I’ll get in shape…then I’ll hire a professional.

Hey, I hope you are not having this problem.

If you’re someone who cares about their body, exercises regularly, eats properly and leads a healthy lifestyle, then this post might not be for you.

If you’re like most people in this country, who work too much, sleep too little and never see the inside of a gym, then you better keep reading because the information you are about to view just might save your life.

The first thing I’d like to ask you to do is read this stuff with an open mind. Most of us are so deeply entrenched in our beliefs that it’s hard to consider any other side of ANY issue.

At some point in time, no matter when, where or how, your fat loss progress stopped dead in its tracks. Sadly, this happened even though you were doing your very best to not let it occur.  It didn’t matter what kind of “diet” you were on…it didn’t matter how much exercise you did…it didn’t even matter if you even wrote down every single little thing you put into your mouth. IT HAPPENED! And I bet you were getting really close to your goal too.

I know this has happened to you, because if it didn’t you wouldn’t still be reading right now.  But the mere fact that you haven’t left means that there is hope for you. Just because you have run into a few road blocks that have made you frustrated and questioned your reasoning for continuing is actually a good thing. It means you’re normal and you are not alone.

For the past 11 years, I’ve seen this same scenario unfold for just about every person who has stepped into my office asking for help. And since we are all friends here…can I tell you a secret??? I’ve been there myself and it pisses me off too.

In order for any of us to break down those barriers, we need to be able to know what caused them to smack us in the face and keep us in a holding pattern for so long.

Lucky for you, I’ve already done that…here’s four of the most troubling issues that everyone faces which can really prevent you from having success.

#1 Your Exercise Routine Is Garbage!!!

I’m not one to “sugar coat” things so I’m telling you like it is.  If you’re not losing those last few pounds the first place you need to look is your workout. Are you wasting your time doing things that aren’t going to produce immediate results?

Too many people rely on the most popular men’s or women’s magazine as their sole source for exercise programming. And so many people never see ANY results because of it.

Just like any project or plan, you need to have the proper information to get the job done correctly. If you’re looking to lose fat but you started on a program that was meant to build muscle, you are going to fail miserably.

Here’s a hint; the people you see in the magazines and on television…most of them aren’t doing the exercises or using the products on a regular basis.  They weren’t overweight to begin with, so don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are going to look like them if you do the workout that they are promoting.

You need a fat loss exercise program that is specifically designed for…wait for it…FAT LOSS! It seems obvious but so many people bypass this step because they see the final result and want to immediately jump to that program.

Who wants to do a boring fat loss program when you can do the exciting and interesting toning and conditioning program instead?  I’ll tell you who…EVERYONE!!!

But unless you build a solid foundation that has the basic needs designed specifically to get you lean and losing weight, you’ll never build a strong and healthy body.

“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.” 

- Anthony Robbins

#2 You Still Believe That “Cardio” Is The Answer To All Your Problems

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many people have this mistaken belief that doing long, slow, boring cardio will make you lose all the body fat that you want and need to eliminate.

A number of years ago, if you would have walked into any gym in America and I’d bet you could come across a trainer who was telling their clients  to “go-slow” and “focus on your cardio” and the fat will just melt right off.

I’ve traveled all over the country and I’ve come across that same conversation many times.  There were instances where I just wanted to run across the room and strangle the trainer. 

This is flawed thinking and thankfully, most trainers (if they are any good) no longer suggest this as the way to lose fat.

Research has shown that a focused effort on weight training will give you the best results.  Added research has mentioned that including interval training (mixing weight training with short bouts of intense cardio), will work even better.

I train all my clients this way. My  boot camp program  is based specifically on this mode of training. My 0ne-on-one training  works the same way. It’s probably the best way to beat the plateaus that you will most likely come across while exercising.

If you really want to increase your metabolism and have your body burning fat all-day-long, then you need to “up” the amount of stimulation for your muscles, burn more calories and deliver more oxygenated blood to your cells.

A simple way of explaining this is to stay off the machines that make you sit down.  Don’t kid yourself, you’re not going to burn much fat doing isolated exercises while sitting in a chair.

Try to add multiple exercises into your routine. Doing a “pushing” exercise followed by a “pulling” exercise.  Then add a “lower body” exercise followed by a short burst of “cardio.”

This type of training is great because you can do it anywhere.  Believe it or not, you really don’t need a gym to workout and lose weight.  These “circuit training” workouts require minimal space, and very little equipment.  (Grab a set of dumbbells, a jump rope, some rubber band tubing, and your own body weight, and you just created your very own personal training studio.)

#3 You Need Variety In Your Workout

Your body is a very intelligent, efficient machine that can adapt to just about anything you throw at it. When you start doing something new, it uses a lot of energy to help you accomplish what it is that you are trying to achieve.  But then it becomes smart and recognizes that it no longer needs to work so hard to continue doing the same thing time after time…it just becomes more able to function without wasting a lot of needless energy.

Think of the last time you started a new exercise program.  Initially I bet you were so pleased because you started seeing some changes.  Maybe people took notice and paid you a compliment…but then the compliments stopped…the attention was not there from your “admirers” any more.  What happened?

Your body went into “stand-by” mode.  Instead of going into overdrive and really burning up those fat cells, it quickly realized that you weren’t going to throw anything new at it, so it figured out how to use less energy to do the same job.

Burning less energy, means that you body fat is going to go nowhere!

It’s time to bust through your barriers and work at a pace that shapes your body and burns a tremendous amount of fat, quickly, safely and efficiently…in a much shorter amount of time.

My suggestion is to follow a program similar to mine. Mix up your training to confuse your body into working harder and using more body fat as an energy source to fuel your muscles.

Weight loss is a science, but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand how to get results.

One day focus on high intensity training (this means you do the exercises faster than you normally do, but without sacrificing good form.)  The next day try to go heavier with your weights. Then maybe the following day you have an “all out-or nothing” day where you push your body to its limit.

The key is changing so your routines never get stale.  Try adding in different routines to speed up the fat loss process. If you are always doing the same old, tired and true “body builder training” (Monday = Chest, Wednesday = Back, Friday = Legs), throw yourself a curveball and do a full body workout for a few weeks.  You’ll slowly start seeing your body change again and people will notice.

#4 How You Eat Determines How You Look

I’m not a nutritionist, a dietitian, or a licensed practitioner who has people paying me for nutritional counseling. But I do know something about nutrition.  So let’s examine a few questions.

1.    Are you now or have you ever been on a diet?
2.    What was that diet?
3.    What made you choose that diet?
4.    Are you obsessively counting calories?

So many people think “dieting” is the absolute cure to weight loss.  I say DIETING SUCKS!!!

My reasoning is that the term “dieting” has been around forever.  And you know what??? None of them ever work.  Because if you break down the word “diet” it basically means to deprive your body of something. Most people can only push off their desires for any particular food for so long.

America is a nation of so much food…so many food choices…so much promotion about the newest, latest food items, that it’s almost impossible to keep from putting your stubby little hands around them and then stuffing them into your mouth.

Instead of a diet, why not choose a lifestyle that allows you to eat healthy things in moderation. But, “WHO WANTS TO DO THAT???”

Well, if you are disgusted with the way you look and envy the toned and trim bodies of others, you should be wanting to.  Because when you finally get that type of body, then you can eat more of the ‘unhealthy’ foods and not have it affect your body as much as it is today.

Now, I’m not prescribing that you go out and eat junk food if you are already healthy. That would be stupid and counter-productive to keeping your body fit and trim.  But what I am saying is that once your body becomes an efficient, fat burning machine, it’s able to prevent new fat cells from being formed a lot easier.

Now let’s talk about counting calories for a moment. Here’s another example of a good idea gone bad.

Most formulas aimed at counting calories are flawed when it comes to losing fat. The concept of knowing what you are putting into your body and how much is terrific.  But to obsess with writing down every single thing, every single day for the rest of your life is so time consuming and so incredibly wasteful.

Remember, a calorie is only a unit of energy in your body. It has very little to do with the nutrition that your body needs to survive and to thrive. It’s better to think about the amount of energy you are putting into your body (food choices) and the amount of energy you are expending.

If you exercise regularly, you can eat more food because you are building muscle.  That muscle needs energy to keep it alive.  If you keep it alive, your metabolism stays on all day long.

If you are a ‘couch potato’ and do very little exercise, eating more food will not only slow down your metabolism, but it will not be used as an energy source since you have no new muscle to feed.

In basic terms, the amount of fat on your body is going to largely be based upon the amount of muscle you have and the amount of calories you are eating. In order to get leaner than you have ever been in the past, don’t skip meals, eat healthy foods and build muscle through exercise.

Whether or not you have a problem with your weight, it’s always good to make changes. If you live in the south Florida area, why not stop by my boot camp training program and see what so many other locals are raving about.

(Click Here To Get More Information)

Busting through plateaus, re-awakening your fat loss capabilities and transforming your body into something you can be proud of just takes a little bit of determination, dedication and a willingness to change things around when things aren’t happening.

© 2010 BCFitness, Inc. All Rights Reserved

“If you’ve become frustrated with how your body is looking, contact me today. I’ll put you on a fat burning, body toning program – no gimmicks, guaranteed.”

 

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