San Antonio listen, heart rate and fat loss are not synonymous!

Wading through the myriad of B.S. and junk piles of worthless information on fat loss can be dis-heartening (no pun intended) to say the least. And one of the biggest myths ever to come down the pike is that you've got to reach a certain heart rate and then maintain that rate in order to lose fat.

What a crock...it simply isn't true.

The sad part is that this myth has caused a whole host of folks to jump on the "low-intensity training" bandwagon and struggle for years, with their only conclusion being "I'll never lose weight", all because of this inherently flawed system and failed program.

Research in the last 10 years or so has demonstrated a couple of highly significant findings with respect to exercising for fat loss.

1. When you increase the resistance load in training (by lifting heavier weights) you cause the body to use more fuel AFTER the training session than if you lifted lighter weights. This is why one of the tools we incorporate into the 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program is to lift a heavier weight for 8 solid reps in each set of exercises (for fat loss) as opposed to 12 reps per set of a lighter weight. We do in fact use a 12 rep scheme, but it is set up in another fashion so as to utilize another effective tool for fat loss.
2. Because of TONS of research we now have solid proof that interval training style cardio is far superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss, as well as post-exercise fuel consumption. Therefore it just makes sense that using shorter duration, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in your routine rather than slow, long cardio sessions (like walking 30 minutes on a treadmill) is more effective, efficient and more time friendly.
   

In my humble opinion, the only time you might even consider your heart rate in the exercise realm is during the recovery period while you're interval training. You need your heart rate to drop, a lot, between sets of interval training. It's important when the time comes to step it up and move during the "high intensity" portion of the training that you have gas in the tank enough to do so. It makes no sense to begin your high intensity interval too quickly and you should strive to make the recovery portion of your interval just enough work where you're still moving...but able to recover as well.

Here's the bottom line:
Worry not when it comes to your heart's rate during exercise. I know, some folks are just "goofy" and like to keep statistics on things like that and that's fine. Just understand it has no real value in terms of fat loss. I would suggest that you spend more time determining if you're really pushing yourself enough while doing the "high-intensity" portion of both your resistance training and interval cardio sessions.

SP
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Want to jump start your metabolism so you can lose fat San Antonio?

2 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Start Burning Fat

Recently I had a conversation with a woman at a dinner party who shared with me the difficulty she is having losing body fat. She said that she has not always been overweight, but he gained about 40 pounds in the last several years when her career and lifestyle became more sedentary. She explained how frustrated she had become because, as she said, she was "doing everything right" but the fat just wouldn't come off.

This is what she meant by "doing everything right":

• She was eating a lot less.
• She was eating less frequently.
• She was eating a "low-fat" diet.

In other words, she was sabotaging her efforts to lose weight by slowing down her metabolism.

If you want to maximize your fat-burning potential, you've got to really crank up your metabolism. Here are two time tested ways to do it:

1. Don't starve yourself. Cutting too many calories is a sure way to slow down your metabolic rate. It will also ensure that you are more likely to lose muscle rather than fat. Instead, focus on eating MORE foods that are protein-rich and nutrient-dense.
2. Eat more frequently. By eating five to seven small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, you will ramp up your metabolism and be less likely to overeat. This will also help to maintain stable blood sugar levels, which greatly contributes to fat loss.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Hey San Antonio, for successful fat loss you've gotta get off the couch...if you can!

Don't let a lack of motivation or some weak excuse keep you from getting the look you want and deserve.

Head over to http://www.safatloss.com/ right now and check out the many success producing fat loss programs available in San Antonio.

You have fat loss questions, we have fat loss answers and solutions.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve at steve@safatloss.com for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

To all of my frustrated San Antonio Fat Loss friends, you've gotta follow the rules...

O.K., I know I talk a lot about a low carb diet, and it confuses a bunch of folks and for that I apologize. Today let's explore how many carbs are "safe" to eat while trying to lose the fat.

I'm not going to give you any specific numbers, because as we know every-body is different. Under normal conditions, carbohydrates are, and should be, your main source of fuel for your system. Let's get clear on this: carbs help fuel your mental, physical, and metabolic activity. Exactly how many carbs YOUR body requires is determined by the level of your activities. Days when you really go out and run like a cheetah after a gazelle, you might chew up (no pun intended) several hundred grams.

Here's what makes a low-carb regimen so effective: Your body is smart...God made it that way. And when you rob your body of carbohydrates, (fuel source #1) you force it to use it's reserve sources for energy usage...body fat or fuel source #2. And don't worry, because your body is smart, it can make the transition easily and effectively.

I know many "authorities" will state otherwise, but believe me it is a safe jump. However, there are some potential drawbacks to switching to fat for your bodies fuel source needs. Folks who don't necessarily "need" to engage in carb restriction might think they are experiencing a period of low energy. It's a matter of perception, and not typically physiology.

The cost and "risks" for Joe Sixpack short term are generally far outweighed (again, I cannot help it with the puns!) by the benefits of dropping some body fat. However, long term carb restriction, for most folks, signals your bodies survival mechanisms and soon enough the fat burning potential comes to a halt.

Here are some examples: Your bodies natural defense system (immune systems), reproduction, and tissue repair require substantial energy to be effective. When you cut the energy levels to bare minimums, your body makes adjustments and shunts power to perform them fully. As you can extrapolate from this, we can see that the same issues arise long-term on a low carb regimen that occur on a low-cal or low-fat diet. They lose their effectiveness as far as health benefits are concerned.

On the psychological side, most folks start to feel quite deprived on a low-carb diet. Almost none stick with it over the long haul. they may do the "start-stop" thing again and again. they just leads to frustration and depression. And when you lose hope, you just plain don't care anymore and quit trying.

In other words, the one area of your diet that you get to manipulate the most IS your carb intake. Again, much of it is determined by your current situation, what it has been in the past and where you want to be in the future.

The key is short-term restriction for effective fat loss. That length of time is generally very specific to the individual. A sound long-term strategy is to eat more protein than you need (stave's off the survival instinct), eat more of the good fats (Omega 3's) and change your carb intake often as your energy demands dictate.

Make your focus on improving, long-term, the quality rather than the quantity of your carbohydrates. In doing so you will avoid the feelings of deprivation, generally feel better and keep your metabolism elevated substantially.

Here are a few "rules" for guidance:

1. Carbohydrates that occur naturally have a greater potential for problems when they are more "starchy" than sweet. Sweetness is only a problem when we have to add it to a food, so don't be afraid of fruits.
2. Grains, corn, or potatoes should be avoided if you're on the fat loss trail, as well as sodas, fruit "juices" and alcohol. Drink water or green tea instead.
3. Here's the good part: everything else is fair game on this plan...in moderation AND provided you enjoy the taste of it and you eat in its naturally occurring, unprocessed, unrefined state. In other words, eat it like God made it or don't eat it at all.

Examine your daily habits and routine. There are clues there as to how to structure your plans. You can overcome the occasional slip-up, overeating and variations because, as we said earlier, your body is smart be design.

What won't help is quitting altogether, so keep at it San Antonio. Fat loss is your destiny.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

My friends, losing fat in San Antonio is not rocket science...or is it?

When it comes to the "science" of fat loss, loads of research studies have shown that what works for some often works for many. Let's take a look:

Here's a study from 2008 - Johnstone et al
Effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet (a diet that causes your body to burn fat for energy) on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum.
Am J Clin Nutr.2008 Jan;87(1):44-55.

In this particular study the researchers compared two groups of men. Group 1 followed a diet consisting of 4% carbohydrates and Group 2 followed a diet consisting of a 35% carbohydrates.

4 weeks later, Group 1 was down 14lbs on average while Group 2 was down an average of 9 and 1/2 lbs. What was interesting about this study was that the subjects got to eat as much food as they wanted provided they stayed within the nutritional guidelines.

The researchers learned that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets reduce hunger and lower the amount of food a person eats drastically more than a high-protein, medium-carbohydrate nonketogenic diet does, at least in the short term. It would appear that dropping your carb intake (and 35% is pretty low to begin with) is just another great selling point when you're looking lose body fat.

Here's another study from 2003:
Louis-Sylvestre et al.
Highlighting the positive impact of increasing feeding frequency on metabolism and weight management.
Forum Nutr. 2003;56:126-8. Review

This study is pretty straight forward and to the point. It demonstrated that folks (adults, here) who normally ate four meals a day gained body fat and weight when they changed things up and started eating just three meals a day.

And they still ate the same number of calories as before, so it seems that by eating more frequent meals you can lose more fat!

Now, let's go way, WAY back to 1957:
Kekwick and Pawan
Metabolic study in human obesity with isocaloric diets high in fat, protein or carbohydrate.
Metabolism. 1957 Sep;6(5):447-60

Even back in the stone age, researchers put on their thinking caps. They evaluated and compared 3 hypocaloric (lower maintenance, restricted calorie) diets. They were:
1) a diet of just 1000 cals that consisted of 90% fat; and the folks lost about .9lbs per day
2) a diet of just 1000 cals that consisted of 90% protein; and the folks lost about .6lbs per day
3) a diet of just 1000 cals that consisted of 90% carbs; and the folks actually gained weight. (oops)

In my mind this tells us that when choosing what to eat it ain't just calories that count. It REALLY helps to know just what kinds of calories your eating.

I know you're bored with this already, so here's the last one from 2003:
Greene, P., Willett, W., Devecis, J., et al.,
"Pilot 12-Week Feeding Weight-Loss Comparison: Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate (Ketogenic) Diets," Abstract Presented at The North American Association for the Study of Obesity Annual Meeting 2003, Obesity Research, 11S, 2003, page 95OR.

This study involved 3 different groups on differing diets for a total of 12 weeks:
Group #1 was on a low fat/low calorie diet (only 1800 calories a day) they dropped about 17 lbs.
Group #2 was on a low carbohydrate/higher calorie diet (about 2100 calories) and they dropped about 20 lbs.
Here's the really cool part: Group #3 combined the low carbohydrate diet AND the low calorie diet (1800 calories) and they dropped an average of 23lbs.

Is that great or what?

Here's the bottom line, San Antonio: if fat loss is your goal (and it should be) then you shouldn't just focus solely on calories, but that doesn't mean that calories don't count! You've got to make sure you're getting the right kind, in the right amount at the right time, like I said here.

Simply put you should reduce the carbs, reduce the calories, and increase the frequency of your meals in order to get the most from you fat loss efforts.

And that, my friends, is the truth...

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Hey San Antonio, are you getting enough of the essentials in your daily diet? - Part 3: Fats

San Antonio, listen up: if you don't have the right kind of fat in your diet you increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers and a host of other maladies. One of the benefits I especially like about quality fat in the diet is its ability to help us lose fat from our bodies!

When was the last time you heard that from a health or fitness prfessional?

Some time back, researchers at City of Hope Medical Center in California studied two groups of men. Group one ate a high-fat, low-calorie diet. Group two ate the typically government recommended (or Jared sponsored "Subway" model) low-fat diet containing an equal number of calories.

Group one (the guys on the high fat diet) lost 63% more weight.

Surprised?

Right now I can hear you asking, "So, Uncle Steve, what ARE the right fats?"

Contrary to what many would have you believe, animal fats are very healthy...provided the animal in question sustained itself on its natural diet. That means that most of the beef you can purchase from the store, you know the "corn fed" lot raised type, doesn't qualify.

In fact, grain fed beef has about 500% more saturated fat than their naturally raised, grass-fed counterparts. You see, too much saturated fat is not beneficial and can actually be very harmful, while the naturally occuring type is very healthy. And you might not be aware of this: naturally raised meat has the same lipid profile (beneficial Omega 3 to 6 ratios) as that of wild salmon.

There are a whole host of good fats that I hope you will make an effort to add to your daily eating regimen. These include naturally raised animal goods, fish oil, olive oil, coconut oil, walnut and macadamia nut oils, avocados, and nuts.

I also hope you'll join me in doing what you can to eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of processed vegetable oils, like corn or soybean oils, from your diet. These are trash "foods" and will do nothing but damage your system. And if a product your contemplating eating has the word "hydrogenated" in its list of ingredients, just put it back on the shelf or throw it away.

That stuff ain't fit for man nor beast.

Maybe you can oil the hinges of your doors with it.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Hey San Antonio, are you getting enough of the essentials in your daily diet? - Part 2: Carbohydrate

Pity the poor carbohydrate. The "whipping boy" of the food world. As a San Antonio fat loss strategy, knowing more about this "red-headed step child" will help you make the kinds of body transformations you want.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap over the past several years. And while carbohydrates in and of themselves aren't necessarilly bad, we must endeavor to select the right ones. The real key is to avoid carbs taht elevate your blood sugar and insulin levels quickly.

"How do we do that, Uncle Steve?"

It isn't that hard really. Just select your carbohydrates like God made them...in their natural form. Fruits, nuts, berries and veggies are that form. It also means not eating (or cutting WAY back on) sugar, flour, baked goods, white pasta, soft drinks, fruit juices, refined grains, corn, and starches (including white potatoes).

I like a potatoe as much as the next guy, but I make mine yams or sweet potatoes. Their loaded with nutrients and they won't spike your blood sugar as dramatically. And if you've just got to have bread and pasta, select those brands made from whole grains.

Listen closely to this, however: If you're overweight or diabetic, I suggest you keep ALL grain products out of your diet.

And here's a notice to you folks with the sweet tooth - trying to stop eating or drinking all of those sweets, sugary loaded drinks, breads, and pastas is going to be a tough one. Your mind and body will fight you every step of the way...for a little while. These things are, in many experts opinions, as addictive as heroin or other drugs. But stick with it. After a few weeks or a month, I promise that you will have the look and feel of a totally new person.

This is the one sure method to make the pounds fall off. You will also keep those hunger pangs away and not as severe. And I can promise you a return and improvement to your vitality, energy levels, concentration, and your mood.

Let me plead with you, if you haven't done so yet, to adopt these changes in your diet.

I know you will thank me in the long run.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Hey San Antonio, are you getting enough of the essentials in your daily diet? - Part 1: Protein

Listen up San Antonio, as a fat loss expert I'm telling you to be wary of any "professional" or diet that tells you to strictly limit the protein you eat ... or the fat ... or the carbohydrates. You need ALL of these components in your daily regimen. And you need the right kind. Today, let's talk about protein.

Every meal should be based on a healthy source of protein. Protein helps to build, repair, and replace the cells of your body. It is vital for a strong immune system, and it boosts your metabolism and helps preserve muscle when you are dropping pounds.

If you eat meat and dairy, choose products (including eggs, yogurt, cheese, and milk) from animals raised on their natural diet: grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, wild game, and free-range poultry. You should also eat wild, not farm-raised, fish that is known to be free of mercury (such as sardines and wild Alaskan salmon). Nuts and beans are also excellent sources of protein. And if you use a protein powder, choose one without artificial sweeteners. My favorite is Nutribiotic Rice Protein, which you can find in most health food stores.

I encourage you to make it one of your health resolutions for 2009 to build all of your meals around a protein source, and to choose proteins that are as close as possible to what God created.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

A San Antonio Exclusive: Low-Fat Does Not Equate to “Guilt Free”

Not long ago a group of researchers gathered some volunteers for a study and asked them to sit and watch some television. As they watched, they were encouraged to get comfortable and to enjoy a snack.

The volunteers were offered a choice between two bags of snacks: one was labeled “Low-Fat Rocky Mountain Granola” and the other was labeled “"Regular Rocky Mountain Granola."

Here’s where it gets interesting: The folks who chose to snack on the low-fat variety ate 32 percent more than the folks who decided on the regular granola.

Being the brilliant researchers they were, they repeated the experiment with low-fat and regular chocolate. The outcome? Almost exactly the same!

Here’s the problem as I see it: Just because something states that it is low-fat does not mean that it is a better choice. In fact, quite often it is worse. Why? In order to make up for the taste and satisfaction of the missing fat, the manufacturers must exponentially increase the carbohydrate content.

This is dis-heartening because, per calorie, carbohydrates and NOT fats are the largest contributor to a person gaining fat on their body. And this is especially true of processed refined carbohydrates like breads, pastry’s, breakfast cereals, and soda.

When you choose calorie dense foods over nutrient rich sources, you effectively tell your body that you’re starving. That simple action alone can then change your metabolism so that it will begin to build fat instead of muscle, irrespective of the amount of fat you are really ingesting.

To say that this flies in the face of conventional wisdom and common sense is probably an understatement, but that’s the way it is. The truth is that eating too many “low-fat” foods just because you feel you can afford it is like wearing glasses after you know that Mike Tyson wants to punch you in the face (you know the whole, “you wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses on?” routine, right?)...it ain’t-a gonna work.

You also increase the risk of developing some nasty physical ailments like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. And you increase the risk by a lot!

Here’s the bottom line: Beneficial fat is good for you! Keep eating it. Where do you find this “beneficial fat?” Grass fed, lean red meats and wild, cold water fish are great sources. Raw nuts are another, like walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, and cashews.

Eating those can assure that you are getting some of the true guilt-free snacks. Eat as much of them as you want. You'll get full... and you won't get fat.

I promise you.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

San Antonio: Do NOT buy into these fat loss myths!

Myth #1: "You can “sweat” fat off your body."
Fact: Lord, give me strength!
The truth of the matter is that losing fat is a multi-faceted process and sweating has nothing to do with it. Bodily fat must be released first hormonally through the bloodstream and THEN you have to burn it. (Hence the "Firestorm" in Firestorm Fitness) If sweating was a successful solution in helping folks effectively lose weight, the state of Texas would be the most highly populated state in the US with the leanest folks anywhere!

*And this is a note to you bone-heads who wear those wraps that make you sweat or those plastic suits:
STOP IT!
They're a waste of time and you look ridiculous.

Myth #2: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you "bulk up.”
Fact: Aggh! If I hear this one more time...
O.K., I admit it. This one personally drives me bonkers.

Here's the lowdown on this particular myth: FOOD BULKS YOU UP! NOT LIFTING WEIGHTS!

Lifting is merely the signal for the increased calories to go to work. If you're eating enough to stimulate muscle growth, then you will.

Lifting weights on a regular basis is the number one most effective manner to maintain or lose weight. Performing strength training exercises 2 to 4 days a week will not "bulk you up." Only very intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background and LOADS of calories, can build “Arnold Schwarzisnamer" type muscles.

Myth #3: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight.
Fact: WRONG!
Studies have demonstrated repeatedly that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day are much more likely to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four to six meals per day.

Myth #4: Low-fat or nonfat means no calories.
Fact: Please, tell me you don't really believe this?
While it may be true that a low-fat or nonfat food is sometimes lower in overall calories than the same size portion of the full-fat product, most processed low-fat or nonfat foods have just as many calories as the full- fat version of the same food.

Quite often, they contain even more calories.

The reason: We humans like the taste of fat.

If you remove it, foods taste like cardboard. To make it more palatable manufacturers add SUGAR, flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after the fat is removed. These ingredients add calories and are actually WORSE for you than the real version.

Myth #5: "I can lose weight while eating whatever I want."
Fact: Welcome to the world of master marketing.
A.K.A. the Atkins diet, South Beach Diet and now the Sonoma Diet. Through effective marketing and hype, marketers (not strength training pro's like yours truly) have "learnt" us that, in order to lose weight, all you needed to do was munch away on anything you pleased...as long as it wasn’t a carb.

Portion sizes or control? Proper meal timing? Quality food choices? What the heck does that have to do with effective weight management?

Everything.

Myth #6: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.
Fact: O.K., this one IS mostly true, but here is the reality:
There are lots of foods that are high in starch; bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables, like potatoes and yams.

These are generally fine provided you:
· keep it fibrous (unrefined or processed)
· eat them combined with other foods (i.e. protein)
· Don’t overdo it. (There's that portion control again)

Starchy foods cause weight gain when they are eaten in large portion sizes. But you already knew that because eating too much of ANYTHING will turn to fat. They are especially lethal when they're combined with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise.

Eating a normal, portion relevant amount of carbs is the only way that you can effectively fuel your way through the quality workouts that you need to change your physique.

And don't be fooled by tricks and ploys, like the "carb-cycling" techniques that are purported to work to help release the last few pounds of body fat. For most folks they simply don't pan out over the long haul.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Healthy Weight Management Habits, San Antonio Fat Loss Success Style

You say you have a goal to drop some body fat, eat healthy, and to look and feel better. The problem is, you just can't seem to stick to those habits that you KNOW will bring about the big changes you so desperately want.

Well, ol' Steve from San Antonio Fat Loss Success is going to pass along some time tested and proven success strategies that you can put to use TODAY!

1. Several times per day make it a priority to brush your teeth. Think about this from a psychological stand-point: How many times do you feel like eating something right after you've brushed your teeth? Never, right? It would be like washing your car and then immediately driving through a mud puddle. If your mouth feels clean and fresh, you're much less likely to undo it by eating something to ruin that feeling.

2. Five to seven small meals per day. You've heard me say this time and time again. And why? (Repeat after me) "Because it regulates my blood sugar levels, controls insulin and lessens the likelihood of snacking or overeating." Good.

3. Never start the day without a good breakfast. Your mother was right...breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. It's like the foundation on a building, everything builds from there. It jump starts your metabolism, which is primary to your bodies ability to drop the fat. It also keeps your defenses up against the dreaded "high-calorie snack beast" before lunchtime.

4. Be observant, responsible and honestly record EVERYTHING you eat. In doing so there will be not doubt as to why you are either gaining or losing pounds or inches. To further increase the likelihood of adherence to this principle, get an accountability partner, like a trusted friend or family member, to check your work in your log weekly.

5. Measure your portions early. Place the proper amount of food you are to eat on your plate BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN and then place the rest in the fridge. This is an awesome tool to resist the urge for seconds.

6. Follow the 10 minute principle. Let's say you've just finished a delightfully wonderful meal, one for the record books. And in the back of your mind that little voice says, "How about a second helping...not much. Just a little bit!" Take control of that voice and wait just 10 minutes. Recognize this as a craving, a want...and not a need. Most of the time, 10 minutes of time in fact, this craving will go away.

And always remember...the folks who are the healthiest and maintain their optimal weight do not sacrifice and deny themselves. They enjoy plenty of satisfying meals and tasty morsels in their proper perspective and portions.

And you can too.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.

Hey San Antonio, are you eating candy for breakfast?

So, you want to sit down to a healthy breakfast...one that won't make you sluggish and will help you to lose fat.

Which of these two would you guess has more potential to create fat storage in your body: a chocolate and caramel Snickers bar or a bowl of whole-grain Grape-Nuts cereal?

The Snickers bar, right?

Wrong.

While they both contain relatively equal number of calories, the glycemic index of the Snickers bar is 41 and the Grape-Nuts is 75.

For those that don't know what the glycemic index of foods is, you can click the link above, but basically it ranks carbohydrate foods according to how much they raise blood sugar levels in the body.

The question is this: Does that mean that the Grape-Nuts have a greater potential to make you gain fat?

According to Dr. Al Sears it does.

Here's why:
"Their glycemic indices (category) show that the Grape-Nuts produce nearly twice as much blood sugar as the Snickers bar. This, in turn, will trigger the production of more insulin. Higher insulin will signal your body to convert a higher percentage of calories consumed into stored body fat. Since the calories are the same, you will build more fat from the Grape-Nuts."

And this is not some under-handed attempt to fool you and get you to believe that Snickers is lower in GI ranking than other bars. Quite the opposite. By simply adding more fat or chocolate, or maybe switch walnuts or almonds for the peanuts and the GI rank goes down even more.

And what about the Grape-Nuts? Are they alone in the "fat gaining" list of cereals? There again, you may have guessed wrong. Grape-Nuts are actually one of the lower glycemic brands.

Other "healthy" brands fair far worse. Total, which is supposed to be VERY healthy, ranks in at 76 on the scale.

What about Rice Chex. Not with a score of 89.

How about my childhood favorite, Kellogs Corn Flakes? A 92. It's a wonder I can fit through a door...

So...should you dump the breakfast cereal for candy bars? Not only no, but NO!

What I'm advising you is what I always advise: Save your starchy carbs (most of which have a high GI) for when you awaken and right around your training time. In other words, if you about to go train, or have just returned from training, then have some cereal. I prefer steel cut oats...but that's just me.

At any other time it is just like downing a candy bar. And when was the last time any health professional advised you to eat candy to achieve successful fat loss?

Well, don't look to me to do it either.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Honesty...integrity...and your diet.

San Antonio, am I calling you a liar to your face?

Maybe I am...let's find out. (This post may hurt, so if you're sensitive...you might want to skip today)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently did some research wherein 524 men and women were asked to estimate how many calories they ate each day. Of the group, some were overweight and some had a normal BMI (body mass index). From their estimates the researchers made comparisons to their actual caloric intake, as determined scientifically using a proven method.

Self delusion or pathologic lying?

The verdict? Astonishing might not be a strong enough term.

The subjects, on average, misinterpreted how many calories they ingested daily by 11%.

Let's put that into perspective: If someone believed they were eating just 2,000 calories, in reality they were eating 2,200 calories.

Multiply that by 21 days (three weeks) and you will have eaten more than 4200 extra calories...or about a pound and half of fat.

And that's not even the worst of it.

The folks with the normal BMI? They only miscalculated how many calories they ate by 3 percent.

In essence that means that the overweight folks in the study actually under-reported the number of calories they ate by MORE than the 11 percent average.

Is it any wonder why these folks can't lose the fat?

The reality of the situation is that most people who are overweight are in that position because they eat too much and exercise too little. It's not because of "bad genes", or bad metabolism or any other "bad" thing.

It's quite possibly because of self delusion and lying to themselves...and this research backs up that assertion.

How do we set about fixing this?

Stop lying to yourself, your training partner and, especially, to your fitness trainer.

How? By keeping a record of everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - you eat. Put it in writing in a journal or notebook.

And it includes EVERY handful of grapes, bite of do-nut, chips, etc. It also includes all of the leftovers you "clean up" from kids plates that happen to land in YOUR mouth.

This will most likely be an uncomfortable, shockingly descriptive eye-opener for you.

My suspicion is that you will discover that you are eating more than you think you have, the steps to break the cycle should include:
A) Getting and following a specific meal plan.
B) Preparing your meals ahead of time.
C) Getting some support from friends, family and training buddies.

Once you find out where the issue is, then you can rectify it. But you must be willing to do the work. And it will require work, make no mistake.

But what a great pay-off in the end.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

San Antonio, listen up: Fat loss is profoundly simple!

As in most facets of life, the most profound truths are inherently very simple. In fact, many of these areas of life are so profoundly simple that they are either ignored or overlooked completely.

There is one area that causes, in my opinion, more frustration, unhappiness, and potential failure if it is misunderstood. What is this phenomenon?

Everything counts.

Everything.

Not just the things YOU want to count...no ma’am.

Everything!

Everything adds up.

The great German philosopher, Herman Van Goethe, commented once that the greatest invention in his lifetime was double-entry bookkeeping.

That may sound odd to you, but listen to his reasoning. (He was brilliant, you know)

When asked why a simple accounting method had such a profound impact upon him he said that it mirrored in many ways a person’s life. You see, in double-entry bookkeeping, every transaction is recorded as either a credit or debit.

In life, everything you do is either taking you closer to your goals or further from them. In bookkeeping, the more credits or positive transactions a business has, the more profitable that business is and the longer it will stay afloat and prosperous.

As in life, the more positive actions you take you become more healthy, happy and live a more fruitful life.

I recently ate lunch with a friend who is perpetually overweight by thirty pounds or more. When I ask if there is anything I can assist him with, he assures me that he eats nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and drinks only clean water. He laments again and again that he cannot understand why he seems to always be so heavy.

Later in the week I spotted him in a restaurant, unbeknownst to him, and watched him from afar. After his second trip to the desert counter for more cheesecake, and with roughly half of it left on his plate I approached him and mentioned the pastry. He looked me right in the eye, then pointed a stubby finger at the cake and said, “I don’t count that.”

We live in a world where hundreds of millions of people with too much fat on their bodies hope and pray and wish that some things don’t count. But that is a fantasy.

Everything counts, and what you do (or don’t do) is either taking you closer to your fat loss goals or further from them.

It’s up to you.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Listen San Antonio, fat loss doesn't have to be so complicated

So I'm talking with one of my clients recently and she asks me, in a rather exasperated tone, "Steve, why does fat loss have to be so complicated?"

The truth is, it doesn't. We make it that way.

Let me see if I can break it down into some simplified, common denomenator steps:

1. What to eat: Freely eat anything that a Native American could have hunted, caught or gathered. That includes things like wild fish, range fed chicken and beef, buffalo, venison, turkey, fruit, veggies and nuts. Drink only water.
2. What NOT to eat: Anything that man has altered and/or comes out of a box, a bag, a can, a microwave, or a drive thru window. Do not drink anything that comes out of a can or fizzes.
3. How to train: Do "big movements" like squats, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, tire jumping, dumbbell rows, standing shoulder presses, pullups. Make the true focus of your training to get stronger from the inside out.
4. How to do your cardio: Sprinters, because of intensity, are lean and toned. Marathon runners, because of less intensity, are skinny-fat. Let the reality of that image help you in your decision.

My friend and colleague, Leigh Peele (I highly recommend buying her books!) recently re-iterated this comment: "Lean and sexy people lift weights; fat people do cardio."

It really is just that simple.

And isn't simple nice?

Please, there's no need, or benefit, to over thinking it.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

The "Fat-Makes-You-Fat" Myth Is Only Half Right

Guest blog by By Jon Herring

Some fats will increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease and cause you to gain weight. But healthy fats can not only improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your risk of cancer, but even help you lose weight.

Many processed foods and conventionally raised meats contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. While essential in small amounts, too much of these fats can raise your risk of disease and increase the accumulation of fat on your body. Omega-3 fatty acids - found in fatty fish, fish oil, walnuts, hemp seed, and flax seed oil - have the opposite effect.

The Journal of Nutrition published one study where rats that ate diets supplemented with DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, had a decrease in body fat mass. Other laboratory studies indicate the reasons for this result. For one thing, DHA prevents undifferentiated cells from becoming preadipocytes (precursors to fat cells). Plus, it inhibits the fat storage capacity of adipocytes (the cells that store fat).

So, not only does DHA decrease the total number of fat cells, it also diminishes the fat-storage ability of existing fat cells.

If you eat a lot of processed food and conventionally raised meats, you are probably consuming far too many omega-6 fats and too few omega-3s. If you are carrying too much fat on your body, that is probably at least part of your problem.

The best source (by far) of DHA is fish oil. NOT flax seed oil. The brand I recommend is Carlson's Lemon Flavored. You can find it online or at most health food stores.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Cardio vs Interval Cardio and Fat Loss

Any of you that have known me for any length of time understand that I am NOT a proponent of steady state aerobic training for fat loss. In fact I've told many folks many times that if they want to stay fat, keep doing steady state aerobic training.

Here's a bit of research that might shed some light on this subject:

Trapp EG and Boutcher SH
Fat loss following 15 weeks of high intensity, intermittent cycle training
Fat Loss Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine,
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Here's the basic low-down:
There were 2 groups - Group One did 40 mins of steady state aerobics at 60% VO2 max ( their maximum breathing capacity), three times per week for 15 weeks.

Group 2 did 20 mins (notice: that's HALF the time of Group 1) of interval training (8 seconds of work, 12 seconds of rest x 60 rounds), three times per week for a total of 15 weeks. Just so you know...Group two did just 5 mins total work the first week.

The researchers monitored the eating habits and diets of both groups very closely.

Here's the good part: The steady state aerobic group GAINED half a kilogram (about 1 pound) of fat in 15 weeks.

The interval training group LOST, on average, 2.5kg of fat over the same 15 weeks!

The researchers were very intrigued by the possibilities, so they removed two folks who were already pretty lean (their BMI was less than 20) and the results of the group 2 improved even further. By how much?

An average of 3.9kg of fat! One researcher commented that two women from Group 2 lost 8kg of fat!

So what's the bottom line?

Let's look at it mathematically:
Group 1 (the aerobic training group) GAINED fat.
Group 2 (the interval training group) LOST fat. In fact, they lost almost 8 times as much fat as the steady state group and trained only half the time!

Which group would YOU rather be in?

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

10 Strategies to Handle the Impulse to Overeat

Consider these options the next time you feel the urge to overeat.

1. Define your mealtime. Schedule your meals and make them with a wide variety of foods. Stick to a consistent eating regimen that meets your particular schedule and needs, such as 3 main meals and 2 to 3 smaller snacks. Endeavor to eat each meal in a special place and setting, with a defined beginning and ending.

2. Utilize and practice positive statements. Positive self talk like, “My urge is strong now, and I know it often goes away in just a couple of minutes. Hunger pangs come and go and increase over time. Let’s see how this intensity rates right now versus when it returns.” Or maybe, “I can trust myself. I’m letting my emotions regulate my urge to overeat. I have control over this because I’ve already eaten my regularly scheduled meals.” Another positive response is, “What am I thinking and feeling right now? What other options can I turn this emotional energy into besides eating?”

3. Do not immediately turn to food. Like the diver, whose mantra for success is “Plan your dive; dive your plan” you’ve got to maintain your schedule. Plan your meals and eat your plan. Stick to the plan. Use focus tools and self talk like, “My hunger and full food cues are confusing to me now, so I must stick to my eating schedule.” “Small, more frequent meals have more benefit to me and are more satisfying.” “I must eat to nourish my body in the same way I would give my kids or a friend medicine and good food.”

4. Take a deep breath and relax when the overeating urge strikes. Write down your feelings and thoughts when you feel the urge. Take note of your level of stress, sadness, boredom, anger, frustration or loneliness. Is there some event or situation that sparked your urge to overeat? By doing this you put some distance between the urge to overeat and taking action on that urge giving you time to reconsider and make a better choice. It also allows you to take responsibility for the urge and to have the awareness to become aware as to what is the driving force behind it.

5. Slowly work to break your old eating habits and rules. Let’s say one of your rules states that you can’t eat breakfast. O.K., try eating a little bit. When you start to feel uncomfortable, get up and leave the area. With time you can increase the amount of food you eat and the length of time you spend there until you’re eating a normal, healthy meal.

6. Eat smaller portions of the foods you have been overeating. Since these foods will no longer be forbidden, you’ll probably not dwell on them or become anxious and guilty after eating them.

7. Eat more moderate portions. Let go of diet myths and lies that have up to this point controlled your eating behavior. If you’re not sure just what a standard portion is, use one cup, one-half cup, and one-fourth cup measuring cups, and you’ll learn how much satisfies your hunger.

8. Smaller, more frequent meals is the key. Research and anecdotal evidence reveal that smaller, more frequent meals control blood sugar and insulin so that hunger dissipates and fat gain is minimized. Remind yourself often that 5 to 6 smaller meals eaten daily are more satisfying AND beneficial than three larger meals.

9. Once you’ve finished your meal, find an activity to participate in that involves your body and distracts you mentally. This does not include sitting watching the tube, listening to music or reading. It is things like gardening, taking a walk, organizing your sock drawer. Keep a list of activities handy and refer to them often.

10. Pamper yourself. Plan things you enjoy doing each day, even if you have a limited amount of time. When you’re well-fed emotionally, you’ll be less likely to turn to food.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

I'll keep SAYING it as long as so few HEAR it

"No amount of hard work can surmount or overcome a crappy diet."

Don't believe me? Try this on for size.

A USDA Horror Story

A researcher named Dr Homann performed a study whereby 56 girls in the South Dakota Department of Corrections, between the ages of 14 and 17, volunteered for a 4 to 6 month program of wellness.

Optimally these young damsels were to exercise for approximately 14 hours per week. That's 2 hours of activity per day.

2 hours.

Per day.

They did things like hike, circuit training, run, basketball and step aerobics. All good stuff, right?

So why is it that after 2 hours per day of exercise that these girls ALL got fatter?

It's because they followed the most worthless piece of nutritional advice ever provided to a human being: the 2003 USDA Food Guide (Pyramid)!

These girls were measured at the beginning of the study and again at the end. The measurements were pretty standard stuff, like:

• A mile run for time and step test to gauge their level of cardiovascular fitness.
• Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body composition.
• The shuttle run for agility.
• Standing long-jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and endurance.
• Sit-and-reach and the straddle test for flexibility.

Care to guess the results?

As you've probably figured out, the girls did pretty well in the cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility realm.

However, their body composition measurements got worse.

Rather than slim down (as you would expect from all of that exercise) and lose a dramatic amount of body weight and fat, ALL of these young ladies made gains!

In fact the average net gain was 6lbs!

They increased the size of their waists by 1/2 inch, increased the circumference of their hips by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat level by as much a .5 percentage points!

I'm the father of two girls, and I can tell you that if I had been responsible for this kind of poor showing after this much expended effort, well...let's just say I would not win "Father of the Year" anytime soon...and I'd probably own stock in Kleenex tissues.

The rules for fat loss never change, no matter how much you exercise:

1. Eat five to six times a day.
2. Limit your ingestion of sugars and processed foods.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables right through the day.
4. Drink more water and cut out high calorie liquids (beer, wine, soda, etc.).
5. Focus on eating lean proteins at each meal throughout the day.
6. Save starch containing foods until after a workout or for breakfast.

I really do not know how to state it any more plainly than that.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Aspartame aka Nutrasweet...stay away from this junk

If you think this garbage is going to help you get healthy or lose bodyfat, think again.

Aspartame is the leading contributor of complaints to the FDA. In fact 75% of complaints to that organization are about aspartame. 10,000 folks complained of over 92 different symptoms, the worst of which was death.

This stuff is dangerous, and can be proven so, and should not be used in the slightest.

Natural Honey or Stevia are much better sources of sweeteners that will not damage your system.

And for fat loss, aspartame is NOT your friend.

Steve

Two Kinds of Motivation; One Outcome.

Finding the time to train can be a daunting endeavor, especially in our fast paced, high speed society. Everyone experiences times where they just don’t feel like crawling out of bed and going to the gym. The real winners do it anyway. The less committed simply hit the snooze bar and roll over.

So how is it that one becomes committed enough to their fitness goals to get up and go for it each and every day?

“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”

Don Wilder

We first must learn and accept that excuses simply will not get the job done. Exercise isn’t supposed to be drudgery; it isn’t supposed to take long hours and it isn’t supposed to leave you feeling like a wet noodle. It should invigorate you, charge you up and assist you in your daily tasks.

“But what if I just don’t feel like working out?”

That’s a very good question and I’m glad you asked.

People often do better in a “team” environment. Accountability is a tool many of us can employ to help us to “get over the hump” and get our health and fitness regimens back into gear.

A study done at Stanford University a few years ago found that the number one factor to a successful health, fitness and dietary control regimen was a strong social support network.

That’s right! Social support and interaction was the leading factor in determining the outcome of a structured, well oriented program. It was found to be more important than proper nutrition and more important than even exercise. Why?

The Bible states it this way, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)

Rudyard Kipling, in his poem “The Law of the Jungle”, put it this way:

“Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

There is strength in numbers and accountability has many benefits…at least to those who will be held accountable. For those who feel they are above such support, the perils and pitfalls of the human experience await them. What are the names of these perils? Temptation, deceit, a lack of motivation, follow-through or honesty are but a few that come to mind.

And why shouldn’t these infallibilities affect us; after all we’re only human, right?

The internal motivation to complete a task or follow-through on a goal such as fitness or fat loss will only take someone so far. Their degree of commitment to that task is determined primarily by their degree of understanding of the ease or difficulty of the particular task at hand.

In the case of fat loss, another of my colleagues, Craig Ballantyne, put it this way, “Fat loss is easy once you understand how hard it is.”

If someone undertakes a fitness or fat loss routine without taking into account the level of determination, perseverance, effort and consistency it will take to succeed, they may become quickly overwhelmed or frustrated and stop forging ahead.

For our purposes here, I’m going to discuss two basic types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Two Motivations, One Outcome

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

- Jim Ryun

Basically, intrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by internal factors, like a desire for a leaner physique or greater sports performance capability. Intrinsic motivation drives me to do things just for the fun of it, or because I believe it is a good or right thing to do.

As an example, most people's hobbies are intrinsically motivated. Notice the passion with which people collect small decorative bits and pieces or build detailed model cars. Sadly, few people carry that same passion into their workplace.

On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by external factors, like the scale showing I’m approaching the weight of a baby elephant or a doctor’s report indicating that my blood pressure has elevated to a level where it will soon be shooting out my eyes. Extrinsic motivation drives me to do things for tangible rewards or pressures, rather than just for the fun of it.

A few simpler examples are supermarkets that use loyalty cards and discounts, airlines that use air miles, companies that use bonuses and commissions. Extrinsic motivation is everywhere.

There is a strange paradox of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Typically, intrinsic motivation is a far stronger motivator than extrinsic motivation, yet external motivations can easily act to displace intrinsic motivation in the short term.

This is what makes social support so important; the element of accountability to those whom you have designated with which to be held responsible. How does it work?

There are many examples, but let’s use this one:

Let’s say you’ve decided to get into shape and to lose 15 pounds of body fat by the start of the year; January 1. Let’s also say it is now September 1st. You buy some books on fitness and fat loss, join a gym and get started. For two weeks everything is going as planned. Then you wake up one morning and “WHAM!” you just don’t feel like you have it in you today.

Now what?

If you’re relying solely on self motivation (intrinsic) you may find yourself saying, “I can miss ONE day. What will it hurt?”

However, if you have the accountability of a spouse, close friend, business partner or perhaps a training group in whom you have informed your desires (goals) and have given permission to hold you accountable, the likelihood of your staying in bed just went way down.

That’s extrinsic motivation or what I call the strength of the pack in the wolf.

Hopefully, in the end, the outcome is that you get up, get to the gym and train. This is one of the secrets to both the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps and The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program.

If you’re ready to lose the fat, I have answers.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Obesity and Consumer Debt: Do we Live TOO Hand to Mouth?

Although I‘ve never seen any data concerning the relationship of obesity levels and the rate of consumer debt, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together.

In the year 2005, the rate of consumer debt was 950 billion dollars. By 2006 that number had risen to 1 trillion dollars. To put that into perspective, that is $3333.333 per person living in the United States.

The corollary to this is the rate of growth in obesity in the U.S. It is estimated that between 1976 to 1980 obesity levels averaged about 14.5 percent. Between 1988 to 1994, the level had grown to 23 percent. From 1999 to 2004 the estimated level of obesity had reached an average of 30.5 percent. Does this look like a direct reflection of the rate of consumer debt increases?

Here’s a neat little program that illustrates the level of growth over the years: http://health.msn.com/reports/obesity/

And this may only be the tip of the iceberg. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) analyzed data from health surveys, which are used to estimate obesity levels in states. Because people tend to provide incorrect information about their weight and height, especially in telephone surveys, the researchers concluded that estimates of obesity in individual states have been too low, by more than 50 percent. Their study, which corrects for misreporting in those surveys, appears in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Based on this new understanding of the survey data, the authors found that, on average, women tend to underestimate their weight while men do not. When it comes to height, young and middle-aged men tend to overestimate their height more than women in the same age groups. In 2002, the corrected prevalence of obesity in the U.S. population was 28.7 percent for adult men and 34.5 percent for adult women, more than 50 percent higher than previously estimated.

The research, which presents the first-ever corrected estimates of obesity for individual states, found that Southern states have the highest levels of obesity in the country. Using the authors' corrected data for 2000, the highest obesity levels for men were found in Texas (31 percent) and Mississippi (30 percent). For women, Texas (37 percent), Louisiana (37 percent), Mississippi (37 percent), District of Columbia (37 percent), Alabama (37 percent), and South Carolina (36 percent) led the pack. States with the lowest prevalence of corrected obesity for men in 2000 were Colorado (18 percent), District of Columbia (21 percent), and Montana (21 percent); for women, Colorado (24 percent), Montana (25 percent), and Massachusetts (27 percent).

What are we really dealing with here? Is this a lack mentality, where we feel that because of any number of influences (Madison Avenue marketing methods, keeping up with the Jones’, etc) has us believing that we don’t have all that we should? Or is it simply a lack of discipline?

Whatever the reasons, the issue is growing…no pun intended. What, therefore, is the best way to combat it? Epictetus, the ancient wise-guy, said, “Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants.” The Bible puts it this way, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9) and, “Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.” (Proverbs 15:16)

So does that mean that we aren’t to strive to better ourselves and to seek provision? No. However, I think it means that if what you are seeking is some external “something” to fill the void in your life where you feel empty, whether it is food or some material object, then you will either go broke or explode.

Marketing experts have an understanding about your weaknesses and use it to their advantage each and every day. That weakness is this: Humans are predisposed to purchase (or eat) emotionally and justify it logically.

Please read that again.

Do you really NEED a Mercedes 250 SL, or do you want it? Do you really NEED a second or third home, or do you want it? Please understand, if you have been blessed to make enough to afford these types of things and they won’t place an emotional or financial burden upon you, go for it. On the other hand, if you’re deep in consumer debt, why dig any deeper?

The same applies to health. Do you really NEED second helpings or do you want it? Do you really NEED dessert after your meals, or do you want it? Occasionally is fine, but just because you were poor as a kid (or had older brothers who always got the most food, or …(fill in the blank) doesn’t mean you have to live that way now. You are in control of your life and health.

Remember this: You have the power to choose. However, once the decision is made you become a servant to that decision. Does that make sense?

Now, what decision will you make with respect to your level of health and fitness?

New classes for the Firestorm Fitness System Fat Burning Fit Camps and The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program are starting soon. Why not give yourself the gift of health and fitness?

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Can exercise alone change someone’s body make-up?

I’ve been telling you for quite some time now the cold hard truth of fat loss: No amount of hard work can overcome a crappy diet.

Apparently I’m not the only one who’s noticed this.

In a recent study of almost 100 people who were inactive when the program began, about half remained sedentary and the other half took up resistance and cardio training.

The exercise group was given a training program that equaled to roughly 5 1/2 to 6 hours of activity a week and which lasted for 12 weeks. The folks who didn’t exercise just showed up to have their measurements taken until the 12 week study was completed.

Take note: NO ONE in the study trained or exercised prior to the study. It was determined that this fact alone contributed to the folks averaging 35% and 40% body fat. This is also significant because people who have never worked out, who are then put on a resistance training regimen usually ALWAYS make some great measureable gains.

Read on...

The folks trained as a group in this fashion each week: 3 resistance training days and 2 interval training days. These sessions were designed and supervised by some qualified folks.

The interesting aspect of this study is that no guidance or rules were given on eating or nutrition to any of the participants. The study was done to see just what exercise only would have on a person’s frame and body makeup (fat percentage, lean tissue composition, etc).

In other words: Can exercise alone change someone’s body make-up?

Or, “Can exercise alone REALLY overcome a crappy diet?”

12 weeks went by and you know what they found out?

They discovered that even someone who’s never exercised before (and in a body that should respond to the stimuli like crazy) made essentially no changes what so ever to their body’s compositional makeup!

None!
Nadda!
Nix!
Bupkis!

Does that shock you? Because it shouldn’t.

It’s like I’ve told you again and again, if you want to make changes to your physique and lose the fat, you simply must get control of your eating habits. This study has proven that.

Imagine going through 12 weeks of intense resistance training for an hour 3 days per week, and then hitting the cardio equipment for two hours. Five days a week of training for up to 6 hours for 12 weeks, (by the way, that’s 72 hours worth of time) and for what? The study showed the average individual lost just 1% of body fat.
Statistically speaking that equals about 1 pound of fat lost and 2 pounds of muscle gained versus the sedentary folks.

What? 12 weeks of hard labor for just 1 pound of fat lost?

I’d be really, really, RE-AL-LY ticked off.

The rules are the same as always:

1. Eat five to six times a day.
2. Limit your ingestion of sugars and processed foods.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables right through the day.
4. Drink more water and cut out high calorie liquids (beer, wine, soda, etc.).
5. Focus on eating lean proteins at each meal throughout the day.
6. Save starch containing foods until after a workout or for breakfast.

I’m here to help folks. You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers. If you’re not seeing the results you deserve, check out The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program, the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, or one of my personal training programs by e-mailing me here. I guarantee, if you’ll do exactly what I ask, you will get results like this:

“I just wanted to tell you thanks for all your advice! I never thought I could ever get to where I am at and I have your advice to thank. Anytime I had a question, you were always there to help out. I have lost 52 lbs in 4 months and feel like a new person. Couldn't have done it without you! Seriously, I followed your training and nutrition advice and "ate from the earth". Thanks for the help! I feel like a new person. Started at 224 and finished at 172!” – Brian Walsh

So...what are you waiting for. Click the links above now and let’s get started on YOUR new body.

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Don't you believe it!

Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Deserves Bad Press

You may have seen one of these ads recently on television touting High Fructose Corn Syrup as "natural" or just like sugar.

Don't buy into it. It's a lie.

The sweetness you taste in many foods comes from corn, not sugar cane. Which means you could be eating a lot of HFCS daily. And we're not just talking about soft drinks and bags of bread or cookies.

You'll find the ever present sugary liquid in things like yogurt, sports drinks, and herbal teas.

Why is this a big deal? Because HFCS is linked to a variety of health problems.

Here's an example: Dr. George Bray found a connection between this artificial sweetener and obesity. And though it's true that HFCS is not the only cause of obesity, it's certainly one of the contributors.

Another researcher, Dr. Meira Field, fed lab rats a diet high in HFCS. The rats experienced significant health problems, including anemia, delayed testicular development, and fatal heart conditions. All of the rats died before reaching adulthood, and their livers resembled those of alcoholics. They were cirrhotic and plugged with fat.

Here's a few hints to avoid HFCS:
• Drink water or homemade tea instead of soda.
• As much as possible, avoid pre-packaged products and eat whole, unprocessed foods - in other words, food that grows naturally.
• When considering pre-packaged products, read the label before you buy.

Stay away, far away, from this garbage, unless you want to remain overweight and sickly.

Steve

Steve, can I have a smoothie?

You may think smoothies are a better, healthier option to soft drinks. After all, smoothies are just fruit in a blender…

What could be wrong with that?

A lot, it turns out. Here's the lowdown:

1) Size: Smoothies often vary in size from 16 ounces to 40 ounces. Let me put that into perspective; an 8-ounce smoothie is equal to about three pieces of fruit. Do you regularly eat fifteen pieces of fruit in one sitting?

2) Processing: Many of the valuable ingredients contained in whole fruits and vegetables, things like fiber, anti-oxidants and vitamins, are destroyed in the process of making a smoothie.

With their growing popularity, you can buy smoothies anywhere – including many local grocery stores. Grocery stores are renowned for their shortcuts to efficiency, and that means most of the smoothies are highly processed. What’s more, if the fruits and vegetables aren’t certified organic, there’s a good chance you’re consuming a cocktail of pesticides and other environmental toxins.

3) The carbs: A report published overseas found that a single serving of a popular smoothie contained over five teaspoons of sugar, beating out a can of Coke. Yum!

To review: smoothies may come from natural ingredients, but those ingredients are often packed into abnormally concentrated amounts. Some smoothie makers even add artificial sweeteners – high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in particular – further reducing the health benefit.

And high-carb smoothies WILL pack on the pounds. When you blend fruits you very much increase the rate that your body can absorb the sugar. Even something that’s normally healthy, such as a carrot, takes on the fast sugar characteristics of a soda when you puree it.

Diets high in fast release carbohydrate are linked to higher rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Sugary high-carb foods produce a spike in your blood sugar level. This in turn triggers an insulin response.

Higher insulin levels tell your body to start storing fat. And the more fat you’re signaled to store, the greater your eventual obesity. And it only gets worse from there… Obesity leads to heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, even joint pain from the additional weight.

The good news? The reverse is also true; a low-carb intake equates to lower heart risk. The New England Journal of Medicine reported results from Harvard researchers involving 80,000 women over the course of two decades. Those who followed a low-carb diet reduced their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
Results of another study by U.S. and New Zealand scientists, also released last year, showed that about 3 million heart disease, stroke and diabetes-related deaths are caused by high blood sugar levels each year worldwide.

One of the authors noted that the only way to raise blood sugar is by consuming sugars and refined carbohydrates. So packing a single beverage (like a smoothie) with a high concentration of sugar, regardless of that sugar’s source, isn’t a great idea.

If you’re looking for a cool, refreshing drink that won’t add inches to your waistline, combine freshly squeezed lemons, oranges or grapefruit into ice water. If you need to sweeten it up, try Stevia extract. It’s the only sugar substitute that’s not toxic or linked to side effects.

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

The "A-List" and "B-List" Veggies

San Antonio consistently ranks high on the "Fattest City in America" list because of one thing: Not enough people eat their vegetables. Well, as a service to the community, here's some advice:

Eat all you want (yes...that's ALL you want) of these very healthful, "A" list vegetables...
All dark green, leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale)
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Green beans
Jicama
Mushrooms
Radishes
Salad greens
Snow peas
Tomatoes
Winter squash
Zucchini, summer and spaghetti squash

"B-List" Veggies
Eat no more than one to two servings (one-half cup each) daily of these vegetables, which are higher in starchy carbohydrates and calories...
Jerusalem artichokes
Parsnips
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Water chestnuts

Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skills. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

What is your attitude with respect to fat loss?

SP
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

5 changes that can make a difference

Changing our perspective about weight loss is just as important as living it out! We live in a “Do it/Want it Now!” culture. When we apply that mindset to our weight loss journey, we find ourselves losing the race. But a slower, steady pace of making one change at a time can result in us not only crossing the goal line, but in staying there and not losing ground.

Take a look at the 5 eating changes and 5 exercise changes below. Decide which one you will begin with on each list this week. Once you have achieved that goal, add another change into your program. Applaud each accomplishment! It won’t be long and you’ll begin to see the results!

5 Eating Changes That Can Make a Difference

• Begin to cut back on sugar in your coffee or tea. (Do the same with the milk or cream.)
• Use less or no butter and mayo.
• Let fresh, raw veggies replace chips for lunch and snacks.
• Add one new food every week to your meal plan. Variety will keep you on your program.
• When eating out, start ordering half portions or ask for a “doggie-bag” at the beginning and divide half of the meal into it before you start eating.

5 Exercise Changes That Can Make A Difference

• Add working out with a buddy once a week.
• Plan to take the grocery cart back to the store when you’re done unloading the items you bought.
• Force yourself to walk longer distances by parking your car further away from your destination such as the mall, grocery store, drug store, theatre, etc.
• Take the stairs over the elevators or even escalators every single time.
• Consider your chores another chance to get in some activity.

Start with one item at a time and work on it. Add one each week WITHOUT dropping the previous habit. Fat Loss Success will soon be yours!

Steve

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.

10 Realistic Little Tips to Make a BIG Difference in Fat Loss

The problem many of us have in losing body fat is that we’re usually more efficient in wishing for a slimmer physique than actually attaining one. Most of us actually try too hard, going to extremes that are either ineffective or detrimental to our progress. Here’s a piece of advice from one who has witnessed many folks succeed in becoming one of the triumphant “losers”: Take it easy.
The extra weight you may currently be carrying is likely the result of many small behavioral actions, like eating between meals or driving to places that you could easily walk to instead. Losing the fat may really be as simple as adding some extra activity, as well as some small clever activities, into your day. These activities include actions taken in your diet, exercise and attitude levels.
The addition of several of these examples into your day will do nothing more for you than help you to obtain your fat loss goals sooner than you had previously planned. By themselves they are not very powerful. However, bunched together they add up to a giant supplement on the road to success. Give them a shot and watch what happens.

1. Fidgeting. Those who habitually squirm, toe-tap or play the drums on their desks burn, according to some studies, up to 800 calories a day. That’s like running several miles! If you’re not a naturally fidgety person, don’t try to become one. You’ll only succeed in frustrating yourself. Instead, try doing things that make you move more, like changing the channels on the television manually or parking at the opposite end of the lot from your destination.
2. Sharing. Most restaurant portion sizes are HUGE. Try cutting down by sharing. And if the thought of eliminating deserts is simply impossible, at least share them with someone, or several someone’s.
3. Write down everything you eat and drink...and be honest. Instead of wondering why you are gaining or not losing weight, it will soon become evident. If you want a little more incentive to watch what you ingest, get a friend or family member to agree to hold you accountable and to check your "food journal" once a week. And while we’re at it, water is what flows in rivers; not soda. That’s why you should drink water. Often.
4. Don’t eat foods from their original containers. It’s easy to fool yourself into believing you’re having “just a tad”, but you’re not as smart as you look. Measure out what it is you want and let that be the end of it. The best bet is to keep “weakness” foods out of the house altogether.
5. Go grocery shopping on a full stomach. Nacho chips, donuts, cookies and pies don’t have half the allure they normally do when you go grocery “hunting” on a full stomach. You can enhance the experience by strictly shopping from a list and allowing yourself only one purchase that is not pre-planned.
6. Make mealtime smarter, not harder. Before you sit down to dinner, put the amount of food that you would like to eat on your plate and put the rest in the refrigerator. This will discourage you from going back for seconds.
7. Take only a limited amount of money. This is simply insurance against impulse or reactionary purchases. It also helps you to develop discipline.
8. Swear off elevators and escalators. Stairs are built for walking. They are your friends. Use them.
9. Police your speed of eating. Put your fork down between bites and enjoy the moment. The more slowly and thoroughly you chew your food when you eat, the faster you’ll feel satisfied and full. If you still feel like seconds, use the “10 minute rule.” Wait ten minutes. The feeling will probably pass.
10. Establish a time-out routine. Take a time out half-way through your meal. Sit back and just breathe for a few moments. Here’s a trick: put a pot of water on the stove to boil. It will take about ten minutes. When it does, get up, fix a cup of herbal tea. When you get back to the table, you probably won’t feel like eating much more.

God bless,
SP

Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.