MetamorFitness » Fat Loss

Natural Weight Loss

Katrina McKenna — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:51:09 +0000

Note from Katrina: Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. We just have to keep at it. “A journey of a thousand miles begin with one step…”
If it were easy…everyone would be doing it.

Consistency Is Key To Natural Weight Loss

George Best

There are huge numbers of weight loss methods and products on the market. Weight loss continues to be a popular goal, yet one that is rarely achieved in our society. While there are certainly extreme measures like surgery and drugs that can promote weight loss, these methods come with significant risks and drawbacks, which is why many people continually seek out and try more natural weight loss approaches.

Ultimately, natural weight loss comes down to some combination of diet and exercise. Although many approaches favor one or the other, the reality is that both diet and exercise are equally important and weight loss occurs much more rapidly with a combined approach. Many weight loss aids, including some reasonably safe natural weight loss products, can improve the overall effects of diet and exercise, but they really cannot be considered a substitute for changing your eating habits and engaging in more physical activity.

There is much debate as to what works and what doesn’t. On the diet front, some will proclaim Atkin’s and other low or no carbohydrate approaches to be the only effective diet strategy. Others may insist that calorie restriction is the way to go. Still others may insist on the low-fat approach. The fact of the matter is that all of these diet systems work at least some of the time.

As with diet, there is considerable debate as to what exercise approach works best for weight loss. Some say you have to do high intensity “interval training”. Some favor the long-time, low- intensity aerobic approach. Still others say any increase in any kind of physical activity works just fine. Again, all of these appoaches work at least for some people.

Various recent research studies into the vast array of weight loss approaches has come to a rather interesting conclusion: All weight loss approaches that are based on physiologically-sound principles seem to have about the same statistical success rate. Some recent studies have shown that the biggest determining factor in the success or failure of any weight loss program is… whether or not the person sticks to the program long-term.

It has been my experience in clinical practice that very few people stick to ANY weight loss plan (at least natural weight loss plans – not some type of weight loss drug) for more than about two weeks straight. Yes, some may stay on a weight loss plan for several months, but most are not consistent over that period of time. The majority of those trying to lose weight will start off well for the first few days, but then something will come up and they get off track for a few (or more) days, and then continue going through and on again, off again cycle. The times when they are off the program largely negate whatever progress they make while they are on the program.

Based on my experience with people trying to lose weight, the biggest factor in losing weight is not the diet or exercise the person is doing, it’s the person’s consistency with whatever he or she is doing. Consistency with a natural weight loss plan, including diet and exercise is highly dependent on one’s ability to stay motivated and focusd on achieving one’s weight loss goals. In other words, if you’re going to lose weight and keep it off, you MUST get control of your mind so that you can have sufficient motivation and will-power to stick to the weight loss plan.

Developing motivation and will-power requires more than just deciding to lose weight. It is necessary for you to be able to resist any temptations that would pull you off course and interfere with your follow-through on whatever weight loss program you choose to do. Sadly, the majority of people are lacking an innate capacity to effectively avoid temptation and it is far too easy for many people who try to lose weight to quickly lose momentum and stray from their weight loss plans. For this reason, I recommend using a variety of mental conditioning techniques BEFORE one begins a natural weight loss plan. By preparing the mind in advance, one is far more able to resist temptation and stay sufficiently motivated to stick to the plan.

Among the most useful techniques I have found for this purpose include Neuro-Linguistic Progamming, Neuro-Associative Conditioning (developed by Anthony Robbins), various forms of self-hypnosis, the Sedona Method, Emotional Freedom Technique, and simply taking the time to clearly identify one’s reasons for wanting to lose weight in the first place. By using any or all of these methods, temptation can be largely eliminated and one is able to stick with his or her diet and/or exercise program long-term, which allows for consistent weight loss and maintenance of one’s weight once the goal is achieved.

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas. He has written numerous articles and E-books on the topic of weight loss. To get additional information on this topic, go to http://www.trainyourbrain4weightloss.com

Note from Katrina: Just keep swimming…

How to Lose Your Holiday Belly Fat

Katrina McKenna — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:55:20 +0000

Note from Katrina: I think we all get into the habit of eating for the wrong reasons and then beating ourselves up for it. I am definitely guilty of this too. I especially like number 5, we generally try to avoid feeling bad feelings and this reinforces that supressing our feelings is not helpful.

10 Weight Loss Tips for Permanent Weight Loss

Brooke Castillo

1. Eat only when you are hungry.

This means stop eating the minute you are full. This means if you go out to dinner and eat all the bread in the breadbasket you don’t eat your dinner. This means if it is lunch break at work and you aren’t hungry don’t eat. This means if you are in the middle of a sandwich and you are no longer hungry, you stop eating.

2. When you aren’t hungry and eating for joy only, make sure you are eating something fantastic and tasting every bite.

There will be times when you want to eat just for the joy of it. I say if you only do this 10% of the time you can still lose weight. But the trick is to make sure you enjoy each bite, taste it fully and stop as soon as the joy of eating it fades. If you pay attention, you will be surprised how soon this might be.

3. Be curious about yourself-not judgmental.

When you do something that you think is “off” you plan of what you would like to be doing, be curious and try to find out why you do what you do. Explore the thoughts that lead to the action. Be kind and understanding with yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

4. Believe it is possible to be thin without being mean to yourself.

You do not have to beat yourself into submission for thinness. In fact, I have found the opposite is true. Loving yourself and being kind to yourself is a much better path to permanent weight loss.

5. Feel your feelings.

Be anxious. (Don’t eat.) Be sad. (Don’t eat.) Be afraid. (Don’t eat.) Be angry. (Don’t eat.) If you use eating as an alternative to feeling you are most likely going to be overweight. The sooner you feel your feelings the sooner they will subside.

6. Stop expecting things “out there” to change so you can feel better.

Don’t wait for a better job, a thinner body, a nicer husband or a better tasting diet in order to be happy. You can be the source of your own joy by finding out what you love to do and who you love to be. By living your own truth, you can be happy no matter what is going on “out there.”

7. Even when you think you have “blown it” write down every piece of food that goes into your mouth and then read that list with fascination.

It may feel better to write in the food journal when you are eating fuel most of the time, but that is not when it is the most important. When you are fog eating and storm eating and binging and going crazy with food, you have the best opportunity to learn about yourself and why you do what you do. No matter how much you have eaten and no matter how big the binge was, write down every single thing that went into your mouth and look at it with kind curiosity.

8. Realize that eating when you aren’t hungry is not satisfying hunger or comforting you-it’s just making you heavy.

Notice the terminology you use when discussing food. ” I had my chocolate fix.” ” I needed comfort food.” “I wanted to give myself a treat.” Food is not a good source of emotional comfort and it cannot fix you.

9. Remember the past does not equal the future

We have all been on many many diets. Many of us have been heavy a long time. This does not mean that you can’t lose weight. You have been doing the best you can. And when you know better- you do better- and you look better�.

10. Never give up!

Enough said.

Brooke Castillo, Certified Weight Loss Coach, Author- “I am So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?”

http://www.coach4weight.com

Note from Katrina: In your food journal keep track of your mood, hunger, and satisfaction levels. This can help you figure out patterns.

Fat Fighting Kung Fu Pills

Katrina McKenna — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:40:39 +0000

Subject:

So another new year is upon us. Untold numbers of people are “resolving” to win the battle of the bulge this year.

Some people are actually laying out a solid plan based on exercise and nutrition.

Others are going to go on yet another fad diet.

Even worse, lots and lots of soon to be disheartened folks will be turning to the latest miracle pill they’ve seen on TV or the Internet.

It’s sad really.

The marketing for these pills gets cranked up to full blast now that it’s January. These far less than reputable companies know how desperate people are. And they certainly know how much greater that desperation becomes in January.

Look, you and I know better. We know that the only way you’re going to Kung Fu that fat off your belly, butt, hips and thighs is to eat right and exercise.

Know what else is sad?

Once people come to grips with the fact they’ve been ripped off over and over by these “miracle” diet pill companies, oftentimes they’ll refuse to listen to reason about nutritional products that have actual benefits.

For instance, did you know that Essential Fatty Acid products help promote fat loss through the stabilization of blood sugar levels?

And that they may also help regulate mood, improve heart health and decrease joint pain?

If people are looking for a pill to take – one that is actually based on research – they should strongly consider adding an Essential Fatty Acids product to their diet.

I’m asked all the time what I use and it’s Prograde’s EFA Icon (you can read more about it here: http://metamorfitness.getprograde.com/icon )

Again, I know you’re to smart to fall for the gimmicks, but if you know of anyone trying a diet pill this January, please tell them to get real. They’ll be better off for it.

Yours in health,

Katrina

PS – Again, if you’re looking to add a great Essential Fatty Acid product to your diet be sure to check out Prograde’s EFA Icon. It’s the best out there. http://metamorfitness.getprograde.com/icon

Holiday Desserts

Katrina McKenna — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:10:24 +0000

I know, I know, I know. The holidays are here and temptation seems to be EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon.

So that’s why I’ve got two great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won’t pack on the pounds.

First, is Grilled Banana Splits. Here’s the simple ingredients you’ll need:

4 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp chocolate chips

1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt

4 tsp chopped walnuts

Here are the easy-to-follow directions:

1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.

3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.

4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.

5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.

6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.

That’s it for a nutritious and delicious treat!

Second, if you like your life even easier, and you’re a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. I seriously cannot even begin to tell you how delicious they taste.

You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You’ll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, fitness pros that have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.

Trust me, you have to see this: http://metamorfitness.getprograde.com/cravers

Yours in health,

Katrina McKenna

PS – Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://metamorfitness.getprograde.com/cravers

Is Your Cardio Making You FAT?

Katrina McKenna — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:44:58 +0000

If I hear one more time that walking is the best way to lose weight, I might throw a medicine ball at the dumbbell who says it. Don’t get me wrong, walking is better than sitting on your couch watching TV both in terms of fat loss and your health but after your body adapts to it, it provides little stimulus for fat loss. Any exercise is beneficial for your health, but we are talking fat loss here.

This goes for all types of slow and steady exercise, walking, jogging and all of the cardio machines. This type of exercise does nothing to preserve muscle and performing excessive cardio can actually break down muscle and slowing your metabolism making it harder to lose weight.

The problem is, the more cardio you do, the better you get at it. So you are burning LESS calories for the same amount of work. So you have to do more and more and more…in order to get the same result. Then at the point that you begin to lose muscle you will start to get fatter (even though your weight may stay the same or go down).

Think of what a sprinter looks like versus a marathoner. Marathoners look too skinny; because they have very little muscle as a result they have higher body fat percentages.

If you want to lose fat and improve your health you absolutely must maintain and preferably increase the size of your muscles. The more muscle you have the more calories you are burning even when you are sitting on the couch watching TV!

You can do this by performing resistance or strength training exercises. Many people are wary of strength training, fearing it will make them bulky or too muscular. For most women this is nearly impossible since they have significantly less testosterone than men, and it requires large amounts of food and hours every day in the gym. I recommend 2 – 3 full body workouts a week which could be as short as 30 minutes each!

You still need cardio; I am not recommending that you avoid all cardiovascular exercise, but perform it differently. Ignore the ‘fat burning zone’ charts in the gym and the ‘talk test’. These concepts are based on the idea that you burn a higher percent of fat calories with low intensity exercise than with high intensity exercise. That is partly true, BUT, does not take into account that you burn more TOTAL calories exercising at a higher intensity. PLUS high intensity exercise caused you to extra calories for HOURS after your exercise session.

Instead of an hour on the treadmill at a fast walk or jog, you should work in sprints and finish in 15 – 30 minutes. After warming up (5 – 10 minutes), push very hard for 15 seconds and then recover for 45 seconds. Repeat 5 times and then cool down for 5 – 10 minutes. Before you add more time to your exercise session, you can work harder for those 15 seconds increase the work to recovery ratio, i.e., work for 20 seconds and recover for 40, then 30 and 30.

High intensity exercise takes a lot out of you so you HAVE to shorten the exercise session. You get better results in less time! You can either perform your new shorter cardio sessions after your full body weight training workout or on the days in between.

If you are not used to working at high intensities you do have to build up to it. Start by pushing yourself just a little harder than normal and push a littler harder than that the next week.

For optimum fat loss you will still have to add in a supportive eating.

When The Best Time To Exercise…For People With Diabetes?

Katrina McKenna — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:43:56 +0000

“When is the best time to exercise,” is one of the most common
questions I get asked by diabetics and non-diabetics alike. A
common belief is that low intensity cardio on an empty stomach
burns the most fat because carbohydrates are not available.

First, low intensity cardio is not the best for fat loss. The
fat burning zone is myth that does not take into account all
the calories burned during and AFTER the exercise session and
can actually cause you to lose muscle. If you want to lose
fat, then you must preserve your muscles.

Second, research has shown that there is no difference in
how much fat is burned during a moderate intensity cardio
session with or without food. It does make a difference at
lower intensities, but I already said that this is not
ideal. At high intensity training, you need some food to
maintain performance. So actually by eating a small amount
you are allowing yourself to exercise harder and as a result
increasing the amount of calories that you will burn hours
after your exercise session.

Third, you risk increasing the level of your stress hormones
and instead of breaking down fat, your body may break down
muscle. Again lowering your metabolism and pushing you in the
opposite direction of fat loss.

Exercising on an empty stomach can actually cause your blood
sugar to increase if you have diabetes. This seems very
strange since most of the time exercise helps to lower blood
sugar levels. Exercising tells the liver to release its stored
sugar or glycogen into the bloodstream but if there is not
enough insulin in the bloodstream the muscles cannot absorb
the sugar quickly enough.

People with diabetes must check their blood sugar before and
after exercise to determine their response to exercise. If
your blood sugar is very high (consult your health care
provider for the suggested level) then exercise could make
it even higher. This happens due to the stress hormones causing
the release of sugar into the bloodstream, often because of
limited insulin. If your blood sugar level is high test for
ketones in your urine. If there are ketones then you should
NOT exercise until your blood sugar is at a safer level.

Research is showing that you may be able to exercise safely
with high blood glucose level as long as there are not ketones
in the urine. Speak to your health care provider for specific
recommendations. In this case, keep the exercise intensity low,
because high intensity exercise can raise your blood sugar
levels even further.

Now, I know I just said to avoid low intensity exercise for
fat loss but under these conditions, preventing your blood
sugar from going higher is more important for your health
and the prevention of diabetic complications. All exercise
helps your diabetes even if it doesn’t promote weight loss.
I’d much rather you keep the habit of exercising than skip
it because it isn’t the most efficient for fat loss. Remember
you are exercising for both your health and fat loss. Your
health has priority over fat loss.

Exercise can also cause low blood sugar. As the muscles are
working they are absorbing sugar from the blood stream far
easier than they do when they are not working. If your blood
sugar is too low before you start exercising you must eat some
carbohydrates beforehand. This is not ideal for fat loss, so
timing your exercise session after you eat and avoiding the
peak time of your insulin is best. Depending on the length
and intensity of exercise your blood sugar can go low several
hours after exercise, making exercise close to bedtime risky.

OK, so what is the final answer? You must find a time 1 – 3
hours after you eat but away from the peak action of insulin.
The larger the meal, the more time you should wait. If you
must exercise in the morning, eat something small before
starting, such as low fat yogurt, a handful of nuts, something
that has some carbs, some protein and some fat.

You Don’t Exercise To Lose Weight-Or Do You?

Katrina McKenna — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:43:20 +0000

There have been some reports on a recent research study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism that claims that diet and exercise are no better than dieting alone for weight-loss, fat-loss and body composition improvements. This report also says that exercise doesn’t preserve muscle mass.

Unfortunately, what the report fails to mention is what the participants of the study did for exercise. Apparently to most people exercise means steady-state aerobic training because that is the type of exercise used in the study, “Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution.” So what the study did prove was that steady-state cardio exercise is equivalent to dieting for weight-loss.

I agree steady state aerobic exercise is not very helpful in fat-loss or muscle growth. So the study is really no big surprise. But the interpretation of the study does not specify the type of exercise and is very misleading. The suggestion is that all exercise is created equal which is absolutely wrong. The type of exercise is critical to losing fat.

Another study in Metabolism (1994 Jul;43(7):814-8), “Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism” demonstrated that high intensity interval training exercise created a 9 time greater loss in subcutaneous fat than the steady state cardio group.

That’s nine times, that means a 15 minute interval training workout creates more fat loss than a two hour steady state cardio workout out. Which workout would you rather do? This happens because high intensity exercise causes your body to burn excess calories for hours after the exercise session. On the other hand, steady state cardio just allows you to become more and more efficient at burning calories so you burn less and less each time for the same effort.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism study even mentions that high intensity exercise can have a greater effect on fat loss, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol profiles than lower intensity exercise. Why didn’t the report mention this?

Then of course, any legitimate weight loss program must include weight training. While the participants of this recent study did lose some muscle mass, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1993 Oct;58(4):561-5), “Muscle hypertrophy with large-scale weight loss and resistance training” demonstrates that even with extremely low calorie intake resistance training still causes an increase in muscle mass.

The report states that the one of the authors of the study, Ravussin, has published other studies that indicate that exercise does not increase muscle mass that increases weight loss. Well, here we are with what exercise means again. I agree, steady state aerobic exercise does not increase muscle mass. There is no question that resistance training does increase muscle mass.

Oddly the report states, “And their carefully controlled study added to the evidence that adding muscle mass does not somehow boost metabolism and help dieters take off even more weight.” Since both groups lost a small amount of muscle mass, this study could not possibly have come to this conclusion. Additionally, muscle is metabolically active tissue, many chemical processes are occurring inside muscle tissue and muscle creates movement, these things require energy or calories. Little happens inside a fat cell, it just stores fat. It is estimated that for every additional pound of muscle your body has, you burn an additional 50 calories per day.

So while you could lose weight through dieting alone or even dieting and steady state cardio, why would you? You can lose significantly more fat, faster by incorporating interval training and a resistance training program along with your reduced calorie diet.

Steady state cardio does have other benefits. All exercise is good for your health and disease prevention or reduction. Plus if you love to run, run. Enjoyment is a perfectly legitimate reason to something.

How to get fat burning aerobic benefits WITHOUT aerobics

Katrina McKenna — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:39:10 +0000

just got my hands on a fitness video that was
originally intended only for paying students of
10+ year fitness expert Rob Poulos’s brand new
“Fat Burning Furnace” fitness method.

….and I also got permission from Rob to give
it to you “on the house” with his compliments.

http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/z/?i=436363&l=q12

You see, Rob is in the middle of recording a series
of step-by- step videos that will be included with
his previously sold-out fitness method when it’s
re-released to the fitness community on October 31.

He did some test recording in his home gym and was
about to scrap this entire video because he wasn’t
happy with the audio. But one of his personal
students caught a glimpse of it after a training
session and begged Rob to let him take a copy of
the video home.

While the audio might not be in line with Rob’s
standards, the content is solid, informative, and
could save you countless hours of wasted effort
in your fat burning and muscle building efforts.

In this video, you will learn:

** Why you don’t necessarily have to perform
traditional aerobic exercise to reap the fat
burning benefits you’re after

** How applying 2 simple weight training principles
will allow you to burn fat and get in great
cardiovascular shape in just minutes a week

** The proper way to lift a weight to ignite
your fat burning furnace, and to minimize the
time you spend in the gym.

This is truly a rare chance for you to get a
“sneak peek” at this exclusive video content
that was only meant to be seen by paying
students of Rob’s “Fat Burning Furnace” fitness
method.

Here’s the deal, though. This is a 9 minute,
30 second video, which means it’s going to
take up a lot of website resources when thousands
of fitness enthusiasts such as yourself begin to
watch it. Rob’s going to do his best to keep the
video online, but if too many people request it,
his website could crash. So the sooner you get to
it, the higher the likelihood it will still be
online. Check for yourself here:

http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/z/?i=436363&l=q12

I think you’re going to learn some excellent fitness
concepts in this video, and I hope you enjoy it.

To your fitness and health,
Katrina McKenna

P.S. On the link where you can get the video, Rob
also gives you access to his updated, brand new
46-page Power Fitness Principles consumer guide
which he released last week. Here it
is:

http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/z/?i=436363&l=q12