Let me give you a simple and proven way to lose fat (notice I said simple, not easy). We just need a simple switch in your diet without cutting a single calorie!

1 Day Challenge:

1. Starting first thing in the morning record everything you eat or drink using a program like MyFitnessPal or writing it down in a notebook.

2. Take note of your carbohydrates on the nutrition label: Below “Carbohydrates” there will be grams of sugar and/or grams of fiber.

3. Record how many grams of Total Carbohydrates, Fiber, and Sugar you have for that day. (We are assuming this is a typical day)

4. At the end of the day take a look at how the 3 stack up.

5. Do you have more than twice as many grams of sugar than fiber? & Does the majority of your carboydrates come from sugar?

Fix it: Lose body fat by switching sugars with fiber. So, if on your 1 day journal you had 70 grams of sugar and 10 grams of fiber start to replace those sugary food sources with more fiberous ones. It takes practice but continue dropping 10 grams of sugar each day and replacing it with 5-10 grams of fiber from whole food sources high in fiber. Keep adjusting until you have half as many grams as fiber as you do sugar each day (i. e. Fiber 25g, Sugar 40g). Enjoy feeling fuller all day and your speedy fat loss.

Foods High in Fiber

I will share one thing that gets under my skin. When we don’t pick our battles. This is in regards to many aspects of diet and exercise, especially when it comes to fat loss. Let me give you some examples of poor “battle picking” in the form of conversations with clients of mine.

Client: ” I need to lose fat. I’m on a diet and I’ve switched my morning coffee from cream and sugar to skim and Splenda”.

Me: “That’s a good start. How was your weekend?”

Client: “Oh man, I got wasted at the bar and ate an entire bag of Doritos when I got home”

This is a small and typical example. People are worried about how to take their coffee because they are “extremely frustrated” with their fat loss, then each weekend it’s back to pigging out on things they KNOW are not good. This is not a matter of miseducation.  Start with the few changes that give you the largest impact on fat loss.  The difference between cream and skim milk does not turn someone over weight into a fitness model. Remove the worst things first. Don’t get caught up in all these little things when the problem is staring you in the face.

The same goes with exercise. People demand to know what the most efficient workout is. They’ll say something like, “I need a great program that will tone my arms and drop fat off my waist”.  I’ll take the time to create a great program for them only to find them snoozing on the elliptical twice per week from that point on.

Before looking outward for all the answers you think you’re missing, take a good look at yourself and your current mistakes. Indentify your level of motivation and ability to form good habits. Do not wear yourself out researching the small things. Learn to pick your battles…

“Thinking the problem is ‘out there’, is the problem” -Stephen Covey

-Josh

TRX Suspension Trainer

TRX Rip Trainer

Who: My TRX and bootcamp style outdoor training can be modified or advanced for seniors, elite athletes, beginners, and even those rehabbing from injury. Want your friends to join? Lessons range from 1-on-1 to small groups of 3.

Where: All around Boston (most are done in the Fenway and Brookline neighborhoods).

When: Mornings, afternoons, evenings & weekends! Outdoor training starts April 1st.

Why: Bathing suit season is almost here!!!

Contact me for pricing and to reserve your spot: JoshGould@ExerciseExpertise.net

The benefits of strength training and aerobic activity have been well documented. In one very interesting study involving the use of both (strength and aerobic training) and pregnant mothers found a decrease in cesarean sections required during pregnancy. The combination of strength training and aerobic activity seems to be the key. We have yet to find many benefits of strength training on its own. (Hall DC, Kaufmann DA. Effects of Aerobic and Strength Conditioning on Pregnancy Outcomes. Am J Ostet Gynecol. 187;157(5): 1199-203.)

Is exercise during pregnancy healthy for you? Take this Free questionnaire to find out and be sure to read its tips and guidelines.

http://www.csep.ca/cmfiles/publications/parq/parmed-xpreg.pdf

-Josh

For those of you attending the International Health Raquet & Sports Club Association Annual Convention and Expo March 14-17th, 2012 in Los Angeles, California here are the details of my presentation and panel discussion. I hope to see you there!

SESSION INFORMATION

Title: Understanding the Client to Improve Personal Training Sales
Date: Friday, March 16
Time: 10:00am-11:00am
Room: L.A. Convention Center | Room 408A

Title: Transitioning from Personal Trainer to Successful Business Entrepreneur
Date: Saturday, March 17
Time: 1:30m-2:30pm
Room: L.A. Convention Center | Room 403A
Additional Info: Moderator – Todd Durkin; Co-Panelists – Doug Balzarini and Isaiah
Truyman

Metabolism…. it is what keeps you overweight or helps you lose fat. You know having a healthy metabolism is important but what is metabolism?

Most people think that metabolism is the rate at which we burn calories. Close, but not true. Metabolism includes the processess your body uses to convert or use energy.

Let me explain some more.  The systems or processes I speak of include, digestion, breathing, building muscle, circulation, storage of fat, etc. The systems you use every minute of every hour you are alive! See it’s power now?

Those processes are broken down into two distinct types; “anabolic” reactions and “catabolic” reactions. What are those?

Anabolic refers to the building of cellular structures and the storage of energy (think building or adding to the body).

Catabolic refers to the break down of molecules for energy. These molecules would include blood sugars, fat cells and even muscle.

Now you know!!!

-Josh

The search for a fitter, healthier, skinnier, stronger, smarter,……..better you starts from within. Changing your inside will ultimately change your outside.

-Josh

Men’s Health- Madeline Haller

To see your abs, you don’t have to hide from Red Lobster. Individuals who ate out an average of 5.6 times per week still managed to lose weight without going on a calorie-restricted diet, reports a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. The study monitored the eating habits of 35 middle-age women for six weeks—19 who attended weekly sessions that taught them about mindful eating, and 16 who did not.

At the end of the six weeks, those in the invention group not only lost weight (3.7 pounds on average), they actually reduced their daily caloric intake by about 297 calories.

Leftovers Anyone? Ask for a to-go box as soon as the food is delivered. “We tend to eat more when we’re dining over good conversation, so to prevent overeating—just remove half from the plate,” says Timmerman. We typically eat what’s in front of us, so when you reach the end of your meal, the empty plate will serve as a visual cue you’re full (even if you only ate half the dinner), says Timmerman.

Slow Down. If you’re looking to limit your calories intake (and avoid completely grossing out your date), stop shoveling food into your mouth. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island found that those who eat slowly tend to consume fewer calories (and weigh less) than those who eat quickly. “Once you’ve packed up half of the meal in the to-go box, focus on enjoying the food that’s in front of you,” says Timmerman. This means smaller bites, chewing slower, and savoring the flavor. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register the stomach is full, so the slower you eat, the better bargain for your waistline.

Be Specific. A good way to skip out on unnecessary calories is by eliminating content you don’t really need. “When ordering your food, think to yourself, ‘Do I really need that cheese or mayo on my burger?’” says Timmerman. “That way, if you’re not particularly crazy about that item, you don’t miss out on much flavor and you eliminate calories.”

-Great points here:  take it home, take your time, cut out the extras. Dining out is just a part of our life. We don’t need to become a victim of it. Check out my related articles to beat the menu.

Dining Out Tips!

Menu Survival

Restaurant Survival: Italian   Mexican   Breakfast

It is no wonder that when people come to adopt a fat loss program/routine/intervention it’s all about MORE. More cardio, more spin classes, more salads, more, more more. Everything is additional to what we already do, which is too much in the first place. We love instant gratification. If I DO this…I GET that. In over our heads we load even more on the plate. For whatever reason saying NO…being passive…patient… just doesn’t work.

In my experience I find the opposite. I find that resolutions, goals, methods work more effectively when we declare to STOP doing something. Remove something, erase the negatives. Stop the cycle of adding things to your life. When you run out of energy and will power you’ll fail, again, at obtaining your long term goal. This time simplify and win. Save your focus, energy, wallet, time and health.

Exercise:

Before starting a new goal that is “additional” (i.e.. I will workout more) try to subtract a negative from your life (I will reduce cheese and mayo on my sandwich). After practicing your “reduction” method effectively you may then add an “additional” method.

Now you’ve just saved time, stress, and calories. Simple.

-Josh

Millions of Americans will once again take a swing at achieving their resolution. Millions of Americans will fail. Just take a look at your resolution from last year. These are the top 5 mistakes that will keep this year from being “the year…”.

1. Your Resolution is a “want” not a re(solution). Solutions have plans, “wants” are “wants”. Create a solution and get what you want.

2. You plan to do more but never STOP doing what keeps you from your goal. Repeated mistakes will keep you from reaching your goals so before vowing to take more action think about what mistakes you make in the first place.

3. The diet you started today should have started last night. If you don’t know what your next meal is you’re making a mistake.

4. Thinking this year you’ll magically have the willpower. Just because the calender changed doesn’t mean the person who has got out of bed for your entire life will magically be different.

5. Plans succeed, willpower fails. Life is tricky and beats down our willpower , so don’t rely on it. Stick to your plan, you have a plan….right?

-Josh