3 Proven Ways to Lose Weight

The clients I choose to work with are not impressed with “quick fix” weight loss programs….for good reason….they’ve tried them, and they’ve realized what 97% of participants realize….that meal replacement, calorie restriction diets don’t work in the long run!

So where can you go to find proven, effective weight loss strategies that will help you not only lose weight, but keep it off for good?

I suggest the National Weight Control Registry. The National Weight Control Registry is a database of people who have lost over 30 pounds and have managed to keep that weight of for over 5 years. Now that’s what I call success!

So what are these people doing that allows them to reach and maintain their weight loss goals?

Here are 3 things that just about all of them have done:

1) They eat 5-6 small meals a day.
2) They keep a food journal.
3) They exercise regularly.

Let’s talk about each one of these proven, effective weight loss strategies and why they work so well.

1) Eating small, frequent meals keeps your metabolism working at its best. If you go a long time without eating food your body goes into a kind of “starvation mode.” You start to burn calories more slowly because your body is trying to conserve energy. It doesn’t know that you have a refrigerator full of food! It actually thinks that you may have to go days before you get your next meal!

On the other side of the coin….eating a big meal also compromises your metabolism. Have you ever experienced the “food coma” before? When you eat a huge meal….especially a meal loaded with high-glycemic carbohydrates….your blood sugar spikes, you feel tired, and your body says to itself, “Give me a break! You’re not going to use all of these calories for energy! I’m going to store them as fat!”

2) Keeping a food journal does something very important…it holds you accountable to yourself. So many times clients have said to me, “I would have eaten a brownie instead of that apple, but I knew I would have to write it down!” It’s funny how it works, but it’s true! Keeping a food journal is one of the most effective weight loss strategies out there!

3) Its no secret that exercising is an important part of any weight loss program. This has been proven time and time again. If anyone tells you differently, they are either lying to you or trying to sell you something. But why is exercise so important? There are 2 reasons:

First, the more obvious reason; exercise burns calories. Second, exercise builds muscle mass, which burns calories even when you’re not exercising!

In my opinion, building muscle is one of the most misunderstood, yet most effective weight loss strategies out there. If you’re only focused on the scale, you are forgetting about one of the most important weight loss factors….your muscles, which ironically, weight twice as much as body fat.

So pump some iron, keep a journal, and eat a lot of small, healthy meals. These are proven, effective weight loss strategies that have helped so many people, and they’ll help you too!

5 Reasons you Can’t Lose Weight

Cut out those unnecessary fats and sugars

If you’re like most of us who have struggled with your weight loss you probably feel fatter than you were when you first started! There’s a reason for that….it’s because you are! No offense, but if you’re like many Americans, your metabolism is in lousy shape! Here are some of the reasons why:

1) Yo-yo dieting — When you lose a lot of weight quickly you’re typically losing a lot of lean muscle rather than body fat. Muscle burns calories even when you’re not exercising, while fat is nothing more than “dead weight.” This slows your metabolism, causing you to store more of the food you eat as body fat. Not only that, if you ever start eating a normal amount of food again…..forget about it! You just bought yourself a ticket to “fat storage city!”

2) Crash dieting — You know those diets that tell you to “drink a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and eat a reasonable dinner?” It is not at all uncommon for people to lose a lot of weight initially, when they go on these diets. But did you know that 95% of these people gain the weight back after a year and 97% gain the weight back after two years!!* Talk about yo-yo dieting!

3) Sedentary lifestyle — If you’re not using energy your body knows it! Your body says, “Give me a break! You’re not going use the food you just ate for energy!” Instead of sending those calories (energy) to your muscles where they can be used, it will store them as fat! This doesn’t mean you have to spend 3 hours a day at the gym…just go for a walk after dinner!

4) Eating garbage — Many of the foods we eat are loaded with chemicals, saturated fats, sugars, and high glycemic carbohydrates (foods that cause our blood sugars to rise quickly). None of these are good for us! Believe it or not, by substituting a few of the foods we eat with healthier foods, we can really start chipping away at that unwanted body fat!

5) Chronic stress — When you get stressed out your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, causing it to release a bunch of glucose (sugar) into the blood stream for an immediate burst of energy. Since you’re probably not trying to run away from a lion, or kill a gorilla with your bare hands, your body is not going to use that glucose for energy. Guess what it’s going to do?…That’s right…store it as fat! So next time you start to feel stressed out take a few deep breaths or go for a walk.

With all these calorie restriction diets, sugary foods, and sit down jobs, many of us have become “metabolically challenged” over the years. Don’t worry! If you can put an end to these trends, you’ll be on your way to getting your metabolism working again so you can finally lose weight and keep it off!

*Tsai AG, Wadden TA. Systematic review: An evaluation of major commercial weight loss programs in the United States. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:55-56

Calorie Wars

 Many experts say “a calorie is a calorie.” In other words as long as you burn more calories than you eat, you’ll lose weight. Likewise, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Although this may be true technically, I think this way of thinking is foolish. That’s right….I said it!…Not all calories are created equal!

 Juice vs. Fruit
 Apple juice is a classic juice you will find in just about any grocery store. It taste pretty good and people think of it as a healthy alternative to soda. After all, it’s real juice….not just some “juice drink” loaded up with sugar. That being said, a 16 ounce glass contains 234 calories and 224 of those calories come directly from sugar.
 Let’s compare that large glass of apple juice to eating apples and drinking a large glass of water. If you were to eat 3 medium sized apples you would consume 216 calories, and those calories would be loaded with nutrients, including over 10 grams of healthy, dietary fiber! So what do you think will fill you up for longer? That glass of apple juice, or those 3 apples?
 Winner…..Apples!

 French Fries vs. Salad
 Every time you walk into McDonald’s and order a cheese burger they serve it with fries. Not only that, they give you the opportunity to “supersize it” for just a few cents extra! It’s a deal that’s tough to pass up. Those supersized fries contain 610 calories, and 261 of them come from fat.
 Let’s compare that to a healthy salad. You would have to eat over 27 cups of salad to consume the same amount of calories. That’s almost 2 gallons of salad! If you ate that much salad your body would have enough nutrients for a week!
 I know what you’re probably thinking. “What about the salad dressing?” OK…Toss that salad up with some extra virgin olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, and a few of your favorite spices….and maybe cut it down to 21 cups!
 Winner….Salad!

 So if you think you can get all the energy you need from a glass of juice and a big bag or fries, then maybe you’re right…a calorie is a calorie. But as far as I’m concerned, the type of calorie is much more important.

5 Reasons People can’t Lose Weight and Keep it off

If you’re like most of us who have struggled with your weight loss you probably feel fatter than you were when you first started! There’s a reason for that….it’s because you are! No offense, but if you’re like many Americans, your metabolism is in lousy shape! Here are some of the reasons why:

1) Yo-yo dieting — When you lose a lot of weight quickly you’re typically losing a lot of lean muscle rather than body fat. Muscle burns calories even when you’re not exercising, while fat is nothing more than “dead weight.” This slows your metabolism, causing you to store more of the food you eat as body fat. Not only that, if you ever start eating a normal amount of food again…..forget about it! You just bought yourself a ticket to “fat storage city!”

2) Crash dieting — You know those diets that tell you to “drink a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and eat a reasonable dinner?” It is not at all uncommon for people to lose a lot of weight initially, when they go on these diets. But did you know that 95% of these people gain the weight back after a year and 97% gain the weight back after two years!!* Talk about yo-yo dieting!

3) Sedentary lifestyle — If you’re not using energy your body knows it! Your body says, “Give me a break! You’re not going use the food you just ate for energy!” Instead of sending those calories (energy) to your muscles where they can be used, it will store them as fat! This doesn’t mean you have to spend 3 hours a day at the gym…just go for a walk after dinner!

4) Eating garbage — Many of the foods we eat are loaded with chemicals, saturated fats, sugars, and high glycemic carbohydrates (foods that cause our blood sugars to rise quickly). None of these are good for us! Believe it or not, by substituting a few of the foods we eat with healthier foods, we can really start chipping away at that unwanted body fat!

5) Chronic stress — When you get stressed out your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, causing it to release a bunch of glucose (sugar) into the blood stream for an immediate burst of energy. Since you’re probably not trying to run away from a lion, or kill a gorilla with your bare hands, your body is not going to use that glucose for energy. Guess what it’s going to do?…That’s right…store it as fat! So next time you start to feel stressed out take a few deep breaths or go for a walk.

With all these calorie restriction diets, sugary foods, and sit down jobs, many of us have become “metabolically challenged” over the years. Don’t worry! If you can put an end to these trends, you’ll be on your way to getting your metabolism working again so you can finally lose weight and keep it off!

*Tsai AG, Wadden TA. Systematic review: An evaluation of major commercial weight loss programs in the United States. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:55-56

3 Proven Ways to Lose Weight

The clients I choose to work with are not impressed with “quick fix” weight loss programs….for good reason….they’ve tried them, and they’ve realized what 97% of participants realize….that meal replacement, calorie restriction diets don’t work in the long run!

So where can you go to find proven, effective weight loss strategies that will help you not only lose weight, but keep it off for good?

I suggest the National Weight Control Registry. The National Weight Control Registry is a database of people who have lost over 30 pounds and have managed to keep that weight of for over 5 years. Now that’s what I call success!

So what are these people doing that allows them to reach and maintain their weight loss goals?

Here are 3 things that just about all of them have done:

1) They eat 5-6 small meals a day.
2) They keep a food journal.
3) They exercise regularly.

Let’s talk about each one of these proven, effective weight loss strategies and why they work so well.

1) Eating small, frequent meals keeps your metabolism working at its best. If you go a long time without eating food your body goes into a kind of “starvation mode.” You start to burn calories more slowly because your body is trying to conserve energy. It doesn’t know that you have a refrigerator full of food! It actually thinks that you may have to go days before you get your next meal!

On the other side of the coin….eating a big meal also compromises your metabolism. Have you ever experienced the “food coma” before? When you eat a huge meal….especially a meal loaded with high-glycemic carbohydrates….your blood sugar spikes, you feel tired, and your body says to itself, “Give me a break! You’re not going to use all of these calories for energy! I’m going to store them as fat!”

2) Keeping a food journal does something very important…it holds you accountable to yourself. So many times clients have said to me, “I would have eaten a brownie instead of that apple, but I knew I would have to write it down!” It’s funny how it works, but it’s true! Keeping a food journal is one of the most effective weight loss strategies out there!

3) Its no secret that exercising is an important part of any weight loss program. This has been proven time and time again. If anyone tells you differently, they are either lying to you or trying to sell you something. But why is exercise so important? There are 2 reasons:

First, the more obvious reason; exercise burns calories. Second, exercise builds muscle mass, which burns calories even when you’re not exercising!

In my opinion, building muscle is one of the most misunderstood, yet most effective weight loss strategies out there. If you’re only focused on the scale, you are forgetting about one of the most important weight loss factors….your muscles, which ironically, weight twice as much as body fat.

So pump some iron, keep a journal, and eat a lot of small, healthy meals. These are proven, effective weight loss strategies that have helped so many people, and they’ll help you too!

Why is our program the best?

Ever since we announced our new program everyone has been asking us, “What makes your weight loss program the best?”

So here it is:

With our new program, We are officially waging WAR on the quick-fix, yo-yo diet culture that many of you have been seduced by in the past!

Absolutely EVERYTHING we do is consistent with long term, permanent weight loss!

- We focus ALL of our efforts on losing body fat and we preserve 100% of our lean, metabolism-boosting muscle!

- We help you to develop SUSTAINABLE eating and exercise habits!….Helping you to develop a healthy routine that you’ll be happy to stick with for a lifetime.

- We help you to GET YOUR METABOLISM BACK, so you’ll be burning fat 24 hours a day!

- The entire program is taught in a managable, step-by-step system. Each week has a specific goal so you won’t get overwhelmed and you can STICK WITH IT!

- We make a LIFETIME commitment to you by giving you UNLIMITED access to all of our systems and weekly coaching calls!

So there it is…If you want to continue to be overweight while living on diet cokes and slim-fast shakes, our program’s probably not for you….But if you’re looking to shed that extra body fat and keep it off forever, give us a ring!

Weight Loss Tip of the Week – Hold Yourself Accountable

Sure your serious about your weight loss goals! You ate a salad with dinner and you had an apple for dessert…but what about that bag of chips and those bon bons you ate as soon as you got home from work? Oh yeah, you forgot about those!

If you’re not holding yourself accountable it’s very easy to slide off the weight loss wagon. Here are 3 ways that you can hold yourself accountable. I suggest doing at least 1, but ideally all 3 of these things if you are serious about your weight loss goals:

1) Keep a food journal. This means that you write down everything you eat. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just keep an 8×5 notepad in your pocket or in your pocketbook. You’ll be amazed how well you eat when you know that you’ll have to write it down.

2) Get a weight-loss coach. Someone who can support you, hold you accountable, and give you advice on how you can change your eating habits and lifestyle to better achieve your goals. How do I know so much about weight loss coaches?…Because I am one! haha!

3) Get a weight-loss buddy. A weight loss buddy is someone who has similar weight loss goals, or someone who is very supportive of your goals. This should be someone who you can trust, who is never going to grow tired of you talking about your weight loss challenges, because believe me….there will be challenges!

How to Handle Thanksgiving

If you’re like most of us, there’s one day a year when you eat more food than the average grizzly bear eats in a week…and that day is Thanksgiving!

It’s a real conflict of interests…you want to eat all the food that everyone’s worked so hard to prepare, but you still want to be able to fit in your car for the ride home. So what do you do?

Here are some tips I have for people who want to survive Thanksgiving without throwing their weight loss goals out the window:

1) Don’t arrive starving. I’m not saying you should eat a huge breakfast, but eat something so you don’t lose your cool when you see all that food in front of you.

2) Take a look at all the food, put all of your favorite things on one, perfect plate…eat it slow, and enjoy it!

3) When it comes to dessert, go with a small portion.

4) Have a “buddy”…someone else who has a weight loss goal, who you will “report back to” on Friday. It’s best if that buddy is eating dinner with you, but even if their not, having a buddy will do wonders.

5) Don’t snack on junk food. Next to every bowl of chips there’s usually a fruit or vegetable platter.

At the end of the day, that’s all it is…one day! Try to do your best, but even if you fall off the wagon, you can always jump back on that wagon Friday. Just make sure you don’t turn a 1 day binge into a 2 day, or even a 2 month binge!

Weight Loss Tip of the Week — Change Your Body Composition

Change your body composition? What’s that mean?

If your asking these questions, you’re not alone. So many of us have gone on diet after diet, obsessing about how much weight we lost this day or that day, yet we’ve never even heard the term body composition!

Changing your body composition is the single biggest secret to losing weight and keeping it off!

Your body composition is how much lean muscle you have in your body compared to how much body fat you have. You see, muscle is active, it burns calories even when you’re not exercising. Fat, on the other hand, is nothing more than dead weight that you carry around.

Unfortunately, when we go on diets and obsess about losing weight, we often end up losing lean muscle mass rather than body fat. This slows down our metabolism, causes us to gain the weight back, and makes it even harder on us the next time we try to lose weight. That’s why so many of us are fatter than we were the first time we decided to go on a diet!

There are two things you can do immediately to change your body composition:

1) Don’t focus on cutting calories or “counting points.” Instead, focus on more eating healthy foods like baked chicken and fish, beans, lentils, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.

2) Do some strength building exercises two days a week. Some push-ups, stomach crunches, and body weight squats would be a great start. Once you get going, pick up a couple of exercise bands and watch the instructional video to add some more exercises to your repertoire.

And for goodness sake….stop living and dying by the scale! You want to burn the fat, but you want to build muscle!