December 10, 2012

Your only hope for permanent fat loss


There are a number of ways to lose weight but if your focus is permanent fat loss your goal should be increasing your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is the number of calories you burn while doing absolutely nothing.  Your BMR accounts for 60% -75% of daily energy expenditure in most people.  Physical Activity such as kettlebell training only accounts for 10% - %15.
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) which occurs during the processing of the food you eat for use and storage  accounts for about 10% of daily energy expenditure.  Clearly you can see increasing your BMR is really your only hope.



Your BMR is determined mostly by the amount of lean muscle mass you have.  The more muscle you have the higher your BMR will be.  Strength training and a smart but simple nutrition plan is your ticket to increasing your muscle mass.  Restrictive and over complicated diet plans are not sustainable so they only work short term.  Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet will help you lose weight but as soon as you add carbohydrates back to your diet all the weight you lost will come back with a vengeance.  Complicated diets that have you eating carbs one day and protein and carbs one day and just protein one day and avoiding dairy, wheat or gluten will get old quick. Diets that have you thinking you'll die or that your muscles will wither away if you don't consume protein every two to four hours aren't really ideal for someone that has an active lifestyle and can't stop and eat every few hours.

Why not live how our ancestors did?  When we were hunters and gatherers obesity was almost non existent.  Hunters and gatherers didn't have breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack schedules and would often go days without food.  On days they did eat it would be common to eat just one meal after hunting and gathering all day. Hunters and gatherers were lean for two reasons.  Their bodies were in a fasted state most of the time and they were very active regularly engaging in activities that increased and challenged their strength.

Our BMR's would be through the roof if we lived like our ancestors.  All this obsession with breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks is making us fat.  The food and supplement industry spends billions of dollars each year brainwashing us into thinking we need to be stuffing our face with food and supplements 24/7. This brainwashing coupled with the endless supply of food at our disposal is the main contributor to the obesity epidermic.

Do some research for yourself and see if it's really necessary to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between.  Research how long it takes for your metabolism to slow down in the absence of food.  
Your metabolism won't slow down if you don't eat every four hours.  It won't slow down even if you go an entire forty-eight hours without food as long as you do some type of strength training activity. Contrary to what the supplement industry has led us to believe you don't have to consume a protein shake within thirty minutes of workout.  Don't believe anything you haven't thoroughly researched.  A mind is a terrible thing to waste. 

 Do some kettlebell training and then get some knowledge.  A good resource for undoing all the brainwashing is Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat.  You MUST read this book.  No one has researched nutrition and supplements more than Brad Pilon. Click here for more information or to order Eat Stop Eat.




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October 17, 2012

Meditation : The present of presence


Contrary to what you may have heard meditating isn't just for zen like Buddhist monks.  Meditation is the best thing you can do in your battle against the stress and anxiety you experience in your day to day life.  It dates back to the dawn of mankind and is the most underutilized healing and life enhancing mind body practices here in North America.  Meditation is quite popular and commonly practiced in Asia where it is purported to have originated but we haven't quite caught on here in North America.  Maybe it's because it's not sexy or flashy enough to catch the eye of your average person.  Maybe it's because you really can't make any money off meditation.  You can meditate anytime anywhere without any fancy expensive equipment and you don't need to join any clubs that incur monthly memberships to meditate.  All you need is yourself and a quiet space.

When you meditate you are freeing yourself and healing your body.  Mediation is simply focusing on the present.  If you could just for as little as fifteen minutes a day stop ruminating about the past and obsessing about future events that may not even ever occur you will liberate yourself.  People frequently talk about self love.  Mediation is the ultimate expression of love for yourself.  You love yourself enough to let go and let your mind be free and think of nothing but this present moment.  Studies have shown that constant negative and stress inducing thoughts contribute to a faster aging process.  Meditation won't stop you from aging but it will undoubtedly slow the process down.  Mediation is a great anti-aging tool.

The benefits of meditation are cumulative meaning you have to meditate on a regular basis to derive benefits.  Remember you can meditate as little as fifteen minutes a day.  Thirty minutes or more would be great but whatever you choose just make sure you set aside time everyday to free your mind and heal your body.
When you first start meditating you will find your mind wandering. This is normal and should not frustrate you.  Simply bring your mind back to the present when you find it wandering when meditating.  Meditation is like a sport in that the more you do it the better you will get at it.  The more you meditate the less your mind will wander while meditating.

Research suggests meditation may help conditions such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Binge eating
  • Heart disease
  • Anxiety disorders
  • High blood pressure
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Pain
  • Sleep problems
  • Substance  abuse
Additional research shows medical meditation  is beneficial in regards to:
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Diabetes
  • Immune disorders
  • Wound healing
  • Bone fusion
  • Surgical preparation
If you're just starting out with mediation you may want guidance.  "Meditation for Beginners" by Jack Kornfield is an excellent resource for meditation newbies.  Also feel free to click here to contact one of our certified meditation coaches to help you integrate meditation into your busy life.  We offer consulting over the phone or via skype for your convenience.

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September 19, 2012

What's your purpose?



I see a lot of people wandering aimlessly through life with no real purpose or direction.  This causes all kinds of problems for these people and anyone that has the misfortune of having to deal with them on a regular basis.

When you haven't found your purpose in life it affects every aspect of your life.  Your family, career and social life will all be negatively impacted if you have no purpose.

Some signs you haven't found your purpose and lack direction in life are:
  • Having a constant thirst for drama
  • You're trying just a little bit too hard to "fit in" and "be cool."
  • Loathing the happiness and success of others
  • Being overly concerned with what other people are doing a.k.a. nosiness
  • Looking for constant validation and approval from others
  • Incessant bragging about things that really aren't brag worthy
  • Frequently trying to undermine people you're jealous of or that have rejected you
  • Chronically gossiping and spreading rumors
  • Feeling like you need to control and manipulate everyone around you
All of these things are done to create a sense of power because when you have no direction you feel weak and insecure.  But if someone really had power they'd be living the life they want and being nosy, gossiping, and trying to undermine people wouldn't be of any interest to them.  They'd put in the necessary work and sacrifice to be happy and content, accomplishing goals they set, and feeling fulfilled.




What can someone do if they haven't found their purpose in life and are tired of being a busybody drama queen?  To find your purpose you have to look inward. Stop worrying about what other people are doing and what they may think of you. Ask yourself questions such as: What are your core values? What are you passionate about?  What do you enjoy?  What are you good at?  After answering these questions look for ways to help people with your unique innate gifts.  Your life has no purpose if you're not helping others. Once people start focusing on things they like and are good at and helping people their life will become rich and meaningful.  They'll literally be upset with themselves for wasting so much time with foolishness in their past.
If you or someone you know are having trouble finding purpose in life reach out to a good Life Coach to help guide you.

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August 3, 2012

Think like an Olympian



Man I love the Olympics!  I wish they were held every year instead of every four.  All of these highly competitive athletes that have trained hard day after day and year after year to attain that highly coveted gold medal excites me and makes me proud.   As a personal trainer this is the type of spirit I would like to see in my clients.  I want them to exhibit the same passion for health and fitness that an Olympian has to be the best at their respective sport.

Gold medals are great!  But they can't compare to the benefit of aging with the grace and poise that comes from living a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a healthy diet.  It disappoints me when I hear people say they don't have time to exercise.  I always think to myself you have time you just don't find exercising pleasurable so you'll conjure up any excuse not to do it.  You'll never hear Usain Bolt or Micheal Phelps claiming they don't have time to exercise.   They couldn't imagine life without their exercise regimes.  That's why they're Olympians.  They also don't view exercise as an unpleasant chore or burden.  They see it for what it is which is a challenge that reaps great rewards.

Next time you feel like skipping a workout think of  Serena and Venus Williams, Gabby Douglas, Kobe Bryant, Micheal Phelps, Usain Bolt and the slew of other athletes that are participating in this year's London Olympics. You may not be an Olympian but you should have the same desire to win at life in general.  Wouldn't you agree a long happy life free of diabetes, high blood pressure,  musculoskeletal dysfunctions, joint pain, metabolic disorders, Alzheimer's disease and dementia is worth the investment of exercising at least thirty minutes four to five days a week and avoiding junk food? Wouldn't you prefer to be independent and free in your golden years as opposed to a burden to your loved ones?   That would be the quintessence of winning!




June 19, 2012

What can I eat or drink to lose weight?



This is a question I'm frequently asked.  The answer always dissapoints. There is nothing you can eat or drink to lose weight or maintain weight loss.  No magic potions or pills to take.  There's no one or group of exercises that will lead to permanent weight loss either.  First of all your focus should be on fat loss.  Weight loss encompasses fat, muscle and water loss.  You never want to lose muscle because the more of it you have the more calories you burn while at rest.  Even a workout junkie spends much more time at rest than exercising.  Water loss is temporary.  As soon as you re-hydrate you will put back on any weight you lose through sweat.  Fat should be your target when trying to reduce your overall size.

A simple and permanent lifestyle change that incorporates caloric restriction and regular weightlifting coupled with a good yoga or general stretching program will do the trick.  What about cardio you say? I view vanilla cardio on its own more as a therapeutic modality and have found it really isn't effective for losing and keeping fat off the body.





Don't worry about losing muscle mass if you're not eating the prescribed three meals a day.  You have to go more than 48 hours without food before your muscle mass becomes compromised. With just one meal a day along with lifting weights that challenge you at least three days a week you shouldn't see any muscle mass loss.You could even try an eat one day fast one day type of eating plan as long as you get clearance from your doctor.

Eat as little as possible, lift the heaviest weights you can without injuring yourself and do yoga.  This is the secret recipe to slowing down the aging process.  There's nothing you can do to stop aging but you can age with grace and vibrance.




May 25, 2012

Jump Into Fitness

Give me a jump rope and twenty minutes and I can get your heart rate up quicker than the scariest roller coaster ride.  The jump rope is definitely a tool you want in your fitness toolbox.  It's dirt cheap, compact and portable, super effective at blasting fat and probably the best bang for your buck cardio tool.  It's a shame more people don't jump rope.











U.S. Olympian Wrestler Buddy Lee is the ambassador of and the authority on all things related to jumping rope.  This man makes jumping rope look like poetry in motion and has effectively inspired millions of people to jump rope.

The main thing to remember if you're just starting jumping rope is you want to barely lift off the ground and land gently for knee safety. You're just trying to get high enough to get over the rope so one to two inches is enough.  Also cross trainer type shoes are best because they have support in the front of the shoes where you will be launching and landing.  You should also purchase a speed rope as it moves better than other types of jump rope.  Get to jumping!




May 17, 2012

Yoga




Yoga is : 
  • Healing - Yoga has been used for centuries to maintain and restore health and vitality.  It has effectively cured depression, anxiety and a number of breathing ailments.  Yoga is often used as a holistic therapy to treat an assortment of  bone, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries.
  • Calming - No other exercise methodology can match or beat the calming effects of yoga for the mind and body.  
  • Sustainable and Ageless - Anyone from infants to senior citizens can do yoga. You can easily find individuals well into their sixties and beyond doing yoga.  How many sixty year olds do Crossfit?

Yoga can:
  • Decrease appetite
  • Facilitate mental acuity
  • Enhance actualization of self and others
  • Improve memory and concentration
  • Slow down the overall aging process
  • Decrease the amount of time you need to sleep to function at an optimal level
  • Enhance overall mood

It would be a huge understatement to say yoga is a good investment of your timeThere are a large number of yoga styles to choose from.  Some popular styles are Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Bikram/Hot and Inyengar.  It would benefit individuals from all walks of life to incorporate yoga into their daily life. Yoga is an ideal form of exercise.  All you need is a yoga mat and small space in any room in your home or office.  You can even do yoga at a local park if you prefer an outdoor setting.  You can choose from dozens of yoga poses that vary in the challenge and benefits they offer.  Do a Google search for a Yoga studio near you to get started.





May 10, 2012

Could you live without your favorite TV shows?







How much time do you invest in watching your favorite TV shows?  I'll be frank with you.  I'm a former TV addict that used to literally schedule my life around television shows.  I'm not afraid to admit it because I know there are millions of people just like me.  The entertainment, suspense and drama television provides is really alluring.  I broke my addiction by first getting a DVR which is just an digital box device that records TV shows.  I then limited my TV watching to the one or two days a week I didn't work and only permitted myself to watch about three hours total. 

What I found was that I am just more productive and more in tune with myself and others without the distraction of television.  Let's face it television is really just something to distract us from our lives.  What we really should be doing is creating the type of life we truly desire so we won't want distractions.     
                                                                                                                                       
Once you start to exclusively focus on things that can enhance your life you won't have much interest in television.  When I watch TV now I feel aggravated and can hardly stand to keep the television on for more than a one hour stretch.  Watching TV now seems like more of a purposeless chore than anything else.  Now I'm not telling you what to do with your time but I challenge you to turn off the television and start focusing in on the goals you want to accomplish in life.






May 8, 2012

Are You Really Hungry?




You often hear people claiming their hungry.  How can your average American be hungry with an overabundance and wide variety of food at their fingertips?  While there is a small percentage of people that actually are hungry the vast majority of people in this country that claim to be hungry are really dehydrated or lacking sufficient nutrients.  There are three things that will make you feel hungry.  One is true actual hunger.  Another is dehydration and last but not least is a lack of sufficient macro and micro nutrients.

    True actual hunger is usually not the culprit for most of us.  Ask a Somalian refugee about hunger. They can tell you what real hunger is.  They've experienced firsthand not eating for days or even weeks on end.  If you've eaten a reasonable size meal in the last six to eight hours you're probably not experiencing true hunger.  It's most likely you're craving some junk food you're used to eating.


    Water is a key transporter of nutrients throughout the body and dehydration is often mistaken as hunger.  Although water in of itself is not considered a nutrient it does contain small amounts of  minerals such as calcium, sodium and magnesium.  The amount will vary depending on if you consume tap water or various types of bottled water like spring water, purified water, mineral enhanced water and distilled water.  You also have the relatively new trendy and in my opinion overpriced vitamin enhanced waters.  Dehydration or hypohydration as it's referred to in clinical settings can negatively impact physical performance.  With  just a 1% drop from optimal hydration you will experience a noticeable reduction in your VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake).  Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water to avoid dehydration.




    Finally we have Macro and Micro nutrients.  Macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein and fat. Micronutrients are vitamins such as A,B, C,D, E and K and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and iron.  If your body is lacking in any of these macro or micro nutrients you will feel hungry regardless of how much food you consume. Ideally you should consume plenty of vegetables particularly the green leafy variety, fruits, lean fatty meats and a modest amount of nuts and whole grains.  Some individuals that follow the Paleo diet avoid grains and even believe that grains have contributed to the epidemic of auto immune diseases that are rampant in our society. Consult with a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist to find what nutrition plan is optimal for you and your unique dietary needs.



    May 1, 2012

    Fight Sugar Cravings



    Love sugar?  Do you feel like no matter how much you eat you can't get enough?  If you answered yes you probably have a sugar addiction.  It's a powerful addiction right up there with nicotine and alcohol.

    Who can resist all the delicious assortment of pastries and other sugary treats at our disposal?
    A sugary treat once or twice a week won't hurt you but if you're trying to reduce body fat sugar is not your friend.
    I couldn't resist sugary treats until I discovered  the magic of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.  Just a couple of tablespoons full of this magic potion three times a day and my cravings for sugar is gone. Not to be mistaken with regular white vinegar which is a lot cheaper for a reason.  It doesn't have any of the health benefits of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar which has been used effectively for hundreds of years as an alternative health and healing potion.

    I use Bragg's Organic Raw - Unfiltered ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar).  It's hands down the best organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar you'll find.  The company has been around since 1912 so it's a product that's weathered every storm and is still standing strong.  In addition to the annihilation of my sugar cravings some other benefits of ACV are:

    • *           Acetic Acid – It appears that this acid slows the digestion of starch which can help to lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals.
    • *           Ash – gives ACV its alkaline property which aids your body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state.
    • *           Calcium – helps create strong bones and teeth.
    • *           Malic Acid – gives ACV the properties of being anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
    • *           Pectin – helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.
    • *           Potassium – helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses.
    • *           Raw Apple Cider Vinegar may help improve bowel irregularity which will aid in removing toxins from the body at a faster rate.
    • *           Helps clear up skin conditions and blemishes giving a smoother texture and complexion
    • *           Raw Apple Cider vinegar may also help with joint pain and stiffness.
    • *           Apple Cider Vinegar helps to break down fat so that your body can use it rather than store it.


    Go pick up a bottle of this magic potion and share it with all your family and friends.  They will all be singing your praises once they've tried it and see how magnificent it is.





    April 26, 2012

    Why Kettlebells?


    Everyone wants to know what's so "special" about kettlebells? Aren't they just big round hunks of metal with  handles on them?  I suppose at their lowest common denominator that's what they could be.  But why choose to view something at it's most basic level?  Kettlebells offer a total package that's why they're "special" to me.

    I've tried every fitness tool and gimmick out there.  Kettlebells are the only thing I've stuck with. First of all kettlebells aren't a gimmick.  Even though they're relatively new to the United States they've been used in Eastern Europe, Russia specifically for over three hundred years.  The Russian word for kettlebell is girya.


    With just one kettlebell you can :
    Increase overall total body strength (muscles and tendons)
    Improve stamina
    Enhance mobility
    Improve overall athleticism
    Expedite fat loss
    Facilitate mental acuity
    So much more


    Kettlebells are especially good for people that claim to be or are short on time.  You'll get more out of a ten minute snatch or long cycle set than you will out of jogging for thirty minutes.  Who wouldn't like getting a full head to toe workout in ten minutes?