Did You Lose Weight The Right Way in 2010?

Did your weight yo-yo this year? Did you place emphasis on weight loss instead of fat loss? Losing weight the healthy way is the only way! Health is more important than weight loss. Don't lose your health and self respect trying quick weight loss tactics. Check out this video about a former Biggest Loser television show contestant who experienced major weight loss (and disappointment):



Your goal should be to be the biggest fat loser. Losing huge amounts of weight can be gained back quickly if you don't build muscle mass. Build muscle, burn fat, speed up your metabolism and lose weight (and keep it off).

So, here are some tips to help you achieve your best health and fitness:

1. Make a commitment TODAY to a lifestyle of health and fitness. Without this commitment, you will eventually go back to short-term solutions like quick weight loss.

2. Make the needed changes to your eating habits. Severely limit foods like sugars, processed foods, fast foods, fat-filled packaged foods, etc. Eat more foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.

Get help with your meal plan if needed. Get your nutrition mainly from food. Add in supplements like multivitamins and fish oil to support your meal plan and improve your health.

3. Commit to regular exercise and an active lifestyle. Walk as much as you can everyday.

4. Get enough rest. If you don't sleep enough, your body won't function as well as it could--that means about 7-8 hours of sleep every night for most people.

5. Schedule that doctor's appointment to see where your health stands. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. can be controlled, if needed.

Download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Top 5 Nutrition Tips For Burning Fat and Losing Weight

If you want lasting weight loss and fat loss, you must monitor what you eat and how much. It takes more than just working out hard to reach your goals. Its important to eat enough but not too much or too little. What you eat matters. Eating 1000 calories of healthy food is more effective than eating 1000 calories of junk food.

Follow my Top 5 Nutrition Tips and you will have a better chance of losing the fat and weight and keeping it off.


1. Eat breakfast every day! Your body has been fasting all night. A good healthy breakfast gets your metabolism kicked off for the day. Eat small meals every 3-4 hours to keep up your energy and to keep your metabolism humming along all day.

2. Plan and pack your meals for the day. This way, you are more likely to stay with your nutrition plan. Include foods such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat diary and nuts. Severely limit sugars of all forms, fast food and foods in a box or bag. Comply with your meal plan at least 90% of the time.

3. Eat protein with every meal. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period of time (thereby eating less) and repairs your muscles after a tough workout.

4. Carbohydrates are not your enemy! They are your body's preferred source of energy (especially during exercise). Its important to have a meal plan that includes the macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats). The primary cause of weight gain is a caloric surplus (eating more calories than you burn). There are some instances where carb cycling can be a great strategy to burn fat. But, you should master the basics of nutrition first.

5. Build muscle and burn fat to change your body to lean and toned. Don't skip your post-workout meal. It is important to help your body recover from intense exercise (especially weight training).

You don't have to eat immediately after your workout (if you want to eat immediately after a workout, YOU DIDN'T WORKOUT VERY HARD)! There is a 30-45 minute "window of opportunity" where replenishing your body's fuel (carbs, protein, fats) will optimize your tissue's repair and growth. If you miss this "window of opportunity" it is gone forever. A carb/protein shake will work well.

-Cathering Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine. Get it now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Top Holiday Eating Tip For Any Season

There is one holiday eating tip that you need to do every day. Eat protein with every meal.

At your holiday parties, get full on protein foods first. It will help you eat less of the condiments, desserts and other high-fat foods at the party. Most holiday parties have plenty of foods loaded with protein. Nuts, ham, turkey, chicken, fish, etc. are great foods to eat. Protein helps control your blood sugar if you happen to eat carbohydrates.

It takes your body longer to digest protein, so you will fill fuller for a longer period of time by eating more foods rich in protein (this should help you eat fewer calories during the day).

Protein is also used by your body to repair and rebuild damaged tissues as a result of a tough workout (especially weight training). Quickly digesting protein shakes work well after a workout. Other daytime and nighttime meals could be comprised of slowly digesting protein (such as lean meats) that will give a constant release of amino acids into your system during the day and overnight.

So, when used right, protein will help you build a lean body and help your weight loss/fat loss efforts.

Get your Free Holiday Eating Tips Book!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Better Fat Loss Results with Short Workouts

Are you frustrated with your fat loss and weight loss results. Make adjustments. Doing the same thing will not give you different results. Short, intense workouts will burn more fat and help you lose more weight.



Are you working out 1-2 hours a day? You don't need to do that to accomplish your goals. Matter of fact, these long workouts will lead to boredom and repetitive stress injuries. Thirty to 40-minute weight training workouts will get the job done.

A woman asked me one day why she wasn't making any progress on her fat loss and weight loss. After asking her a few questions, I found two main problems with her workout program:

1) She wasn't eating right and

2) she was working out TOO LONG (2 hours per workout) and TOO SLOW (workout included 1 hour of machine cardio)!

I don't know who has time to workout for 2 hours....alot of you have this mindset: longer workouts are better.....this couldn't be further from the truth....

Here is a good 30-minute workout that will serve as a strength and cardio workout. If you have been doing the heavy weight training for a while, this workout can be a good change of pace for you:

--Y bodyweight squats, 12 repetitions, moderate pace
--Pushup Plank, 10 repetitions, 10 second hold
--Squat jumps, 10 repetitions, full speed
--Pushups, 12 repetitions
--Ball Ab Rollouts, 12 repetitions, moderate pace
--Pullups, 10 repetitions
--Cross body mountain climber, 12 repetitions each leg
--Do this circuit 3 times

Do this circuit with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

The truth is that no weight training workout (including bodyweight training) needs to exceed 50 minutes....and interval cardio workouts should be about 20 minutes....shorter, more intense workouts will give you more calorie-burn, more fat-burn, more weight loss and fewer repetitive stress injuries! And, you will have more time to do the things you want to do in life.

One more tip: You don't need to workout everyday. Five to 6 days of working out is enough! Some weeks, you might need 2 days off. Listen to your body!

Workout smarter and harder, not longer!

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Tone Obliques With Cross Body Mountain Climbers

Add cross body mountain climbers to your ab exercise routine. This exercise will build strength and help tone your obliques. Cross body mountain climbers also work the calves, quadriceps, glutes, back, chest, triceps and shoulders. You will need high levels of core strength to do this exercise the right way for each set.





External obliques - these muscles are on the side and front of the abdomen and wrap around your waist.

Internal obliques - these muscles lie under the external obliques and run in the opposite direction.

Do the exercise this way:

1. Start by getting in the push up position with your arms fully extended. Keep your hips and torso in a straight line. Don't let your hips sag and don't point your butt in the air during this exercise.

2. Do the exercise by moving your left knee straight up and across your body to the right armpit area (keep your abs braced). Also, don't let your foot touch the ground as you do the movement. Move your left leg back to the starting position and repeat with your right leg. Alternate your leg movements until you have completed all repetitions.

If you are doing the mountain climber exercise then just add on the cross body mountain climber!

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Prevent Butt, Hip And Thigh Injuries

You can prevent painful butt, hip and thigh injuries by conditioning your muscles to prepare for workouts. For example, tight hip flexors lead to some very painful injuries.



Your athletic movements during workouts are dominated by the hips, glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. All of these muscle regions need to work properly or you will not go very long without injury.

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle of the buttocks. The anatomy of the gluteal region (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus) is shown below:



The glutes don't fire properly when the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, tensor fascia latae, etc.) are overactive or tight. This can happen due to poor flexibility or prolonged sitting. When the hip flexors don't work properly, its antagonist (mainly the gluteus maximus) becomes weak.

This is known as reciprocal inhibition (when muscles on one side of a joint become tight or overactive, it shuts down the muscles on the other side of the joint). When a prime mover (such as the gluteus maximus) becomes weak, other muscles (synergists) take over the function that the prime mover should be doing.

Some injuries that occur because of inactive glutes are hamstring injuries, piriformis syndrome, knee ACL tears and low back injuries. Okay, enough of the technical stuff!

So, what do you need to do to fire up your glutes?! First, you need to understand why your glutes are not firing properly. They are probably not receiving the neural drive from your central nervous system.

So, it is probably not an issue of strength. Their are some exercises you can do to correct this problem. First, you need to lengthen tight muscles. The stretches are listed as follows (use self myofascial release with foam roller before doing these stretches):

1. Hip Flexor Stretch
2. Quadriceps Stretch
3. Bodyweight Lateral Lunges (for adductors)

Then, you need to activate (fire up) your glutes with these exercises:

1. Glute Bridge
2. Opposite Leg Opposite Arm Raise
3. Glute Kickbacks

Lastly, exercise the fired up glutes with these exercises:

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Lateral tube walks (pictured above)
3. Walking Lunges

Get your rear in gear and take care of your body!

Download your FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workouts now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Burn More Calories And Fat With Balance Exercises

You can burn more calories and fat with exercises that require large amounts of dynamic balance. Why? Because these balance-type exercises are tougher to do than sitting or stand-still exercises.



Improve your dynamic balance and you will be more athletic and leaner. Here are some examples:

Incorporate many one-legged exercises such as power step ups, single leg squats, single leg good mornings, single leg medicine ball exercises, etc.

Include exercises with your eyes closed to improve limb position sense (proprioception).

Train your body in all 3 planes of motion to improve multi-planar balance. An example would be a grouping of walking lunges, side lunges and transverse lunges.

Train on different surfaces such as grass, sand, astro-play and soft surfaces. Doing this will burn more calories because of difficulty.

Do combinations of one-arm and one-leg exercises such as single leg squat-to-single arm shoulder press. Single-limbed exercises are more intense than two-limbed exercises.

Jump rope every day using different variations---two feet, one foot, shuffle, etc. Jumping rope is one of the best body coordination exercises out there and burns tons of calories. And, speed jump rope is even better.

Better muscular balance will give you better dynamic balance. For example, your quadriceps should not be significantly stronger than your hamstrings. This helps prevent injuries.

Quickness and agility drills will improve your dynamic balance. These full speed drills will burn tons of calories and sculpt your body.

Balance training also improves your core strength.

Train hard and smart!

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Burn Back Fat With Weight Training

Burn back fat and build up your back muscles with bentover dumbbells rows. Bentover dumbbell rows allow you to work your lats using heavier weights. Your lower back will be worked more if you row with both arms at the same time. You will also work your obliques in the process.



If you experience back pain doing two-armed rows, then try doing one-armed rows so you can support your body with the other arm.

Do two-armed bentover dumbbell rows this way:

1. With your feet about shoulder width apart, bend over and grab the dumbbells. Keep your back straight (don't bow or arch back) and keep your head in line with your torso. Look straight down during the exercise.

2. Pull dumbbells up to your side until they make contact with your ribs. Keep your elbows close to your side during the exercise. As you pull the dumbbells up, squeeze your shoulder blades together.

3. Don't curl the dumbbells as you lift. Curling will allow too much use of your biceps. This is primarily a back exercise. Return the dumbbells until your arms are fully extended. That is one repetition.

Build your back muscles and burn fat with bentover dumbbell rows.

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

10 Fat-Burning Strength Exercises

You want your strength exercises to primarily build muscle, burn fat, improve bone density and sculpt your body.

One way to build muscle mass is through heavy weight lifting. “Heavy” is relative to your body weight and strength. According to the research, doing this type of weight lifting will give you exercise-induced testosterone increases. Of course, this will help you build muscle mass.

So, how much weight is heavy enough? Your repetition range for exercises should be between 3-5 (you would have a difficult time lifting these repetitions). You would typically do 4-5 sets of each exercise.

Strength exercises for fat loss should focus on maximizing your time at the gym. Build more muscle mass to speed up your metabolism and burn more fat.

To recruit more muscle fibers during workouts and improve your success, focus more on MULTI-JOINT OR COMPOUND EXERCISES.

COMPOUND EXERCISES will help you burn more fat because you are working large muscle groups in your body. You will also burn more calories after your workout.

Examples of SINGLE-JOINT EXERCISES are biceps curl, seated calf raise, leg extension, leg curl and triceps pushdowns. Spend less of your time on these exercises.

Women can also do this type of training without fear of bulking up too much!

Here are 10 strength exercises to enhance fat loss:

1. Squats - Bodyweight, dumbbell, bulgarian, one-legged or barbell....do your squats!

2. Deadlift - Deadlift is a must for your exercise program. It is also one of the best ways to build muscle thickness in your lower back. Lower back fat is a problem for many people.

3. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows - If you're trying to build up back muscles and burn back fat, bentover dumbbells rows should be in your routine. Bentover dumbbell rows allow you to work your lats using heavier weights. Your lower back will be worked more if you row with both arms at the same time. You will also work your obliques in the process.

4. Pullups - The pullup is not just a back muscle exercise. Pullups work your lats (and other back muscles), core, shoulders, arms, chest, biceps and improve grip strength. That's why you should be doing pullups!

5. Clock Lunges with Dumbbells - Clock lunges work your body in all planes of motion. Lunge with your right leg at 12 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock. That’s 1 repetition for your right leg.

Lunge with your left leg at 12 o’clock, 10 o’clock, 9 o’clock, 7 o’clock and 6 o’clock. That’s 1 repetition for left leg. Maintain upright posture throughout to improve core strength.

6. Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball - Doing the chest press on the ball forces you to balance while lifting. Each arm also has to do equal work. Regular bench press is always an option.

7. Standing Barbell or Dumbbell Shoulder Press - Doing an exercise on your feet (closed-chain) activates more muscles and that's what you want. The standing shoulder press will not only work your shoulders and arms but will also activate your core muscles. And, since you are standing, your lower body also has to do some work.

8. Step Ups with Dumbbells on Knee-High Platform - The step up is one of the best exercises to strengthen your glutes and tone your leg muscles. Weakness in the gluteus medius can result in knee and back injuries. Weakness in the gluteus medius also contributes to instability when you walk, run and jump.

9. Pushups on Medicine Ball (weight on back) - This exercise will really challenge your chest, arms, shoulders and core muscles. Don't let your butt sag during the exercise!

10. Triceps Bar Dips (weighted) - One of the best upper body exercises. Don't lean forward on descent.

Build major muscle mass and watch your body begin to sculpt like never before!

Download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program, start burning max fat and start building your lean, hard body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Burn Fat, Lose Weight With Plyometrics

Plyometrics remains one of the best ways to help burn fat, lose weight and really sculpt your body. If your body has the needed strength and stability, plyometrics will improve your body's composition (more muscle, less fat) by leaps and bounds.



Here is a good general plyometric workout to improve your body's shape and conditioning.

1. In Place Vertical Jumps, full speed, Double Leg, 3 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

2. Depth Jumps, 2 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

3. Bounding and Lateral Bounding, full speed, 2 sets of each/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

4. Lateral Cone Jumps, full speed, 2 sets/10 each side, 1 minute rest between sets

5. Standing Broad Jumps, full speed, 2 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

6. Dumbbell Calf Raises, full speed, 3 sets/25, 2 minutes rest between sets

Do a plyometric workout no more than 2 days a week because of the full speed intensity of this type of workout.

Avoid knee injuries by perfecting jumping and landing techniques before progressing to full speed plyometric workouts.

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Office Workers' Weight Gain Risk

It doesn't take a genius to know that office workers move less during the day and face weight gain risks. Sitting at a desk all day or being confined to a cubicle restricts your movement. And, since all movement burns calories, office workers have to take steps to manage weight.

According to a new study from the Université de Montréal, office workers have become less active over the last three decades and this decreased activity may partly explain the rise in obesity.

I'm not sure it required a study to discover this finding but I'll take it. Fitness trainers look for solutions to weight gain and fat gain.

If you are an office worker, here are some tips to help you manage your weight:

1. Take advantage of your office space during breaks or lunch.
You can easily fit in a 15-20 minute workout with the following exercises:

--pushups
--ab curl ups
--triceps dips
--bodyweight squats or lunges
--dumbbell exercises like shoulder presses and rows
--calf raises
--planks and bridges

You could rotate brisk walks with these exercises during your breaks. Also, use your space for flexibility exercises, pilates or yoga. Working a desk job can cause postural problems such as rounded shoulders, tight hip flexors and stooped over posture.

If you walk around at work most of the time, you have the movement already needed. You can still do the strength exercises listed above. Strength exercises build muscle and speed up your metabolism.

2. Walk or bike to work, if practical.

3. Walk the stairs instead of riding in the elevator.

4. Do exercises on the stability ball.

5. Jump rope during work breaks.

6. Get a group of co-workers to walk together. This keeps exercise fun and supportive.

7. Challenge other departments to a volleyball or soccer game once or twice a week. This is for bragging rights! You won’t even think of it as exercise. The best exercise is fun exercise!

An active life is part of a quality life. Take advantage of all your opportunities to improve your overall fitness and health.

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Shrinking Waist Size Improves Your Health Risks

Burn fat and shrink your waist size. Doing so will reduce your risk of dying from diseases like cancer and heart disease. Don't just take my word for it....researchers from the American Cancer Society warns us about the deadly risks of having too much belly fat. Read my article about waist-to-hip ratio.

In the research study led by Eric J. Jacobs, PhD, American Cancer Society strategic director, Pharmacoepidemiology, researchers examined the association between waist circumference and the risk of death among 48,500 men and 56,343 women age 50 and older who had taken part in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, a subset of the larger Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II).

Participants filled out detailed questionnaires about their health and lifestyle, and also measured their waist size with a tape measure. They were then tracked for 9 years.

“We were interested in looking at waist size because it’s strongly correlated to fat tissue in the abdomen, which is the most dangerous kind of fat issue,” said Jacobs.

What The Research Found:

Jacobs and his colleagues found that people with very large waists (47 inches or larger in men, 42 inches or larger in women) had approximately twice the risk of death compared to those with the smallest waists (35 inches in men, 30 inches in women) during the study period.

And, this is the interesting part about the study: it didn't matter if the person was normal weight, overweight or obese (according to body mass index).

“We found a pattern showing that expanding waist size was linked to a greater risk of dying regardless of body weight,” said Jacobs. “Similarly, people with the smallest waist sizes had the lowest risk. The take home message here is watch your waist size regardless of your weight.”

Spot Reduction Won't Work

Spot reduction won't work. Burn total body fat by doing full body strength training and eating healthy food. This will help you burn fat off your waist. Doing 1000 ab crunches a day won't get the job done.

“There’s no evidence that doing a particular set of abdominal moves will reduce belly fat. The best thing you can do is to eat better and exercise more,” says Jacobs.

Build muscle, burn fat and shrink your body!

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

13 Metabolism Tips For Weight Loss

Metabolism is basically the rate at which your body burns calories. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories you'd burn if you did nothing all day (or the amount of calories your body needs to maintain itself in a resting state).

You will use your BMR and daily activity level (including exercise) to set your daily calorie needs for weight loss or maintenance.

1. Your metabolism will slow down as you age, especially starting at about age 30. Stay active throughout your life to maintain health and an active metabolism!

2. Gender - Men generally burn more calories at rest than women because men have more lean mass. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Muscle mass can be maintained/increased (and body fat decreased) throughout your life through interval cardio and weight training.

Weight training also helps to keep your bones strong (preventing osteoporosis).

3. Heredity plays a part in your body's rate of metabolism.

4. Thyroid problems may cause your metabolism to slow down.

5. No matter how fast your metabolism, a caloric surplus (consuming more calories than you burn) causes you to gain fat and weight.

6. One surprising thing about metabolism is this: the more you weigh, the faster your metabolism will be. This happens because your body must work harder to maintain itself. That is also why it is easier to lose weight in the beginning of a fat loss/weight loss program.

The overweight person's metabolism is running so high that any cut in calories will result in quick weight losses. On the other hand, its easier for that person to regain the weight because her or his body now needs fewer calories to sustain itself.

7. A slow or sluggish metabolism is not the major cause of weight gain. A caloric imbalance is the cause of weight gain (consuming more calories than you burn in a day). If you have a slow or sluggish metabolism? A brisk 30 minute walk each day would get you started in the right direction to speed it up.

8. Lifting weights (including bodyweight exercises) and cardio exercise will give you a higher metabolic rate. A combination of circuit weight training and high intensity interval cardio will keep your metabolism "revved up" throughout your life.

9. Sweating is not a gauge of how many calories you are burning. This may be bad news for sauna and steam room lovers! Weight loss or gain is a product of calories consumed or burned. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight and vice-versa.

10. The best time to exercise is whenever you have the most energy. Working out at any time of the day will increase metabolism for several hours, depending on intensity.

11. Your metabolism doesn't necessarily have to slow down as you get older. Again, a combination of circuit weight training and high intensity interval cardio will keep your metabolism "revved up" throughout your life.

12. Eating smaller, frequent meals will keep your metabolism "revved up" during the day. Your metabolism will slow down if there are too many hours between meals.

13. There is no significant evidence showing that eating certain foods/drinks such as peppers and green tea will speed your metabolism for a long period of time.

Actually, any food will speed your metabolism within the first hour after you eat. A high-protein food might speed metabolism for a longer period of time since protein requires more energy to digest. Your best bet is to eat small meals every 3-4 hours.

Download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program, start burning max fat and start building your lean, hard body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Burn Fat In Four Minutes

Burn fat with shorter, more intense workouts in as little as 4 minutes. Long, boring workouts are a thing of the past. The research and my experience with clients proves that short bursts of exercise, such as circuit weight training and interval cardio, will sculpt your body better and faster.

Improve your body's composition (fat loss, more muscle) without your joints taking a pounding from lifting heavy weights with 2 hour workouts. Circuit workouts are a tried and true method to burn more fat, increase strength/endurance and improve heart health.

Be sure and download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program from My Fitness Hut and start burning fat and building muscle mass.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Caloric Surplus Causes Weight Gain, Not High Glycemic Foods

You will gain weight and fat if you maintain a daily caloric surplus even if you eat low glycemic foods. This fact remains unchanged: A daily caloric surplus (consume more calories than you burn) will cause you to gain weight. Lose weight by maintaining a caloric deficit over time.

That's right, you can still gain weight on a low-carb diet.

Having said this, it is important to eat quality carbs, proteins and fats. But, how much you eat will determine if you gain weight or lose weight.

Being aware of the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of certain foods can help you control your glycemic response and body fat.

The glycemic index is a numerical index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response, or their conversion to glucose within the human body. The Index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose is the reference point and has a GI value of 100.

A low-carb diet is not necessary. You are better off eating the right kinds of carbohydrates at the right time.

Your body depends on carbohydrates as a primary fuel source (especially during intense workouts). For instance, after a tough workout, a post-workout drink with high glycemic carbs and protein will help your body recover and rebuild your muscles. During the day, low glycemic carbs are more desirable.

The glycemic index is important because your body performs best when your blood sugar is kept relatively constant. When blood sugar drops too low, you become listless or experience increased hunger. If it goes too high, your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Although insulin will bring your blood sugar back down, it does so primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat.

For non-diabetics, there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar is desirable. For example, some coaches and trainers recommend high GI foods (like sports drinks) immediately after exercise to help speed recovery.

Another way to control your GI is to also control your glycemic load (GL). Glycemic load can be controlled by the type and amount of carbohydrates you consume. So, GI and GL work together to control your glycemic response.

GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or below are considered low and 20 or above are considered high.

IF YOU USE GI AND GL VALUES AS THE SOLE FACTOR FOR DETERMINING YOUR DIET, YOU COULD END UP OVERCONSUMING FAT AND TOTAL CALORIES. GI is only used to rate a food's carb content. If you continue to eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight no matter what you eat.

Be sure and download your Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course from Precision Nutrition:

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Women

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Holiday Snacks To Control Weight Gain

The holiday season is long so eating the right snacks to control weight gain is important. What you eat between main meals can make or break your weight management. The snacks can really skyrocket your calorie count if you're not careful!

First, a few common sense holiday eating rules:

1. Use no more than a pat of butter on whole wheat bread or rolls.

2. Use natural sweeteners like cinnamon instead of sugar.

3. Use condiments like mustard instead of ketchup or mayonnaise.

4. Drink only water or unsweetened drinks, like tea. Cranberry juice and pomegranite juice are not that healthy if they are loaded with sugar!

5. Limit alcohol consumption which has 7 calories per gram.

6. Sweet potatoes are very healthy (limit the butter and marshmallows). Try them roasted to seal in the flavor without adding fat! Sweet potatoes are full of fiber, vitamin A, potassium and one of the best snacks around. Plus, they satisfy my sweet tooth!

7. Turkey is a healthy source of protein. If you deep fry it or smother it in gravy, you will add alot of calories! Turkey also provides folic acid, vitamin B, zinc and potassium. I love white turkey sandwiches on wheat bread for weeks after Thanksgiving day!

Here are some healthy snacks to eat during the holidays:

1. Popcorn is high-fiber and low calorie. Skip the butter and excess salt! I like to pop it on the stove in olive oil. On the run, I eat natural, microwaved brands.

2. Nuts. Peanuts, pistachios, pecans and almonds are all good. A handful of nuts goes a long way! They are high-calorie so be careful. Skip the excess salt! Nuts have heart-healthy fats, fiber and vitamins.

3. Fruit is always a healthy, filling snack. I've never heard of anyone getting fat from eating fruit! We all know the health benefits of eating fruit so enough said.

4. Green, leafy salads. Eat green salads on most days with very little dressing. You can't go wrong with green, leafy veggies for the health benefits!

5. Low-fat yogurt is a great snack! Yogurt smoothies are also great options (especially after a strength workout).

Happy, healthy eating during the holidays!

-Cathering Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Thanksgiving Day Workouts

If you get the chance, do a short Thanksgiving Day workout. It will help you burn calories, stay energized and alert the rest of the day.

I like to get in workouts the night before and the morning of Thanksgiving day. I will enjoy the full Thanksgiving meal and desserts with no guilt at all!

Here is my night before Thanksgiving workout:

1) Chest press, 4 sets/10 repetitions
2) Bentover DB Rows, 4 sets/10 repetitions
3) Standing DB Shoulder Press 4 sets/ 10 repetitions
4) Step Ups (knee high platform), 4 sets, 10 repetitions each leg
5) 20-minute interval cardio on treadmill

Here is my workout Thanksgiving morning:

1) 20-minute interval cardio on treadmill
2) Front Chops with 35 lb. plate, 6 sets/15 repetions
3) 10-minute interval cardio on treadmill

And then it will be time to eat! Happy Thanksgiving!

-Cathering Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Burpees Burn Fat

The burpee exercise burns body fat like crazy and is great for conditioning. Always do burpees under control with good technique.



If you need to change up your high intensity interval cardio routine, here is a great choice----do full speed burpees for 20 minutes.

Trust me, it is a great full-body exercise that will increase your strength endurance, power and anaerobic conditioning (remember, aerobics is an exercise done for more than 2 straight minutes).

Exercises like sprints and jumps are anaerobic. Research has proven that anaerobic conditioning will give you superior fat loss, conditioning and heart health.

You can use the burpee exercise as an interval cardio routine to ramp up your fat-burning and conditioning:

--1 minute full speed burpees
--2 minutes walk or jog
--Do this routine for 20 minutes and you're done

From a squat position with your hands on the floor, kick your feet back to a pushup position. Quickly return your feet to the squat position and jump as high as you can from the squat position. Repeat this exercise at full speed for 1 minute. Whew! Walk or jog for 2 minutes and burpee again.

Go for it!

Train hard and safe.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Functional Training Burns Fat, Improves Life

Functional training can help you burn more fat and help you live a quality life. You see, functional training prepares your body for how you want to live. For example, if you are a hiker, you should train your body with intense exercises to get you ready for hikes. Exercises like mountain climbers, bodyweight squats and pullups would be good to get you ready for hikes. Train movements and not just muscles.



A major reason for exerciser (and every day life) injuries is a weak core area. Functional training would definitely include core stability, strength and power training.

The saying "you are only as strong as your weakest link" is true in the case of the human body. Core strength is inadequate for many people. The majority of movements are either initiated or transfer through the body's core area.

Here are some tips to follow during functional training:

1. Your body needs to be stabilized and strengthened before progressing to high-speed power exercises. If this is not done, you are headed for certain injury when more intense exercises are introduced. Along the same lines, you should perform an exercise correctly before progressing to power exercises.

2. Many strength and core exercises should be performed in a standing position since most daily movements are on your feet. Standing exercises also burn more calories and fat.

These exercises will also involve the important hip stabilizer muscles and not just the abdominals. A great full-body core exercise is the medicine ball chop.

3. Your functional strength and core exercises should be multi-planar, multi-dimensional and progressive. Many daily movements involve twisting, rotating, turning, etc. The exercises should also constantly challenge and improve (progressive) your athletic ability. Finally, your functional training should target endurance, strength and power.

Train your body for how you want to live!

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

The Twinkie Diet? Forget About It!

You can try the "Twinkie Diet" or any other diet you want. One fact remains unchanged: A caloric surplus (consume more calories than you burn) will cause you to gain weight! Doing the opposite will cause you to lose weight. There's no controversy about this.

Professor Mark Haub, a nutrition professor from Kansas State University, lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks on a "Twinkie Diet." He basically ate junk food (with some veggies, protein drinks and vitamins thrown in) to prove a point. He lost weight because he created a caloric deficit by eating 1800 calories a day.

His health markers, like cholesterol and triglycerides, improved. For short-term results, this is not that surprising to me. What about long-term results? Would you be healthier eating this way in the long-term? Of course not!

I wonder what his body fat percentage was? Hmmm.........

It does matter What You Eat and How Much You Eat! I have repeatedly said that fat loss is more important than weight loss. Changing your body's composition (less fat, more muscle mass) is critical for your health and permanent weight loss (and lean body).

Your goal should be to be a fat loser. Losing huge amounts of weight can be gained back quickly if you don't build muscle mass. Build muscle, burn fat, speed up your metabolism and lose weight (and keep it off)!

Look, I realize that people will ultimately do what they want to do....we all know that a junk food diet is not the way to go for health and fitness. Make the right choices for yourself.

1 + 1 always equals 2.

Eating quality calories and controlling your calorie intake always improves your health and fitness.

Be sure and download your Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course from Precision Nutrition:

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Women

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Men

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Top Holiday Eating Tip

You will hear many holiday eating tips from now until the end of December.

Here is a top holiday eating tip for any season of the year:

Eat your calories! We tend to drink more of everything during the holidays.

Drinking sugary drinks and alcohol can really pack on the pounds quickly. Drink mainly water and unsweetened drinks like tea.

Eat your calories. Chew your food slower. One quick way to "blow a hole" through your meal plan is to drink too many empty calories contained in drinks like sodas, sugared fruit juices and designer coffees. These are empty calories because they do very little to keep you full (satiety) and you end up wanting and eating more!

I have more holiday eating tips for you. Just download my FREE book, "Holiday Eating Tips For Weight Management," now!




Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Fat Loss For The Holidays?

Fat loss for the holiday season? Yes. Fat loss is for every season. And, you can still enjoy your holiday goodies---up to a point.

Even during the holidays, try to comply with your meal plan 90% of the time. This leaves plenty of room to enjoy the holiday goodies. Also, your food journal really comes in handy during the holiday season. Tracking what you eat holds you accountable.

Don't skip your workouts during the long holiday season. Good workouts can cover many eating mishaps!

"My Fitness Hut's 10 Must Know Fat Loss Tips" will help you navigate through the holiday "food minefield." Below is a partial quote of tip #4:

"You must change your body composition! You must increase muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.” Concentrate on compound (multi-joint) strength exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, planks and rows because they work and build more muscle groups.

Do less single-joint exercises like biceps curls and tricep extensions. It is a good idea to start your training program with 3 days-a-week of full body circuit weight training tailored to your body type......"

Although changing your body composition takes time (more lean mass, less fat mass), you can still build muscle during the holiday season. Don't expect fat burner supplements to do it for you!

It takes hard, smart work to change your body and you don't have to wait until January. And, you can't be a "weigh scale junkie" (worried too much about weight loss). Fat loss is the key to your fitness success!

If you're burning fat and building muscle, your body will eventually change permanently (if you consistently exercise). That's why a lifetime commitment to fitness is important. That way, it won't matter how long it takes for you to reach your goals---YOU'VE MADE THE COMMITMENT!

-Cathering Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Is Eating Healthy Too Expensive?

Anyone ever tell you its too expensive to eat healthy? If you believed that story, I have some waterfront property to sell you in Arizona. Saying that, "its too expensive to eat healthy" is a built-in excuse to eat bad, fattening food.



Have you seen how expensive fast food is these days? Or, try eating lunch every day at a restaurant. You could easily spend $70 to $80 dollars a week eating out at lunch and dinner.

Now, have you seen how inexpensive fresh fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, eggs, low-fat yogurt, legumes, tuna, chicken and whole grains are for your pocket book. These foods also last longer into the week and are more nutritious. Even organic foods will last longer into the week (although they are more expensive) and save you money in the long run.

So, what's the point? Eating healthy plays a huge part in you reaching your fat loss and weight loss goals. Don't let excuses stop you. Planning and packing your food is always healthier and less expensive.

Many times, eating junk foods with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) packs on the calories and pounds quickly. This is how it works: your body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does regular sugar.

It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you're full. It also forces your liver to kick more fat out into your bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast)! So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time (HFCS is in more food products than you might think).

Its too expensive for your health and fitness to not eat healthy. Plan your meals for the week.

Be sure and download your Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course from Precision Nutrition:

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Women

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Men

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Tone Hips And Glutes With One-Legged Exercises

One-legged exercises will help to better tone your hips and glutes. The muscles that move your hip joint (mainly gluteus medius) are activated more with one-legged exercises. Many running injuries can also be traced to a weak gluteus medius.



Sometimes, too much focus is placed on two-legged (bilateral) exercises. These two-legged exercises, like squats, are needed in your exercise program. But one-legged exercises improve your muscular balance in each leg. Having dynamic balance means that you are able to maintain your center of gravity over a constantly changing base of support. You cannot have dynamic balance without muscular balance.

To achieve muscular balance in your lower body, one-legged exercises should be a big part of your training program. These one-legged exercises can be performed as strengh or power (full speed) exercises.

One lower body exercise that should be in your program is one-legged step ups with knee lift (pictured above). This exercise is done one leg at a time to force each leg to work evenly. For example, you would do 10 repetitions with your right leg and then 10 repetitions with your left leg.

The hanging leg should not touch the bench and you should lower your body under control. This exercise can also be done with dumbbells to increase difficulty. Other good one-legged exercises would be squats and lunges. Add more one-legged exercises to your training program to better tone your hips.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Cross Training Varies Your Workouts

Cardio cross training will burn more fat and keep you from getting bored! Cardio is a naturally monotonous exercise that can bore you to tears, unless you change it up and keep it short. This is where interval training comes in.

The good thing about interval cardio cross training is that it doesn't require long sessions to be effective. And, it gives superior calorie-burn, fat-burn and heart-heart when compared to steady-state cardio. I usually do my interval cardio sessions in 20 minutes or 2 separate 10-minute sessions (about 5 minutes apart). Research has shown that 2 separate workouts will give you more calorie-burn and fat-burn.

How do you do regular interval cardio? Here's an example:

1. Sprint for 30 seconds
2. Walk for 1 minute
3. Repeat this rotation for 20 minutes

To do interval cardio cross training, just mix up the exercise modes to get even more fat-burning benefits. Here is an example of an interval cardio cross training workout that I do:

1. Step Ups, 15 repetitions each leg
2. Walk 1 minute
3. Jumping Jacks, fast, 1 minute
4. Walk 1 minute
5. Sprint Intervals for 6 minutes (run 1 minute, walk 1 minute)
6. Mountain Climbers, fast, 1 minute
7. Repeat this circuit 1 more time

You can use any exercises you like. I like to mix in at least one strength exercise. You could do squat jumps instead of jumping jacks. Or, you could do bodyweight squats instead of step ups. One-legged exercises (unilateral) are more intense than that two-legged (bilateral) exercises. If you don't want to run on a particular day, just do all bodyweight strength exercises.

Cross training will make you less prone to repetitive stress injuries. Cross training will also tone more muscle groups, especially if you include strength exercises.

To get better fat-burning results, do interval cardio cross training.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Nutrition Basics For Health And Weight Loss

If you don't get the Nutrition Basics down, you are getting off on the wrong foot when trying to improve your health, burn fat and lose weight.

What puts on weight? Consume more calories than you burn (caloric surplus). Want to lose weight? Create a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you consume). That is the law of thermodynamics. So what makes this such a complex process?

Cutting calories to help reach your fat loss and weight loss goals is not as easy as “just doing the math.” You need a healthy meal plan to start the process. After that, you will make many adjustments until you know how different foods affect your body.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Don’t think you can just eat 1,000 calories every day and continue to lose weight (because you have a caloric deficit). This tactic will only work for a short time. Your body doesn’t know you’re on some crazy diet. It thinks you are starving, so it goes into survival mode and stores body fat. Many of you have wrecked your metabolisms by eating too few calories during the day (month after month).

Eat these 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

Calories are Not Your Enemy

Calories are just units of energy in the form of food and drink. Consider these facts:

--one gram of protein provides 4 calories
--one gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories
--one gram of fat provides 9 calories
--one gram of alcohol provides 7 calories
--vitamins and minerals don't provide any calories
--water provides no calories

Depending on your goals, you may want to gain weight (such as athletes) or lose weight. Proper training will allow you to do either without losing critical muscle mass.

What About Basal Metabolic Rate and My Menu?

What is your BASAL METABOLIC RATE (i.e., the number of calories you would burn if sitting all day doing nothing)? You will need to know this rate because it is important when planning meals to reach your individual training goals.

For instance, my basal metabolic rate is about 2,000 calories. If I eat 2,000 calories and burn 500 calories through exercise and daily activity, I will still lose weight and burn fat (500 caloric deficit).

If I starve myself and eat 1,200 calories (1,300 caloric deficit) day after day, my body will rebel and store body fat. A 1,300 caloric deficit is too large (severe calorie restriction).

You will find it easier to cut more calories by eating healthy and eating foods with high water content. You will actually be eating more while eating fewer calories. And, you will feel fuller for a longer period (thereby eating less).

Components of a Healthy Diet

Protein

Proteins are the basic building blocks of life. They make up a large part of our foods such as meat, nuts and beans. It is very important for building and repairing body tissues, especially after a tough workout. Protein should provide 15-30% of total daily caloric intake, depending on your goals. Include protein in every meal to help you feel fuller for a longer period (helping you eat less during the day).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are made mostly of sugars. They are also important to spare protein to build and repair body tissue. Carbs provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other substances that are important to overall health.

Carbohydrates are not your enemy! They are your body's preferred source of energy (especially during exercise). Its important to have a meal plan that includes the macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats). The primary cause of weight gain is a caloric surplus. There are some instances where carb cycling can be a great strategy to burn fat. But, you should master the basics of nutrition first.

The majority of your carbs should be low glycemic (about 80%) with the rest of your carbs being high glycemic. This means that you should limit eating foods like white potatoes, white bread, corn, pasta, muffins, refined foods and white flour products.

These high glycemic foods encourages fat storage since more sucrose is escorted into the bloodstream quickly. The best time to eat high glycemic carbs is after a tough workout when your body needs quick replenishment.

Concentrate more on foods like fruits and vegetables which have high fiber and/or water content. Total carbs should provide 55%-60% of total daily caloric intake for moderately active individuals.

Fats

You need fats in your diet for your body to function properly. Fats are also filling. Get about 20% of total daily calories from fats. Eat no trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats found in packaged foods and fast foods). Eating too many (and too often) trans fats will land you in the doctor's office with heart and cholesterol problems!

Focus mainly on eating heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower total cholesterol. Good sources of MUFAs are nuts (especially raw), nut butters, olives, olive oil, avocados, safflower oil, peanut oil.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are also good for you---especially the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout and white tuna. Flaxseed and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats. Eat more omega-3 fats and less omega 6 fats.

Too much omega 6 fat intake can lead to inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Sources of omega-6 fats are soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil and cottonseed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid(CLA) fats found in red meat and dairy are also good for you provided they come from grass-fed cattle. Another option would be to supplement your diet with fish oil.

Limit (not eliminate) eating saturated fats like butter. Some sources of saturated fats are healthy, such as from coconut oil. Moderation is the key to eating saturated fats.

Count the calories with fatty foods just like any other food. For example, nuts are good for you but they are loaded with calories. A handful of raw almonds will do the trick for you.

Water

You can only live a few days without water. About 2/3 of your body is water. Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day.

Remember, certain foods contain large amounts of water. This counts toward your water intake. For instance watermelon is about 90% water and lettuce has about 95% water. Some meats contain as much as 70% water.

Water also helps your body flex muscles, remove wastes, cushion joints, carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells and helps convert food into energy (although water doesn't provide energy).

You may be experiencing dehydration if you have dry lips/mouth, dizziness, headache, nausea or muscle cramps. When you exercise, drink about a cup of water every 15 minutes.

Vitamins and Minerals

Discuss the supplements you plan to take with your doctor. Don't try to treat serious medical conditions with supplements. Look at the GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) supplement list published by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The supplements that I take and recommend to clients are multivitamins, fish oil and green tea. Notice that these supplements are great for health benefits and are not targeted at weight loss. Exercise and eat healthy to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals.

Be sure and download your Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course from Precision Nutrition:

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Women

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Men

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Losing Weight The Healthy Way

Losing weight the healthy way is the only way! Health is more important than weight loss. Don't lose your health and self respect trying quick weight loss tactics. Check out this video about a former Biggest Loser television show contestant who experienced major weight loss (and disappointment):



Your goal should be to be the biggest fat loser. Losing huge amounts of weight can be gained back quickly if you don't build muscle mass. Build muscle, burn fat, speed up your metabolism and lose weight (and keep it off)!

So, here are some tips to help you achieve your best health and fitness:

1. Make a commitment TODAY to a lifestyle of health and fitness! Without this commitment, you will eventually go back to short-term solutions like quick weight loss!

2. Make the needed changes to your eating habits! Severely limit foods like sugars, processed foods, fast foods, fat-filled packaged foods, etc. Eat more foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.

Get help with your meal plan if needed! Get your nutrition mainly from food! Add in supplements like multivitamins and fish oil to support your meal plan and improve your health.

3. Commit to regular exercise and an active lifestyle! Walk as much as you can everyday!

4. Get enough rest! If you don't sleep enough, your body won't function as well as it could--that means about 7-8 hours of sleep every night for most people.

5. Schedule that doctor's appointment to see where your health stands! High blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. can be controlled, if needed.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Your Cellulite Reduction Strategy

Do you have a cellulite reduction strategy? Have you given up trying to reduce your cellulite? Don't give up, just be realistic about how to reduce your cellulite.

Cellulite is collections of fat just underneath (subcutaneous fat) the skin which causes it to dimple, pucker up or lump up.

There are many factors that determine whether you have cellulite---your genes, gender, skin thickness and amount of body fat all play a part. What you need to know is that there are no quick fixes for cellulite.

Research reports that over 80% of women get cellulite at some point in their lives. So, there are plenty of chances for these advertisements to deceive people.

Don't buy in to quick cellulite reduction stories! As usual, your best bet in reducing cellulite is with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Here is a cellulite advertisement I read just the other day:

"The only clinically proven dietary supplement to help reduce cellulite in 47 days!" (this statement has not been examined by the Food And Drug Administration)

"This scientifically advanced version.....can really help give millions of women the sexy bottom lines they dream about, and that's a formula for success that women everywhere find as easy to swallow as these little brown pills."

Spa treatments don't work either. Painful procedures like endermology and body wrapping have been proven to not reduce cellulite very much. There are plenty of desperate people who pay for these procedures that don't work.

Save your money! I will tell you the best way to deal with your cellulite problem.

Since health should be your main concern, reduce your overall body fat! This will, in turn, help to reduce your subcutaneous and visceral fat. The best way to burn body fat is with a healthy diet, interval cardio exercise and weight training (including bodyweight exercises). It's the same true story---exercise for health and fitness and you will also look your best!

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

Snackaholics At Risk For Weight Gain

Attention snackaholics! You could be gaining weight because of your snacks between meals. It doesn't have to be that way. What you eat for snacks can mean the difference between out-of-control weight gain or weight loss management/fat loss.

The American Dietetic Association also recommends healthy snacking. Snacks bridge the gap between meals and can help you eat less at mealtime.

Going too long between meals can cause you to load up on sugary carbohydrates to get quick energy. These types of snacks are usually high in calories, not very nutritious and cause rapid ups and downs in blood sugar levels (you will crash). You also end up wanting to eat more and more. That means out-of-control weight gain if continued.

I'm a person who snacks pretty much all day, every day. Here are some snacks that I eat regularly:

1. Popcorn is my favorite snack of all time! I can eat popcorn anywhere, anytime. Its high-fiber and low calorie. Skip the butter and excess salt. I like to pop it on the stove in olive oil. On the run, I eat natural, microwaved brands.

2. Nuts.....my second favorite snack. Peanuts, pistachios, pecans and almonds are my favorites....it doesn't take much either (a handful will do). They are high-calorie so be careful. Again, skip the excess salt. Nuts have heart-healthy fats, fiber and vitamins. Great snack for people on the run.

3. Apples, bananas, watermelon and grapes. My favorite fruits to eat for snacks or anytime. Pick your fruits to eat. I've never heard of anyone getting fat from eating too much fruit! We all know the health benefits of eating fruit so enough said.

4. Peanut butter. I eat peanut butter almost every day, usually on whole wheat bread....a good protein source that will keep you full until the next meal. Peanut butter is high-calorie so two teaspoons will get the job done.

5. Green, leafy salads. I eat green salads on most days with very little dressing. You can't go wrong with green, leafy veggies any time of the day.

6. Low-fat yogurt is a great snack. I just don't like yogurt so I don't eat it. Smoothies are also great options (especially after a strength workout). Just watch the sugar and fat.

7. I drink water and unsweetened tea most of the time. Aim to drink half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink about 80 ounces of water every day.

Find healthy, nutritious snacks that you like. Use your snacks to fuel your energy between meals and help your weight loss efforts.

Be sure and download your Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course from Precision Nutrition:

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Women

Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Men

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs