Category Archives: Fat Loss

Whether it’s from a Doctor, Dietician, or Dental Hygienist you here the same “healthy” information over and over again. Without getting into some myth’s these “experts” usually explain like the lipid hypothesis, or how aerobic based training is best for fat loss, you generally know what you should be doing to get leaner. So what’s the real problem for achieving fat loss?

Generally speaking it’s not the training or nutrition program at all, nor is it Jillian Michael’s on national TV saying she coined the phrase “metabolic conditioning” (Arthur Jones did). The real issue is compliance. The point of this post is to help you understand some reasons why you may be struggling to adhere to a training or nutrition system.

(With a resolution you actually resolve something, so If you already broke your new years “goals”, you may want to keep on reading)

YOU MUST “RAISE YOUR STANDARDS” -Tony Robbins

I have to say, I am with Tony Robbins on this one. If you have not heard of Tony, I strongly suggest you look him up. In short he is a coach who has built his business on the results he creates. He helps people create happy and successful lives and also happens to be an awesome public speaker.

If you are willing to understand the impact this quote can have on your life you are going to be a very happy person. From relationships, to finances, to fat loss (which is the purpose of this post) these three words will change your life.

When you raise your standards instead of per say setting goals, you begin to identify yourself in new ways. Do you ever notice you live up to your standards, but you don’t live up to your goals? The only catch (like Tony mentions) is that you must back these standards up with strong enough reasons and rituals. Don’t just say I am going to lose 10lbs. What makes the goal real is rituals or behaviors.

Also note: Don’t “raise your standards” around people with low standards, surround yourself with successful people first. If you are competing with “low standards people” you will barely have to change your life. You will look at that person and say my life is great compared to theirs. This is an illusion of happiness. The only thing that will truly get you results and make you happy is to raise your standards and be the best you possibly can.

“BEHAVIORS RULE”

I don’t like being cliche, but we are some serious creatures of habit. This can be a wonderful thing.

Since this article is about fat loss, look at some of the eating and training habits you have. Do you eat fruits and most of the time or very little of the time? Even if you say, “I eat different everyday” you are eating differently consistently therefore forming a ritual. Do you wake up and go get a bagel and hot chocolate, or do you wake up 10 minutes earlier to make and prepare your own food? Do you tell yourself you don’t have time for the gym today, or do you tell yourself you are going to make time for it no matter what? Hopefully you can see where I am going with this.

Rituals, habits, and patterns are what define us. Especially in the long run. (Sticking with the cosmetic approach of fitness) I like the quote “your body is your life’s work”. If you have an awesome physique, you have different rituals than someone who doesn’t have such an awesome physique. People are rewarded in public for what they practice behind the scenes. Success takes time and results don’t happen overnight. Dig deeper into what makes you or others achieve greatness. Tony Robbins deserves credit for A LOT of the information in this paragraph as well.

Measurable goals are needed, but focusing on behavior is key.

Do you think you would lose more body fat having the “goal” of losing 10 pounds, or by preparing healthier meals for the week on every Sunday? When you emphasize behaviors over goals you often get the results you aim for anyways. The only difference is that when you do this you discover lasting change. Not 1-2 week change.

STAY SIMPLE & BUILD ON SUCCESS

Generally, I notice that when most people need to change a behavior overwhelming them is the worst thing you can possibly do. If you make a person feel anxious about achieving their goals you will both most likely fail. I absolutely believe that the less you give, the more people comply.

For example if I give the average person some “side work” to help correct some bad posture that consists of a long list of exercises with tons of different sets, reps, tempos, rest times, special techniques, etc. they will most likely become confused and uneasy. This leads to no change, poor compliance, and in my mind that is failure.

On the other hand if the client and I work together, find what’s causing the bad posture in the first place, make some daily adjustments accordingly, and add one small objective to perform a self massage technique for 5-10 minutes a day, they will most likely comply. This way these small easy habits will be formed and you can add on more later. Build confidence and build on success.

“Treat the cause, not the symptom” mentioned above will be another topic for the future.

PROGRAM YOURSELF THROUGH REPETITION!

A lot of people have this mental blockage that stops them from becoming awesome. They are “programmed” to be a certain somewhere and they are not aware of this. This in turn causes them to act and achieve results they believe they should have, not what they can, want, or “must” have. “Musting” is another topic for the future as well.

This affects your behaviors or in other words the whole point of this article.

Before I end though take 10 minutes of your life to watch Bob Proctor in the video below. He gives his take on the subconscious mind, how to change your paradigm and therefore change your life. This is a very powerful concept if you understand the idea and follow through with it. I use this notion daily with myself and others and wouldn’t be preaching it if I haven’t seen it work wonders. As always, I am open to any comments. I look forward to your new mindset and improved compliance! Enjoy.

We all know the kitchen plays a tremendous role in where your physique, performance and health is made. A lot of stuff could go extremely wrong or strikingly awesome. In other words, it’s where the majority of the magic happens, especially when you’re dealing with fat loss. I not only wanted to share with you some very common problems I see at JRPT, but also how I have found to solve them.

Problem #1: You’re preparing meals and or cooking while your hungry.

Now, that may not seem like such a heroic statement alone especially if you don’t cook for yourself (or at all). But when do most people get hungry and eat “crap”? The majority of people tell me when they get home from work or in between meals times while COOKING, they are “starving”. I mean food is literally at the tip of your fingers. This is a very common time people dive into whatever they can which leads to less than optimal fat loss results.

Solution: I call this “the shake trick”.

To perform this trick you must have a protein shake, or a high protein meal in the fridge at all times. I wish I had more to tell you but as Porky Pig would say, that’s all folks. Saying that, here are some guidelines.

1. All magic tricks require preparation, so when you make this shake triple the serving size you would normally eat. Yes triple it.
2. While you are cooking, take out 1/3 of the shake and drink it at a slow to moderate pace while cooking.
3. Leave the rest in the refrigerator for next time.

Some other cool things about this are…

• You can adjust the shake to fit your macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat) needs.
• They take a long time to drink, especially if you add a lot of ice.
• They are ridiculously satisfying, quick, delicious and easy to consume.
• Unless it’s called for to eat a lot at one meal later in the day, the shake trick prevents you from overeating or housing food at dinner or junk while waiting to eat.

An example shake (shown in pic above): Gather up a fruit of your choice (optional), 1 scoop of a protein powder, some healthy fats (natural nut butter, extra virgin coconut oil etc.), add some water and ice to the mixture, then blend. If you want to consume some extra carbohydrates, feel free to add something like quick oats right into the blender as they mix incredibly well. You can also add something like unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, or any other natural seasonings according to your taste preference. Just get creative. This takes about 2-3 minutes.

Problem #2: When food is available to you, someone (probably you) will eventually eat it.

I agree with this by Dr. John Berardi over at Percision Nutrition because I have noticed the same patterns with just about every single person I have coached, minus a few exceptions. I also may be wrong here but I personally believe it still counts even if nobody see’s you eat that ice cream. “I ate it, but didn’t want to. I had no intention of eating this but I did.” So let me get this straight, you ate it but you didn’t plan to, nor did you even want it in the first place. It all makes perfect sense…

The Solution: Remove, replace, re-evaluate and re-adjust

Again, I also agree with some of Dr. John Berardi’s solutions here as they work fantastic. I have just added a little twist with adding the re-evaluate and re-adjust pieces to the situation, even though I am sure he does this as well.

                               (Before)                                                                (After)

(Here’s and example of being halfway through a client re-vamp. You tell me when a person will be more successful. Note there are actually many more “non cabinet” foods in the house now, and it took a little while to get to this point.)

Remove the garbage: Fat loss is a lot easier when you create and environment that’s easier to achieve it in. Get all the stuff you shouldn’t be eating out of your house and it’s impossible to eat it. I know it’s easier said than done but it’s possible. Try to get extra support from the people who live with or are around you, and explain to them why your doing this. More on this in a moment. 

Replace it with better options: Give your kitchen a new “feel” and look, and you will in turn feel, look, perform, be a lot healthier as well. By simply replacing things like fruit juice with real fruits, hydrogenated peanut butter with natural nut butters, and white bread with sprouted grain breads etc. it makes a huge difference. While doing this try to find things the people you live with and that surround you will eat as well. Work with each other and this will be a more enjoyable situation.

Re-evaluate the situation and re-adjust if needed: This is self explanatory but re-evaluating is just as important in nutrition as it is in fitness, rehabilitation and in life. Without going into too much detail, if you don’t have a coach, it’s your job to figure out if the overhaul is working. Test and re-test on a continuous basis.

*Bonus boo boo” for parents and guardians: Don’t buy food and say you did so because your kid “needs” it.

You bring your kids to the doctor, dentist, and even make sure they wear there helmets and seat belts, but the safety portion missing is often nutrition. This subject is one huge part that could limit doctor’s visits in the first place. Fix the cause of problem’s not the result of them.

If you want the best for your child, the truth is they should be eating healthy too. If you cook and eat healthy meals your children will eat them with you. If you don’t feed your children junk then they won’t eat it. (At least while they are around you). I am not saying deprive them, I am just saying that the majority of the time people don’t realize kids like healthy foods. When I hear things like, my kids LOVES that natural peanut butter on celery now, or mommy can I have a piece of fruit, what is that telling you? Get and give the kid more healthy foods and let them eat a good amount of them.

If it’s not their fault and they really don’t like the new food choices you have provided, all you must do is find another healthy food substitution or recipe they do like. I  recognize it’s easier said than done and it could take some work and time, but is your child’s health worth it? Then put your thing down flip it an reverse it!

(OH NO, DID I REALLY JUST SAY THAT?!) 

There is a fine ground between making everyone satisfied. Understand that I don’t have children, but also notice that I witness patterns where it’s a lot less difficult for families to eat better when children are INCLUDED in the nutritional/life change. Just remember, small adjustments at a time.

(Don’t be demanding like Harry Wormwood from Matilda, instead form a cooperative style relationship around edible materials.)

If I did my job today, I have just made you aware of three very common problems while on a healthy fat loss journey and how to solve them. I understand “magic” is supposed to be kept secret, but use the shake trick I showed you and make more people aware of this easy solution if it works for you. More importantly, go after the kitchen overhaul and start replacing anything you can. Don’t let your children “get in the way” but rather INCLUDE them and find things they like as well. While doing these things monitor yourself and others, and see if they better your progress. The next Uh-Oh installment will be in your vision soon:)

Please, no cringing. From real life experience I can’t explain how much more awake, energized, and awesome my clients and I feel after taking cold or contrast hot to cold showers. Read on to see more benefits, then use your own judgement whether you actually want to start experimenting with them. You won’t regret it. Well actually, maybe you will, AT FIRST.

We are all high maintenance.We have the luxury of using hot water to bathe in and or shower consistently. People in ancient times, (and even not too long ago) did not have the ability to do so. Therefore, it is very natural to be using cold or room temperature water to clean ourselves in. The only major difference between using cold showers now and then, is that back then, they didn’t know any better.

Here are some of the benefits cold water showers:

I’ll keep the explanations short and sweet, but if you want more information on an idea I mention, comment below or message me:

Fat Loss:

I had to include at least some type explanation for this bullet as dropping body fat % is a very popular topic. Simply said, the reasoning behind this is thermodynamics. For fat loss it is not ALL about this cold shower, but more about getting your body exposed to colder temperatures for a longer duration of time and or more often. If you expose your body to lower temperatures, it will use energy to try to heat your body back up and therefore increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories. Other modalities can work as well including ice baths, ice packs and ice massage etc.

But if you’re still lost, think about one of the ways people try to boost there fat loss results which is through diet induced thermogenesis. I’m talking about when people start consuming things like caffeine, and ephedrine to make their body produce more heat.

Shivering and building muscle:

Shivering is a method used to increase our body temperature. During this time the body releases hormones that have the ability to produce muscle growth and also increase energy expenditure and therefore burn calories.

Improves circulation throughout the entire body:

This is one of the most beneficial benefits of cold water. Cold water causes your blood to move to your internal organs, where warm water reverses the effect by causing the blood to move towards the surface of the skin. It keeps the body fresh, clean, and removes toxins from the body. Therefore it also keeps the most important muscle in your body (your heart) healthy and strong.

Increases energy and well-being:

After a cold shower I feel like a new person. So energized, and so ready to do anything. My advice is to take or at least end with a cold shower, “wake up” your nerves, release endorphins, and feel awesome after.

Helps you with your ability to handle lower temperature:

Whether it be with cold weather or being able to jump in cold oceans, lakes or pools easier. One example would be if you have kids. As you know, they are crazy and cold water doesn’t phase them. Now it won’t phase you either when they ask you to jump in with them.

As most of you probably already know, it keeps skin and hair healthy:

In this case old water does not act like hot, so it will not dry out your skin. It will actually help prevent that from happening. It also closes up your pores therefore your hair and skin are better able to protect itself from any harmful substances and from obtaining things like acne. It also makes your hair shiny, soft and sleek and your skin from becoming oily through perspiration. In addition, since the cold water also makes blood vessels constrict, it can reduce dark circles under the eyes causing the skin to look much clearer.

Here are some more benefits that cold water is believed to have:

• Whoever you live with will love you for your shorter showers and less $$$ being spent on your bills
• Less chlorine is inhaled through steam because less is made with cold shower
• Increases fertility in men
• Considered to be an anti-aging secret for keeping your skin looking great as mentioned above
• Has an anti-depressant effect on your mood
• Balances the autonomic nervous system
• Promotes growth and repair of the circulatory system
• Contributes to your longevity
• Strengthens the immune system

How to take them, tips from experience, and things to take into consideration and look out for when starting:

Note: You need to know what I mean by hot and cold. Hot temperatures range from 95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold temperature ranges from 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. When first starting cold showers, start with the water warm or hot for at least 2-3 minutes. Hit your hair head, upper back and everywhere else on your body with water, then switch to cold for 30 seconds to two minutes. From here you can work your way up alternating back and forth between hot and cold. Quick tip: Use not so drastic changes in temperature if you need to as you are just starting to get used to the cold.

2. As you can better handle the water, work up to a longer “cold portion” (I like around 10 minutes) and or make the cold portion colder. Never go over above 10-30 minutes long unless you are 100% sure you are healthy enough to do so. After this much time it could start to become “stressful” on your body.

3. Ask your Doctor if cold showers are okay for you to take. Especially if you have any type of medical condition, happen to be underweight, are pregnant, or have an acute or even chronic injury etc. Make sure you look over all the indications and contraindications even if you are healthy.

4. Use your own judgement on whether you think cold or alternating between hot and cold showers make you feel phenomenal like it does myself.

5. Also take into consideration starting with cold water directly after a training session can definitely cause some people to have muscle cramps even though I myself have yet to experience this.

6. You need to do this for at least 4 weeks consistently, otherwise it will just be another 1-2 week thing you say is either too hard to do or doesn’t work. Give it chance if you’re healthy enough to do so. You won’t regret it.

7. Mark off on a calender days 1-28 or however long the month is: This will keep you reliable and so you won’t lose track of where you’re at.

8. Don’t wait to start cold showers in the winter. Even though I still recommend cold showers in winter (they can help strengthen immunity) I don’t recommend starting them at this time. You will make the experience twice as hard if so.

9.) Small steps lead to big changes: If youhop right into 10 minutes of a cold shower for the first time I can almost guarantee you quit taking them in the long run. Taking small steps like increasing either the length of the cold, or decreasing the temperature by a LITTLE bit more each time leads to BIG changes. Don’t increase the intensity (how cold the water is) and duration (how long the shower is) at the same time. Even though an all out attack to the cold works for some, just like dieting or training for something, small steps STICK, and work best for most people in the long run.

Note: You will also most likely have “good” cold shower days and “bad” cold shower days in the beginning as well. Don’t let this be a reason you “give up”.

Being brutally honest, cold showers are terrible at first. I personally was losing my breath when I first started taking them consistently. And even though I do not believe enough research has been conducted to say whether cold, or alternating hot/cold showers prove most of the above benefits to be true, what I do know about cold showers is now that I take them consistently I feel INCREDIBLE! So have others I know that have experimented with this.

In the end my main point of this post was to provide you with another “tool” for recovery, feeling better, fat loss and more. Be your own judge and see if you feel better after a couple weeks of doing this.

I am NOT a huge fan of supplements. I rarely venture outside of good quality protein powders, omega 3’s, and vitamin D supplementation. My beliefs are based upon the idea that solid, healthy foods are what make a solid, healthy body. Saying this there does come come a time and place where they can be very beneficial, especially on a fat loss plan.

In order to take supplements there should be prerequisites a majority of the time. If you are just starting an exercise or nutrition program it does not give you a reason to start wolfing down poor supplement choices like Hyroxycut or Weight Gainer 2000. This post will not be about these mainstream fat loss or muscle building supplements that get all the attention these days. It will be about natural herbs and supplements that aid in fat loss and help complete a healthy lifestyle while fighting some common health problems and diseases.

When starting a fat loss plan, there are major problems that could affect your results. For example, things most people have no idea about that could be holding them back from reaching there full potential body fat levels include control of…

• Inflammation
• Thyroid
• Stress
• Gut and Liver health
• Appetite
• Etc. etc. etc.

You will notice below I listed the natural herbs and supplements that research and real life experience suggests help control these types of problems. Saying this I am not guaranteeing anything. Also take note that everyone is different and responds differently to almost anything and everything in all aspects of life.

Note: Before you start a new nutrition or supplementation program you should always consult with your current health care provider beforehand.

TO HELP CONTROL APPETITE

Another Note: Many of these supplements have a carryover to other categories. Meaning they have multiple benefits. For example green tea can control appetite, reduce stress and inflammation, and has been shown to reduce liver and heart disease. Its probably my favorite appetite suppressor though.

Alpha-lipoic-acid: If you are on a fat loss program and have problems with appetite control this supplement is a great choice. Alpha-Lipoic-Acid is a powerful antioxidant and metabolic booster that improves glucose metabolism and suppresses appetite.

PGX (PolyGLycopleX) or knojac root fiber: Being another appetite suppressor, this superfiber is five times more powerful than Psyllium in lowering cholesterol, and has special fibers that absorb sugar, fat, and water in the gut.

Green Tea: Like I mentioned above this green tea contains polyphenols,  a type of flavenoid including epigallactocatechins (EGCG) that boosts liver detoxification, reduces cholesterol and oxidative stress, helps prevent cancer and heart disease and reduces inflammation. But from personal experience, this is an incredible drink that seems to keep hunger at bay for mostly every single one of my clients. Plain that is.

TO HELP COPE WITH STRESS

5 Hydroxytryptophan (5HTP): This is the precursor to serotonin. People deficient in serotonin usually show symptoms of depression, anxiety, and increases in appetite. It is seen that most people who’s serotonin levels fall get more carbohydrate cravings. Taking this supplement may help bring serotonin levels back up reducing these symptoms.

Ginseng: Chinese or Korean (panax ginseng) or American (Panax quinquelfolius) will do. Evidence shows ginseng may help with regulating insulin, blood sugar, and your ability to cope with stress.

TO HELP REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Turmeric: This is a spice that can be very effective for fighting oxidative stress and inflammation. I love to include this yellow spice as a dry rub for chicken or even in omelets. Seriously give it a shot.

Capsaicin: This is a chemical compound that produces a sensation of heat. It’s an extract of cayenne pepper. Its been shown to control blood sugar, manage cholesterol and blood pressure, but is often used as a tropical pain killer for arthritis and fibromyalgia.

HELP DETOXIFY YOUR BODY

For those of you that think nothing of detoxification, this will help get rid of toxins which is a huge component of a healthy metabolism. Every single peroson no matter where you work, who you are, and what you do is exposed to toxic chemicals and contain them or residues of metal in your tissues.

Quercitin: This is a bioflavonoid from fruit, onions and garlic that prevents the release of histamine that can help with environmental and food hypersensitivities and allergies.

Cocoa: I personally do not believe in store bought dark chocolate as it is definitely an excuse to eat junk food. The good thing is, unsweetened natural cocoa is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which rev up your metabolism and help with natural detoxification of the body.

There a tons of other herbs and supplements that could help with these issues, but I am definitely NOT  SAYING supplements are the cure. A proper training program, nutritional habits, sleep patterns, and living a happy life by far outweigh any supplement you could ever take. These are just a couple remedies that can really help some people while on a fat loss plan. If you are interested in any of the ones I listed above please consult with your current health care provider first, as always. After writing that last sentence, I am 100% going to be writing an article on “natural remedies for fat loss, inflammation, stress, appetite suppression and more in the future. Hope you learned something!

This is why I LOVE my job!

This was one of my email “check ins” on Saturday of this week. I asked one of my new clients Wendy if I could post this:) As you can tell she SUPER pumped about her results. A little background info on why…

Cutting straight to the point, Wendy is a healthy individual who has seen dieticians, trainers and is also a very disciplined person who competes in all sorts of events like Triatholons and Tough Mudder year around.

Sure they all helped at first, and no doubt the training shes doing has been helping her performance, but nothing could get her to hit her physique goal, or to break that fat loss plateau she desired.

Enjoy reading the email below, and remind yourself how exciting it is to be the seeing and feeling fitness results. I get emails like this each week and may have to start sharing more of them if my client’s don’t mind:)

I hope this serves as a tool of motivation for all of you out there looking for some whether it be before or after the Super Bowl! Read on to see what I’m talking about.

To: “rivelli.justin@yahoo.com“
Sent: Saturday, February 4, 2012 7:00 PM
Subject: checking in

My clients will attest and be glad to say that they get leaner than anyone else they come across WITHOUT or with very little cardio. I know what all of you are saying right now because trust me I hear the same thing over and over again every single day. “No Justin, but I HAVE to do cardio or else I’ll get huge. But I’m different, my body type needs cardio.  There is no other way but cardio every day”

The Problem:

If you’re the average person doing “cardio training” everyday to MAINTAIN the physique you have now, honestly assess your situation. Are you really noticing changes from all that work? Have weeks or months gone by without any noticeable difference? If your goal is to drop your body fat %, in a couple months you should see a DRAMATIC difference. If you’re not that is unfair to all of you and or you may be suffering from metabolic damage.

The Solution:

The way I do things is pretty simple and common sense for most. I’ll start you off with more food and less cardio at first. Why? Think about it…

If you go to a trainer and or you yourself or start your training system for fat loss off with a lot of cardio there is something wrong. This is because when you stop getting leaner you may have to add on even more cardio. On top of that, if you start off with very little food and you stop losing fat, how do you break the fat loss plateau? In both these situations you are causing metabolic damage (decreasing your metabolsim) and in the long run your fat loss journey is going to suck.

From personal “in the trenches” experience I notice steady state cardio even increases appetite. If you would like to know more look at my article “What Type of Cardio Works Best?”

Make it simple. If your goal is to get “toned” “ripped” “shredded” or just drop some fat to look better, start your training program off with little to NO cardio, and with the maximum amount of food you can to lose fat. In the end you want lose weight with as little “effort” as possible.

My End Quote: Cardio for fat loss is like poker. Don’t go all in at the beginning of the game, save some “trick cards” (more cardio and food to spare) up your sleeve. It’s a game you can rarely win if you don’t play your cards right.

At work this week, I have been asked about ways to decrease an appetite. So for today, I wrote up a conventional list on how to suppress your food cravings. Here they are…

1.) Stop eating foods you personally don’t digest well but you crave. One example is most wheat bread if and only if you have a gluten intolerance. Stop cold turkey for 2 to 3 weeks and you will be amazed how much you don’t need it. Instead replace it with another complex carbohydrate like quinoa. You will get over it with time.

2.) Get food out of your site: Stop looking or fantasizing about that cheesecake factory dessert. Just seeing food makes you want it.

3.) Plain green tea and lemon water: Besides all the health benefits, and fat burning properties these drinks have, I noticed clients who consume 1 to 8 cups a day say this helps a LOT.

4.) Cut the crap. There is absolutely no room for extra sugar of processed food here. They make you almost feel addicted and dependent on them until you steer away. Cereals, granola bars, and flavored drinks are all out.

5.) Exercise more, and make sure you consume a proper breakfast: Enough said. Eat proteins and healthy fats at this so you don’t get super cravings later on.

6.) Don’t get bored and stay out of the kitchen: Just wandering around or sitting down makes you think of nothing to do but eat. Keep busy and you will notice you don’t think about food as much.

7.) Drink more water: Think you drink a lot of water. Most people who come to me thinking they do, don’t. Increase your overall volume of water intake and you will be pleasantly surprised hunger wise.

8.) Sleep more: Clients who sleep more are usually in a better mood and have an easier time while eating clean. I won’t get into the hormones like serotonin and leptin for the purpose of this article.

9.) Look at pictures of a body you don’t admire or of ones you don’t like of yourself. Or do the opposite and look at pictures of people who have the body you desire, or where you do like yourself. Everyone has a different image that triggers motivation to fat loss.

10.) Eat more green vegetables: Full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Enough said.

11.) Increase your protein intake: It should come from things free range organic animal products like eggs, chicken, and fish.

12.) Have a cheat meal: Again I won’t get into the hormones that are affected. I will just tell you your glycogen stores are refilled, and you may have a better day in the gym the next day. They will give you something to look forward to when cravings are uncontrollable. Keep it within 1 hour long. Sometimes they make my clients feel guilty and stay strict throughout the rest of the week. It also gives most a mental break when first starting.

13.) Increase your healthy fats if your plan calls for it: Have an extra 1 to 2 tbsp a day of coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, or extra virgin olive oil a day.

14.) The incredible edible egg: I also notice a free range organic egg helps a TON with people following a lower carbohydrate, or actually any type of nutrition program.

15.) Spice up your life: Don’t be afraid of hot seasonings. cayenne pepper, chili peppers, jalapenos, habaneros and more. Why not reduce cravings, increase your body temperature, and speed up your fat loss in the process!

16.) Use cinnamon. Put it on oatmeal, in shakes, on sweet potatoes and more. Not cinnamon sugar, ground cinnamon.

17.) Make sure you eat a variety of foods and are getting enough vitamins and minerals: Lacking in one of these could cause hunger to arise because your body is looking for that nutrient.

18.) KEEP READING MY ARTICLES: Funny eh? At least it makes you think to yourself, what is wrong with this kid who non-stop babbles on about random topics I could care less about?I will also be coming out with much more info in the future. 

Is fat loss better at a low intensity for a longer duration or at high intensity for a shorter amount of time?

I’ll make this one short and sweet! But I will explain this debate through some science, statistics, the uncountable results I have seen, and experience with myself and most of my clients. Yes each style has its place and there is huge controversy on the subject, but what have I personally seen to be most beneficial? Toward the end of this, I’ll also explain some cool facts I learned through experience with clients you probably don’t know!

The Quick Truth and Science:

You hear it in the media, on the news, and in gyms all over. 60 to 90 minutes of cardio a day burns more fat. Yes, there is a greater utilization of fat at a lower intensity because of the oxygen available, but overall do you burn as many calories? You guessed it. NO!

But anyways, let’s look at carbohydrate and fat usage during exercise.

According to the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association…

1.)    Training at more than 85% of your VO2 max (high intensity)

• Muscle Glycogen is the most used energy source
• Fat utilization is less than 25%

2.)    Training at 65% of your VO2 max (moderate intensity)

• Fat and Carbohydrate use is approximately the same

3.)    Training at 25% of your VO2 max  (Low intensity)

• Less than 20% from carbohydrate and 80% from fat

Now looking at this you might think, I’m going lower intensity all the way. But that should NOT be your answer. Like I said above, if fat loss is your goal, even though you burn more fat calories at a lower intensity, you burn less overall calories.  Simply stated, you have a greater EPOC effect (calories you burn after exercise) with high intensity exercise. It is not about whether you burn more fats or carbohydrates, it’s about the total energy deficit you create.

I am not saying both types do not have their place, but for extreme fat loss, preparing for Bodybuilding, Bikini, or Figure competitions, athletes, and just any general population client I have, high intensity training ALWAYS blows away steady state when it comes to real experience!

AWESOME FACTS you probably don’t know about my clients experience with HIIT compared to low intensity or steady state training

1.)    Appetite is suppressed and goes down dramatically with high intensity training but with lower intensity exercise appetite seems to go up!

2.)     Belly fat measurements, and girth measurements seem to go down in the right places with HIIT. YES MEANING YOUR BELLY! Whereas with lower intensity, the fat loss around the belly is measurably and cosmetically LESS noticeable in comparison!

3.)    The people who are able to do HIIT, enjoy it a LOT MORE, are the ones who usually have played sports most of their life, and usually get stronger in other strength training exercises in the gym as well!

4.)    Steady state cardio is recommended by me to people who cannot perform high intensity. You can add in higher intensity mechanisms as you progress.

If you want to spend 20 to 30 minutes in the gym instead of 60 to 90 minutes with better results, then work hard (85% of your VO2 max or more), push yourself, and get at it!

Okay everybody, I am fed up. Not with you, it’s not your fault. But please stop believing everything you see on TV, in the news etc. about healthy food choices.

You probably have no idea how many questions a day I get asking, is “this” good for me? Is “this” bad? Yea but “this” was on TV and it said it was healthy.

My take on this in short is…

1. If you have to ask if a food is bad for you or causes fat gain, it probably is or does!
2. If it has 100 things you don’t understand on the ingredient list, stay away. Why put something in your body when you have no idea how it effects you? You wouldn’t with your car would you?
3. If it isn’t a whole, natural, unprocessed food and tastes sweet, you better pay look at the ingredient list. Did you know studies show people spend more time looking at the nutrition facts and ingredients in the dog food isle than in out human food supply?

Here is a list of foods I found in a client’s house, that I am currently transforming! She now knows better!

Nutri-Grain bars: Just one granola bar has a crazy 13g of sugar! Please tell me you  are at least aware of this! Well now you know it has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup on the ingredient list!

Raisin Bran (not even the crunch kind): Healthy, really? 18g of sugar, with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup on the ingredient list.

Honey Nut Cheerios: 10g of sugar with sugar, and brown sugar syrup in the ingredients!

Nature Valley 100% Natural Trail Mix Bars: 13g of Sugar. High maltose corn syrup, sugar, and fructose on the ingredient list.

This is the TRUTH I am not trying to keep you away from foods that taste good, but to get you the best results. There are plenty of other better options as I show you in my article avoid these healthy “healthy” foods for unwanted fat gain #2 here. If you have any of these at home your best bet is to choose many other foods. As always keep checking back for some healthy alternatives that actually fuel fat loss.