Are you headed for a train wreck?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

Lately I’ve been so focused on my two bottom abs that I’ve been driving myself much harder than usual. One tendency I have, which can be extremely positive or negative, is that I can sometimes fall into a single minded focus that borders obsession. This mindset is great for accomplishing things because I can really get a lot done in a short period of time, but it can also be a downfall because I can sometimes go overboard and forget that nothing has to be done “at all costs.”

Even though I know better (as we all do), I sometimes forget that the human body has a limited ability to recuperate, burn fat and make changes. Whenever I forget these things I usually end up eating less than I should, working out harder and longer than I should and not taking enough breaks to allow my body to re-energize.

In other words, I become so focused on getting where I want to go (which is to have the full six-pack instead of just four abs), that my strategy goes out the window. Whenever this happens, I have to step back to get a fresh perspective on what I’m working towards and I really have to think about how I should approach the result I’m trying to attain.

This last week I was tired, my muscles were flat and I had four protein bars in one day – which I never eat because they’re really just a poor substitute for candy – because I was so hungry. After evaluating my approach over the last few weeks, it occurred to me that I had been consuming too few calories and working out too much.

Without realizing it, I found myself caught in the extreme pattern I always warn everyone not to fall into. Although it definitely wasn’t as bad as the last time, which I wrote about in chapter 2 of my book Weight Loss Secrets of Superstar, I was definitely headed for a disaster again.

To remedy the situation, I’ve upgraded my eating program, restructured my workouts, and I’ve made new plans. For starters, I’m going to take the next two weeks to neutralize my calorie deficit so my body gets a nice break. I’m not using this period as an excuse to eat whatever I want and lack discipline of course, because that would offset all my efforts. Instead, I’m going to eat enough food so that I burn all the calories I consume.

The other thing I’m doing for the next two weeks is toning down my workouts so I’m not pushing myself as hard as usual. That means I’ll be working out with weights five days a week at a moderate intensity and ditching the cardio so my body can get back into balance. This isn’t exactly what I want to do at this time because I’m so close to the last two abs, but I know from past experience that if I don’t make some changes now I’ll pay for it later.

The three most important lessons here are:

1) Be careful not to allow your desire to lose weight push you to extremes – with eating too little or working out excessively.

2) You need to evaluate your weight loss goals and your approach in attaining them at least monthly to ensure you’re on track.

3) You need to give your body a break from a calorie deficit periodically to keep your progress steady.

Posted in Get Back on Track, Weight Loss | Tagged , , , ,

Turbo charge your workout in 3 simple steps!

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

For most people, a workout starts the moment they enter the gym, begin their jog or hop on the stationary bike. Sports superstars and elite athletes, on the other hand, start their training at least an hour (if not hours) before they engage in any physical activity.

The reason for this early preparation, contrary to popular belief, is that a high-power workout starts in our mind and not in our body. In essence, starting earlier gives them time to generate the high-intensity mindset they need to have a breakthrough training session.

Using the same science and philosophy, over the years I’ve developed my own three-step routine that I use to turbo charge all my cardiovascular and weight lifting workouts on a regular basis. It’s simple, effective and it produces amazing results every time. I’ll share it with you now.

 

Step 1: Eat for power

Ninety minutes before a workout I’ll have a 100-calorie shake that contains ½ scoop of protein powder and 2 tablespoons of cooked oatmeal. Although many gurus and trainers say you should skip eating carbohydrates before a workout so that you burn more fat (which in this case is oatmeal), I completely disagree.

My reason for being so strongly opposed to this advice is simple: the 100 calories my shake provides me with gives me the energy to push myself and burn about 500 – 600 calories in the gym. If I skip the small amount of carbohydrates, however, I’ll have an energy crash within 20 – 30 minutes, begin feeling weak and burn significantly fewer calories (and fat).

The take-home message: Eat before you workout! You’ll have the energy to workout longer, harder and more intensely and you’ll burn more fat and calories.

 

Step 2: Prepare mentally

Sixty minutes before I get to the gym I begin my mental preparation. If I’m starting my workout at 4:30 PM, for example, I’ll start preparing mentally around 3:30 by envisioning myself blasting through my workout with explosive power, strength and energy. I’ll feel the blood pumping in my muscles; I’ll see myself lifting heavy weights for more repetitions or sprinting on the elliptical machine and I’ll picture my body morphing and transforming into the spectacular shape I want to be in.

The take-home message: Even if it is only for a brief period of time, preparing mentally before you start your workout is worth the effort because it gives you the psychological edge you need to push yourself and get the results you want sooner.

 

Step 3: Physical preparation

After or even during my mental workout, depending on how busy I am that day, I’ll turn my gym music on and begin my physical preparation by stretching my lower body. Once my lower body feels nice and loose, I’ll stretch my upper body and I’ll do a few easy twists as well if I feel the need to.

The take-home message: Stretching your body not only feels great, but it also helps to physically energize you by filling your cells with oxygen and circulating your energy.

The result of this pre-workout ritual? By the time I get to the gym, I’m mentally fired up, physically energized and ready to tear the place down!

Posted in Get Back on Track, Weight Loss | Tagged , , ,

It makes champions and produces instant results!

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Have you ever wondered what drives champions and gives them the determination to take the next step toward greatness?

You can call it what you want: being in the zone, on fire, or tearing it up. But what it really is, is the ability to master the inner game and maintain a laser-like focus on the outcome they want. One trick I use to increase my focus and up my intensity when necessary – which is also validated by many scientific studies – is visualization.

In addition to simply visualizing myself accomplishing something or having the outcome I want, I also use movie-like images while performing the actions that help me to attain that result. In the gym, for instance, just before I do a set I imagine myself inside of a Ferrari. I hear the exotic roar of the engine as I start it up. I hear the motor revving as I repeatedly mash on the accelerator, and just before I do the first rep of each set, I feel the jerk of the car as I kick that bad boy into first gear and spin the tires.

Another trick I use when I need a burst of energy or a mental boost is to picture an explosion. Have you ever seen how an atomic bomb looks when it detonates? It produces a mushroom cloud and a shockwave that moves from the center of the explosion outward, often times for hundreds of miles. This is exactly what I visualize in my mind when I’m doing high-intensity interval cardiovascular exercise. (Without all the mass destruction of course!)

Also known as HIIT, high-intensity interval training is basically switching between a medium and a faster pace after a brief warm up. On an exercise bike, for example, you can pedal at a moderate pace for one minute and ramp up the intensity for the next minute – switching between the faster and slower paces for a total of 20-30 minutes.

To effectively use the “explosion” technique when doing HIIT, I usually envision the detonation and the shockwave just as I hit the faster pace. This powerful image gives me an immediate burst of energy that easily carries me through the faster minute at a vigorous pace.

Before discovering and using these mental tricks my workouts were lazy and my cardio was a leisure stroll on the treadmill. But now that I constantly use powerful imagery and can see these visions in my mind, all my workouts are focused and productive – regardless of how I feel when I enter the gym since the habit and state of mind are “anchored” in!

The advantage of using mental tricks such as these while you’re working out is that they allow you to push yourself a lot harder, a lot faster and to keep your focus on the result you want. The benefit of training at this level of intensity – as opposed to simply going through the motions in the gym – is that you’ll attain the results you want much faster.

Posted in Get Back on Track, Weight Loss | Tagged , , ,

Are you or are you not?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

Now that 2012 is in full swing, there’s one question you need to be asking yourself: Is this my year to finally lose weight and have the results I’ve always wanted?

If this is your year and you know it, that’s great. Congratulations!

But if you’re not 100% positive, Why not? Is it because you’re not quite ready? Is it because you have too many obligations? Is it because you’re too busy? Or is it because you’re not really challenging yourself?

Many people make the resolution to lose weight, join the gym and start out excited at the beginning of every year, only to run out of steam a few weeks or months later because their energy dissipates. When this happens, they usually fall back into their old eating habits, stop working out and gain any weight they’d lost right back.

Basically, they give up!

Sure there are a lot of valid reasons why people stop putting forth effort. The unfortunate part is that none of their reasons produce the results they want, which is why they continue to end up back at the starting line frustrated and overweight year after year.

Whether this sounds like your personal situation or not, why not make this your year to lose weight by challenging yourself?

I’m not talking about just setting some lofty goals; I mean really challenging yourself by using the 7 Steps in the members’ area to create a plan of action for losing weight so you have something to follow through on.

One of the biggest reasons why people fail in life—when it comes to losing weight especially—is because they don’t have a solid plan of action to follow. They fall into the “I have the desire to lose weight but I’m not sure what to do next” trap.

Sound familiar?

Then here’s the remedy you need to create your own weight-loss plan of action so you can start getting the results you want now:

1) Make a definite decision to lose weight in writing and sign it. Once you sign your name to this statement, there’s no backing down!

2) Feed your motivation with compelling reasons to lose weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Find reasons that excite you, write them down and read them daily.

3) Determine your reason(s) for being overweight. What is the cause? Are you eating the wrong foods? Are you eating too much? Are you eating too little?

4) Set realistic expectations and goals you can achieve over time. Thirty pounds in 30 days won’t cut it!

5) Follow a structured eating program that prevents weight gain and encourages the usage of fat as energy. Don’t go for another short-term diet that’s difficult to stick with. Instead, choose a program you can follow as a way of life so you never have to be overweight again!

6) Make exercising a regular part of your schedule to burn fat and keep it off permanently.

7) Make a definite commitment to push forward until you reach your ideal weight—even if you have to take baby steps, break through barriers or make petty sacrifices.

Posted in Get Back on Track | Tagged , ,

5 Simple ways to effectively reduce your appetite

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

Today you can search the Internet and health food stores across America and find dozens of products claiming to control or reduce our appetite. Over the years I’ve tried many of these products, only to discover that most of them didn’t do anything for me but drain my wallet.
After wasting enough time and money, I finally decided that I should find alternative ways to manage my hunger. When I finally did, I was able to control my appetite and be satisfied with substantially less food. Below is a list of the top five ways I discovered to reduce hunger and the reasons why they work so well.

1) Appetite reducer # 1: Eat Protein (Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Lean Beef, Low-fat Soy, etc.)

Why it’s effective in reducing hunger: Protein keeps us feeling satisfied longer because it digests much slower than other foods such as pasta, white bread or snack foods. Additionally, it is fairly low in calories when not fried or drenched in sauces and it also creates a thermogenic effect, which means that eating it causes our body to burn calories (energy) in the digestion process.

2) Appetite reducer # 2: Fill up on “filler” foods (Celery, Lettuce, Cabbage, Eggplant, Okra, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc.)

Why they’re effective in reducing hunger: These vegetables are mostly fiber and contain large amounts of water. When eaten, they take up space in the gut, slow down the digestion of other foods and usually yield almost zero calories because fiber, for the most part, cannot be digested by humans. As an added bonus, they’re absolutely delicious when sautéed in broth or steamed and lightly seasoned.

3) Appetite reducer # 3: Drink clean filtered H2O (Water)

Why it works so well: While it may not be well known, our body extracts water from the foods we eat. Because of this fact, our body will sometimes signal hunger when we’re actually thirsty. To prevent false hunger signals, we need to drink at least 8 cups of water daily; 10-12 cups is even better. To make drinking water more exciting try dropping a tea bag with a packet of Sun Crystals in your cup a few times a day for extra flavor.

4) Appetite reducer # 4: Take fiber pills

Why it works so well: Fiber pills such as Psyllium Husk expand in our stomach when ingested with plenty of water. This helps to prevent overeating because it helps create a feeling of fullness. They are especially effective when taken 20-30 minutes before a meal so they have an adequate amount of time to expand.

5) Appetite reducer # 5: Eat 5-6 small meals daily

Why it works so well: Spreading our daily food intake out so we consume a meal every 2.5 – 3 hours ensures that our body has a constant supply of energy, stimulates our metabolism and helps to prevent our body from going into starvation mode. Additionally, it also aides the digestion process as 5-6 smaller meals are easier for the body to process than 3 larger meals.

Posted in Get Back on Track, Weight Loss | Tagged , , ,

Why try?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

Last week at the gym, I saw a guy I hadn’t talked with in almost two years. After chatting for a few minutes, he commented on how lean I was. Having forgotten that I was about thirty-five pounds heavier the last time we talked and that he had never seen the “new” me, I didn’t think much of it.

After that, the conversation quickly changed from what we’d been doing for the last two years to how he’d been trying to lose weight. Puzzled by what he told me, I asked him, “What do you mean you’ve been trying to lose weight for a few years?”

He then proceeded to tell me how something always seemed to get in the way of his progress or slow him down. I then replied by saying, “I don’t think I understand what that means because I either do something or I don’t do it—but I don’t try.”

Knowing that he didn’t quite understand what I meant, I pointed to a guy across the gym on a treadmill and said, “See that guy over there? He’s running on the treadmill. He’s not trying to run on the treadmill; he is running on the treadmill! See the difference?”

Although it took a moment, it finally clicked for him that trying—for most people—usually doesn’t mean much because it’s their way of justifying a halfhearted effort or an insincere attempt. Once he understood what I meant, he said, “I got it! Now I’m going to lose weight!”

One thing I learned from a very successful man when I was in my teens is that you never try to do anything. You either do it or you don’t—period! That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll always accomplish everything you set out to do quickly or on your first attempt. It does, however, mean that you’ll keep going with 100% effort until you accomplish whatever it is that you’ve set out to do.

Although the man who gave me this advice was referring to building a business, which I had started to do at the time, the same principle applies to weight loss because the road to success is almost always bumpy and full of setbacks. Even though this is true, if you make the decision that you will lose weight, it will happen!

Taking your own weight loss efforts into consideration, are you trying to lose weight or are you 100% dedicated to making it happen? If you’re not 100% dedicated, I can tell you that you’ll probably have a tough time!

Why?

Because without 100% dedication, we’re more likely to give up when we don’t lose weight as quickly as we hope or when our situations get tough. I personally went through this for years, but once I made up my mind to lose weight and was definite about it, I knew it was just a matter of time because my commitment gave me the determination to go over, under, around or through!

If you’ve been trying to lose weight without much success, why not make the decision to be 100% dedicated today? It’ll make a world of difference in your mindset, your efforts and your results!

Posted in Weight Loss | Tagged , , ,

You'll never believe it!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

I’ve never been one to bash other people’s misleading weight loss concepts and I’m definitely not going to start now—because I believe it shows a lack of class—but I recently came across a Web site that is a good example of twisting the truth and I knew that I just had to share it with you.

The site sells some kind of a recipe for a liquid diet and claims to help us lose a whopping 18 pounds in only 4 days—and of course they display a big picture of some skinny, in-shape guy!

Sounds pretty radical, doesn’t it?  I thought so, too.

As crazy as it sounds, after thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that it really is possible to lose that much weight under specific conditions. To lose 18 pounds in 4 days you would need to:

a) Have about ten pounds of waste jammed in your colon

b) Be retaining about six pounds of water

c) Lose one pound of fat

d) Lose one pound of muscle.

See how misleading that is?

Sure, we would see numbers on the scale drop on an all-liquid colon-cleansing diet (assuming we were in the situation I mentioned above), but only about one pound would actually be from body fat.

In theory, losing this amount of weight sounds good to someone who just wants to see their weight go down—and it would probably do a person who is in that situation a lot of good. The problem in reality, however, is that they would end up right back in the same situation at some point because their eating habits and food choices are what created the problem to begin with.

In other words, the all-liquid diet that the site boasts of is merely cleaning the dieter’s system out—which isn’t a bad thing. The reason why this popular diet concept is so misleading for weight loss, however, is because most people who buy the recipe want to lose body fat and not just body weight.

Here’s the really sad part; in about two months, the people who try this recipe will be right back where they started because they don’t realize that the liquid diet was merely a quick fix. Sure, it did them some good for a short period of time because it cleansed their colon, but in the long run, they’ll only have wasted more money and ended up right back where they started because their lifestyle and habits didn’t change.

As I’ve mentioned time and time again, the only way to lose body fat permanently—which is the only weight that really counts long term—is to make progressive changes in our lifestyle. Among many things, this means:

a) Eating foods that keep our body in a fat burning state

b) Establishing healthy eating patterns by consuming 5-6 meals daily

c) Exercising regularly to keep your muscles and your heart strong

d) Persisting until you reach your ideal weight.

If you haven’t done so already, login to the member’s area and get started with Your First 7 Steps to Weight Loss Success now! The sooner you do this, the sooner you’ll be on your way to losing all the weight you want and creating a lifestyle that ensures your results permanently!

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