they’re eagerly anticipating the influx of cash the New Year always brings.

So what makes up a good resolution?  Actually I think that resolutions are wastes of time.  You should set goals…not resolutions.  That’s what I’ve started doing at the beginning of the year and it works much better.

So what makes a good goal?  All your goals need to have a few things in common, whether they’re related to your fitness level or not.

1.       They should be realistic.  Wanting to lose 30 pounds in a month is not realistic, nor is it very healthy…unless you are really overweight or obese or go to the plastic surgeon and have him take  Shop-Vac to your gut.  If you want to lose 30 pounds, that’s fine.  Just make the time frame more realistic.  However, don’t confuse being realistic with easy.  Your goals should be lofty.  The problem with the example I gave is that the individual wanted to lose 30 pounds in a month – not that the person wanted to lose 30 pounds.

2.       Time-specific.  All your goals should have a time frame attached to them.  Better yet,  look into the future and pick a date that has some significance.  If you have a vacation coming up in March, make that your end date for losing the 30 pounds.  That way you can “keep your eye on the prize” so to speak.  It gives you a little more incentive to accomplish your goal(s).

3.       They should be broken down into smaller goals.  If you want to lose 30 pounds by March 18, how are you going to do it?  Are you going to give up soda?  Are you going to begin eating breakfast everyday?  Are you going to start exercising 6 days per week by following my Fat Loss To Go workouts?  Are you going to start eating fiber filled vegetables more?  Break that main goal down into smaller, mini-goals that can be achieved easily and don’t make your main goal look so daunting.

There you go.  That’s just a few ways you can set good goals…not resolutions.  I go over Goal Setting in detail in Fat Loss To Go, so if you found this to be helpful, check it out by clicking here:  www.fatlosstogo.com

Plus, as an added benefit, you can tell the health clubs (and the huge crowds) to take a hike because all of the workouts in Fat Loss To Go can be done in the comfort of your own home.  You don’t have to take extra time out of your day to drive to the club and worry about all the other people staring at you or the sweat hogs taking over all the benches and treadmills. 

No grunting (unless you like that sort of thing), no mirrors (which are useless.  All they do is make you feel inadequate or give the creepy guys a way to check out ladies’ butts without looking too obvious), and no waiting for the equipment you want to use.

Have a good week!

The most important word in your fitness vocabulary is…

…CONSISTENCY!

Consistency is by far the most important word in your fitness vocabulary.  Not diet.  Not cardio.  Not strength training, or resistance training, or weight training.  Not even your friendly personal trainer’s name should be top on the list (he should be a close second, though).  Consistency should always be at the top of your list of importance.  It doesn’t matter what your goals are, whether they be to lose fat, more flexibility or to just stay healthy.

It also doesn’t matter what program you adhere to.  I know I just worked my butt off creating a fat loss program  (which I think is fantastic, by the way, and you can check out at www.fatlosstogo.com ) but to be totally honest, it doesn’t really matter what program you do to as long as you stick to it. 

Do you want to go to Yoga or Pilates class in order to get fit or lose some fat? That’s great, but you have to do it and you have to do it consistently.

Or maybe you’re a someone who reads fitness magazines and wants to give one of their workouts a try.  That’s great, too.  Just do it and follow the program until it’s done.

If you hate exercise and want to start eating better in order to lose that extra flab, that’s fantastic.  Just stick to your healthy eating habits most of the time and you’re good to go.  However, the one thing that is not OK for anyone to do is follow a fad diet.  Those may work for the short-term, but don’t work in the long run because they don’t teach you how to eat properly once the diet is supposed to be done.  They don’t teach you healthy habits and most don’t give any attention to exercise and if they do, their plan is worthless.  (However, if your only plan is to eat better and not exercise, I think you’re severely limiting your results because exercise is critical.  It makes your results come much, much quicker and won’t turn you into a “skinny fat person”.)

You can’t decide you’re going to exercise and then only follow your new plan once or twice per week for a few weeks, and then quit because you’re not seeing results or because you’re too busy.  Nor can you decide you want to eat better, only to succumb to temptation at the first sight of a Snickers bar and then give up saying that it’s just too hard.

We live in a society that wants everything NOW.  We want everything in a pill or in a drive-thru or delivered.

Well, fitness and fat loss just don’t work that way.  You have to work and you have to be consistent with whatever you have decided to do.

If you want to exercise more to lose some fat, then you have to do it 3-4 days per week …consistently.  You can’t just walk into a gym, or your basement, and pick things up willy-nilly and start your own program, either.  You have to have a plan…you need some guidance. (I’ll get into this in a future newsletter)

If you want to eat healthier and lose your fat that way, that’s great but you have to do it right and you have to stick to your new habits.  It may be difficult, but that’s just the way it is.

Now, that’s not to say that things aren’t going to pop up that make it very difficult to follow your new goals.  Things always pop up and there are always reasons to stumble and miss a workout or two and eat poorly.  That’s no excuse, however.  That’s just life.

You just have to pick yourself up and move on and keep on with what you set out to achieve.

If you want to succeed, you must be consistent.

Commit to yourself that you are going to be consistent with your fitness goals in 2008 and make this year different than in year’s past.

If you need help setting up a good program, whether your goals are for fat loss, muscle gain, make your golf game better or just to stay healthy, let me know and I will help you.  Or, if you’re busy like most people and want an awesome fat loss program that can be done in your own home, then click on www.fatlosstogo.com and check out my new downloadable fat loss program.

That’s it for this week.