Monday, March 31, 2008

Is Fat Loss Really Easy?

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?

Probably not.

OK, bad example. Do you remember teaching your kids how to ride their bike? Or maybe you just remember the gist of learning to ride a bike.

Was it easy? Of course it wasn't. You probably fell off numerous times until you got your balance in check and confidence in line to help keep you upright and going down the block. Until you had to stop and freaked out and then fell in your neighbor's yard.

But it was simple, wasn't it? When it came down to it, all riding a bike entailed was balance, confidence and some coordination and you were on your way.

Simple, but not easy.

There's a big difference between simple and easy.

The same correlation can be made when it comes to losing fat.

Losing fat is very simple, but it's not easy.

When it comes down to it, losing fat entails consuming fewer calories than you expend through your daily activities and metabolism.

Sounds simple, right? But as you know it's not very easy.

It takes willpower.

It takes confidence in yourself.

It takes social support.

It takes having the right exercise program in place, and actually doing it on a consistent basis.

It takes the knowledge of knowing what to eat and when and knowing what foods and drinks to stay away from.

Simple. But not easy.

However, it can be done. All you need to do is understand that it's a simple equation and have the confidence in yourself that you can achieve your goals and will stick to it when the times get tough and move on when you mess up.

Plus you need to do resistance training 3-4 times per week, while training your entire body in each session, for 15 minutes, along with some form of cardio work (preferably interval training because it delivers the most bang for the buck and gets you done quicker).

You also need to eat fruits and vegetables and get quality protein from sources like turkey and chicken breast, lean sources of beef, beans, and nuts. In addition to eating breakfast everyday and limiting your alcohol intake.

Simple right? You should be nodding your head.

Losing fat doesn't take any fancy gizmo you see on television, nor does it take some over-hyped fat loss supplement that's really just loaded with some form of caffeine which jacks up your nervous system and makes you pee (thus losing water weight and not fat).

Simple, but not easy.

That's the theory behind all my training programs, including my e-book Fat Loss To Go, and always will be. The workouts and nutrition information, when used properly, aren't easy, but is very simple.

Have a good day!

Ed

P.S. - If you ever have any questions about anything I write in these newsletters or anything else related to fat loss or exercise, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

10 Minute Bodyweight Workout

I get a lot of questions about what to do in a 10 minute workout.

Well, below you'll see a video of one of my favorite 10 minute workouts. It's called a "Push-up & Squat Ladder" and, if done right, is an awesome workout.

Make sure your push-ups and squats are done with good form...no half-squats or half-push-ups.

This is my first ever video, and there were a few cuss words said trying to get it done (and yes I know that when I said to do 3 push-ups I only did 2).

Plus I think I'm the only person who actually looks skinnier on camera than in person. Isn't the camera supposed to add 10 pounds?



Be sure to check back here regularly because I am going to try to add a new workout video every week.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Was Your Easter Gluttonous?

Have you ever said something to someone that you knew was stupid? You know, the old "foot in mouth" syndrome?

I do that quite regularly. I don't know why, but stupid things seem to flow out of my mouth pretty readily and I get my foot lodged deep down my gullet.

That's actually how I got the idea for this newsletter. I said something stupid.

You know what the best way is to alleviate "foot in mouth syndrome"?

Apologize and move one.

Pretty easy, isn't it?

The same thing can be said about messing up with your exercise program and eating plan, like eating too much Easter candy or too much ham, casseroles, side salads, etc..

We all mess up. I do that quite often, too. Just today I ate some (OK, a lot) of Starburst Jelly Beans. Yes, I know I'm a personal trainer who's supposed to be all about fitness and fat loss, but I love those little sugar-laden, fat storing, demons.

And it's just this one time, right? I just ate them because it was Easter...and they were readily available...and they kept calling my name.

But I just have to move on. I already did it. I can't change the past. The jelly beans are already eaten. I can't do anything about it now other than pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off and move on.

Tomorrow is another day and I won't eat poorly tomorrow. I'll eat my fruits and vegetables and get my protein.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever messed up your eating plan (like yesterday)? Maybe you splurged a little bit over the weekend and now you feel like a bloated sloth. Or maybe you were running late and decided to run through the drive-thru and your cravings got the better of you and instead of getting the chicken sandwich without mayo, you got the double cheeseburger and fries with the giant Coke (and "no", making it a Diet Coke doesn't make it any better).

Or maybe you decided you'd rather head to the bar after work than doing your fast fat loss workout. It's just one workout, right?

But then the guilt hits and that's no fun.

You have two choices at this point. You can either give up and tell yourself you can't do it, or you can pick yourself up and move on.

The only way to alleviate that guilt, and succeed in your fitness or fat loss goals, is to move on. You can't change what you just did. You can't go into the past and do the workout you skipped. You can't join Michael J. Fox in the time machine from Back to the Future and go back and not eat that double cheeseburger (or Starburst Jelly Beans in my case).

You just have to move on...and more importantly not do it again.

That's the real key. Don't do it again. We all make mistakes, and changing your eating and exercise habits are big undertakings and mistakes are bound to be made. But you must remember that if you do mess up, just move on, don't worry about it and keep moving forward...and try not to do it again.

Have a good week!

Ed

P.S. Did you know that the unofficial start to summer is only about 10 weeks away? This year is already flying by. Don't get stuck wishing you had worked out and ate better come summer. Do something about it now. Go to http://www.fatlosstogo.com/ today and get started on your fat loss journey immediately.

Friday, March 21, 2008

How To Lose Fat On The Weekend

The weekends are a killer for most people on any sort of exercise plan, especially if fat loss is the main goal.

I’m willing to bet that you don’t work on weekends, so that throws you out of your routine. You probably have activities, either for your kids or yourself, that you need to run around to and errands to run, or chores to do around the house, and you get out of bed a little later (unless you have kids or a whiny dog, like me).

All this throws you out of the routine you’ve made for yourself during the week.

You’re not getting up at the same time, not preparing the same healthy breakfast, or you’re eating it a little too late in the morning and probably splurging a little bit because, hey, it’s the weekend. You’re entitled to a little relaxing and splurging on the weekends, aren’t you?

That’s true to some degree. I know that I relax my eating habits a little on the weekend. Not too much, though. If you splurge or relax too much you’re going to put your goals at a standstill (at best) or not make any progress at all.

Weekends can actually kill your fat loss goals.

So here’s what I do, and what you should do too, in order to keep yourself on the right track and still relax a little on the weekends.

1. Do your workout first thing in the morning. As soon as you wake up, do your workout. This may require getting up 10 minutes earlier than you’re used to so you can make sure you get some peace and quiet, but this is a must if you really want to stick to your goals. A lot of my workouts only take 10 minutes to complete, so if you get up just 10 minutes earlier, you could have a killer fat fighting workout already done in the time it takes most people to get warmed up. Check out my 10 minute workouts at www.fatlosstogo.com

a. If you tell yourself you’ll do it later in the morning or even in the afternoon, you’re not going to do it. Something will come up. A friend will call and want to go out to dinner. Your family may plan an evening out. Or you’ll just get sidetracked. Not only will you make sure you get your workout out of the way, but you’ll boost your metabolism for the rest of the day, meaning you’ll burn more fat than if you otherwise skipped the workout, and it’ll wake you up.

2. Stick to your same healthy breakfast as during the week. If you have a smoothie for breakfast during the week and you feel great after having it, then do that on the weekends too. You know how much I value breakfast when it comes to fighting fat and just living a healthy lifestyle, so why would the weekend be any reason not to have it? I’m a creature of habit, which means I find something I like and stick to it. So I have the same exact smoothie on the weekends as I do during the week. The smoothie includes blueberries, raspberries, organic skim milk, pomegranate juice, ground flax seed, wheat germ, and vanilla protein powder. Try it sometime, it’s great.


3. Don’t go overboard with the cheat meals. Whenever people tell me they’re having trouble losing fat and I ask how their eating habits are during the week and how that compares with the weekend, the weekend is always the culprit for the failed fat loss. You go out to lunch and/or dinner everyday and drink alcohol. Going out to lunch and dinner is fine, I encourage it, but there are ways to do it and stick to your healthy, fat fighting diet.

a. Don’t order an appetizer. Don’t drink alcohol, and if you do really make sure you’re eating a low-calorie, low-fat meal. Don’t eat fast. You’re not some starving kid in Africa and nobody is going to come snatch your plate from you, so why do you need to eat that fast? Put your fork down in between bites and take a drink of water. This ensures you eat slower and digest your food properly.

4. Make sure you get your rest. Weekends are supposed to be a time for you to rest and recoup, but far too many people go way too hard on the weekends trying to accomplish way too much. Your body needs to rest and recuperate at some point and I’m willing to bet you don’t get enough sleep during the week. Doing too much and stressing yourself out is only going to make it that much harder to lose fat. Plus it’ll make you lose your hair, gain more belly fat and just be a pain in the butt to be around.

There you go. That’s the easiest I can put it for fighting fat on the weekends. If you want to lose fat, and are struggling, do those 4 things this weekend and see how you feel come Monday morning. If you do at least 3 of those 4, I guarantee you that you’ll feel better, you won’t be so bloated from the poor eating and alcohol and will be well on your way to losing all the fat you want.

Have a good weekend!

Ed

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Key To The Show "The Biggest Loser"

Have you ever seen the show "The Biggest Loser"?

I don't think I've ever watched an entire episode, but I'll tune in for a few minutes every now and again.

It's kind of intriguing. These severely overweight individuals putting themselves through hell to lose weight. I think it's awesome that they put themselves out there like that, in front of millions of people, and get healthy.

But do you know the real reason they lose a ton of weight on that show?

Yes they spend a lot of time working out (hours upon hours per day) and, yes, they have the food spoon fed to them which makes it kind of tough to fail, but there's something else that really makes them succeed.

Something else that many people are missing in their own health and fitness goals, no matter what they may be.

That something else is social support.

The people on "The Biggest Loser" don't just rely on themselves in this fat loss adventure, they have the other people on the show who are in the same boat. Plus they've got personal trainers there walking them through every step of the way.

If they are having trouble with something, they have someone to talk to.

If they don't know how to do an exercise or are using horrible form, their trainer is there to correct and motivate them.

When they're doing really hard workouts, they motivate one another.

Social support is the REAL reason the people on that show succeed.

I'm not saying that you need a big cheerleading section behind you, patting you on the back and telling you "You can do it!", but you need someone.

You need someone to tell you "no" when you want to eat that piece of cheesecake.

Someone to tell you to get your butt out of bed to do your workout when you don't really feel like getting up.

You need someone to remind you why you decided to do what you're doing.

What you don't need is someone telling you that your butt is too big, that you have developed a nice "muffin top", or that your belly has started oozing over your pants. That's not helpful. If you have someone telling you that, you have my permission to smack them upside the head...hard.

The best thing to do is to find someone (friend, spouse, family member, or co-worker), who wants to fulfill the same goal you are looking to accomplish. So, if you want to lose 20 pounds of belly fat, find someone else that you can rely on throughout the journey.

Like I said, it doesn't have to be a cheerleading section, because nobody wants to be a cheerleader and you can't rely on someone to constantly cheer you on, it just has to be someone that you can trust and who is honest and won't back down when you glare at them with those evil eyes when they tell you that you should put down that box of girl scout cookies because you already filled your quota of cheat meals for the week.

So who's going to fill that role with you? Think about it and ask them.

Ed

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Fast Fat Loss Workout

Today was a crazy day.

I had non-stop appointments for 8 hours straight, including a couple deep tissue massages.

Needless to say that when I finally sat down I was spent. That's OK, because I love what I do for a living.

I get to wear comfortable clothes, I own a private studio, which means nobody is around to bug me or my clients. No weirdos lurking around the gym, no inconsiderate people leaving sweat pools on benches and the music is good.

Anyway, after my day I didn't really want to workout. I could have believed the excuse I was giving myself "I worked hard all day training clients and giving a couple deep tissue massages, I don't need to workout".

It's true, I probably could've gotten by taking a day off. The only problem is that believing that excuse begins a cycle...and a bad cycle.

Where does it stop?

Pretty soon I'll be telling myself that I don't have time to workout.

That's not true. I've been telling you that for months, possibly years. That's not a viable excuse.

So I bucked up and did the following workout. You can do it too if you have the equipment in your home gym.

Warm-up 3 sets:
Hatchets - 15 reps
Push-ups - 15 reps

I had 8 minutes left in my 10 minute workout after the warm-up and did as many sets as possible of the following:

Chin-up - 10 reps
Dips - 10 reps

I only rested 15-20 seconds after the dips before returning to the chin-ups. I don't remember exactly how many sets I got in because I was breathing so hard and was in kind of a daze from all those chin-ups.

Needless to say, this fast 10 minute workout was a killer!

I've included tons of 10 minute workouts just like this one in my Fat Loss To Go program. Go to www.fatlosstogo.com to learn more!

Have a good day!

Ed Scow

Don't Be A Workout Flip-Flopper

There is a phenomenon amongst entrepreneurs called "entrepreneurial disease". What that basically means is that you come up with an idea for a business, put the plan into action, then before you see it through you think of something else and start working on that plan, etc.

That's all well and good, except for the fact that you didn't finish the project you started before moving on to the next. This process continues, with the entrepreneur coming up with idea after idea, but never seeing them through to their fullest extent. Some ideas may yield results, but most flounder along never living up to their full potential.

This same entrepreneur usually ends up quitting business altogether, telling himself that he just doesn't have what it takes to be successful in business.

This phenomenon also happens with people when they decide they are going to get fit, no matter if they want to lose fat, gain muscle, or improve their overall fitness.

They see something new and exciting and decide they want to try that plan. So they go along with that plan for a couple weeks, only to see another new and exciting plan and jump ship from the one they started and go on to the next best thing.

The good thing is that at least you're doing something. Any sort of physical activity is better than nothing, but you really limit yourself on what can be achieved.

Maybe you saw a workout in a magazine on how to get a better butt in 6 moves and decided you were going to do that, while completely abandoning the program you were on that had given you good results.

You had good intentions...you wanted a better butt. And really, who doesn't want a better butt?

But what if I told you the program you were on, that you just abandoned for this magazine workout, was easier to stick with and gave you better results than the one in the magazine?

Or maybe you're after a workout that can strip the fat off your stomach and you see some fancy schmancy new abs gizmo on an infomercial and decide that you're going to quit using the program that your very knowledgeable personal trainer gave you (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), and solely rely on the new abs thing-a-majig because the well-paid infomercial people told you all you had to do was use their thingy and get "flat, toned abs".

This turns into a never ending cycle of flip-flopping, and I think John Kerry can tell you, through his experiences in 2004, you don't want to be called a flip-flopper.

You hop from one program to the next, never seeing one to its end and thus never knowing what one program will do for you.

If this sounds like you, maybe you've told yourself the same thing the entrepreneur tells himself, except you say that you just can't lose that fat, gain the flexibility, build the muscle, or whatever your goal may be.

Here's one very important thing you should know about good fitness programs:

Most worthwhile fitness programs, no matter what your goals are, build upon themselves, making them progressively more effective as time goes on and if you were to stop after a couple of weeks and then start a different program just because it sounds better, you are severely limiting the results you can achieve...making you think that you just don't have what it takes to be successful with your fitness goals.

So whether it's a 12 week program that you found in a bookstore, a 6 week advanced fat loss program that was found in a fitness magazine, or better yet an effective fat loss program written by a knowledgeable personal trainer (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, www.fatlosstogo.com ), just follow it through to the end. The program will work, but you absolutely have to follow through.

Who knows, you may just end up with better results than what you were after.

In case you didn't get that "subtle" self-promotion, I was of course talking about yours truly and my Fat Loss To Go program. A program designed specifically for busy men and women who want to lose fat in as little time possible. Check it out at www.fatlosstogo.com

Monday, March 10, 2008

10 Minute Workouts for Fat Loss. Real or a Bunch of Hooey?

One of my preferred ways of working out is by doing 10 minute workuts.

They’re quick, intense and leave me huffing and puffing long after the 10 minutes is complete.

But I’m a personal trainer and already in good shape, so are they effective for the everyday person looking for fat loss? Can you really do a 10 minute workout and expect to lose fat?

My answer to that is a resounding YES!

If you are someone who says they really don’t have that much time to workout and that’s what’s keeping you from losing the weight you’ve put on, then 10 minute workouts are definitely for you.

Or, if you know you have a busy week coming up and are worried that your regular workouts are going to have to be put on hold, then 10 minute workouts are also for you.

The most important thing to remember when doing 10 minute workouts is that you need to throw out the time wasting exercises like bicep curls, triceps kickbacks and crunches and stick to exercises that work your entire body or at least a good portion of it.

I’ll give you an example of what I did earlier today. I had a very busy that was packed full of clients, however I had a 30 minute window where I needed to get a few things accomplished, one of them being my workout.

So here’s what I did after my quick warm-up:

1) 1-Arm Dumbbell Swing supersetted with 1-leg Decline Push-ups

2) Dumbbell Squat w/Shoulder Press supersetted with Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

I did each of those supersets for 5 minutes completing as many sets of 10 as I could. After I was done with 1 set of the first superset, I would rest for 20 seconds and repeat.

Then, when 5 minutes was up, I went on to the second superset and did it in the same fashion.

By the time that 10 minutes was up I was huffing and puffing, and my heart rate stayed elevated for a while. I still felt pumped up for quite a while into my next training session.

So give that workout a try, or come up with your own. Just make sure that you pick exercises that use a lot of muscle groups like push-ups, squats, lunges, rows, etc. and stay away from crunches and isolation exercises.

Or, if you want a bunch of 10 minute workouts laid out for you, check out my Fat Loss To Go fat loss program by going to www.fatlosstogo.com In it you’ll find an entire eBook dedicated to nothing but 10 minute workouts!

Have a good day!

Ed Scow

Can You Eat Your Chia Pet?

Whenever I see an interesting news article regarding food and nutrition it perks my ears and an article I read last week about Chia seeds really piqued my interest only because I've never heard it talked about before.

"Ch-Ch-Chia". Come on, you know the words to the song from those annoying Chia Pet commercials. So sing along.

Those things were kind of weird if you ask me. Spread some green mushy seeds across a clay sculpture, water it and watch it sprout green "hair".

They made a slight comeback in recent years with more creatures to spread the mush on, ranging from animals to Disney's Shrek.

But, did you know that Chia seeds are actually good for you? Who would've thought that a novelty item would actually turn out to have some tangible use?

It turns out that Chia seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein. The ancient Aztecs ate lots of Chia seeds, including when they would go on long marches. The Chia seeds turned out to be a very good food for endurance, as well as staving off hunger. The fiber in the Chia seed expands in your stomach, making you feel fuller longer. As a matter of fact, Chia seeds can absorb up to 10 times their weight in water. That sounds like me after I eat a meal high in salt.

I've written before about how important Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber are to your diet, not only for fat loss, but for general health as well. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent heart disease and other heart ailments, lower triglycerides, lower mild hypertension, aid with circulatory problems, depression, brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, skin health, arthritis and other joint issues, hair health, diabetes, immune system, muscle function, fat loss, and the list keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Chia seeds are also fantastic for diabetics because they slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose because of the fiber and protein content.

The Chia seeds are also loaded with calcium, B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals.

If you're a runner, you may want to give Chia seeds a try because they are known as the "Indian Running Food". Not very politically correct, I know, but that's beside the point. As I mentioned earlier, the ancient Aztecs would load up on Chia seeds before their conquests and long marches. They found that the seeds gave them more sustained energy.

I'm sure that you have probably heard of Flax seeds and Flax oil, but Chia seeds are actually more nutritious than flax in that they have more Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein.

You can add the Chia seeds to just about anything. You can add them to your smoothies, salads, yogurt, cereal (both cold and hot), jellies, pancake and waffle mixes, sauces, etc. You're only limited by your imagination.

Here's the breakdown for 1 oz. of Chia seeds: Per 1 oz. serving they have approximately 9 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

Kind of interesting isn't it? We keep trying to come up with more and more super foods, magic diets and prescription pills to fix what ails us, but the most nutritious foods are right under our noses and have been for centuries.

Not only things like Chia and Flax seeds, but fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole-grains, etc. Eat more of them and I guarantee you'll lose fat and be in better health overall.

Have a good day!

Ed Scow

Nigh Time Eating? Yes or No

One very common question I get is about eating at night.

People want to know if they should eat anything after dinner or if they should eat anything past a certain time or any other combination of this question.

I don't know where this idea of not eating past 6pm (or whatever time) got started. I'm sure Oprah said it at some point, so I'll blame it on her.

There is a little truth to not eating at night after dinner, but I think there's a bigger picture involved.

Why do you eat at night?

Are you really hungry or is there another reason?

I think the reason that you eat at night is twofold.

Number 1 is that you're bored. The day is winding to a close and you are watching some reality show because there aren't any scripted shows on thanks to the writers' strike (I miss 24) and you need something to do. So you go to the refrigerator or cupboard and grab some comfort food to take up the time.

The other reason is that you want to relax at night.

Everybody wants to relax at night. It's instinctual. Your body is naturally getting ready to sleep and you need to relax or wind down in order to sleep.

There's actually a scientific reason behind this as well.

Most snack foods are high in sugar. Sugar releases opiates in the brain that make you feel good.

When you feel good, you relax. When you relax, you are ready to sleep, which makes your body happy.

But these same feel good foods make you fat, which doesn't make you happy, it makes you mad.

So, the question still remains is it OK to snack at night or to eat past a certain time.

Of course it's OK to eat at night.

It's definitely OK to eat past a certain time. The thought that there's some magical cutoff in the day that if you consume anything after this magical hour you'll be gaining lots of fat is ridiculous.

The problem isn't eating at night, it's what you eat at night.

Are you eating the high sugar, fat-laden snack foods? Or are you eating something good for you like a piece of fruit or some fat-free dairy or some almonds.

All of those foods I just mentioned will help you relax and get ready for sleep, by the way and are good if you want to lose fat.

That's the key to eating at night. Eat healthy snacks. And remember, healthy doesn't have to be boring and healthy isn't inconvenient, either.

So take that Oprah! You can eat at night and lose fat too!

I think I should have my own talk show called "Ed".

I know for a fact that my "favorite things" episodes would be much cooler and there's no way Tom Cruise would jump around my furniture without getting a slap in the head.

Have a good week and snack well!

Ed Scow

Stop Stressin'

I’m writing this to you from the Palm Beach airport. I’m very early for my flight home from a seminar I attended over the weekend.

Why am I very early? Because I’m a crazy person who absolutely has to arrive at the airport early. Not just a few minutes early, but very early.

I didn’t know how long the cab ride would take because when I took a cab from the airport to my hotel it was midnight. Not much traffic at midnight.

I also didn’t know how long it would take me to get through security. That’s always my biggest worry. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m worried that I’ll be one of the lucky “random” few who get taken aside and searched…and not just wanded over and patted down, but taken behind closed doors and searched. I think I’ve seen one too many movies.

But all my worries seemed to be totally unfounded because my cab ride over was fast. Really fast. I think my cab driver averaged about 80 miles/hour and that may be a conservative estimate. Plus I don’t think he slowed down too much on the curves because I was getting tossed around quite a bit…and I was wearing my seat belt.

Then when I got to the security area I noticed there were only two people in line ahead of me and nobody behind me. And no I didn’t get searched…in any way. I actually schmoozed with the security people talking about Nebraska. Who thought anybody would want to know anything about Nebraska? Apparently I’m a curiosity to them.

But anyway, this all brings me to the point about stress. Why was I so stressed out about this? All I could really control was what time I left my hotel. Other than that everything else was out of my control. I had no control over traffic. I had no control over the amount of people in the airport, let alone the people wanting to get through security. So I really should have only stressed over what time I left the hotel…and that shouldn’t have been a very big stressor. But it was, and I am working on fixing that.

Stress is a bad thing for your mind and body. It’s bad for you physically and emotionally. You can’t have one without the other. If you are emotionally stressed, you will be physically stressed and vice versa. Think about the last time you were very stressed out emotionally about something. It could have been your kid screaming all day, or some project at work or even a fight with a spouse. You didn’t really expend any physical energy per se like if you were a construction worker or anything, but I’m willing to bet that by the end of the day you were totally drained emotionally AND physically. You felt as though you didn’t have any energy left whatsoever.

That’s because our bodies have the same reactions when it comes to stress, be it physical or emotional. That reaction is “fight or flight”. Your body instinctively reacts to a stressor by preparing your body to either fight the stressor or runaway from it. It sounds simplistic and when it boils down to it, it really is that simple..

When faced with some sort of stressor, your body reacts by flooding your system with the hormone adrenaline. Your body also releases a bunch of free fatty acids into your blood stream in order to give you a quick boost of energy to either fight the stressor or run.

I’m willing to bet that most of your stressors really don’t lead to hand-to-hand combat or a foot race, or maybe they do. I don’t know what you do on a Friday night for fun. But, for the rest of you, that stress reaction really doesn’t give you any benefit, rather it hurts you.

Over time the constant stress reaction can lead to an increase in inflammation which can lead to high blood pressure, and ultimately a heart attack or stroke.

Not only that, but the really bad thing it does is make you store more belly fat. I hope you caught the humor in the last sentence. I’m not really considering a little bit more belly fat something worse than a heart attack.

It leads to more belly fat because all of those free fatty acids that were shot into your bloodstream along with the adrenaline have to be stored somewhere since they weren’t used for energy. The easiest place for your body to store those fatty acids are along your abdomen in your fat cells. Sounds great, doesn’t it.

I would think that reason alone would help me to figure out some ways to beat stress before it happens and not after it. I’m working on it. I’ m working on getting it through my thick skull that I shouldn’t worry about the things that are out of my control.

For instance. As of this sentence I am now in the airplane somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot is talking about some gibberish in that stereotypical pilot voice – you know the one. Very low with the microphone jammed into his mouth so that you can hardly hear him and hear his breathing much more audibly, kind of like Darth Vader. I’ve always wondered what these guys actually sound like when they’re not on the intercom. I bet they have high pitched voices.

Anyway, back to how I’m beating stress before it happens. I personally would rather the pilot fly the plane rather than talk to us about some gibberish, but there’s nothing I can do about it so I’m trying not to worry about it. I suppose if I wanted to I could get up and go to the cockpit, knock on the door and tell him to just fly the darn plane, but in this day and age that wouldn’t go over too well. So I take a deep breath and go on typing.

How do you beat your stress? Do you do anything? Do you just let it stew until you BLOW UP? Do you internalize it? Do you drink? Do you eat? Those are all bad reactions to stress and will lead to more problems. They’ll lead to more body fat being stored if you are an emotional eater or drinker. They’ll lead to loss of friendships and maybe even a marriage or job.

You need to figure out what works best for you to beat stress in a healthy manner. Find a hobby. Get a massage once a week or every couple of weeks. It might sound expensive, but when you think about how valuable your health is and how expensive prescriptions and doctor visits can be is spending 50 extra bucks on yourself really that big of a deal? I think not.

The point is to find something to do before stress gets to you. Before you find yourself in a doctor’s office telling him your stomach always hurts or that you keep getting these splitting headaches. Or before you have a never-ending prescription of blood pressure medication or an extra 50 pounds sitting on your gut.

Or, if you already find yourself in that position, it’s not too late. It’s never too late. As long as you’re breathing you can find some way to beat stress. Just figure it out and do it.

That and always remember that you can’t control what other people do, you can only control what you do and your reaction to what other people do.

Ed Scow

Sit Up Straight!

I’m wiling to bet that while you’re reading this, you’re slumping. Your back is not back against your ergonomically correct chair (hopefully it’s not a folding chair), your head is jutted forward and not sitting forward, and your shoulders are slumped forward.

Did you just check? Did you sit up straight? I bet you did…I know I just did.

Better posture while sitting at your desk, behind the steering wheel and standing will go very far in improving your health, fitness and overall way of life.

When your shoulders slump forward it causes your chest and anterior deltoids (front of your shoulder) to tighten and causes the muscles on the opposite side – your upper back – to stretch. Over time this will lead to muscle weakness, stiffness and knots/trigger points that can cause a lot of pain.

But having good posture doesn’t just mean the way you sit or stand, it also relates to the way you move. It involves the way you walk, run, reach, push, pull and carry. When you have correct posture while doing these things your spine is in its proper alignment. If your spine is not in its proper alignment your body will not perform at its peak. You will be weaker while moving, working and sitting, plus you will begin to notice back pain, neck pain, hip pain and even pain in your arms/wrists.

This will most likely lead to a trip to the doctor. I don’t remember the exact statistic, but somewhere in the range of 80% of all doctor visits have to do with back pain. That is a huge number that can be drastically reduced if you pay attention to your posture.

Poor posture also makes your muscles work harder than they should. Your body is designed to be in good alignment. When you’re in this proper alignment all your muscles are working as they should, which means they’re working efficiently. When you slouch, round your shoulders, let your stomach hang out or tip your pelvis forward your muscles now have to work harder to keep you upright or doing whatever activity it is you’re doing. This also leads to your heart having to work harder to pump blood to your muscles and in the end this all leads to you being tired or exhausted when you should still have energy left.

Having poor posture can even make you look fat. When you are slouched, either when standing or sitting, your abdominal muscles (which is more than the six-pack muscles) are not actively working because they don’t have to. One of the key functions of your abdominal muscles is to keep your torso upright and when you’re slouched they’re not working. As the saying goes, “if you don’t use ‘em you lose ‘em”. By standing/sitting up straight you will re-teach your abdominal muscles to work and if they’re working properly they are flatter, and if they’re flatter your waist line shrinks.

I’ve had clients who lose a couple inches off their stomachs instantly just by improving their posture and keeping their abdominals tight. I fall victim to this one, too. If I’ve been spending too much time I’m my feet I’ll often catch a reflection of myself and see that I’m slouching and letting my tummy hang. That’s when I tell myself “tighten up tubby” and I stand up straight, re-tighten my tummy and I’m flat again.

This little “trick” is also a what a lot of the fat loss supplement marketers use in their miraculous “before/after” photos. The before picture always features the person slouched over with their shoulders rounded and stomachs protruding. While the after picture features the person standing up straight and tall with their tummies taught. Remember that the next time you come across one of those advertisements.

Here are a few things you can do right now to decide if you need to work on your posture. The first thing you can do is stand with your back against a wall. Your heels should be a few inches away from the wall. Are your shoulders flat against the wall? If not, your chest/shoulders are too tight and your back is over-stretched and weak.

Is there more than a couple of inches between your low back and the wall? If so, your hip flexors (the muscles on the front of your legs) are probably too tight, as are your deep abdominal muscles. Plus your hip extensors (muscles of the butt and back of your thighs) are weak. Not to mention your low back is too tight.

Can you rest your head comfortably against the wall with your chin straight and eyes straight ahead? If not, the muscles on the front of your neck are too tight most likely from looking down at your computer screen for too long.

The next thing you can do is stand in front of a full-length mirror in your tighty whities. Stand relaxed – like you normally stand and don’t pose and flex before you do this test because you’ll just be embarrassed when your spouse walks in the bedroom. Don’t try to fix your posture before you check yourself out. Are your shoulders even or is one higher than the other? If so, I’m willing to bet that the shoulder of your dominant arm is higher than the other. This could be because you are on the phone a lot, or you leave your hand sitting on your mouse too much while sitting at your computer, or you drive with only one hand on the steering wheel.

Are your hips level or is one higher than the other? That could be due to a number of things ranging from tight butt muscles, tight hamstring muscles, tight low back muscles, etc. not to mention all the muscle weaknesses and imbalances.

The good news is that many of these imbalances, tightness and weaknesses can be improved with simple exercises and paying better attention to your posture.

Here are a few things you can do to improve your posture:

1. Get a better desk chair. If you’re using a folding chair, that is not good enough. Go out and spend a little cash and buy a sturdy chair with good back support.

2. Avoid sitting in any one place for longer than 30-45 minutes. Just get up and walk around while you’re at work or driving or at the very least, get up for a couple minutes and then go back to work. Doing this will lengthen the tight muscles and relax the over-stretched muscles.

3. Do planks. Those of you that train with me currently or in the past know what a plank is, but for those of you that don’t here’s how to do it. Get down on the floor, face down like you’re going to do a push-up. Place your forearms on the floor and pick your body up so that only your forearms and toes are on the floor. Your upper arm should be straight down from your shoulder and your stomach, butt, and back should be tight. Don’t let your back sag like an old horse and don’t stick your butt up in the air. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toes. Hold yourself there for anywhere from 30-180 seconds – it all depends on how strong you are. Do a couple sets of these. These are fantastic for strengthening your core muscles and giving them endurance.

4. Get a massage regularly. OK so I’m a little biased since I’m a massage therapist, but trust me it really is beneficial. I’d say that 90% of the clients I’ve seen over the years all have complained about upper back pain and it’s always related to poor posture.

5. Do the superman. Lay flat on the floor on your stomach. Stick your arms straight out in front of you and keep them a few inches off the floor. Now raise your upper chest/shoulders and legs off the floor while keeping your legs straight. Pause, then return to the starting position. Do this 10-15 times for a few sets. It’s kind of like a backward crunch. You won’t be able to bend backward very far, but this is a good one for strengthening the butt, low back and stretching out the chest/shoulders.

6. If you’ve been sitting at your desk or behind the steering wheel for a while do the desk stretch. Sit on the front edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders down, clasp your hands together and raise your arms straight over your head, palms to the ceiling. Try to “lengthen” your abdomen by sticking your chest out slightly and straightening your back while inhaling deeply. Hold that for a few seconds and release. Repeat that 5-10 times.

7. Adjust your driver’s seat. Before driving off, adjust your driver’s seat so that you are sitting up straight and with good posture. Then adjust all your mirrors so that they will only be perfectly visible when you’re sitting upright. It is very easy to slouch while driving and adjusting your seat and mirrors to fit with good posture will help to ensure you keep your body pain free.

8. Never, ever rest the phone on your shoulder and mash your eat into it. This will kill your shoulder, upper back and neck muscles. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, get a headset or a Bluetooth headset for your cell phone.

9. Roll it Out. While you’re sitting at your desk or in the car you can roll your shoulders and neck in order to help keep those muscles loose so that they are less likely to tighten up and keep you in a rounded shoulder, hunched back position.

10. You should also flex your butt cheeks if you find yourself sitting too long. I know that sounds weird, but most people in our society have weak, underactive butt muscles. It is largely due to the fact that we sit too much. If your butt muscles are weak then most likely your back is weak. So flex your butt cheeks a few times every 20-30 minutes to keep them activated and working. Just don’t let on to your co-workers or family what you’re doing by squinting or grunting. They’ll think you’re weird.

11. Never, ever keep your wallet or anything else that’s bulky in your back pocket. Raising one hip off your chair by a few inches will lead to muscle imbalances, poor posture and very bad back pain maybe even sciatica. You may have had sciatic pain…it’s the shooting pain you get from your low back down your butt sometimes as far as your toes.

If you pay attention to your posture and work on improving it I guarantee you that you will see back pain go away for the most part, you’ll breathe better, be more alert and feel better all around. Having good posture is crucial no matter what your fitness goal is. If you want to lose fat, having good posture will instantly take inches off your waist line plus it’ll help your muscles work better. If you want to be stress free, having good posture will help you breathe better which helps you to relax. If you want to be more flexible, having good posture helps to keep your hips, low back and upper back/neck loose.

So remember, sit up straight, keep your shoulders back, stomach tight, chin up and eyes forward.

Ed Scow

As President I Will Fix Healthcare By Doing...

Given the presidential race and all the hullabaloo revolving around whose healthcare plan is better, I thought I'd dip my toe into the dirty water and give you my fix.

You may not like my plan, but it makes the most sense. It doesn't raise taxes and it will save you money and lead to a much happier lifestyle.

Are you ready for it?

It's called "Take Care Of Yourself, America!!"

Pretty easy, huh?

Think about it, though. There was a report that just came out that said that by the year 2017 for every $5 spent, $1 will be spent on healthcare. Take that number out farther, for every $500 spent, at least $100 will be spent on healthcare. That is insane! Think of the repercussions this will have on our entire economy.

And much of this spending is due to preventable health issues. Not genetic issues or things that are out of our control or routine physicals which we all should do. There will always be things you can't control, but a good chunk of healthcare spending (or sick care as I like to call it) is spent on things that need not occur.

I'm going to give you 2 areas of statistics to prove my point.

The first area is obvious...being overweight.

The last time a survey was taken over 60% of our population was either overweight or obese.

This can lead to a whole host of preventable health issues and diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, muscle pain, asthma, etc. The last time I checked all of those health issues require a medication or medical intervention of some sort, and a lot of it.

So, if as a population we were to take care of ourselves a little more and actually eat better and exercise this would greatly decrease the amount of spending on health care.

Many people think they exercise enough because they go for a walk occasionally or play some golf when the weather is nice, but it takes a lot more than leisure activity to lose fat.

Also, I have statistics on my side that says that the majority of people in this country do not exercise.

The CDC reported in their National Health Review that 53% of men NEVER engage in any vigorous physical activity. Never!

It gets worse for women. A whopping 65% of women NEVER engage in any vigorous physical activity.

Now you may be thinking that they used the word "vigorous", but vigorous is a relative term and when the government uses that term it usually refers to anything more than a leisurely stroll around the block. Plus what I didn't mention was that 65% of women and 53% of men never engage in vigorous physical activity lasting longer than 10 minutes. 10 minutes!

The second area I want to give you some statistics on are related to back pain.

Back pain is huge in this country and it's mostly because we're too sedentary.

We sit at desks all day, drive too much and sit on the couch too much.

This leads to muscle imbalances, muscle weakness and a whole lot of muscle pain.

As many as 50% of Americans report some type of back pain every year. Some of these may be minor, but as many as 30% of adults have thought their back pain needed a trip to the doctor to help alleviate. That's a lot of people considering our population is around 300 million.

There are some experts that say that as many as 4 out of every 5 people will experience back pain in their lifetime...and not just a little twinge here or there, either.

These next two statistics are staggering. In 2001, close to 14 million people visited their doctor to deal with their back pain, and I think it's safe to say that many of them went more than once.

A Canadian study reported that 40% of all work absences were due to back pain. I don't even want to know how much that equated to in lost revenue.

So do yourself and your country a favor, take care of yourself.

I guarantee that if we got more people exercising, eating better and paying better attention to their bodies that the cost of healthcare will go down.

The only problem is I can't force anyone to do anything, unless that is that you come to my boot camps or train with me...then I can get you moving.

But you know what? Neither can a politician.

You have to take the initiative for yourself and tell yourself that you're going to start exercising more, so get up and start an exercise regimen that includes resistance training and cardio.

Start eating healthier meals that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and packed with fiber.

Start moving around more if you're desk bound or spend a lot of time behind the wheel. For every hour you spend sitting, spend at least 10 minutes up and moving around to keep your muscles limber and the blood flowing. This will do a lot to help curtail back pain. And if you already have back pain, get a massage from a good massage therapist. It will do wonders for your pain.

Think of the children. Sorry, that was too good to pass up. I had to get some politician speak in there when dealing with healthcare.

Ed Scow

Friday, March 7, 2008

The Absolute Worst Phrase in Your Fitness Vocabulary Is...

This last Sunday night I came downstairs after helping my wife put our baby to bed and I was exhausted. I was exhausted emotionally and mentally.

The problem was I had a couple things I needed to get done. Plus, I was hungry. I’m sure that many of you have been in that same situation. Tired, with things needing to be done and hungry.

That is a very bad combination.

My first reaction was to say “I’ll do it tomorrow”, to the things that needed to get done and head for the fridge to find something sweet to eat. I crave sweets and peanut butter cups when I’m hungry.

As I was headed over to the fridge that stupid little voice came busting into my head.
“Weren’t you going to write a newsletter about this very subject?” That’s what the little voice said to me. They say you’re only crazy if you answer the little voices…so I said “yes, I was going to write a newsletter about this”.

Stupid little voice. I had my heart set on ice cream.

My inner voice was right. I was planning on writing a newsletter on that evil little phrase of “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Or the other one is, “I’ll start tomorrow.”

That phrase is so easy to say, yet it is the absolute worst thing you can possibly tell yourself if you want to start living a fit and healthy lifestyle.

How many times have you told yourself that you were going to start eating better and exercising, but that you were going to start after this one last meal, or this one last weekend? Then that’s it, all bets are off and you’re living the straight and narrow. If you’re like me, or the millions of others out there you’ve said it countless times.

But was it true? Did you really “start tomorrow”? Or did something else get in the way that impeded your new fitness lifestyle? Or maybe you lasted a couple days, then fell back on your old ways only to start the process all over again within a few weeks or months.

But why?

What’s so special about tomorrow that you have to wait? Is tomorrow some special, magical day that serves some special purpose?

The truth is there is no better time than right now. If you make the decision to start eating better, exercising, stopping smoking, or whatever, there is no better time than right this very instant.

Put down the cookie you’re eating while reading this. Put the bowl of ice cream in the sink. Shut the refrigerator. Do some squats and push-ups. It doesn’t matter, just start right now. It doesn’t have to be something major.

You’ve already made the decision to start, just start right now rather than tomorrow. If you do things right, living a healthy and fit lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of the treats you love. You just have to partake in those treats less often.

So stop telling yourself that you’re going to start tomorrow. You’ve said that enough times, now just buck up and start right now.

I mean it.

Start this very instant.

As soon as you’re done reading this, do something that takes a step in the right direction rather than something that takes you a few steps back.

Eat an apple. Eat a handful of almonds. Make a smoothie. Get some rest. Go workout. Go for a walk, or jump on the treadmill if it’s too cold where you are. Clean all the junk out of your cupboards.

Do something, anything. Just don’t start tomorrow. Start NOW!

Have a good week!

P.S. – If you need help getting started, let me know and I can help. Or you can buy my Fat Loss To Go eBook by clicking here.

The Most Important Word in Your Fitness Vocabulary Is...

…CONSISTENCY!

Consistency is by far the most important word in your fitness vocabulary. Not diet. Not cardio. Not strength training, or resistance training, or weight training. Not even your friendly personal trainer’s name should be top on the list (he should be a close second, though). Consistency should always be at the top of your list of importance. It doesn’t matter what your goals are, whether they be to lose fat, more flexibility or to just stay healthy.

It also doesn’t matter what program you adhere to. I know I just worked my butt off creating a fat loss program (which I think is fantastic, by the way, and you can check out at http://www.fatlosstogo.com/ ) but to be totally honest, it doesn’t really matter what program you do to as long as you stick to it.

Do you want to go to Yoga or Pilates class in order to get fit or lose some fat? That’s great, but you have to do it and you have to do it consistently.

Or maybe you’re a someone who reads fitness magazines and wants to give one of their workouts a try. That’s great, too. Just do it and follow the program until it’s done.
If you hate exercise and want to start eating better in order to lose that extra flab, that’s fantastic. Just stick to your healthy eating habits most of the time and you’re good to go.

However, the one thing that is not OK for anyone to do is follow a fad diet. Those may work for the short-term, but don’t work in the long run because they don’t teach you how to eat properly once the diet is supposed to be done. They don’t teach you healthy habits and most don’t give any attention to exercise and if they do, their plan is worthless. (However, if your only plan is to eat better and not exercise, I think you’re severely limiting your results because exercise is critical. It makes your results come much, much quicker and won’t turn you into a “skinny fat person”.)

You can’t decide you’re going to exercise and then only follow your new plan once or twice per week for a few weeks, and then quit because you’re not seeing results or because you’re too busy. Nor can you decide you want to eat better, only to succumb to temptation at the first sight of a Snickers bar and then give up saying that it’s just too hard.

We live in a society that wants everything NOW. We want everything in a pill or in a drive-thru or delivered.

Well, fitness and fat loss just don’t work that way. You have to work and you have to be consistent with whatever you have decided to do.

If you want to exercise more to lose some fat, then you have to do it 3-4 days per week …consistently. You can’t just walk into a gym, or your basement, and pick things up willy-nilly and start your own program, either. You have to have a plan…you need some guidance. (I’ll get into this in a future newsletter).

If you want to eat healthier and lose your fat that way, that’s great but you have to do it right and you have to stick to your new habits. It may be difficult, but that’s just the way it is.

Now, that’s not to say that things aren’t going to pop up that make it very difficult to follow your new goals. Things always pop up and there are always reasons to stumble and miss a workout or two and eat poorly. That’s no excuse, however. That’s just life.

You just have to pick yourself up and move on and keep on with what you set out to achieve.
If you want to succeed, you must be consistent.

Commit to yourself that you are going to be consistent with your fitness goals in 2008 and make this year different than in year’s past.

If you need help setting up a good program, whether your goals are for fat loss, muscle gain, make your golf game better or just to stay healthy, let me know and I will help you. Or, if you’re busy like most people and want an awesome fat loss program that can be done in your own home, then click on http://www.fatlosstogo.com/ and check out my new downloadable fat loss program.
That’s it for this week.