This is a guest post by Janette, a weight loss industry professional.

A well-balanced diet is an essential part of leading a healthy life. In order to have a good diet, one needs to include a variety of foods to ensure you are getting the nutrients that each food group has to offer. Healthy diets almost always contain fish, a protein food with fewer calories than other meat sources. In addition, many weight loss programs recommend increasing the amount of fish in your diet because it's lower in saturated fat than red meat. Fish contains healthy fats that will reduce your cholesterol and improve your health. Fish also contain Omega-3 fatty acids that help keep your heart healthy and fish have been shown to be an important part of healthy diets around the world.

HDL cholesterol is often called the good cholesterol, as it has been found to be protective of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, substituting fish for meat is one of the best dietary changes you can make for everyone in your family. The term "fatty fish" may sound unappealing, but actually fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout are full of Omega-3 fatty acids which are good fats, as opposed to the bad saturated fat you find in most meats. In fact, fish is the only food that directly supplies large amounts of the Omega-3s that have been shown to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke. Omega-3s may also help prevent certain cancers, cognitive decline, and eye disease. Just why it happens is still being studied, but the American Heart Association says research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids contribute to a decreased risk of sudden death and arrhythmia; decreased thrombosis (blood clots); and lower blood pressure. And Omega-3s also show promise for reducing the risk of dementia, arthritis, asthma and kidney disease. It’s clear why these fish should be a staple of everyone's heart-healthy diet.

Studies have shown that fish also alleviates other ailments like prostate cancer, depression and inflammation. A Swedish study shows that men who did not eat fish doubled their risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those that did. Fish also contains selenium, thought to have cancer-fighting properties. The omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish are believed to raise levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which aids in reducing depression and the omega 3s, also regulate the body's inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis and cystitis.

The facts are clear. If you want to be healthier, make sure you eat a lot of fish. So, the next time you're passing your local fish market, get out of the car and take home some fish…you'll live longer than those people who've driven by without stopping. Bake, poach, grill or steam your fish, but don't fry it. Both pan-frying and deep-frying fish can destroy those beneficial Omega-3s. So, cook the fish yourself at home, perhaps with some freshly squeezed lemon (and maybe even serve it with a bottle of white wine). Your body will thank you!

John says, "my kids loved baked salmon so I do get a chance to make that every once in a while, but my wife isn't a huge fish fan so that makes it harder. But I love a simple baked fish!"

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

The Dietary Benefits of Eating Fish

This is a guest post by Shaun Connell.

A pull up bar is an excellent purchase option for anyone looking to buy some home exercise equipment with a small budget and minimal work out space. A pull up bar can be purchased for as little as $30 and can be installed easily in your door frame. A great benefit of using a pull up bar for exercising is that several different exercises which focus on all areas of the body can be completed on the pull up bar and require little additional equipment to be purchased. This article focuses on several exercises which can be combined into a fully body workout.

The first exercise to be completed with the pull up bar is the standard pull up. To perform a pull up you will need to place your hands on the pull up bar, with your palms facing away. While hanging on the bar, allow yourself to lower and if necessary bend your knees so you are hanging freely by your arms from the bar. Once you arms are straightened, pull yourself up until your chin is at the same level as the bar, then lower yourself and repeat until you tire. If you would like to add resistance, you can add either ankle weights or a weight belt. A pull up is an excellent exercise and strengthens both your upper back muscles and your biceps. By alternating the locations of your hands on the pull up bar, you will work slightly different muscles in your back and arms and get an even better workout.

The next exercise to be completed with the pull up bar is the hanging hip raise. To perform a hanging hip raise, you will want to place your hands on the pull up bar, and allow yourself to hang freely with your arms straightened (similar to the first step of a pull up). For the hanging hip raise, instead of pulling yourself up with your arms, you will want to keep your legs together and raise your bended knees as high as you can. Then lower your legs and repeat until you tire. The hanging hip raise will exercise both your hips and your abdomen. To increase resistance, you can add ankle weights.

The next exercise which can be performed with the use of a pull up bar is a standing cable chest fly. To perform this exercise, you will need two resistance cables with hand grips. These cables can be purchased for less than $20 and can be found with a variety of resistance levels. To perform the cable chest fly, you will need to tie the end of the cables without the hand grip to the pull up bar. The cables should be tied at least a foot more than shoulder width apart.

Once the cables are installed, you will want to stand with your back to the pull up bar and with a cable grip in each hand. Then while leaning forward attempt to push your arms forward and extend the cables. Once your arms are extended, slowly bring your hands back, and then repeat until you tire. This exercise will strengthen your back and pectoral muscles. This exercise can't be used with a doorway chin up bar, of course.

The last exercise which can be completed with a pull up bar is vertical jump. This exercise simply requires you to stand underneath the pull up bar, and attempt to jump high enough to touch the bar. Repeat the vertical jump until you tire. This exercise would be better if the pull up bar is at least 9 fee high off the ground. The vertical jump exercise will strengthen most of your leg muscles, while also providing an excellent cardiovascular option. To make the exercise more difficult, you can either raise the pull up bar, or add ankle or belt weights.

Incorporating these exercises into your workout routine will help ensure that you truly get a full body workout.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

The Pull-Up Bar Workout

So as you have probably noticed, this was the week of the guest post. Not sure exactly how it happened to be honest since I never really went out there recruiting for them, it just sort of happened. But I am glad that it did as I think it's fun to see other perspectives and topics that I wouldn't normally write about.

Here is a recap of the week:

Monday
Isagenix Nutritional Cleanse and Replenishment Program
Mike O'Donnell is a former Naval Officer and a college English professor. After a dramatic body and life transformation with IsAgenix last year, in which he shed 40 pounds, he is now a Nutritional Cleansing Coach. In this article Mike writes about his experiences with Isagenix.

Tuesday
It's All About The Belly Fat
Kalvin C. Chinyere, M.D. is a physician who lost 140 pounds naturally. He has two sites. One discusses Visceral Fat and the other discusses Obesity in America. In this article Kal writes about the evil that is belly fat.

Wednesday
The Importance of Mindset in Losing Weight
Michael Berton is the developer of SubliminalWeightPro™ – a software that automatically programs your mind to lose weight. SubliminalWeightPro™ works on the background and sends subliminal messages that are designed to instill positive mindset, create positive beliefs, destroy bad habits and eventually lead to a natural weight loss. In this article Michael writes about the importance of mindset in losing weight.

Thursday
Bye-Bye Big Guy’s Lucky 7 Holiday Party Eating Tips
The “Bye Bye Big Guy” movement is the brainchild of fitness advocate Freddy McCloud. Freddy realized that he had much to give and share by creating a site to help encourage others to achieve their fitness goals and live a healthier lifestyle. He has lost over a hundred pounds and continues his journey. Follow him at byebyebigguy.com. In this article Freddy shares 7 holiday party eating tips to help get you through the holiday season.

Friday
Find a Personal Trainer That's Custom-Made For Your Needs
Scott Gray is currently a fitness enthusiast who enjoys providing health and fitness tips. He maintains a fitness web site where you can find tips on how to lose belly fat and how to get and stay in shape. In this article Scott writes about the importance of finding that perfect trainer.

Saturday
Losing Fat The Engineered Way; My Weight Loss Story
Greg is a software engineer who tries to apply quantitative methodology in his transformation from fat to fit while showcasing his experience for public accountability and mutual support. You can read more about his transformation progress at his blog, www.gregstransformation.com or his Twitter page at twitter.com/gregstransform. In this article Greg shares his personal weight loss story.

Sunday
Don't Procrastinate On Weight Loss, Take Small Steps Now
Mary writes her own healthy living and weight loss blog where she has proven small bits of forward progress add up to weight loss, since she has managed to lose 30 pounds. In this article Mary gives tips on taking those small little steps that will help move your weight loss program forward.

What a diverse bunch of posts! Which was your favorite?

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Recapping a Week of Guest Posts

This is a guest post by Mary from A Merry Life.

I love John's blog because he has so much great information from his old posts and from his latest guest posts. But one thing that is missing? Action.

John even mentioned it himself when he wrote about his new blog design. He has been putting off the weight loss in favor of other things. I don't mean to be calling him out, especially in a guest post on his blog (how rude!), but I used to be just like this and hate seeing it happen to other people.

It is very easy to procrastinate and put other things in front of your weight loss. I know how easy it is because we all have things in our life that are important and need attention besides weight loss. In fact, losing weight usually ends up being one of those annoying things that takes more effort and time than we want to give it. We have to spend time preparing food, getting ready for the gym, working out, reading up on nutrition and other health related topics. Sometimes it just seems like so much work that it is best to save it for later when we have more time.

But that plan of attack rarely works. When we put off making a healthy lifestyle change we lose time that we can't get back. Our weight keeps creeping up and we
create a larger problem to fix when we finally "get around to it."

Instead, I say we take baby steps toward weight loss. If you don't do anything healthy at all, commit to making just one healthy choice a day. Just one! And then do it again the next day. And the next. And then, when you are used to making one healthy choice a day, add another. And so on.

You don't have to change your entire life now and completely abandon everything to start losing weight. You can take baby steps that will add up to great weight loss progress over time. I know it works because that's what I did. Step after step I learned how to eat healthy foods, exercise, and treat my body well. It didn't happen overnight. It happened because instead of procrastinating I made a couple healthy changes over and over again.

So if you are still out there putting off being healthy, stop now and do one healthy thing. Drink a glass of water. Eat a salad. Go walk for 10 minutes. Just choose one thing today and take that first baby step. Chances are you will build a better foundation for living a healthy life and weight loss than if you keep putting everything off until later.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Don't Procrastinate On Weight Loss, Take Small Steps Now

This is a guest post by Greg from gregstransformation.com

Losing fat, and I purposely use the word fat not weight, is not an easy task. If it was easy everyone would be in great shape. The weight loss/fat loss industry is a multi-billion dollar business to help people in the task of weight loss. It is also an industry that is full of misrepresentation and misinformation. When I started my transformation progress I tried to cut through the bull and find what really matters. Here is what I came up with so far on my journey from fat to fit.

Early Days

I wasn't always fat. I was actually a pretty healthy skinny kid growing up who spent a lot of time outdoors with friends just roaming our neighborhood on our bicycles. I was actively involved in sports by the time I was 10 and I have continued to excel in long distance and cross country running throughout the years. By age 14 I could run 5-minute miles and finish a 10k race under 35 minutes. I also ran my first, and only, marathon at age 13 and finished in 3 hours and 26 minutes. I ran five days a week and swam three times a week for an hour. I felt like I was invincible and on the top of the world.

Transformation From Fit To Fat

My problems started in high school. I quit athletics completely, I had started spending time in front of my computer instead of outside on my bicycle. The only thing that didn't change was my eating habits and appetite. I could still eat incredible amounts of food but I was no longer burning them off. Slowly but surely I gained weight. My classmates noticed it and started calling me fatty even though I was still well under the 200 lbs mark. Some would still have considered me fit but I was far cry from my lean athlete physique I once held. I knew that things were heading in the wrong direction.

By the time I started college I was already pegging the scale at 200 lbs and I managed to add a "freshman 20" to that number. I was up to 220 lbs by my sophomore year. I reached my all time high of 240 lbs right at graduation which has also coincided with my wedding. My graduation and wedding pictures were ruined by the terrible blob I had become. But it wasn't enough to get me to change.

First Try And Failure

In 2002, I had finally decided things could not go this way any longer. I started walking around the block every night and joined a gym. I managed to drop my weight in 6 months to around 210 lbs and by the time my wife graduated from college I felt a lot better. But this transformation was a failure. I failed because I only changed one thing and I only changed it temporarily. The only thing I changed was that I walked in the evenings and after I lost 30 lbs I quit exercising and went back to my original sedentary lifestyle. I never bothered to look at the other side of the equation — diet and nutrition.

Second Chance

By October, 2009 I was pegging the scale close to the 240 lbs mark again which seems to be my deadly threshold where I say "enough is enough". One day in October I went on-line and stumbled upon a message board thread about fat to fit transformations. It had numerous photos of men and women losing tremendous amounts of weight and transforming themselves from obese to lean and mean. I thought to myself "What is different about them, why can they do it and why can't I?" And I have realized there was really no difference, they just did it and so could I. I have also witnessed two co-workers transform from fat to fit in the last couple of years and I thought "if they can do it, I can do it too!" So I started my adventure!

Doing My Homework

I'm the kind of person who when they get something in their head they really go after it. I'm a perfectionist. I like to know everything about how things work and why they work that way. I'm an engineer with an engineer mind. When I started paintball I had to know about all the equipment that was available, who made the best equipment, what made it the best, was it really justified to spend thousands of dollars on paintball equipment or was it just marketing hype? When I was involved in remote control car racing I would constantly research the best modifications and the latest parts that you could use to make your race car better. I am no different with my fat loss program.

I knew for me to succeed I had to find what works and what doesn't. What is myth and what is truth. What is important and what isn't. So I did some research. The Internet has helped me tremendously in finding out about proper nutrition, diet and exercise. I also knew that I would have to have quantitative, objective goals and results. I couldn't just wing it; I had to go all in. This might have been a mighty long introduction for a short set of tips but I wanted you to know where I was coming from and how I got where I did. I have tried to condense all the research that I have done into a basic, easily digestible and followable plan. I'm not saying the things on the list are easy to do, I'm just saying they're easy to follow.

1. Eat Less Than You Burn

This is the number one rule of fat loss. If you eat fewer calories than your body needs, you will lose weight. No "ifs" or "buts" about it. If you eat more calories than you need you will gain weight. Period. Keeping this very simple rule in front of you will make or break your fat loss goal.

2. Do The Math Right

People tend to overestimate the calories they burn while exercising and they tend to underestimate the calories they eat. My favorite tools are a Polar Heart Rate Monitor that uses VO2 estimation to measure my caloric expenditure while exercising and NutritionData along with a kitchen scale to know exactly how many calories I eat in a day. My heart rate monitor constantly reads much lower than the elliptical machine or treadmill when it comes to calories burned and I'm constantly surprised just how small a pile 1 oz of almonds really is; it's 28 pieces, yet packs 210 calories. Without doing the math right you're shooting in the dark. People also fail to calculate their true basal metabolic rate correctly. Just because you go to the gym and lift weights 3 times a week does not mean you can eat another 500 calories every day. I recommend this website to calculate your BMR/RMR. I also recommend estimating your BMR/RMR at a sedentary rate even if you work out and would consider yourself active. If you are overweight, you are not active enough to make a difference, trust me.

3. Fend Off Hunger By Eating Vegetables

The biggest problem people face on a low calorie diet is that they're constantly hungry. They're constantly hungry because they don't eat enough. They don't eat enough because they can't eat so much of the calorie dense foods they have been eating and still maintain a caloric deficit. What people tend to do is cut their portions in half but eat the same thing as before. Now they feel hungry because their stomach is no longer full. To solve this dilemma the best solution is vegetables. Instead of eating two cups of rice with your 8 oz steak, eat a half a cup of rice, a cup of green beans and a cup of broccoli with 4oz of steak. I guarantee you will be just as full as before yet with the fraction of calories. I am eating 1,700 calories in a day and I walk away full every time from the table. A cup of green beans has 30 calories while a cup of rice has 200 yet they fill you up about the same.

4. Strength Exercise Retains Muscles

When you're on a diet your body is in a deprived state. It would like to turn whatever it can into energy. It will turn your muscles into energy and make them disappear making you skinny-fat. That is unless you use them. Every time you exercise you're sending signals to your body saying "hey, I need these muscles, please don't turn them into energy!". And your body will comply. It will use fat and retain your muscle weight. You want to lose fat, not weight. And when I say work your muscles I don't mean spending hours upon hours at the gym. Do some squats, lunges, push-ups and invest in a Chin-up bar. Squats and lunges will work your your legs, push-ups will work your chest and triceps, a chin-up bar will work your back and biceps. If you have access to a gym, you should still only concentrate on what they call compound movements; exercises that move multiple muscle groups instead of a small isolated set. You don't need to do preacher curls and wrist rollers to keep your muscles during your fat loss progress. Leave those exercises alone, they are a waste of your precious time at this point.

5. Protein Is Your Friend

A big problem with living on a caloric deficit is that your body does not get enough protein. USDA recommends your nutrition should come from 15%-30% protein. If you already ate protein at the 15% rate while eating 2,400 calories you're eating very little protein by the time you reduce your calories to 1,700 or even below. You need to eat protein. You can get it from egg whites, nuts, peanut butter, chicken, turkey. My problem has been that I can only eat so much of those before I get sick of them. So I started drinking protein shakes once a day adding 40-50g protein to my diet. 50 grams of pure protein is 200 calories. Any kind of protein shake will do as long as you can stomach the taste and it's low in carbohydrates and fats. If you don't eat enough protein to maintain your muscles your body will shed them and you will lose them along with fat. How much protein is enough? I'd recommend around 1 gram per lean body mass pound per day. For example if you weigh 250 lbs and your body fat percentage is 35% your lean body mass is 250 * (100%-35%)= 162.5 lbs. You should probably eat about 160 g of protein every day. Since protein contains 4 grams of calories per gram that is 640 calories from protein in a day. The rest of your calories can come from any of the other two sources, fat or carbohydrates.

6. Macronutrients Matter

Macronutrients, the caloric distribution of fats, carbohydrates and protein in your diet, play a role in how easily you can maintain your diet. I have already mentioned proteins and the minimum you should be consuming. The benefit of eating less fat and more carbohydrates for the rest of your calories is going to be volume. While 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories carbohydrates only contain 4 calories per gram. It means you can eat twice as much sugar than lard to get the same caloric intake. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying you should eat sugar and lard! Quite the opposite. You should eat plenty of complex carbohydrates that can be found in vegetables and whole grains such as brown rice and eat healthy unsaturated fats that can be found in nuts and fish. The reason is volume. You can eat a lot more of these foods than sugar cookies for the same amount of caloric intake.

7. Cardio Is Not A Must But Helps

A lot of people start their weight loss endeavor by getting on a treadmill or elliptical machine or walk around the block and assume that will solve all their weight problems. Unfortunately it will not work by itself unless it's part of a complete lifestyle change which includes proper diet and strength training. If you need to give up one of these three pillars of fat loss, diet, strength training and cardio, the first should be cardio exercise and the last should be diet. To make my point I'm just going to ask one question: Which is easier or fits better into any schedule? Not eating a Snicker's bar or walking for 30 minutes? Both make a 270 calorie difference. I'd rather give up the Snicker's bar than have to get on the elliptical for half an hour. If your diet is in order and you are on a steady weight loss pace you can certainly accelerate it by doing some cardio exercise. However, cardio workouts have benefits besides weight loss and they should be part of a complete healthy lifestyle.

8. Don't Sweat The Petty Things

While the previous list of advice might seem very strict and detailed it only scratches the surface when it comes to diet and fat loss myths and methods. With nutrition you can get involved in discussions around saturated fats, sodium intake, whether refined sugars are the root of all evil, whether carbs should be banned from any diet, or whether refined grains are the "white death". With strength exercise you can worry about how many reps and how many sets of each exercise you should do. Do I lift heavy weights or do I do more reps? Do I exercise my muscle groups once a week to give them time to recover or do I exercise everything every day? On the cardio front you can argue whether low intensity steady speed (LISS) or high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. Should I stay in the fat burning zone or should I try to get a real cardiovascular workout at a higher heart rate? Is it better to exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning or should you eat some carbs and protein before exercise? While all these things sound important and can make a difference they are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Concentrate on the basics and stick with those.

If bedtime LISS cardio fits your schedule the best what does it matter that a morning fasted HIIT one might give you marginally better results? If one doesn't fit your lifestyle but the other one does, do that one! It's still a lot better to walk around the block every night for 45 minutes than forcing yourself to get up in the morning twice a week and try to hit the gym and get worn out and tired of it. Do what works for you!

9. Try New Things

Since I have started my transformation I have tried more new food items than I have tried in the past decade. I never thought I would enjoy eating 7 cups of raw baby spinach in one sitting. I never imagined that non-fat plain yogurt can be so refreshing in the morning with a couple of almonds and strawberries. I didn't know that farm raised salmon tastes fatty and yucky when you eat it right after you ate some Alaskan king salmon from the wild just a week prior. I didn't know that shrimp has nothing but pure protein in it and it's very calorie scarce meaning you can eat a bucket load of it guilt free as long as you grill it instead of batter frying it. I didn't know Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) was an Aztec power food that contains all essential amino acids and tastes great. I never would have thought that you can buy the frozen vegetables at the store, zap them in the microwave in 3 minutes and they're ready to eat. I recommend for you to experiment and try new foods, you might actually like broccoli after all.

My Success

At this point you might think this sound way too complicated plus I want to see some results. I have been taking my own advice to heart and went at it full steam for the past 8 weeks. I'm not going to lie and tell you it was easy. It wasn't. It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice. But something that looks like a sacrifice at first will become second nature and a new good habit as time goes on. Who would have thought that I can watch TV while doing cardio on the elliptical instead of laying in bed with a bag of chips? My transformation progress is an open book. I keep a public record of all my nutritional and exercise choices on my blog. There are no magic pills or secret elixirs involved but a lot of dedicated time and effort. While a lot of people would consider losing 27 lbs in 8 weeks a success, I only consider it the tip of the iceberg. Since the beginning of my transformation I went from 237 lbs to 210 lbs. My body fat % dropped from 38.7% to 31.2% which means I have retained all my lean muscle mass in the process and I have lost almost 4.5" off my waist. I feel excellent and I skip on the stairs at work. People walk up to me and ask me if I had lost weight. It is a great feeling. But I would not consider it success. I think I'm far from it. I need to lose another 50 lbs to be where I want to be in terms of body composition and I need to maintain it for the rest of my life. Based on my 8 week ride I know I can do it. You'll just have to tag along and do it with me.

Greg is a software engineer who tries to apply quantitative methodology in his transformation from fat to fit while showcasing his experience for public accountability and mutual support. You can read more about his transformation progress at his blog, www.gregstransformation.com or his Twitter page at twitter.com/gregstransform

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Losing Fat The Engineered Way; My Weight Loss Story

This is a guest post by Scott Gray from FitnessTips101.com.

If you've been struggling for a long time in your goal of losing weight and reducing belly fat, it may be time for you to find a personal trainer. People hire personal trainers for a number of reasons, but the main reason is to help them get the most out of their work out and give them the motivation and support they need to continue.

Many people try to exercise on their own at home, but get discouraged because they don't see instant results or results as quickly as they'd expect. A personal trainer may be able to see results that you can't see and, therefore, will help you get further results with their recommendations. They can also give you tips for what exercises will work best for you, as well as what equipment you may need. If you cannot go to a gym or work station, a good personal trainer can come to your home for sessions.

A trainer can set up a program for you based on a number of things. These things will include your personal goals, the time you have to dedicate to training, the money you can spend and any special needs you may have, such as health problems. If you decide to find a personal trainer, you apparently have specific goals in mind, whether it's losing weight, getting in shape for an event or just improving your overall fitness.

Regardless of your reasons, your decision to find a personal trainer should be your dedication to getting the best possible help in your fitness program. If you're not completely dedicated or unsure of your goals and can't commit 100%, a fitness trainer is not a good choice. You'll just be wasting the trainer's time, as well as your own time – and money.

Once you've decided to find a trainer, you'll need to find the one that best fits into your schedule and pocketbook. You want a personal trainer that's affordable yet will be effective. The old saying, "you get what you pay for" will really ring true when searching for the right personal trainer. There are many ways you can find trainers in your area.

Your local YMCA or YWCA, school or Chamber of Commerce can often give you names of personal trainers in your area. They will not only give you a list of personal trainers, but also list any certifications they may have. When choosing a trainer, it's important to not only find one that's certified in his field, but also experienced. The Internet is also a great source of information and an excellent tool for helping you find a fitness trainer.

Some of the things you'll want to look for in a quality personal trainer may include:

• Certification in one or more areas of training
• Fees that are within the normal range for their education and experience
• A good rapport with you and other clients
• A willingness and flexibility to work with you on your goals
• Good reviews and recommendations from other clients

When you meet with your trainer, you'll want to learn as much about them as possible and what they can do to help you achieve your fitness goals. You also need to be a good client and be willing to work on the program the personal trainer sets for you. You should know from your first visit if the personal trainer is right for you by the way the two of you connect on your short- and long-term goals. These factors can help you find the right trainer. Then you’ll be well on your way towards getting in great shape and losing belly fat.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Find a Personal Trainer That's Custom-Made For Your Needs

This is a guest post by Freddy McCloud from Bye Bye Big Guy.

Are you dreading the holiday season because of all the fattening treats that will be lurking at those holiday parties? Are you worried that those months of hard work will be sabotaged in just a few short weeks, as the shortbread cookies and eggnog litter the break rooms and kitchens this holiday season? Well not to worry, we here at byebyebigguy.com have got you covered. Below are 7 sure fire ways to ensure that you avoid the holiday pounds and not look like a heel while doing so. We have provided some tactful ways to avoid overeating even if your host insists you eat something.

1. Holiday tip number one – eat before you attend the party. If you're full already the chance of you over eating aren't as great. Have a light snack right before or munch on something on the way to the venue.
2. Earn it! If you know a holiday is coming make sure you are doing the work prior to the event, to be able to afford one bad day. And workout the day after as you would if it wasn't a holiday – heck you should train even HARDER!
3. Eat the good stuff! At every party there is something that is better than something else. Instead of reaching for that piece of cake opt for the deviled eggs. Instead of that hand full of candy opt for a hand full of nuts.
4. If alcohol is the problem, voluntary to be the designated driver. Nobody can get upset if you don’t drink because you’re the designated driver. So be the responsible one!
5. Plan! Make a plan, know who you're going with, what that atmosphere will be like, and if you can find out know what is on the menu. This way you can mentally prepare yourself for the temptations that you are facing.
6. Practice moderation. Pick the one thing you want the most and have it! If you practice moderation you can have the food you crave and not go too far of your diet.
7. If you are the one hosting the party try low fat or low sugar recipes. If you're attending a party suggests low ft recipes to the host or offer to bring a dish. Who knows the sugar-free potato pie might be the big hit of the party.

Bonus: If your host still insists that you eat something, take the food home. Give to someone who will enjoy the food. You can even give it to a homeless person, or the dog or cat. Worst case scenario you throw it away. But you won’t offend your host and you won't eat junk! I think these tips will help you have a fun holiday season without too much guilt. These tips aren't just for the holiday either they can be applied to any situation where party food or junk food might be the main course. The most important thing to remember is even if you do "fall off the wagon" pick yourself right back up and get right back on track. I firmly believe in the 80/20 rule, if you're good 80 percent of the time you will be successful at achieving your weight-loss.

Good luck in your journey and we are here to support you.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Bye-Bye Big Guy’s Lucky 7 Holiday Party Eating Tips

This is a guest post by Michael Berton from SubliminalWeightPro™.

A proper and positive mindset is essential to almost all endeavors – and any professional athlete or businessman will agree. However, in diets and weight loss it is even more crucial – even all the knowledge about weight loss and workouts is useless without the proper mindset and attitude.

Most people focus more on the physical aspect of losing weight – exercise, proper eating and a balanced diet and they underestimate the need for a strong mindset. A proper attitude is not an extra but a crucial part, as it gives you great motivation, commitment and helps you achieve your goals of losing weight.

Losing weight is not easy. When sticking to a diet we are faced with constant temptations and distractions that have the potential of blocking us from achieving our goals and make ourselves healthier. A proper mindset makes this process easier and strengthens your self-discipline, and positive beliefs. It can also make the process fun and enjoyable, rather than hard and painful.

How to create a positive mindset? Start by setting a goal. Decide that in X months, you will weigh Y pounds. Your goal has to be set in a positive form ("I weigh 140 pounds" rather than "I am not over 140 pounds"), and to be specific. Specify an exact weight you wish to get to, and when you will reach this weight. Share your goals with your friends – this will make you committed to achieving it.

After settings goals, one needs to create a plan – a daily or weekly routine of actions designed to push towards ones goals. Another crucial part is building and maintaining new habits – both eating and exercising – and destroying the bad habits which are negative for our body and self-esteem. This is done by closely monitoring one's actions, identifying the habits which are not helpful and replacing them by good and healthy habits. First, it will be through conscious effort but after a while the new habits will become a integral part of ones behavior.

An important aspect of a strong mindset is proper associations. Usually, people attempting diets are treating it as a burden rather than a enjoyable journey to making themselves healthier. By changing the feelings that are associated to the process of losing weight, we can make it an enjoyable and easy task. A trick you can do at home, to create positive associations is to think of all the positive consequences that are the result of losing weight, and write them down. For example: "After losing weight, I will have a greater self-esteem", "After losing weight, I will have a greater confidence", "After losing weight, I will be healthier and live longer". Read the list every morning – soon, the positive feelings will be automatically associated with the process of losing weight and you will approach it with much positive attitude.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

The Importance of Mindset in Losing Weight

This is a guest post by Dr. Kal from Dr. Kal's Weight Loss Tips.

Photo credit: Paul Keleher

I often read many of the blogs in the Fatosphere. Fatosphere blogs typically address issues such as fat acceptance, discrimination against overweight people, and obesity health care policy. I read these blogs because I once weighed almost 340 pounds and I can relate to their concerns.

I read the posts and the articles, but I never comment because most of the authors do not want comments from weight loss doctors or any one who believes all overweight people should lose weight. Most Fatosphere bloggers believe that you can be healthy and overweight. That is true. However, healthy and normal weight is better long-term than healthy and overweight.

How Can You Be Healthy And Overweight?

Initially overweight people were placed in two different categories, those who were overweight because they had extra muscle and those who were overweight because they had extra fat. The overweight individuals carrying extra muscle would qualify as “healthy overweight.” Most overweight people fall into the overfat category.

The overfat people can be further divided into two sub-categories, those with normal waist sizes and those with large waist sizes. The overfat individuals with normal waist sizes would also qualify as “healthy overweight.” That leaves the unhealthy overweight people.

What about Normal Weight People?

Normal weight people are not off the hook. You can actually have a body mass index or BMI within normal limits and still be overfat. These “skinny-fat” people are not too heavy, but their waist sizes are too large.

The fact that we have “healthy overweight” people and “skinny fat” people have made scales almost obsolete. The numbers on the scale are not as helpful as we once thought. What’s more important is the size of your waist. So, instead of focusing on weight reduction, we should be focusing on waist reduction.

Visceral Fat

Your waist size is more important than your weight because “belly fat” is more dangerous than the fat found at other parts of your body. Belly fat is also known as organ fat, intra-abdominal fat, abdominal fat, omental fat, and visceral fat.

Visceral fat has terrible effects on the body. It also increases your chances of getting many chronic diseases including, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, sleep apnea, and many types of cancer.

Am I Healthy or Not?

To find out if you are carrying too much visceral fat, the most accurate method would involve a CT scan or a MRI. However, those tests would be very expensive, especially if you’d like to regularly check your progress.

Instead, obtain an accurate measurement of your height in inches. Get the measurement with your shoes and socks off.

Also obtain an accurate measurement of your waist in inches. Get the measurement at the level of where your belly button is, not where you would like it to be. Do not use the waist measurement on your clothing. They are not accurate.

Then, divide your height measurement by two. If that number is smaller than your waist measurement, then your waist is too big and you need to lose some visceral fat.

For example: I am 6 feet tall. That is 72 inches. 72 divide by 2 is 36. My waist size should be less than 36.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

It's All About The Belly Fat

This is a guest post by Mike O'Donnell.

Note from John – I don't intend to turn this blog into an Isagenix website, however the discussion following my last post was so fascinating and divisive that I thought it would be interesting to see yet another perspective on this product. If you would like to know more about Isagenix please contact me and I will put you in touch with an Isagenix consultant who can answer any questions you may have.

Hello readers of John is Fit. My name is Mike O'Donnell, and John has been gracious enough to allow me to contribute a guest post to his blog. I'm writing to you today regarding Isagenix and in response to John's Isagenix experience post. But before I get into the meat of my post, I want to tell you a little about myself.

I'm from Brooklyn, NY. I'm a former Naval Aviator and have been teaching College English in New York for the past five years. I'm in my mid-thirties. I'm 6'3 and was stuck at 240 lbs for several years, and all the running and dieting in the world couldn't help me get below 235…

I first put Isagenix in my body exactly one year ago last week. But my story actually started a little before that. I suffered an awful bike accident in 2007. I went over my handlebars on the Brooklyn Bridge and shattered both wrists and broke both elbows. I had multiple surgeries and many months of therapy to regain the use of my hands. And then I fell into a severe depression. After several months of therapy, I emerged from my depression, but I had been forever changed, or so I thought. I went through a year of life with a cloud over my head, just feeling generally "off" and accepting the fact that I wasn't the person I used to be, that I wouldn't enjoy life the way I used to. Thankfully, my sister Sharon would not accept that.

My older sister's a single mom who tried Isagenix and absolutely loved it. After eight years of struggling with different exercise routines and diets to shed the pregnancy weight, she finally started shedding dress sizes with Isagenix and announced that she felt like a Rock Star. She begged me to try the program. I said "no way" for three months; it just sounded too strange.

When I finally caved and skeptically tried it, I was AMAZED at how great I felt and at how easy I found the program. Within days of putting Isagenix into my body, my entire outlook changed. I felt like myself again. I was happy and smiling. Whatever was inside me pulling me down, however imbalanced chemically I had become because of my painkillers or whatever, was flushed out of my system. It was literally an amazingly dramatic experience that I have difficulty explaining. My sleep improved,my mental clarity became sharper, my mood became sunnier, my energy level went through the roof, my acne cleared up, and I lost 17 pounds in 9 days! I kept going with Isagenix and lost 30 pounds in under 6 weeks (and I did cheat a bit, as it was over Christmas and New Years). I reached my goal weight for 2009 of 210 pounds before January even ended!

I switched to Maintenance, which is just drinking a shake for breakfast every day, eating normal foods (mostly healthy, but not all the time), and cleansing 1 or 2 days a month. Doing that, I slowly dropped another 10 pounds without really trying to. And it's stayed off all this time! This is the first year in longer than I can remember that I don't have a weight loss goal as part of my New Year's resolutions.

I have since started sharing Isagenix with everyone I know, which is why I am writing this today. The first thing that I want to do is congratulate John for seeing an opportunity and trying something that might seem a little strange. But even more importantly, I want to congratulate him for losing 5 pounds so far–the first few pounds are the hardest!

Some other brief success stories of people who I know personally:

• My sister Sharon dropped from a size 12 to a size 4 over a year ago. None of the weight has returned.
• My brother Chris lost over 30 pounds over a year ago and none of the weight has returned. Since starting Isagenix, he took up road races for the first time in his life. He's in his forties and says he's the fittest he's ever been; he recently won a 5K fundraiser run.
• My 73-year-old father, a retired New York city firefighter, drinks an IsaLean shake every day and says he feels better that he has in over 10 years.
• My friend Pat lost 70 pounds in 5 months and cured himself of type 2 diabetes.
• My uncle came off his blood pressure meds in just three months.
• A couple tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for over two years; they turned to IsAgenix, and within two months, she was pregnant.
• My friend Yanick lost 45 pounds in two months and her doctor canceled her double knee surgery; she went from having to be wheeled to her car in a wheelchair at the end of her nursing shift to getting up early to meet me in the park for aerobics before work.
• My friend's son has ADHD. He's been drinking the shakes for two months and is doing great. She says that it's too early to really tell, but she's convinced that the shakes are doing wonders for him.
• My friend Aida is doing her first 9 Day right now. By day 4, she had lost 10 pounds. She'd struggled with her weight her whole life, and is loving Isagenix. For the first time in her life, she feels like she has a program she can follow, a product that makes her feel healthy and curbs her unhealthy cravings, and the faith that she will finally be in control of her weight.
• My friend Frada's mother and grandmother are diabetic. Frada herself has always struggled with her sugar levels. In two months with Isagenix, she's lost 20 pounds and now reports better sugar levels than she's had in a decade. She told me, "I don't just feel healthy, I feel young."

I've shared Isagenix with over 80 people and I can keep going with such successes, but I'll cut it there for length…

An important thing to remember is that Isagenix is NOT only about weight loss. It is a nutritional cleanse, meaning that it is a package of nutrient-packed foods, designed to eliminate toxins from your body and thereby allow your body to operate as it is meant to do so. Most of the foods that we eat, most of the household cleaners that we use, and most of today’s modern lifestyle bombards you with toxins that slowly build up in your body and cause it to malfunction. By flushing those toxins out of your system, Isagenix helps your body to operate better, you gain numerous benefits, AND you lose weight. This is what makes Isagenix different from everything else out there.

What exactly does Isagenix do? It quite simply helps your body function like the miracle that it is! It gets the junk out and puts the good stuff in. The organic cleanse drink, a blend of aloe vera, green teas, and minerals, fuels your cleanse organs (kidneys, liver, lymphatic system) so that they properly do their job and flush toxins out of your body; the IsaLean shake floods your body with perfect organic nutrition, including 23 grams of undenatured whey protein (from cows in New Zealand that will never be touched by hormones or steroids who eat grass that will never be touches by pesticides or herbicides), all 18 essential amino acids that your body cannot produce itself, and live digestive enzymes. Not only does Isagenix put every vitamin and mineral into your body that your body needs, but it does so in easily-absorbable organic form and along with the delivery system that allows your body to actually absorb, metabolize, and use these nutrients. Isagenix is not about depriving the body of anything; just the opposite, it's about finally giving your body everything it needs to function properly. In the process, you lose weight if you need to lose weight,
and you feel absolutely amazing.

The second thing that I really wanted to do is comment on John’s experiences so far. With respect to the difficulties that he is having during his cleanse days, I attribute this to the fact that he is not eating the snacks that are part of the plan. The purpose of those snacks is to keep your blood sugar levels up to prevent hunger and keep you from getting tired. Without them, it is no wonder that he finds the cleanse days difficult. (And contrary to one of the readers who stated that he’s hungry because he’s only drinking shakes on his cleanse days, that’s actually not true, as you do NOT drink shakes on cleanse days.) The program was designed by a diabetic, and the system is very mindful of blood sugar levels. You are meant to ingest something every two hours during the day. By skipping the snacks, John is sabotaging himself.

The one other comment that I want to make is this: Don't you think that Isagenix is worth trying if John has been able to lose five pounds in four days without following the plan as it is meant to be followed?

To all of you who are working to lose weight, good luck, enjoy life, and I hope to write again soon!

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Isagenix Nutritional Cleanse and Replenishment Program

This is a guest post by Dr. Kal from Dr. Kal's Weight Loss Tips.

Photo credit: peasap

After reading about John’s recent diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and his new Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine, I thought about how hard he is going to have to work to cure his OSA. One of the only ways to cure OSA is to lose weight. However, to lose weight you must get a good night sleep. Obviously, getting a good night sleep is difficult when you have OSA.

Weight Loss

The old weight loss equation was simple. If you wanted to lose weight, all you would have to do is consume fewer calories and burn more calories. Unfortunately, 98 percent of Americans, who tried to lose weight and keep it off, were unable to do so with that equation.

My new weight loss equation is a little more complex, but still simple. If you want to lose weight and keep it off you must:

• Eat less
• Move more
• Stress less
• Sleep more

Sleep

63% of Americans sleep fewer than 7 hours every night. That statistic is surprisingly similar to the stat that 67% of Americans are either overweight or obese.

Obviously, sleep deprivation is not the only factor in the United States’ obesity epidemic, but it is a significant contributor. Sleep deprivation causes weight gain and inhibits weight loss. Lack of sleep does this by:

• Creating imbalances with your hormones
• Increasing your stress levels
• Slowing your metabolism
• Decreasing your energy levels
• Increasing the time you have available to eat

Hormonal Imbalances

Lack of sleep creates imbalances in hormones that are essential to obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight.

Sleep deprivation increases your levels of:

• Ghrelin – One of the hormones that increases your appetite
• Cortisol – One of the hormones that signals stress

Sleep deprivation also decreases your levels of:

• Leptin – One of the hormones that decreases your appetite
• Growth hormone – One of the hormones that encourage fat burning and muscle growth
• Serotonin and Dopamine – Two hormones that encourage the consumption of unhealthy carbohydrates

Sleep deprivation boosts your stress levels and increases your appetite for all foods especially unhealthy foods. Lack of sleep also discourages fat burning and muscle growth. Who knew that losing a few hours of ‘shut-eye’ could be so bad for you?

Stress and Energy

Lack of sleep causes fatigue. Fatigue increases stress levels. Increased stress levels causes overeating. Fatigue will also decrease the productivity of your work-outs. If you are tired, you will not work out.

Fatigue encourages you to eat more and work-out less. That is the anti-weight loss formula.

Metabolism

Lack of sleep slows your metabolism by preventing muscle growth and fat burning. This slowing of your metabolism will decrease your body’s ability to burn calories all day.

Sleep is essential to permanent weight loss. So, get your required seven to nine hours of sleep and achieve your weight loss goals.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Sleep More to Lose More

This is a guest post by Fat Daddy.

I am the Fat Daddy. I coined this phrase in a post I wrote for my blog on June 19, entitled Fat People, A Carnival Side Show, which dealt with the show the Biggest Loser and other public weight loss ventures.

When I wrote it I was thinking about how many people have vices – alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addictions just to name a few. For the most part though, until they go completely off the rails, they battle their demons in relative obscurity from the public.

Not us. Not really fat people. If you are really overweight, you stick out like the old "whore in church" analogy. I am the fattest person I know. I bet a lot of the folks who read this blog are or have been the fattest person they know too.

And each day we live a life of challenges that is on display for others to view. I have decided to do a weekly series in my blog called the "Not-So-Private" Hell of Being Really Really Fat! Each week I will pick one of the challenges that I live in front of people as a consequence of my over-indulgence.

I wrote the first one on June 12 before I thought of the series title. It is called Airplanes…Damn I hate riding on airplanes! As you can imagine it deals with flying while fat. My discomfort at …well, my discomfort. My shame at inflicting my fat self on my fellow passengers. My effort to avoid embarrassment by stealing a seatbelt extender.

I have a couple more concepts in the can ready to post, but I would love to hear ideas from others. In this endeavor I have actually finally found some benefit to sharing my not-so-private hell. Because of my latest diet, on my last flight I only had to use my seat belt extender on one of the four legs of the journey. I look forward to the day when I can turn the contraband back in to the airlines.

In the meantime, I will post not-so-private hell, part 2 – swimming pools very soon. If you get the chance come see the Fat Daddy.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

The Not-So-Private Hell of Being Really Really Fat

This is a guest post by Dena White.

Studies are currently underway to establish which genes are responsible for how our bodies process fat and nutrients. The main focus is determining if obesity is in fact genetic, or if lifestyle plays a larger role.

Genetic Consistency
For thousands of years, human genetics have stayed pretty much the same. However, within the last few decades, obesity has increased exponentially, causing problems such as metabolic syndrome, which could lead to diabetes and heart disease. Even some individuals are genetically prone to be overweight; the steady increase in obesity signifies that genetics is not the only player on the field.

In fact, genetics can actually be steered in the direction of obesity, but is guided by what is known as epigenetics, which are specific environmental and behavioral influences that tell the genes what they are supposed to do. The epigenetics are greatly influenced by nutritional intake. This includes eating too much, or not enough of the right nutrients.

Uniquely Human
When each of us is born, we have a unique set of genes that is referred to as our genome, which is our hardwired DNA. These genes just lie around waiting to see if they are activated or not, depending on the tagging systems that are resting on the top of our genes, known as the epigenome. Our epigenetics and genes are sort of like a computer and software. The genes work as the hard drive, while the epigenetics work as the software that tells the hard drive what it is supposed to be doing.

The chemical epigenome tags are known as methyl groups, which come from the food that we eat. Our environment and several other influences from food intensely affect the tagging of our epigenetics as well. To put it another way, the epigenetic tag system guiding the genes is greatly influenced by nutritional intake, as well as other factors.

New Weight-Related Research
Methyl groups have a number of positive effects, such as protecting us against many different kinds of cancer. In lab mice, a significant impact on weight has been noted. Innovative research in lab mice with the overeating gene, the Agouti gene, determined that mice that were given a methyl group that contained nutrients such as choline, betaine, folic acid and vitamin B12 produced leaner, healthier offspring who seemed to have a longer lifespan. Mice that were not given the supplement became resistant to insulin, obese, prone to cancer and did not live as long.

Surprisingly, the obesity or anti-obesity epigenome effects were passed down to the offspring, continuing through to successive generations. Experts noticed that the Agouti gene showed no changes; it was expressed or not depending on the DNA methylation.

Still In Control
It is true that there are genes that have the power to bless us with thunder thighs or bubble buns, but we have the power to keep these genes dormant. As long as we eat right and exercise on a regular basis, we are able to fight back against the genes in our DNA that affect our weight.

Studies continue on the effects that DNA and nutrition have on cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, as well as how these effects are passed to our children and grandchildren.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Which Genes in Our DNA Affect Weight Issues?

This is a guest post by David Stanhope from Whey Protein King.

Being overweight and obesity are words we are hearing more and more frequently everyday. In the UK, the Government are running a massive campaign to tackle childhood obesity, which is on the rise and aiming to promote an all-round healthier lifestyle. In America, 63% of Americans are overweight and 25% now are classed as being obese. (Statistics from American Sports Data.) In the western world, a combination of fast, easy food, hectic lifestyles and other accounting factors have led to this rising problem. It is not one to be dismissed or taken light heartedly. Obesity can lead to medical conditions such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke and high levels of Cholesterol.

So why have so many of us got this way? As I mentioned before, a contributing factor is our busy lifestyles. Work, looking after children, a household to care for, when do you have time to cook and prepare meals? It is easier to cook something quick and easy, or order take out. Take out or fast food has cut all the effort out. You can even just phone from home and have it delivered, you don’t need to leave the house. Easy yes. Fast. Yes. But is it what is best for us? While we are eating it, we probably do not think of that, or even care. But the more and more we do it then suddenly leads one day to being told by a doctor you have Heart disease. Or Diabetes.

What can we do? Exercise is very important. Especially if you sit at a desk all day long and then at home all night, where are you getting any exercise? I am not saying go out now and run for miles. But gradually introduce some exercise into your day. After dinner, instead of sitting down in front of the TV, maybe go for a walk. Go with some friends, make it social, fun. Not everyone loves going to a gym. They can feel paranoid, uncomfortable or just genuinely not enjoy it. So find something you do like to do. Keep it gentle, fun and gradually build yourself up.

Whey protein can help you. What is whey protein? Whey is a by product of the cheese manufacturing process. It is a natural supplement, renowned mostly for helping bodybuilders and athletes build and repair muscle. But whey protein and weight loss are also linked. This can be simply because whey shakes are quite filling. Try having one mid morning when perhaps you are tempted to snack. It will fill you up until lunch! On a deeper level, your body will burn more calories after consuming something high in protein. Whey also stimulates the release of appetite suppressing hormones, so taking whey protein as part of a healthy diet could see you get results that you are after.

I hope you have found this article on Whey Protein and Weight Loss of some interest and help and please be healthy and happy in whatever you do.

David Stanhope

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Whey Protein and Weight Loss

This is a guest post by Shannon Clark from The Workout Insider.

When it comes to fat loss programs, one of the biggest reasons why people fail in their efforts at weight loss is simply because they can't seem to stick with the program. Either cravings start creeping in, their busy schedule crowds out their workout, or the fat loss plan wasn't something that they could realistically follow in the first place – whatever the reason, two weeks into the program and they're off searching through the pantry for something to eat – something that's not on the diet, of course.

To help combat this and increase the chances that you maintain your diet and exercise program long enough to actually see some results, you should try to incorporate some of the following tips.

All are designed to make your weight loss program more tolerable, yet still keep its effectiveness with regards to fat loss.

Fat Loss Tip #1: Pre-Pack Your Snacks
Being unprepared is a very common reason people fall off their diets. If you wind up stuck in a meeting at work and a basket of bagels and croissants is being passed around, chances are you’re going to dish yourself up one.

Instead, plan ahead for times like these and always have some ready-to-eat snacks on hand, stashed away in your desk, in your car, or even in your purse or bag.

Good examples of snacks would be pop-open cans of tuna and whole grain crackers, trail mix, a low-sugar protein bar, low-sodium beef jerky, or protein powder mixed with water alongside a handful of nuts.

Each of these will provide a more lasting source of energy and won’t throw your diet off course.

Fat Loss Tip #2: Plan For Weekly 'Cheats'
If a diet has to be so incredibly strict that you absolutely must follow it 100% of the time to see any degree of results, chances are that diet is not designed properly.

In every diet there should be a good 10-20% of ‘wiggle’ room – room where you can play around and have some of the foods you enjoy.

That said, obviously you can't get out of hand with this, so planning for a once-a-week cheat meal where you will indulge is a good technique.

If you know ahead of time that you have a big party to go to on Saturday night, make that night your cheat meal. This way you won’t stress about derailing your diet and can actually enjoy yourself stress-free at the party.

Likewise, if you and your significant other typically go out for a relaxing dinner one night a week, that can be your cheat meal. Having this in there will help you stick with your diet the rest of the time since you know soon enough you’ll be able to satisfy your cravings.

Fat Loss Tip #3: Break Your Workouts Up
Another way to make your life easier with regards to your workouts is to break them up into two sessions. Sometimes it can be hard to make it for a full hour at the gym after work, so consider taking a walk during your lunch hour and then stopping for thirty minutes after work to do some strength training.

Not only does this break up your day better, but you’ll get the benefits of increased metabolic rate twice per day, along with the appetite decreasing benefits exercise has.

Thinking that you absolutely must do your workout altogether in one session is a big mistake. This applies for cardio too – you can certainly split a longer cardio session up into two if it makes your life easier.

Fat Loss Tip #4: Find An Active 'Buddy'
Since all of us have a need to socialize throughout the week, try to socialize with others who are leading an active lifestyle.

By doing so, the chances that they're receptive to suggestions that you get out and do some form of activity rather than just sitting around visiting are higher.

If you can make your workout work double-time – increase your fitness level and help you see your friends, you're really one step ahead of the game.

Fat Loss Tip #5: Get Help From A Certified Trainer
Finally, the last tip is to make sure you are getting help from a certified trainer in your area. If you are not on a proper program, you could be spending time in the gym performing exercises that aren’t really going to help you out a great deal, which could be omitted from your workout.

By investing in at least one session with a certified personal trainer, you’ll be sure you are doing exercises that will help you with the goal of fat loss, while also keeping your workouts on the shorter side if need be.

So, be sure you're keeping these five fat loss tips in mind as you go about your weight loss program. Maintaining a workout and diet plan over the long haul is often the biggest determinant of success with regards to keeping the weight loss off, so something you should pay close attention too.

Shannon Clark holds a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Alberta and has been writing on the topics of health, fitness, and nutrition for the past six years. She is a frequent contributor to Bodybuilding.com and has her own information website, The Workout Insider.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Five Tips To Make Your Fat Loss Program More Livable

This is a guest post by Mario John Da Silva.

One of the biggest questions I've heard at gyms is "how can I get rid of my love handles". Now for those of you who don't know, love handles are the layers of fat that cover your obliques. But let me tell you one thing; losing love handles is no different from losing fat from other parts of the body. The additional thing you have to do, however, is to work your obliques. This too will be covered later in the article.

When asked questions regarding love handles and how to lose them, trainers usually give just one answer; go running. Now this isn't exactly bad, but it isn't really great either. In fact, it would be safe to say that there is a much better way to go about losing these lumps of fat at your waist; intense circuit training.

Now before I give you a great circuit workout, I'll give you some of the benefits of using this technique of weight loss I've just suggested. Such intense circuit training is a form of anaerobic training. And what anaerobic training does is that it creates an oxygen deficit in you. Studies have shown that such a deficit results in a greater amount of calories burnt. And this is what makes circuit training more effective than running. But it doesn’t end there.

Intense circuit training also speeds up your metabolism rate, and this ensures that you burn more calories even after you finish your workout. And this is what truly makes such circuit training far more effective than any amounts of running.

Now here is the Intense Circuit Training Workout that can help you get rid of your love handles (with the exercises to strengthen your obliques as well).

Circuit Training Workout

Exercise 1: 25 Push Ups
Exercise 2: 25 Squats
Exercise 3: 25 Crunches
Exercise 4: 25 Lunges

1 set consists of all 4 exercises completed.
Do 3 sets.

To get the maximum effect from this workout, make sure that you do these exercises at a fast pace, and with no rest in between each exercise. Also, make sure that you take a rest of a maximum of 30 seconds in between each set.

Now the crunches itself can work your obliques out. So you can choose to perform a more targeted exercise if you want.

Oblique Exercises

- Oblique Crunch
- Weight Side Bends
- Side Leg Raise
- Reverse Twists
- Broom Twists

Well there you have it, the circuit shown above can really help you burn fat, not only your love handles, but from other parts of your body as well. Just make sure you don't unnecessarily overdo the workout. I would recommend you to do this about thrice a week, and on days you are not lifting weights. Be sure to keep a diary to record your progress as well, so that you can increase the number of reps accordingly as time goes by. Lastly, best of luck with this workout and in losing weight!

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

How To Lose Your Love Handles And Strengthen Your Abs With One Simple Workout

This is a guest post by Zane from Best Diet Pills.

Dieters interested in losing weight can take advantage of a variety of cardiovascular exercises. Cardio exercises have been proven to burn calories while also providing overall added benefits to vital organs, tissues, and cardiovascular system functions.

Cardio Exercise Equipment

Treadmills

Treadmills provide dieters with accessible and convenient access to easy cardiovascular activities. Today, most treadmills come fit with speed and incline controls, in addition to calculated information to monitor your calorie expenditures and heart rate. According to research, an individual weighing 200 pounds can effectively burn calories on a treadmill. For example:

• Walking for 60 minutes can burn over 450 calories
• Jogging for 60 minutes can burn over 700 calories
• Running for 60 minutes can burn over 900 calories

Also, for individuals who are relatively inexperienced with exercise, a treadmill is a convenient way for dieters to get started on their paths to fitness without feeling intimidated. Adding to this, treadmills can also provide dieters with helpful exercise distractions, as many gyms and fitness facilities conveniently place televisions near treadmills, enabling members to work out while being entertained!

Elliptical Machines

Elliptical trainers provide dieters with added weight loss and muscle-toning benefits when compared to a treadmill. Unlike a treadmill, an Elliptical machine not only utilizes the lower half of the body, but it also makes use of the upper half of the body, so individuals are often able to burn more calories while toning more muscles. Added to this, Elliptical machines also cause less harm and damage to joints than running. For example, running may often cause injuries to areas such as:

• The back
• Hips
• Ankles
• Knees

Since running and jogging on pavement or treadmills forces the body to absorb harsher impacts than an Elliptical, these machines provide dieters with safe and effective cardio exercise opportunities.

StairMaster

StairMaster machines have been used by dieters for over 25 years. Many dieters consider the StairMaster to be one of the most challenging cardio exercise tools, as it requires individuals to repeatedly climb steps at various paces. In climbing these steps, dieters are able to burn calories while improving the overall muscle tone in the body and core/abdominal areas. The StairMaster equipment has been revised and re-designed since its introduction 25 years ago. Today, StairMaster machines have articulated steps, ergonomic handrails, a progress screen to report calorie expenditures and results, in addition to some higher-tech machines which also include LCD capabilities.

Bicycles and Stationary Bikes

Similar to a bicycle intended for outdoor use, the stationary bikes at a gym provide dieters with a variety of cardio and weight loss benefits. While biking outside allows dieters to enjoy a varied terrain, in addition to natural challenges of hills and peaks, stationary bikes can often provide similar benefits with their high tech advances.

Today, stationary bikes allow individuals to choose their own levels of resistance, as the bikes can simulate the cardio benefits of hills and additional factors, such as wind resistance. Whether biking outside or indoors, dieters can boost their calorie expenditures while also toning up their legs, gluteus, and core/abdominal/back regions with this cardio exercise.

Whether you do or you don't use cardio exercise equipment, a cardio workout is essential for any fitness regime.

Note from John – another piece of equipment you need for cardio is a good heart monitor. Check out my Heart Monitor Review page for suggestions.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Cardio Exercise Equipment and Weight Loss

This is a guest post by John from King Trampolines.

In this post I will explain the benefits of using a mini trampoline for weight loss and exercise. In 1980 NASA performed a study about the effectiveness of bouncing on a trampoline and the results were outstanding:

"… for similar levels of heart rate and oxygen consumption, the magnitude of the biomechanical stimuli is greater with jumping on a trampoline than with running" Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887, 1980

So the great thing about a trampoline is they are fun as well as giving you a workout. Because you have so much fun whilst bouncing on a trampoline you probably don’t realise you are improving your cardiovascular levels and burning fat at the same time, for this reason trampolines have a major advantage over traditional forms of exercise.

So why is a mini trampoline a good form of exercise?

• Low Impact on joints – Trampoline bouncing produces relatively low impact on your joints, much less than jogging or running. This is because the force applied when you land on the trampoline mat is absorbed into the surrounding springs of the trampoline.
• Improves blood circulation – the exercise of bouncing up and down increases blood circulation and helps strengthen the heart muscle
• Reduces stress and tension – As you may or may not know bouncing on a trampoline can reduce stress and tension, the fun exercise releases endorphins in your brain (produced by your pituitary gland) this gives you a natural high, similar to an adrenaline rush.
• Helps Tone Muscle – whilst you bounce up and down on the trampoline your muscles contract, the more times you bounce the more times your muscles will contract causing them to strengthen and define. A trampoline will help tone your legs, thighs, back and stomach.
• Aids weight loss – of course the number one reason people start exercise programs is to lose weight. The cardio activity caused by bouncing on a trampoline will help aid weight loss.
• Stimulates the brain – Any exercise that makes you sweat will most likely have released enough endorphins (mentioned above) to help stimulate your brain. This stimulation helps you get a “clear head” and helps you stay focused.
• Improves Balance and coordination – because the mat of a trampoline is constantly changing you have to adjust your body’s centre of gravity to stay upright on the trampoline.
• Improves posture – have you ever noticed when performing exercise it helps you improve your posture, well bouncing on a trampoline does the same thing.

Okay where can I buy a mini trampoline?

The good news is you don’t have to stretch your wallet to purchase a mini trampoline, of course my site recommends places to buy mini trampolines in the United States, Canada & in the United Kingdom. Giving you an average price you can expect to pay (but again don’t worry as they are not expensive).

Thanks for reading. For more information on trampolines click on the picture below:

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Mini Trampolines – Great for Cardio Exercise

This is a guest post by Matthew Perry from 3rd Chance Fitness.

My wife said that painting her toes was starting to be a real bitch…

Well, by this picture I couldn’t disagree one bit…but it made me think of myself…That exercise right now was starting to be a real bitch. Now I know her challenge, she’s preggo! She was painting her toes whenever she felt like it. Now she paints her toes when she feels good, when the baby isn’t kicking too much, etc. etc. But she is still painting her toes, because it is important to her…

And exercise is important to me.

And her being pregnant is no excuse to let myself go. My mother in law said that I was going to gain weight just because my wife was pregnant…so I took that as a personal challenge to be in BETTER shape when he is born, compared to when he was conceived. And no it has not been easy, even being a "fitness nerd" my whole life, LIFE still gets in the way. If I am not in better shape, then so be it, but I will NOT be in worse!

So my challenge right now, the road block if you will, is that my wife is pregnant and life has been slowly changing, taking me out of my comfort zone and in turn challenging my eating habits and my exercise routine…So what do I do?

Just ADJUST to the situation, because you always have time to do what you want to do. Period.

I would NORMALLY exercise 5 days a week without fail with maybe a 6th day if I wanted to. I would NORMALLY do 30 minutes of weights and 30-45 minutes on the bike. And this is at my local health club. I would get up at 4:15am and be at the gym by 5, home by 6:30, at work by 7:30…Good grief just typing this out is making me tired.

I would NORMALLY go grocery shopping on Sunday and have my whole week of meals planned out, from my morning shake to my dinner and all the nutritional snacks in between.

And since I do not have the same time, I am ADJUSTING to it, not giving in to it, knowing that it will just get more challenging as time passes.

So now I have taken my exercise routine down to 3 days a week, what I would normally call my “beginners program”, and I also purchased an exercise bike to have at home. I ADJUSTED.

My meals are still planned out for the week, except now they are cooked all at once and frozen. I ADJUSTED.

So as this process of my little dude grows and soon will be a helpless creature in my hands, even more of my time will be donated…and I will ADJUST!

Making time to exercise is not easy, life isn’t easy, but your body must be exercised and fed good, nutritional things. YOU MUST ADJUST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

So my question to you is, what is your road block and how are you adjusting? A little inspiration by you might just be what some stranger needs…

Cheers to your Health & Fitness!

Matthew
www.3rdChanceFitness.com

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

ADJUST to Life's Challenges to Achieve the Success You Deserve

This is a guest post by Andrew Scott from Discipline or Regret.

Living a fitness lifestyle brings holistic benefits to not only the physical body but also our psychological well-being. This should be anyone’s first step to a successful life, because when you are healthy physically and mentally then you are going to be ready to take on your dreams.

Regular exercise and a sensible eating plan can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. There are many trashy diets out there, but one thing that I’ll tell you about 99% of them, READ CAREFULLY; “They will make you FAT!” Most mainstream diets will work two ways; first they will have you believe that you can lose weight fast, and secondly they will risk your health and teach you how to lose weight fast. Fast weight loss is weight loss (usually water and muscle), but not fat loss. Slow and consistent fat loss is what you need. And to do this you need to educate yourself in the things that you are eating and what they will do once inside.

A body that is physically fit and conditioned through regular exercise should be less prone to illness and injury. Consistent exercise has been proven to help prevent a number of life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes. Regular exercise will also increase good cholesterol while decreasing bad cholesterol, which will assist blood-flow and lower the build-up of plaque in the artery walls, so that means you have a significantly less chance of leaving earth by a heart attack or stroke.

With a fitness lifestyle the body will be getting a good supply of oxygen; not only will the heart and lungs benefit in the long-term but this increased oxygen and blood-flow to our brains will also bring cognitive benefits; this is what keeps our success striving brains to be more productive and people will probably throw money at us just because of our sheer wit and ingenious ideas (It’s worth a try!).

Leading a fitness lifestyle will also prevent obesity (I got there too late!). As metabolism tends to slow with aging (usually after 30) regular exercise can prevent weight gains caused by this factor. If someone lives an active lifestyle with sports and/or frequently takes part in an exercise program they might not even feel any effects of their slowing metabolism. Even in a person’s later years if they have not led a fitness lifestyle they can begin to take part in exercise and this should help them maintain their weight. If they are an able-bodied person a focused strength training and cardiovascular workout can delay or slow down the onset of a decreased metabolism.

A fitness lifestyle will bring with it increased energy levels so that we can cope not only with the physical rigors of life but also the emotional. Not only will it give you more energy to work, play and engage in under-the-sheet-adventures, but also a fitness lifestyle will give you better sleep (more so after the sheet adventures). In turn this will bring improvements to concentration span and overall brain productivity.

When our bodies are physically fit this will bring with it many psychological advantages. A person that leads a fitness lifestyle should generally feel more relaxed and can release stress, tension to calm them down during sports and exercise. Being physically fit will also maximize confidence and self-esteem; it is ok for you to feel proud at what your fitness lifestyle has helped you achieve, just don’t be looking for a screaming crowd that wants your autograph.

As you can see the fitness lifestyle carries an immense amount of benefits and by educating yourself and developing new habits you can achieve this, it’s not impossible!

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

The Fitness Lifestyle: So What Are You Getting Off Your Ass For?