I finally reached my target weight after going to a diet that’s primarily vegan and gluten-free.

I recently saw a press release titled “Plant-based Diets Take Root in US Among Athletes, Exercisers” that caught my interest.  It noted the increasing number of professional athletes, among them former Ironman triathlete and ultra-marathon champion Brendan Brazier, who have switched to a more plant-based diet, some even going as far as a vegan diet.  The article mentioned some of the benefits of a plant-based diet including more energy, faster recovery, and better sleep.  Who wouldn’t want that, right?

Although a vegan diet isn’t for everyone, I thought I’d pass along some of my experiences.  Now, I’m not a professional athlete by any stretch of the imagination (see the About Me page for a complete profile) but I do try to stay pretty active.  I do a Cardio-Kickboxing class 3 nights a week and I try to stay in shape with the P-90X program.  I also do lots of walking and biking when I can.

Exercising has always been the primary way I tried to keep my weight in check and when I was younger, it worked pretty well.  One of the things I’ve found however, is that the older you get, the harder it is to lose body fat–no matter how active you are.  It seemed that the more I exercised, the more weight I gained (or the less I lost).

I’ve written several posts about the importance of exercise AND diet but the one factor that always seemed to be left out was age.  The older you get, the more the equation seems to shift towards diet.  Let me explain.

When you’re in your 20′s, it really doesn’t matter what you eat.  There are thousands of college kids that have proven that you really can survive on nothing but Ding-Dongs, pizza, and Red Bull.  And if you gain a couple of extra pounds, no problem.  You simply go out and shoot a couple of hoops for an hour or two and boom, those extra pounds seem to melt away.

As you age, everything from your metabolism to your recovery rate changes.  Pounds seem to jump on board for no apparent reason and once they’re there, they resist all efforts to get them off, no matter how much or how often you exercise.  At this point in your life, you need to place more emphasis on your diet.

After being told by my life insurance agent that I was getting into the “high risk” category, I knew I had to make some changes.  I was doing some form of exercise pretty much every single day and still couldn’t lose weight.  The change I made was to start eliminating meat, diary, and wheat from my diet.

At first, all I did was reduce the amount of meat and bread I was having.  Eventually, I was able to cut them out completely without my body seeming to notice.  In a very short time, I was eating nothing but grains (most rice and quinoa), beans, and vegetables and the pounds started to melt away.  Every other day or so, I’d get back on the scale and find I’d lost another half pound or so.  I had to go out and buy a new belt.  I was able to retire some of my “relaxed fit” jeans and start wearing the “slim cut” version.

After about 3 months (mid-Jan to around April), I found I had lost almost 20 pounds and had finally reached my target weight of 165.  That picture above documents that milestone.  The best part is that I’ve been able to maintain that weight without any problem at all.  If I stay true to my diet, I’ll drop 1 or 2 more pounds.  If I cheat a meal or two, I’ll increase a pound or so.  However, I’ve been able to keep my weight at 165 or below for the past 2 months.

Another advantage is that I’ve never been hungry.  I did watch my portion control but I never felt like I was having to do without.  If I wanted a second helping of salad, I got it.  Same goes for the rice and beans.  There were times I actually felt stuffed and still I kept dropping body fat, especially around my stomach.  The body can just process plant-based foods easier and more efficiently than animal-based foods, especially as you get older.

I don’t consider a strict vegan by any stretch of the imagination.  I simply try to maintain a vegan diet more often than not.  Same goes for gluten-free.  Sure, there are times I’ve just got to have a burger or a piece of chocolate cake but I try to make those the exception, not the rule.

So here’s my advice if you’ve exercised until you’ve dropped and still struggled to lose weight:  try slowly adding more and more plant-based foods to your diet and reducing, or completely eliminating, animal-based foods including meat, eggs, butter, and dairy.  I’d also strongly recommend reducing the amount of gluten and sugar in your diet.  That includes anything with refined wheat such as cakes, cookies, brownies, and yes, Ding-Dongs.

If you’ll make these changes over the next 2-3 months, you’ll find the pounds slipping off.  You won’t feel starved – you’ll just be eating healthier.

Give it shot.  It worked for me and it’s apparently working for more and more professional athletes.  All  you’ve got to lose are those unwanted pounds!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

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2. 4 Easy Steps to Losing a Quick 10 Pounds

After putting up with this for a week and a half, I finally felt well enough to get back into my exercise routine.  However, just because the spirit is willing doesn’t mean the body is ready to resume a full workout at the same level of intensity you were at before you got sick.  Here are a couple of tips to make sure your body doesn’t relapse as you work to make up for lost time.

1.  Drink Plenty of Water

You should already know the importance of staying hydrated but when you’re recovering from a sickness, it’s even more critical.  Therefore, make sure your water bottle is a constant companion as you move around the gym.

2.  Spend Extra Time Warming Up

If you haven’t exercised in a couple weeks, make sure you spend some extra time warming up.  Being sick takes a lot out of you and you can’t expect to just jump into your routine with both feet the way you used to.

3.  Take it Easy

When you start your routine, take it easy on yourself.  Start slow.  Give your body plenty of time to keep up.  Your priority here is not to try to to bench-press the same number of pounds you could before you got sick, but to simply get your body used to exercising on a regular schedule again.

4.  Take Frequent Breaks

I said it before but I’ll say it again:  give your body plenty of time to keep up.  Your mind is going to be telling you that you’ve got to make up for lost time as quickly as you can.  Don’t listen.

5.  Breathe Deeply

If you were like me and had some sort of respiratory sickness, you might still have some congestion in your lungs.  Make sure that you maintain proper posture throughout your routine and breathe deeply in order to get enough oxygen into your bloodstream.

6.  Take a Long Cooldown

Take twice as long to cool down as you usually do and make sure to towel off completely or to change into dry clothes before you go stand in front of a fan or AC vent.

7.  Relax and Recover

Go ahead and take a long, hot bath or spring for a light massage.  Give your body plenty of time to recover — and to prepare for your next session!

Being sick is no fun but trying to jump back into your exercise routine right where you left off is a sure way to relapse.  Go slow and give your body time to adjust and you’ll be right back at the same level of strength and intensity in a very short time.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

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So what are YOU going to do in 2013 to prevent yourself from becoming one of the 26 million people in the US with Type 2 diabetes?

Browse more infographics.

 

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She did not take the comment laying down (good for her) and used her TV time to publicly respond.  However, what really got to me was that she then charged the author of the email (turned out to be a man) with bullying and proceeded to figuratively beat the guy up practically shouting “bully, bully, bully” with each landed blow.

One thing you learn in the martial arts is that you can legally use only just enough force to stop the attack, even if your life is in danger.  If you go beyond that point, then you become the attacker (remember the Trayvon Martin – George Zimmerman case?).

This is exactly what news anchor Jennifer Livingston did.  She quickly took the offensive and became the attacker.  And she was vicious.  In 2 seconds flat I went from “good for you!” to “what the heck?” as I listened to her lengthy tirade against the guy who wrote the email.

What’s Wrong with America

As I watched this woman totally bully the person she claimed had bullied her, I realized that our definition of “bully” has expanded so far that you can pretty much use it against anyone who hurts your  feelings – real or imagined.  It’s crazy!

This kind of thinking is why some have suggested that students should not be given grades in school.  It might hurt their feelings and damage their self-worth.  They might feel bullied by “the system.”

This kind of thinking is why we have organized sports for kids where the kids are not allowed to keep score.  The kids keep kicking the soccer ball into the net but no point is scored.  There is no losing team.  We’re all winners and we all feed good about ourselves.  Yea!

This kind of thinking, and the fact that a bully like Jennifer Livingston can be elevated to hero status on the National Talk Show circuit,  is part of what I think is wrong with America.

Fault Number 1.  We’ve Become Too Protective

First, I think that we’ve become way too protective, of everything and everyone.  We’re overly protective of our kids, our processions, even our own self image and self worth.  I see young mothers wiping down the shopping carts with anti-bacterial gunk at the grocery store before placing Little Johnny in the basket — the same Little Johnny that just had his finger up his nose and is now licking them!

So what else has been in the news lately?  Only a scientific study that proves that overly protecting your kids from germs actually leads to a weaker immune system and is thought to be one of the causes of increased asthma and allergies in today’s kids.  We’re become too protective.

But it’s more than physically protecting our loved ones.  We’ve become overly protective of our emotions as well.  We want to be feel OK about ourselves, all the time, and woe unto anyone who shakes that feeling by giving us a bad grade in school, a bad performance review at work, or who fails to hold the door open at the supermarket.  Damn bullies!  They’re everywhere!

Here’s the hard truth – life is going to hurt you.  There are going to be disappointments.  There are going to be times when your best just isn’t good enough and you (and your kids) need to learn how to deal with it.

You’ll never be able to get rid of all the “bullies.”  You’ve got to learn how to see the beauty inside yourself, regardless of what the world sees.  It’s called being a mature adult.

One of the characters in Hemmingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” says “Do you know what it is to be ugly all your life and inside to feel that you are beautiful?”  You can’t develop that kind of internal strength if you live an overly protected life.

Fault Number 2.  We’ve Become Too Permissive

Second, there are just times when someone has to draw a line.  Some things are just wrong and we should be strong enough to say so.  But it’s not fashionable to say that nowadays.  In today’s society, if it feels good, do it.  Who are we to judge?

Interesting side note.  One of my partners was talking about Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons.  He said, “Who are we to dictate who becomes a  nuclear power in the world and who doesn’t?”  Wow.  Do I even need to answer that?

Who were we to stop Hitler from killing millions of Jews in the 1940′s?  Who were we to stop Japan from killing millions of Chinese in World War II?

The problem with permissiveness is that there’s no end to it.  Who are we?  I would hope that who we are is a society that knows right from wrong and is willing to fight for one in order to defend against the other.

I think we’ve become way too permissive in everything from our Foreign Policy to how we raise our kids.  I laugh every time I see a young parent telling an unruly child that “Daddy’s going to count to 3….”  But then, you can’t spank kids anymore.  It’s just not permitted.  We count to 3 instead.

We can’t seem to protect our own embassies in Middle Eastern countries anymore either.  We just give speeches instead.

We’ve become so fearful of hurting the feelings of others that we’ve permitted our entire culture to decay, which brings me to my final point.

Fault Number 3.  We’ve Tried to Be Too Inclusive

I am proud to say that I am an American.  I grew up speaking English (I speak Spanish with an accent, not the other way around) and playing baseball and eating hot-dogs   I fought for this country serving in the US Army during Viet-nam.

Yes, my grandfather came to the US from Mexico in 1901 so my heritage is Mexican but I consider that secondary.  I am an American with Mexican heritage.  I am not a Mexican who happens to live in America.

The point is an important one.  I see lots of immigrants in this country who are not really Americans.  Oh, they may have the green cards and the social security numbers and the voter ID’s but culturally, they still “belong” to the country they came from.

If an immigrant comes to this country and is not required to learn and adopt American values (everything from George Washington to the Boston Red Sox), then you can argue that they’re not really Americans.  They’re Mexicans (or Indians, Egyptians, or whatever) that just happen to live in America.

There’s a scene in the AMC series “Into the West” where one of the characters says “You don’t feed culture to the immigrants.  You feed immigrants to the culture.”  How right that is – and it’s one of the reasons our society now has huge groups of people that identify more with their own cultural values than with American ones.  The only problem with being too inclusive is that you dilute your own values in the process.

But again, this isn’t in fashion.  We teach kids to embrace their heritage and ethnic values almost to the point of rejecting American values.  We encourage kids to learn in their own native language and then wonder why they just don’t seem to get ahead in an English-speaking country.  I guess it’s all the bullies.

Hiram

PS.  This was a personal rant and not a researched article so you can take it or leave it.  Still, I invite your comments below.

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Inflammation can be a source of joint pain.

OK so this is not an entirely original post but I wanted to alert everyone to a new study that shows that taking Omega-3 supplements can have a significant impact on reducing inflammation in middle-aged and older adults who are also overweight.  The study suggests that regular use of the supplements can actually help protect against various illnesses associated with aging including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and arthritis.

There’s a good summary of the research posted on www.medicalnewstoday.com and the original description from the Ohio State University is here.

Bottom line?  Start taking Omega-3 supplements if you’re not already doing so, especially if you’re “middle-aged” or older, somewhat overweight, and not as active as you should be.  You’ll find that your joints don’t seem to ache as much.  The study lists other benefits but for me, the immediate benefit was regaining some of my flexibility and mobility.

There are all sorts of supplement brands and combinations of oils so you’ll have to do a little research to find one that fits your lifestyle and budget.  I use the “Omega 3-6-9 ” softgels from The Vitamin Shoppe which is a combination of fish and seed oils.  I also combine that with FlexNow, a Shea butter supplement.  The end result is that my joints don’t ache after a workout and my plantar faciitis is a thing of the past.

I highly recommend you give Omega-3′s a try.  All you’ve got to lose is the inflammation in your joints!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: omega-3, oil, fish oil, supplements, vitamins, joint pain, inflammation, overweight

Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Formula, 180-Count

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Nature Made Fish Oil Omega-3 1200mg, 300 Softgels

• May reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
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Nature Made Fish Oil 1,200 mg Softgels have been prepared with the most stringent methods and processed using state-of-the art molecular distillation. Each batch tested for high-levels of purity and freshness. Be heart healthy with this essential fatty acid that delivers DHA and EPA, components of Omega-3, into the body, vital for a healthy lifestyle.

• Includes EPA and DHA
• Purified to eliminate mercury
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• Mitigates heart related problems

Nature Made Fish Oil 1,200 mg Softgels are sourced from deep ocean fishes and not from farm raised fishes.

Nature Made Fish Oil At a Glance: Fish oil supplies omega-3s essential for supporting heart health Sourced from deep ocean waters, not fish farms, for higher quality oil Inspected to ensure against United States Pharmacopoeia verified No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, yeast, starch, gluten, toxins, or contaminants

Fish oil protects your heart by keeping cell membranes flexible and healthy. View larger.

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Fish Oil Helps Support Heart Health
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Nature Made Fish Oil supplies more than the recommended daily amount of EPA and DHA, two key omega-3s for heart health. Two softgels provide 360 mg of EPA, 240 mg of DHA, and 120 mg of other omega-3s.

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Nature Made follows the manufacturing and testing standards established by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), the standards-setting body recognized by the FDA. Nature Made's fish oil products were the first to receive the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Seal (DSVP) for purity, quality, and potency.

Nature Made Fish Oil 1200 mg is made from carefully selected ingredients under strict manufacturing processes. This product contains no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, yeast, starch, or gluten (it does contain soy).

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What's in the Box
Nature Made Fish Oil (300 softgels, 1200 mg/each).

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Americans consume the equivalent of 31 five-pound bags of sugar per year!

Like many people, I went to go see Men in Black 3 this weekend.  It was better than the second one but not nearly as good as the first.  I guess that’s the fate of most sequels.

There was one scene in the movie that really caught my attention and almost made me snort my drink and spill my popcorn.  In it, Tommy Lee Jones (Agent K), is on the phone with Agent J (Will Smith).  He asks, “Do you know what the most destructive force in the universe is?”  Will Smith looks perplexed and then says, “Uh, sugar?”  I lost it.

But sugar, and American’s love of it, is no laughing matter.  According to USDA statistics quoted in a  MedicineNet article, the typical American consumes an average of 156 pounds of sugar per year.  156 POUNDS!  That’s the equivalent of 31 five pound bags that EACH ONE OF US consumes on average, every single year.  Isn’t that crazy?

Of course, the picture on the right is a little misleading since the vast majority of the sugar we consume does not come out of a 5-pound bag.  It’s in the foods and soft drinks we consume, much of it in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Not only is excess sugar bad for you in terms of “empty” calories, it doesn’t take much work to find that sugar is quickly being linked to all sorts of health problems including diabetes, obesity, an increased risk for cancer, a weakened immune system, and the development of food allergies.  And that list doesn’t even include the warning from your mom that “you’ll rot your teeth out” if you eat too much sugar.

Sugar is one of those processed foods that tends to be added to just about everything we eat, from ketchup to canned vegetables to breads and cereals.  Check your pantry and see if I’m lying…

So what is the most destructive force in the universe?  I think Will Smith might have been more right than he realized!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: soda, sugar, soft drinks, calories, men in black, MIB3, will smith, tommy lee jones, obesity, weight loss, balanced health

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Picture courtesy of BeachBody

Got Tony Horton’s P90X fitness DVD’s and having a hard time making it through the workouts?  When Tony’s cheerfully counting out the reps and everybody on the screen is smiling and following right along with no problem, are you flat on your back gasping for air?  Well, you’re not the only one that’s wondered how in the world anyone can possibly make it through 60 minutes of P90X without suffering a stroke.

Although this is my 4th time through the program, I still struggle.  I hate it when Tony’s doing bicep curls with 45 pound weights and pumping them out counting 1-2-3-4 like a military Drill Sergeant.  Meanwhile,  I’ve got half the weight and slowly counting ooonnnnneeee, gasp, gasp, ttttwwwwwoooo, gasp, gasp, and so on.

There’s no doubt that this is a tough workout – but then you knew this going in.  So let me share some of the workout “secrets” that allow me to make it through an entire P90X workout without passing out.

Secret # 1.  Take Mini-Breaks.  When you first start out, it’s critical that you pace yourself and take as many 30 sec to 1 minute breaks as you need in between the exercises.  Many of the workouts, especially those with weights, consist of 4-5 exercises that you repeat making a total of 8-10 sets before Tony calls a break for anywhere from 30 seconds to a full minute.  That’s not enough when you’re first starting out because you haven’t built up your cardio yet.  If you’re “bringing the intensity” like Tony wants you to, you need to hit the “Pause” button and take what he calls “mini-breaks” after each set.  As you build your cardio, you’ll be able to reduce the number and length of your  mini-breaks.

When I started, it usually  took  me an extra 15-20 minutes to finish a routine because of all the extra breaks I had to take.  But here’s the real secret – don’t let your breaks last more than 1 minute because you’ll start to cool down.  Your break should last just long enough for you to catch your breath before you hit “Play” and jump right back in – which brings me to the next point.

Secret # 2.  Breathe.  The P90X workouts are as much cardio workouts as strength workouts so make sure you don’t hold your breath through any of the exercises.  Take deep, full breaths in order to completely fill your lungs with the oxygen your muscles need to keep going as well as to fully expel the waste gases (mainly CO2) from your body.

The key to taking a deep breath is to maintain a straight posture.  When you’re tired, it’s natural to want to slump over.  However when you do this, your lungs are compressed resulting in shallow breaths.  Your lungs can’t get rid of all the CO2 and bring in enough fresh air to feed your muscles if you’re taking shallow breaths.   So stop, straighten your spine, and take as many full, deep breaths as you can during your workout.

Secret # 3.  Stay hydrated.  The P90X workouts are designed to be non-stop, cardio-pounding, strength building workouts.  If you’re bringing the intensity, you should be dripping with sweat within the first 10 minutes.  As a result, it’s important that you keep your body hydrated.  Here’s the key – take small but frequent sips of water throughout your workout.  Don’t wait until Tony calls a break and then try gulping your water all at once.  If you do, you’ll soon be throwing it back up.  Keep your water bottle close by as you exercise and take small sips frequently during the entire workout.

My Workout Calendar

Secret # 4.  Keep track.  This is perhaps one of the best “workout secrets” ever – and it’s built in to the P90X program.  In every workout, Tony is constantly telling you to “write it down.”  How much weight did you use?  Was it too much or not enough?  How many reps did you do?  As Tony says, “How can you know what to do if you don’t know what you did?”  Use the P90X worksheets for every session that has them.

Secondly, keep of your progress overall.  One of the things that motivates me is tracking my workout sessions on a “scoreboard” that I can see from across the room.   I went down to the local office supply store and bought a desk calendar.  You can get the store brand (in my case, from Office Depot) for about $4.  I then hung it on the wall right next to my “workout corner.”

As you can see from the picture on the right, I just completed Week 6 of the program (I did Kenpo X on Saturday).  Every time I complete a workout, I take a marker and place a big red check on that day.  It really motivates me to keep going and fill up the entire month with red checks.

If you do this, there’s no lying to yourself.  Note that I missed the first 3 days in February (no check marks) but then tried to do 3 workouts on Saturday.  That didn’t work out well and is not recommended.  Also, I missed a workout on Friday the 10th but made it up by doing 2 workouts on Saturday.  Not ideal but I was fighting to get on track and work out out every single day.  My scoreboard tells me that I finally accomplished my goal of working out every single day on Week 5.

Secret # 5.  Stay with it.  To get the results you want, you’ve got to be consistent.  You’ve got to work out every single day.  As Tony says, “keep showing up.”  Keep popping in the DVD to your video player and pressing “Play.”

Went on vacation and missed a week?  No problem.  Pop in a DVD and start back in.  Sick with the flu and got set back a couple of days?  No problem.  Jump back in when you’re feeling better.  Totally slacked off and haven’t worked out in a couple of months?  Do what I did and buy yourself a desk calendar – write down the routines on each day – number the weeks – and then start over at the beginning.

No matter where you are, keep going.  No matter where you left off or what the reason was, jump back in.  Keep pressing “Play.”  Keep pressing “Play.”  Keep pressing “Play.”

The real “secret” to success in ANYTHING is to keep working at it.  If you really want to lose the fat and build the muscle, then stay with it.  The P90X program works – but only if you work it.  These workout “secrets” will help get you there.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: p90x, fitness, workout, strength, health, tony horton, beachbody, weight lifting, muscle, secret

You can get the P90X Fitness Program from a number of places including Amazon.com.  Shop around for the best price or for a place that offers free shipping.

P90X DVD Workout

• Get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated
• Muscle Confusion technique accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus
• Collection of 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts
• Also includes comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options
• Personal trainer Tony Horton will keep you engaged every step of the way

In addition to the 12 DVD workouts, the P90X comes with a comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options, a detailed fitness guide packed with valuable information on how to get the most from your program, a How to Bring It DVD that provides a quick overview of the system, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support, and much more.

The DVD Workouts
Each of the 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts focuses on either a specific set of muscle groups or a unique training technique.

• Workout One: Chest & Back. This superset chest-and-back-blasting workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises--push-ups and pull-ups--to build strength and develop shape. The combination of these two push and pull movements will help you burn loads of calories while simultaneously attacking, strengthening, and developing multiple muscle groups.

• Workout Two: Plyometrics. Get ready to go airborne. Offering more 30 explosive jumping moves, this intense cardio routine will keep you in the air most of the time. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, has been proven to dramatically improve athletic performance. If your sport involves a ring, rink, field, court, or track, this training will give you the edge. Just be prepared to "bring it" for a full hour when you leap into this workout, because there is no letting up.

• Workout Three: Shoulders & Arms. Nothing rounds out the perfect physique like a pair of well-defined arms and shoulders, and with its potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements, this routine will leave you feeling stronger and looking sexier. Whether you want to build muscle mass or just slim and tighten what you've already got, these targeted shoulder and arm exercises will give you the results you want.

• Workout Four: Yoga X. Yoga is a vital part of any fitness regimen, and is an absolute must for an extreme program like P90X. This routine combines strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind. Yoga X will leave you feeling energized, invigorated, and maybe even a little enlightened.

• Workout Five: Legs & Back. Get ready to squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout like no other. While the main focus of this workout lies in strengthening and developing the leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves), there are also a handful of great pull-up exercises to give your legs a quick breather while you work the upper body.

• Workout Six: Kenpo X. Kenpo X was created to give P90X users a high-intensity cardiovascular workout packed with lots of punching and kicking combinations to improve balance, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. During this workout you'll learn some of the most effective ways to defend yourself, while at the same time getting your body in peak condition.

• Workout Seven: X Stretch. Stretching is the one thing that will help you achieve a higher level of athleticism over a longer period of time. The X Stretch routine is an integral part of the program, as it helps prevent injuries and avoid plateaus. The extensive full-body stretches that make up this routine use disciplines from Kenpo karate, hatha yoga, and various sports to ensure that your body is fully prepared to meet all P90X challenges head-on.

• Workout Eight: Core Synergistics. Each and every exercise in the Core Synergistics workout recruits multiple muscle groups to build and support the core (lumbar spine and trunk muscles), while at the same time conditioning your body from head to toe. Loaded with a variety of fun, unique, and challenging exercises, this routine will get you moving in all directions to maximize your P90X results.

• Workout Nine: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps. Packed with an array of moves that target both large and small muscles, this workout will do wonders for your upper body. In just one full sequence you'll get a healthy dose of presses, flys, and extensions to push you to the brink. The results will be a stronger, leaner, and highly defined upper torso that will leave you looking awesome, with or without a shirt.

• Workout 10: Back & Biceps. With a host of curls and pull-ups, this routine will make it fun to flex those powerful biceps. But don't worry, ladies--by using lighter weight, you can focus on toning and tightening these showcase arm muscles without adding the size that most guys covet. Additionally, this workout also provides some great back definition that everyone can appreciate. Regardless of your goals, you will achieve them in dramatic fashion if you dig in and max out your reps.

• Workout 11: Cardio X. This low-impact cardio routine can be used in a variety of ways to meet your P90X goals. Use it in addition to your standard P90X workload when you want to burn some extra calories, or as a substitute if your body needs a break from the program's high-impact workouts. Whatever your reason for using Cardio X, you'll find it a fun, full-throttle, fat-burning workout that will leave you feeling lean and mean.

• Workout 12: Ab Ripper X. The combination and sequence of movements in this unique workout taps into not only abdominal strength, but true core strength as well. Master these 11 highly effective exercises and you will achieve vital abdominal muscle strength to benefit your overall health and physical performance. You'll also develop that highly coveted six-pack as you take Ab Ripper X to full throttle. It's extreme work that's better than any machine in any club.

P90X Fitness Guide
This is your road map and your plan of attack for using P90X. Learn guidelines for getting started and essential tips for how to make the most of the program. The fitness guide provides you tips to reduce your chance of injury; a fit test; recommended supplements and equipment; detailed instructions for stretching, warming up, and performing exercises; and guidelines to help you select which P90X phase to complete, whether Classic, Doubles, or Lean.

The Nutrition Plan
Following the P90X nutrition plan is just as vital to your overall success as any of the extreme workouts in this program. Specifically designed to work in tandem with the P90X workout routines, this three-phase eating plan recommends the perfect combination of foods to satisfy your body's energy needs every step of the way. P90X is not about quick fixes or miracle diets. It's about selecting the healthy foods that you want to eat, and determining the portion amounts that will provide your body with the right amount of fuel to excel during exercise. The P90X nutrition plan offers three phases. Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, a high-protein-based diet designed to help you strengthen your muscles while simultaneously and rapidly shedding fat from your body. Phase 2 is the Energy Booster, a balanced mix of carbohydrates and proteins with a lower amount of fat to achieve additional energy for performance. And Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer, an athletic diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and lower fat, with the emphasis on more carbohydrates. You'll need this combination of foods as fuel to get the most out of your final few weeks and truly be in the best shape of your life.

Tools to Keep You Motivated

• P90X Calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated.
• Free Online Support Tools for access to fitness experts, peer support, and motivation.

What's in the Box?
12 DVD workouts, nutrition plan, fitness guide How to Bring It DVD, a calendar to track your progress

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The bottom line of the Nature article – and the part that has generated so much controversy – is the assertion by the authors that refined sugar is just as “toxic” to public health as alcohol and tobacco and should similarly be regulated by the government.

Now think about that for a minute.  Does that make sense?  So what’s next, “Food Nazis” patrolling the streets in brown shirts looking for people feeding a cookie to their kids and hauling them off to the office of the local ATS (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Sugar <grin>) ?

Can you really “regulate” good health?  Can you legally force people to avoid the things they like to eat but should be avoiding?

Yes, I’m aware of the statistics.  According to the CDC, more than a third of the US population over the age of 20 is obese.  More than a third!  And yes, I know that there’s a strong link between obesity and sugar.  And true, obesity-related illnesses cost us $116 Billion per year and will consume 21% of ALL healthcare costs by 2018 (source:  USA Today).

But still, can good health be regulated?  Regulation really hasn’t worked for either alcohol (estimated $45.5 Billion in healthcare costs) or tobacco (estimated healthcare cost:  $97 Billion) so what makes people think it will work for sugar?

Where does self reliance enter into the picture?  Don’t we have a right to choose what we eat and don’t eat?  Well, here’s where the picture gets fuzzy once again.

The CBS article quoted a prepared statement from the Sugar Association (OK, why there’s an association for sugar in the first place is anyone’s guess but in today’s world, everybody’s got their own lobby group).  In it, a spokesperson said:

“We are confident that the American people are perfectly capable of choosing what foods to eat without stark regulations and unreasonable bans imposed upon them.”

Actually, that would be true IF they didn’t already put sugar into just about everything we eat – from breakfast cereal to spaghetti sauce.  If it’s a “processed” food, it’s got sugar.  You’ll even find sugar in some canned vegetables (I looked in my pantry and found sugar listed on cans of creamed corn, peas & carrots, and in ranch-style pinto beans).

So if sugar is being added to all the foods we eat, then where’s the choice?

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: sugar, obesity, weight loss, diet, healthcare, regulation, toxic, health, alcohol, tobacco

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In one often quoted article, MTV asked celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins how she helps stars like Beyonce get back into shape after their pregnancies.  Her advice makes a lot of sense and is consistent with the “balanced” health philosophy I teach.  Jeanette says:

I couldn’t agree more.  It’s counter-intuitive that if you want to lose weight, forget about chasing down the latest diet and exercise routines and focus instead on creating and installing a healthy mindset.  In other words, FIRST you’ve got to “get your head straight.”

If you don’t do this, it doesn’t matter which diet or exercise routine you start on, you’ll constantly backslide and the weight will pile right back on.  Why?  Because in spite of all the physical activity, your mindset, your attitude towards food, your beliefs about exercise haven’t changed – and if that’s the case,  you’ll always convince yourself that it’s OK to only do half a set, or eat a second piece of fried chicken, or to select the mashed potatoes instead of the broccoli.

On the other hand, if you work on developing a healthy mindset, you’ll automatically make healthy decisions.  You’ll automatically reach for the green veggies instead of the bag of chips.  You’ll automatically grab the dog and head out the door for a brisk walk instead of plopping down in front of the TV when you get home from work.

Change your mindset and the effects are dramatic.  All of a sudden, eating healthy and exercising are not just things you force yourself to do, they become part of who you are.  All of a sudden, living a healthy life becomes automatic and because you’re consistently making healthy choices, the pounds drop off by themselves.

Want to lose weight like Beyonce and have a “botylicious” body?  Then get your head straight.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: beyonce, weight loss, health, balance, diet, nutrition, baby, pregnancy, exercise, choices

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Still, the growing popularity of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, Monster and others requires that consumers understand their effects and potential risks – especially since they’re being marketed to young adults and children.

Red Bull and Other Energy Drinks

So what are “energy drinks” anyway? Energy drinks are what the beverage industry call a “functional drink.” These are drinks that are designed to beneficially affect one or more target functions in the body (like increasing energy, for example) beyond what is achieved by a normal diet.

Although there are no regulations actually defining functional drinks, they typically contain the following types of beverages:

•  Sports Drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, or All Sport. Sports drinks are “hydration boosters” designed to prevent dehydration as well as supply the body with electrolytes and carbohydrates that are lost during hard work or exercise. They do not usually contain caffeine since caffeine’s diuretic properties run counter to the sport drinks’ goal of improving hydration.
• Nutraceutical Drinks. These include any beverages that are designed to promote and enhance health through the addition of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or extracts from teas, herbs, fruits, or vegetables. Examples include evoLv, vitaminwater, and Acai Immune Booster. Nutraceuticals do not normally contain caffeine as an added ingredient although many herb and tea extracts contain various amounts of caffeine naturally.
• Energy Drinks. These are beverages designed to increase “energy” and contain various levels of caffeine in combination with other “energy-enhancing” ingredients such as herbal extracts, taurine, and B vitamins, among others. I’ve placed the word “energy” in quotes to denote the fact that in the context that we’re using it, “energy” is not a single physical attribute but a number of characteristics including alertness, clarity, physical endurance, drive, and so on.

There are other types of functional beverages but these three make up the lion’s share of the category with energy drinks dominating the other two. Globally, energy drinks compose more than 47% of the overall market share for functional beverages. In the US, the percentage is even higher at close to 63%.

As you can imagine, these types of quantities translate into big bucks for manufacturers. According to a 2008 Datamonitor report, the US energy drink market – this is for energy drinks only – is projected to more than double over 2008 figures and reach $19 billion by 2013. $19 BILLION!!

This market has attracted more and more manufacturers increasing consumer choice and fueling market growth even further. Here in the US for example, there are currently more than 300 varieties of energy drinks representing more than 200 brands being sold everywhere from brightly lit supermarket shelves to dark, seedy mini-marts where the cashier sits behind bulletproof glass. With market figures this large, everyone wants to jump in and get a piece of the action.

As large as the energy drink market is, almost 80% of it is dominated by 5 major brands: Red Bull at 43%, Monster at 14%, Rockstar at 11%, Coca-Cola’s Full Throttle at 7%, and PepsiCo’s Amp at 4%. As the clear market leader, the Red Bull name tends to be used to describe energy drinks in general, no matter who the manufacturer.

“Red Bull Marketing”

Athletes looking to enhance their physical performance used to be the primary source of energy drink consumers. However, the performance gains tended to be overshadowed by the increased dehydration caused by the caffeine. Also, several sports associations, at one time including the NCAA and the International Olympic Committee, classified caffeine as a banned substance. Although many of these banns were eventually lifted, by then most athletes especially body builders, had moved on to functional beverages that included creatine or other muscle-building ingredients instead of caffeine.

Today, the majority of energy drinks are marketed in a totally different way. Instead of targeting athletes, a relatively small market anyway, marketers focused on a much larger part of the population: young adults aged 19 to 30. Rather than emphasizing athletic performance, manufacturers began to advance energy drinks as the answer to being able to manage today’s young adult modern lifestyle composed of college, careers, late night video games, weekend parties, and budding relationships.

“Life is fast. How do you keep pace with it all? Easy! Pop open a can of Red Bull…” Its been reported that as much as one half of all college students drink at least one energy drink per month seeking to increase their energy level and compensate for lack of sleep or to give alcohol an extra boost. The use of energy drinks have become commonplace on most American colleges.

Energy drink manufactures know exactly what motivates their target group and they spend millions of dollars sponsoring sports teams, creating branded clothing and other merchandise, and hosting “extreme sport” activities such as BMX motocross, snow and skate boarding, and windsurfing to name a few. Red Bull in particular is active in everything from Formula 1 racing to stunt flying. What better way to appeal to the young, especially young males, than with sleek and sexy cars, planes, helicopters, and extreme sport competitions?

Manufacturers also host or sponsor music festivals, celebrity concerts, and break-dancing competitions – all done to make sure their products are associated with what the young consider cool and trendy. And it works.

It works so well in fact that most young adults nowadays simply consider energy drinks a normal part of who they are. As a result, any attempt to question the safety or potential misuse of energy drinks is seen by many young adults as a direct attack on their lifestyle, a result that I’m sure has manufacturers smiling in their board rooms. It’s also why my previous post on Red Bull gets strong emotional comments like the ones I’ve listed throughout this post.

The “Magic Mix” – Energy Drink Ingredients

What makes energy drinks so “potent” – and I’ve put this in quotes because it’s another one of those words that has both negative as well as positive connotations – is the combination of ingredients they contain. Although there are a number of different energy drinks on the market, they all tend to include the same basic ingredients designed to give you an initial energy boost as well as to maintain that energy for as long as possible.

Front and center in all energy drinks and responsible for most of the energy boost is caffeine, taurine, and sugar. Manufacturers can also add other ingredients such as B-vitamins, ginseng, guarana, yerba mate, and green tea extracts in order to enhance the overall flavor, the amount of energy and its duration, or to satisfy any health claims. Although the actual concentration of each ingredient is usually proprietary, the list of ingredients in your favorite energy drink is usually pretty easy to find.

But Do They Actually Work?

Do they work? Does Red Bull really “give you wings?” Do energy drinks really increase your energy? In a word, yes. Study after study, some of the sponsored by Red Bull, consistently find that energy drinks increase concentration, reaction time, alertness, as well as physical performance and endurance. They do help you stay alert and perform at peak levels for longer times. Energy drinks do in fact work – one of the reasons that professional and amateur athletes were originally attracted their use.

So if energy drinks do in fact work, why aren’t we all chugging them one after another? Why doesn’t every employer in the world supply energy drinks to all of their workers in order to increase production? Well, it turns out there are some risks, which is why many of the sports associations, and some countries, originally banned their use. Although most of these bans have been reversed or overturned, that doesn’t mean the risks went away. They’re still there and if you routinely drink energy drinks, you need to know what they are.

The Down Side – Potential Risks

One characteristic of Americans is our belief that if a little bit of something is good, then a whole lot must be better. It’s not always true, especially when it comes to energy drinks. Since the main active ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine, drinking too much can easily result in the “jitters” as well as nervousness, headaches, insomnia and nausea. However, this varies greatly from one individual to another since some people have a greater caffeine tolerance than others.

A more serious risk is the potential association between the consumption of energy drinks and cardiovascular events such as increased blood pressure, increase heart rates, and in some cases, cardiac arrest and death. Although the supporting data and research is very limited, there have been enough documented cases to raise some serious questions.

The response from the energy drink manufacturers is that their products usually contain less caffeine than a typical cup of coffee. This is a true statement but there’s more to it than that. You’ve got to consider the context as well as the fact that coffee does not contain ingredients designed to sustain the energy boost. Most people don’t drink one or two cups of coffee while they’re playing a sport like basketball but many young adults will chug one or two cans of an energy drink without even thinking about it. This creates two problems. The first is a potential caffeine overdose (of the 5,448 US caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19) and the second is the dehydrating effect caffeine creates.

You also need to keep in mind that in the US, energy drink manufacturers do not have to list the total amount of caffeine in their product. They only have to list that it contains caffeine and in most cases, this only means added caffeine. They don’t have to identify other sources of caffeine and list them as caffeine. For example, many energy drinks like Amp, Monster, and Rockstar contain guaranine, an ingredient that comes from an Amazon plant long used by the natives to increase awareness and energy. Guaranine’s active ingredient? Caffeine.

Apart from the physical health risks are some that are behavioral. Several studies have associated energy drink consumption with increased risk-taking behaviors. Although I don’t doubt the research, you have to consider the fact that we’re talking about a population (19 to 30 year olds) that’s already prone towards risk-taking behaviors. However, it might be that a little bit of extra energy is enough to increase those behaviors.

A final behavioral risk is the common practice of mixing alcohol with energy drinks, especially among college students. One study found that almost 25% of all college drinkers mix energy drinks with alcohol. This is a very dangerous habit since several studies have shown that the boost in energy from the energy drink tends to mask the effects of intoxication leading the drinker to believe that they’re totally OK to drive home.

 Whether you think these potential risks are valid or not, please pay particular attention to the following points:

1. It’s difficult to determine the actual amount of caffeine in a drink. Although manufacturers are required to list ingredients on the label, they are not required to list actual quantities or concentrations. Yes, you can get an idea of relative amounts by the order the ingredients are listed in but this not the same as knowing exactly how much of each ingredient is present. This makes it difficult to determine exactly how much caffeine is actually in the drink. Also, pay attention to the serving size. Many drinks list the amount of caffeine on a “per serving” basis while the can or bottle contains more than one serving.

2. Despite the research, no one knows for sure. Although caffeine is one of the most studied and researched chemicals in the list of energy drink ingredients, the others are not. Very little is known about some of the individual ingredients and even less is known about what, if anything, changes when they’re combined in various proportions.

3. No upper limit on caffeine. In the US, there is no upper limit on how much caffeine can be in an energy drink so you can be getting more caffeine than you think, especially when you take into account the caffeine that’s naturally part of some of the other ingredients (such as guaranine or guaranine seed extract). Interestingly, the FDA does place an upper limit on the amount of caffeine that goes into cola’s. Go figure.

4. Confusion with Sports Drinks. Energy drinks are often sold next to, or in relation with, sports drinks making many consumers think that they are both similar products. They are definitely not the same. As already pointed out, energy drinks should not be taken when exercising or performing physical labor due to their dehydration effects.

5. Effects on the heart. Energy drinks do increase your heart rate and your blood pressure. Yes, so does coffee but coffee doesn’t contain the same ingredients designed to boost and sustain the energy so it’s not a valid comparison. The increase in heart rate and blood pressure is probably not a big deal for healthy individuals (check with your doctor if you have doubts) but it should be obvious that energy drinks should not be consumed by people with hypertension or by women who are pregnant.

 My Best Energy Drink Recommendations

After reading more research papers than I really cared to, I found that there were some recommendations that they all seemed to agree on. These include:

•  Energy drinks should not be consumed before or during exercise or manual labor.
• Energy drinks are not a substitute for water or sports drinks for hydration.
• Monitor your kids. Children or adolescents should not consume energy drinks.
• Do not mix energy drinks with alcohol. Period.
• Do not drink energy drinks if you have hypertension, have an underlying medical condition, or are taking any kind of prescription medication.
• Do not drink energy drinks if you’re pregnant.
• Do not exceed the recommended daily allowance (usually one can per day).
• Know the signs of too much caffeine (jitters, restlessness, fidgeting, anxiety, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat)

References and Recommended Reading

What’s Your Take?

If you fall into the “Red Bull” demographic, I’m sure you’ve got a strong opinion on this topic.  Scroll down to the comments and lay it on me!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

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So how do you snap out of it and get back into the game?  How do you come back when all the world seems to be fighting against you?  Here are 5 tips that might help:

Number 1:  Don’t fight it alone.  The first instinct when you get depressed is to seek isolation but that’s the worst thing you can do.  Find someone you can share your problems, your fears,  and your feelings with – which brings me to the next tip:

Number 2:  Verbalize your depression.  Try “talking” to your depression.  Describe it to a friend or loved one.  What does it feel like?  What “color” is it?  Where does it come from?  Focusing  on trying to verbally describe your depression can actually make you forget you’re depressed.  If you don’t have a friend handy, try writing your description in a notebook or journal.

Number 3:  Don’t label yourself.  Don’t say or think “I’m depressed.”  No you’re not.  You might feel depressed.  You might look depressed.  You might even act depressed but you are not depression personified so don’t pin that label on yourself.  Saying “I’m feeling depressed” tells your subconscious that your current state is a just a feeling and like all feelings, will soon pass.  (NOTE:  I am not talking about clinical depression here.  If you have been diagnosed with depression, make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions at all times.)

Number 4:  Take care of your body.  Don’t neglect proper exercise and diet and by all means, stay away from the junk food.  You might think that ice cream or chocolate cake will make you feel better but it’s not doing your body any favors.  Taking a walk or doing in some light exercise or yard work will actually release endorphins that will help chase away depression.

Number 5:  Exhibit gratitude.  When you begin to feel depressed about what you don’t have, that’s the time to start focusing on what you do have.  You need to write these down in order for this to work.  Don’t just casually list out loud what you’re thankful for because it won’t have the same impact.  You need to not only hear yourself say that you’re grateful for something, you really need to see it in writing.  Your body needs to really feel the motion of writing it down.  This more than anything will help to put whatever is causing your depression in perspective.  The more things you can list that you’re really grateful for, the weaker and weaker your depression will become.

Depression can hit anyone, at any time, for any reason.  It might pass through like a dark cloud or it might decide to stay a while.  If it does, use these tips to get yourself back in the game of Life.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

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I always knew that it sucked getting old but I never knew exactly how much.  Now that I’m essentially there, I’m more determined than ever to fight the effects of it for as long as I’m physically able!

Losing Fat Is Not Always a Good Thing

One of the more insidious tricks that old age plays on your body as you age involves fat.  Yeah, I know that we spend most of our lives fighting the accumulation of it but fat plays a very important role in how our bodies function.

The type of fat I’m talking about here is called subcutaneous fat.  This is the fat that’s right below the surface of our skin.  Subcutaneous fat acts like a “shock-absorber” protecting bone and muscle tissue from the usual bumps and grinds of daily life as well as the typical exercise routine or one-on-one game of basketball.  It also acts as an insulator helping our body regulate temperature.

As we age, the amount of subcutaneous fat steadily decreases, especially on our face and hands, the elbows and lower arms, as well as the knees and lower legs.  This is the reason that as you age, you tend to look gaunt or even bony,  especially around your face and joints.

The problem with this is that as you lose more and more subcutaneous fat, your muscles and joints become much more susceptible to bruising and injury.  It also means that your body has a harder time regulating it’s temperature – one of the reasons many elderly are always feeling cold.

So losing subcutaneous fat is not a good thing and one of the things you’ve got to compensate for as you age.

The Worst Part of It

Although the effects from the loss of subcutaneous fat is bad enough, it’s not the worst part of the story.  As you age, Father Time throws you a “1-2 punch” composed of the two following facts:

First is the fact that as we age, our body increases it’s accumulation of body fat to our upper arms, upper legs, and torso.  Remember that the rest of our body is actually getting skinnier as we loose subcutaneous fat from the face and extremities.

Second is the fact that aging generally reduces the size of muscle tissue.  As you age, you’re not as strong as you used to be in addition to having less endurance.

“But wait a minute,” you say.  “That can’t be right.  I can’t be accumulating more body fat because I still weigh the same!”  Sorry, but the cruelest trick of all is that as we age, our body increases the amount of body fat it stores at the same time that our muscles are shrinking.  Your weight may stay exactly the same but your proportion of body fat vs. lean muscle slowly and consistently increases until about age 70.

Now, you tell me – does that really suck or what?

Getting Old Sucks!

The more I read, the worst the story got.  Aging essentially slows down, reduces, or in some cases, begins to shut down essentially all of our physical and “life support” systems.  Everything from the loss of your sex drive to the creation of brittle bones.  From your digestive system to your heart, everything begins to lose strength, endurance, and efficiency.  “Geez!” I thought. ”Why not just shoot me now!”

But There is Hope

I was really depressed at this point.  Why would anyone want to watch their body slowly deteriorate day by day?  Why would you go through that?  All of a sudden,  the movie “Soylent Green” didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

But the chapter did end with some hope and since the focus of my blog is fitness, I’m pretty sure you’ve already guessed what it is.  It turns out that in study after study, moderate exercise has been shown to delay – in many cases significantly delay – the physical effects of aging.

More specifically, it appears that resistance training tends to create a wider range of positive benefits than does endurance training.  It’s not that cardio isn’t important, it is.  But resistance, or strength, training positively affects a number of things (other than building strength) including balance and flexibility as well as increasing the production of essential hormones that normally decrease with age – and maintaining strength, balance, and flexibility are the keys to staying independent as we age.

No Magic “Youth” Pill

Sorry, regardless of what you might see on the late-night Infomercials, there is no “fountain of youth” pill, elixir, injection, or supplement.  Nothing that “works while you sleep” to turn back time.  The only proven method that delays the effects of age, the ONLY PROVEN method, is exercise.

So it turns out that the only way to beat Father Time is to literally beat Father Time.  Punch him in the face with your kickboxing gloves.  Smash his foot with a dumbbell after working out.  Tie him up with your resistance bands after your routine.  Every time you engage in any kind of physical activity – taking a brisk walk, lifting weights, doing pushups, whatever – you’re taking a punch at Father Time.

Yeah, I know that Father Time always wins in the end but I’m determined not to give him an easy fight.  I’m determined to go the full distance and give it all I’ve got until the Good Lord rings the final bell.

How about you?

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: aging, getting old, exercise, health, fitness, muscle, father time, hormones, fat, resistance, cardio

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Weird isn’t it?  We’ve lived together for so long that she’s become a part of me, a part of who I am.  It’s hard for me to even imagine my life without her physically being there and then bang, one day I turned around to say something to her and she wasn’t there.  It felt, well, weird.

Then there’s all the household stuff.  You know, the dirty dishes, the laundry, all the stuff that used to somehow get taken care of that now just accumulates until I finally get around to it.  This separation is really going to take some getting used to.

Still, there are a couple of things we’ve done to cope with being apart.  If you’re a military spouse, none of these will be new.  However, for those couples for whom separation is a new experience, these tips might help you get through.

1.  Maintain frequent communication by whatever means you can.  Couples need to talk.  When you’re physically together, it’s simple to just turn and say what you need to say.  Constant communication is the “glue” that keeps the relationship together.  When you’re physically apart, communication becomes more of a challenge.  However, it’s critical that you maintain it by whatever means you can.  That means:

a.  Phone Calls.  Most cell phone plans now allow nationwide calls so there’s really no such thing as “long distance” charges any more or you can use any of the web-based phone services such as Skype.

b.  Video Chats.  We set up a webcam on our computers so we could see each other’s face while we chatted.  Seeing the other person makes a real difference.  Video chats still leave a lot to be desired since the video sometimes freezes or blacks out altogether (depending on your Internet speeds) but still, seeing the face of your loved one makes a real difference.

c.  FaceTime.  Got an iPhone 4?  Use the FaceTime feature to turn your phone call into a video call.  It’s a huge improvement over a webcam.  We’ve found the video to be much faster and responsive than a webcam.  Don’t have an iPhone 4?  Then use one of the many video-call alternatives such as Qik.

d.  Email & Text Messages.  Yeah, email is pretty impersonal but hey, it still counts as a form of communication.  Same goes for text messages although with SMS, you can add emoticons ( ) to spice them up a bit.

e.  Cards and Letters.  Try communication the old fashion way – in writing.  Or take the easy way out and run down to the drug store and pick up a Hallmark card that says, “I Miss You.”  Either way, getting a card or letter in the mail says that your special someone is thinking about you.

2.  Keep a routine.  Even though your “other half” might be missing, there’s still plenty of stuff around the house to keep you busy.  Jump into it.  You’ll obviously have to pick up whatever chores were being done by your missing partner so work that into your routine as well.  Yeah, it’s a hassle but it will keep you busy instead of allowing you to sit around feeling lonely.

3.  Stay healthy.  Really feeling the absence of your partner?  Go out for a quick walk or jog.  Dealing with the emotional side of separation is difficult enough so make sure to keep your body in good shape.  That means eating right and getting plenty of exercise.  With no one to watch (and comment on) how much ice cream you go through, it’s really easy to pack on the pounds when your spouse is away.

4.  Keep your emotions in check.  OK, this one’s hard but you’ve got to try to keep yourself from feeling lonely, mopey, and miserable.  The best way I’ve found to cope with the emotional side of having to live alone for a while is to keep busy following all the previous recommendations.

5.  Value the Relationship Above All Else.  Being together is what nourishes a relationship.  However, with today’s economy, more and more couples are having to take temporary, and sometimes even permanent, assignments apart from each other in order to make financial ends meet.  That’s OK as long as you make sure that you work just as hard on keeping the relationship alive and healthy.

Having to live apart for a while is tough on a couple.  You have to learn a whole new household routine while dealing with the emotional roller-coaster that goes along with it.  But by following these tips and figuring out a couple on your own, you can get through it.

For my part, I’ve found that after some of our phone conversations, my lips hurt from smiling so much.  The last time that happened was when we were dating!  Still, I wish we were together….

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: relationship, lonely, couples, separation, marriage, healthy, emotions, emotional

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However, if you’re anything like me, you find you spend way too much time thinking and planning about your goals instead of actually working on them.  I even found myself buying some “special” goal-setting paper this past week!

Forget that!  Forget about following a special goal formula or using special goal-setting paper or journal.  Quit spending so much time on designing your goals and start spending most, if not all, of your time working on them.

Someone once said, “Life is not practice.”  That’s right.  We don’t get a chance to live life over.

So don’t worry if you don’t have a neat list of goals for 2012 – all categorized by area of your life, cross referenced with your family goals, and put in order of date due.

It’s the start of a new year.  Just pick a direction and go!  If things change, it’s much easier to change direction if you’re already in motion that it is to rearrange your card catalog of goal cards.

Like Nike says, “Just do it!”

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: goals, new year, 2012, resolution

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Why?  Because if you don’t decide where you want to go, any road will take you there.  Because if you don’t set goals, you’ll just float along life with no direction.  Because if you don’t set your sights on something, you won’t have a compelling reason to get up early and stay up late.  Because if you don’t set goals, you’ve already failed.

“Failed?  Failed at what?”  If you don’t set any goals at all, you’ve already failed to accomplish all the great things you’re capable of.  It could be losing weight, building muscle, earning extra money, building a relationship, really anything you can imagine.  Anything – you can really have and achieve anything – if you’ll only set a goal and consistently work towards it.

SMART Goals

Every great journey begins with the first step and every great accomplishment, whether it’s finding the cure for the cancer or putting a man on the moon, begins with a goal.  But how do you set goals?  The best way I’ve found to explain the process is by using the acronym S-M-A-R-T.  Here’s what it means:

S – Set SPECIFIC Goals

Make sure your goals are as specific as you can possibly make them.  Saying “I just want to be happy” is not going to cut it.  ”I just want to lose some weight” isn’t effective either.  In both cases, you’ve got to be specific.  What exactly would it take to make you happy?  Exactly how much weight do you want to lose?

Setting a nonspecific goal like “I want to make some extra money” may prove very disappointing.  You might find a discarded penny on the sidewalk and stop to pick it up.  Boom, you just completed your goal!  You just made some “extra” money.  You see how important it is to be specific?

The first key to effective goals is to be specific, specific, specific.  If you can’t clearly see the outcome of your goal when you close your eyes at night, it’s not specific enough.

M – Make Your Goals MEASUREABLE

Now that you’ve made your goals as specific as you can, you need to find a way to measure your progress.  You might think that making your goals measurable is simply an extension of making them specific but it’s much more than that.  Making them measurable is like putting a ladder under an apple tree that allows you to climb up, step by step, to reach the best pieces of fruit the tree has to offer.  Making your goals measurable provides a step-by-step road map to their accomplishment.

If I ask you how your weight loss goal is coming along, you should be able to tell me exactly how much weight  you’ve lost as well as exactly how much further you have to go and how long you think it will take you to get there.  All specific, measurable steps.

Once you specifically define what it is you want, figure out a way to measure your progress.  It could be dollars, days, pounds, inches, boxes shipped, whatever.  Just find a way to measure your progress.

A – Make Your Goals ACTIONABLE

Like all the others, this one is key.  Your goals should be something that you can DO, WORK TOWARDS, or ACT ON.  Here’s the difference:  if you say “I want to make a million dollars” and don’t add any actionable steps, it’s a wish, not a goal.  On the other hand, saying “I want to make a million dollars through affiliate marketing (or product creation, or by writing a novel, or whatever you want to do),” then you’ve got something you can actually work on.  This puts you in control.

Every January 1st, most people set “I want to lose some weight” as one of their New Year’s goals.  Can you see why 99.9% of people that set this kind of goal never accomplish it?  It’s not specific.  It’s not measurable.  It’s not actionable.

Now, the person that says “I want to lose 15 pounds by the end of March through better diet choices and exercise” has got a much better chance of reaching their goal.  Their goal is specific, measurable, and actionable.  They’ve got something specific to work on.

Note:  some people list the “A” in SMART as “Attainable” as in “your goals should be Attainable.”  I like “Actionable” because I think it better describes the fact that YOU HAVE TO WORK ON YOUR GOALS.  They don’t come true all by themselves.

R – Your Goals Should be REALISTIC

Time for a gut-check:  is your goal realistic?  Can you really see yourself achieving it?  If you can’t, you need to work on 2 things:  your self confidence and your goal.  Once you become practiced at goal setting and have accomplished a few, your self confidence will explode and you’ll automatically begin setting bigger and bigger goals.  However, at the beginning, make sure you don’t set your goals so high that they end up discouraging you instead of inspiring you.  Make them realistic.

Also, make sure your goals are congruent with your life in general.  In other words, don’t work towards a goal that is actually going to create problems in other areas of your life.  For example, don’t set a weight loss goal that is so aggressive that you damage your overall health in the process.

T – Make Your Goals TIME BASED

Set a time limit on your goals.  Otherwise, you’ll always procrastinate and put off working on them for another week, another month, another year.  Set a deadline and stick to it.  Saying “I want to lose 5 pounds by the end of the month” has a lot more power than just saying “I’d like to lose some weight.”

Putting a time limit on your goals is another way to measure your progress.  You tell yourself, “I’ve got until the end of the month to reach my goal and it’s already the 15th.  I’ve got to get moving!”  There’s massive power in that.  It creates a momentum that propels you forward and keeps you moving.

Reaching Your Goals

Is it really this easy?  Well, yes and no.  Setting effective goals is a straightforward process.  However, you still have to DO THE WORK and that part isn’t so easy.  But setting up the right process, making your goals specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic, and time based will provide a framework where you can see exactly how much progress your work is producing.  Your work will have purpose – and that will inspire you to maintain the pace.

You see, if you can’t measure where you are and you’re not sure where you’re going, it’s difficult to find a compelling reason to do the work. If you can’t see the “big payoff” at the end and see yourself moving closer to it, there’s no incentive to put in the extra effort and you’ll quickly find reasons to procrastinate.

So be SMART about setting your goals this New Year.  Stack the deck in your favor but making your goals specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-based.  You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: goal setting, goals, smart, resolutions, new year, motivation, weight loss, lose weight

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Every meeting, party, or social gathering I go to this time of year, and I mean EVERY ONE has a “Holiday Spread” of cakes, cookies, and assorted edible things – all designed to add inches to my waist.  How do you ever survive the Holidays and still lose weight?

Portion Control is the Key

The answer to that question is portion control, portion control, portion control.  Yes, I know that’s easy to say but hard to do.  Yes, I know.  I’ve gone through buffet lines and holiday lunches where even though I only took about a teaspoon-ful of several different dishes, there was simply SO MUCH FOOD that I still ended up with an overfilled plate.

You’ve got to fight that.  Here are two things that I do that seem to work for me:

1. Start with a smaller plate.  Grab a dessert plate or a salad plate instead of the over-sized dinner plate.  The smaller your plate, the less likely you’ll feel compelled to fill it to the brim.
2. Second, get a salad and make sure that it fills 1/3 to 1/2 of your plate.  The good part about a salad is that it’s bulky and will automatically fill a big portion of your plate.  Let your salad be your main course.
3. Next, focus on getting some veggies BUT try to say away from casseroles or veggies that are swimming in cream sauce or gravy.  Steamed vegetables are best but may be hard to find on a traditional holiday spread where everything seems to be drowning in some form of thick cheese or butter sauce.
4. Skip the bread.  Period.
5. Last, get a small sliver of meat or fish.  Let this be no more than 1/4 of your total meal AND only stick to one kind of meat.  Many Christmas dinners include several kinds of meats to choose from.  Choose only one kind.

The key to making through a Christmas or Holiday dinner with your waistline intact is to not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the choices that are available to you.  There will probably be 5 kinds of vegetables in all kinds of sauces, casseroles of all kinds, 3 kinds of meats, several kinds of breads, biscuits, or rolls, and 10 different kinds of cookies, cakes, and frosted desserts.  It’s so easy for your good judgement to get overwhelmed.

Remember that you DO NOT have to try everything.  If you do, even if you only take just a “little taste,” there’s simply so much food that you’re going to overeat.  Don’t fall victim to this.  Be very selective in your choices – and try to make those choices good ones.

Another thing to remember is not to be bullied.  Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is going to be shoving food in your face and saying something like, “You’ve just got to try this.”  You DO NOT have to put up with this!  Yes, I know it’s really hard (really, really hard) to turn down your Aunt Bertha’s chili-cheese-fri-casserole that she spent all day cooking but you’ve got to be strong.  It’s perfectly OK to say, “Thank you so much but I’m totally full.”  Take home a foil-wrapped serving that you can dispose of later if you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  We’re talking about YOUR HEALTH here so don’t allow yourself be bullied.

Increased Activity

In order to balance the increased calories that the Holidays just naturally seem to bring, you’ve got to increase your activity levels.  Go to the gym, take a walk, go shopping, do ANYTHING that will keep you moving.  Increased activity is not something for a New Year’s Resolution.  It’s something that you should build into your Holiday plans and be doing as you enjoy the season.

Watch Your Stress Levels

Lastly, don’t stress.  Yes, I know you have no idea what kind of gift to get that special someone but believe me, anything you get them will be fine.  What’s important is that it’s from you.  So quit stressing about finding the “perfect” gift.

Remember that most stress is self-imposed.  You have control so turn down the dial.  One way to do this is to remember all those less fortunate than you and to try to do something for someone else.  Give to a charity, volunteer, visit, drop off a gift – there are numerous ways to help those who would otherwise not have any Christmas at all.  Keeping things in perspective is a great way to relieve holiday stress.

Keeping all of these thoughts in mind should help you “survive” the holidays with your diet, and your sanity, intact.

I hope you all have a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!  Remember the “Reason for the Season” and take the time to give thanks at the house of worship of your choosing.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: Christmas, weight loss, diet, nutrition, holidays, eating, dinner, stress, sanity, exercise, New Year

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The Situation

Older brother Adam and younger brother Crosby have gone into business together to open “The Luncheonette,” a music recording studio.  For a receptionist, they’ve hired Rachel, the best qualified person they can afford – who also happens to be a very attractive, very shapely, young lady – all attributes that Adam’s wife Kristina just can’t help but immediately notice.

To summarize this specific episode, let me quote the Parenthood website directly:

“…Over at The Luncheonette, Crosby’s incredulous to learn that Rachel kissed Adam. For Crosby, it’s like Christmas came early – but now the question is should Adam tell Kristina? Adam tells Kristina everything. Crosby jokes around, but his message is clear. This is one thing Adam should NOT tell Kristina…”

Kristina and Adam have one of the most traditional marriages that you can possibly portray on TV.  They totally love and support each other in every way.  They share everything.  Adam’s dilemma is whether or not to tell her about getting kissed by their hot, young receptionist.  The secret is visibly killing him so he does come clean explaining how it all came about.  Kristina is taken by surprise but being the supportive wife that she is, she trusts Adam and is willing to accept his version of what happened ( “she kissed me – I didn’t kiss her back”).

She then says, “Well, I assume she’s no longer there.”  And that’s when Adam starts down the “dark path from which there is no return.”  He says, “Of course not” – a little white lie.  He then goes to bed knowing what he’d have to do the next day.

The problem is that for a number of reasons,  he doesn’t follow through.  He reprimands Rachel instead of firing her and the “little white lie” he told his wife the night before gets bigger and bigger.  Imagine Kristina’s shock when she calls the office a couple of days later and Rachel answers.

Ever had your relationship suffer a similar situation?  I’m sure you have.  This is a classic “powder keg” that can blow apart the most solid relationships.

Even though Adam got major points for telling Kristina about the kiss in the first place, he lied to her about firing Rachel.  That’s all Kristina sees – and she’s right.

From a man’s perspective, it was a “little white lie,” something so small, so trivial as to not even warrant a second thought.  He thought that by letting Kristina believe that Rachael was already gone, he would be able to calm the immediate situation and get a good night’s sleep.  Besides, he really intended to “correct” the situation in the morning – so it wasn’t really a “lie” after all, right?

From a woman’s perspective, a lie is a lie, period.  The “intent” – what you were going to do or not do – doesn’t matter.  The fact that this was a “little thing” makes it even worse because a woman believes that, “If I can’t trust you in a little thing, how can I ever trust you on the big things?”

Relationships 101

The first rule of relationships is that honesty rules.  Think about it.  When you’re in a relationship, you pretty much put everything about yourself out in the open:  where you came from, your family, your past, every dirty little thing.  The really neat part is that no matter how messed-up your past might be, your partner in the relationship doesn’t care – they still love you anyway!  How great a deal is that?

Want to know the one thing that can instantly kill the best thing you’ve got going?  Not being honest.  And you know what else?  There is no such thing as a “little” lie, white or any other color.  Being dishonest is being dishonest and once you start down this road, your relationship is in deep serious trouble unless you take immediate action.

The Truth Always Surfaces

Of course Kristina was going to find out.  The truth always seems to float to the surface right when you least expect it.  The same applies to your relationships.  The truth always comes out and you end up exposed as a liar.  Your partner feels betrayed, taken advantage of, gullible, lied to.  It’s really hard to recover from that, and many relationships don’t.

So don’t even go there.  When Kristina said, “Well, I assume she’s no longer there,” Adam should have told her the truth.  The ensuing conversation would have been completely different.  However, by taking the easy way out and telling a “little white lie,” Adam set himself up for failure – and inadvertently put his relationship at risk.  How this will affect the marriage will play out in future episodes I’m sure.  However, real-world relationships don’t often get the “Hollywood happy endings.”

Is It Worth It?

Is lying worth it?  That’s the question you’ve got to ask yourself every time you get put in the same type of situation.  Think about all the great things your relationship brings to your life and put all of that on one side of the scale.  On the other side of the scale, put the convenience you think telling a “little white lie” will buy you.  Is it worth the risk?  Of course not.  Not even close.

So again, don’t go there.  Your relationship is based on trust, so trust that your partner will understand and support you.  However, difficult it might be to be totally honest, it’s almost always a fraction of the emotional price you’ll pay if you tell a “little white lie” and then are found out.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: honesty, relationships, truth, little white lies, parenthood, nbc, tv, marriage

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I stumbled upon this formula while making some improvements to my own dietary habits.  Within 2 and a half weeks, I had lost 10 pounds without having to do  single push-up.  Here’s exactly what I did:

1.  Reduce the amount of MEAT in your diet – especially RED meat.  This does NOT mean you need to go all vegetarian (although that’s not altogether a bad thing).  Just quit going to the local Sizzler Steak House and getting the 12 oz T-bone with the “loaded” baked potato and thinking you’re eating healthy – you’re not.

“Reduce” does not mean I eliminated all meat from my diet.  I still eat chicken and fish.  HOWEVER, these meats are NOT the biggest portion on my plate.  If you do continue to eat meat, make sure it’s a side dish, not the main course – and eat a big salad with every meal you can.

You see, when you reduce the amount of meat you eat, you automatically increase the amount of vegetables.  As a result, your overall diet naturally becomes higher in fiber and lower in fat.

2.  Reduce the amount of WHEAT products in your diet – especially PROCESSED wheat.  Again, this does not mean totally eliminate them, although the more you take out, the better.  Reducing the amount of processed wheat products in your diet will take out most of the cakes, white breads, cookies, cupcakes, and so on – none of which are good for you.  Remember to also take it easy on any wheat-containing gravies or stuffings.

3.  Reduce the amount of DIARY in your diet.  I know what you’re going to say:  ”Where am I going to get my calcium?”   You’ll get plenty of calcium from eating dark green and leafy vegetables, a natural byproduct of eating less meat in Step 1.  Reducing the amount of dairy in your diet will force you to cut down on whole milk, cream filling, ice cream, and cheese.  Again, you don’t have to totally eliminate it – just take it easy.  Quit thinking of milk as a beverage.  It’s a food with calories and fat content, just like any other food.

Now use some common sense with this one.  Diary can be an important part of your diet if you’re nursing or are making changes to your kid’s diet.  I didn’t say eliminate, I said reduce.

4.  Reduce the amount of SUGAR in your diet – especially PROCESSED sugar and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.  In fact, even if you skipped the other 3 steps and only did this one, you’d probably still 7 or 8 pounds easy.  Obviously, this one is the most important.  In order to lose weight, you’ve got to significantly reduce the amount of processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup in your diet.  This means no soft drinks, no fruit juice drinks (100% juice is OK), no cookies or cakes with frosting or creamy centers, no candy, no fudge, none of that stuff.

If you’ll make these 4 changes to your diet, I guarantee that you’ll lose anywhere from 6 to 12 pounds pretty much automatically, with no physical effort at all.  Better yet, as you reduce the amount of processed wheat and sugar in your diet, you’ll find that food begins to taste differently – more flavorful and filling.

Give it a try and see for yourself.  What have you got to lose except a couple of ugly pounds?

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, health, sugar, meat, processed, wheat, weight loss

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