Belly getting in the way??? take a read!

Hello guys and girls...this is Jaemi..mikey's sidekick....

Ok here we go..I have met most of you, but still have a hard time remembering everyone's

name...but I have been put in charge of the blogging from now on. So this is my first one...

if anyone has any "constructive critisism" please let me know...feedback is good...lol

Why It's So Hard to Lose Belly Fat

The majority of people who set out to lose belly fat never reach their goal, and those who do, only keep it off for a short amount of time.

If this describes you, let's explore the reasons why you are struggling with weight loss and/or flattening your stomach...

Lack of Understanding of How Your Body Works

A lot of people assume they can just do crunches or buy an ab machine to flatten their stomach.

When you have stomach flab, you actually have extra flab all over your body. It just may look worse in the mid section.

Or maybe you have the type of body frame that gains a disproportionate amount in your stomach area. So it's understandable why you may think you only need to exercise that one area to achieve results.

It's important you understand that you will never lose your stomach fat until you get your entire body into shape.

Our bodies don't know how to eliminate fat in one area so in order to burn the fat in the tummy, you have to burn it all over. Cardio exercises are the best way to accomplishing this.

Even if you love the rest of your body and you just want to lose your stomach fat, understand you will lose some weight in all areas of your body in order to achieve that flat stomach.

That's why you have to think about overall weight loss and not just flattening the stomach. It's important that you understand the two are directly related.

Unrealistic Expectations

If you have bad eating habits and you're not used to exercising, don't expect yourself to get on course just because you want to lose the weight so badly.

It takes time to get into a new rhythm, so make sure you set small goals and reward yourself for accomplishing them.

Instead of trying to cut all bad foods cold turkey, make a list of foods you will eliminate for the first couple of weeks and continue to add new items to your list as time goes on.

When you start to see results from your small goals, it will motivate you to set larger goals and give you a sense of accomplishment.

That's why so many people fail with weight loss. They set unrealistic expectations and when they fail, they give up or look for the next fad diet.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Realize this may be tough in the beginning so set goals you know you can reach.

Overeating Isn't The Issue. It's a Symptom.

I've talked about this with tons of people before, but they still think they can cure their weight problem if they can just stop overeating.....WRONG!!!!!!!

Sure, that sounds like a solution! but the issue is often much deeper than that.

So what you need to figure out is why you overeat. Are you depressed because of a situation in your life? Overeating is only a symptom of a larger problem.

So until you get to the root of that issue, overeating will continue to be your enemy and so will your weight.

No Strength Training

If you are looking for that perfectly toned belly, strength training is how you achieve that "cut look". Usually crunches aren't enough to accomplish this.

So in addition to your crunches and cardio exercise, make sure you do some abdominal strengthening exercises.

Pilates and Yoga are two great ways to do this. Not only do they focus on breathing and relaxation, but they focus on strengthening your core muscles (a.k.a. your belly!).

Is Losing More than 1-2 pounds a week safe?

Let me just clear the air and answer that question with a resounding YES. The theory that losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is unsafe is false. Its more of a way to shield individuals from going on crash diets and losing a ton of weight using unsafe methods only to gain it back and then some.

Realistically many individuals NEED to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week for their health. They NEED to get the weight off so that many of their medical issues can be resolved. Not to mention that no one wants to wait to see significant results. However it is true that specific lifestyle habits must be instilled before racing to lose as much weight as possible.

Implementing lifestyle habits like planning meals ahead of time, blocking off time for your workouts, and keeping unsupportive foods out of the house. Implementing these and making them habit can take some time so your weight loss during that time can be slowed. However once all components are in place, there is no reason at all that losing more than 2 pounds per week would not be safe. In fact if you have a lot of weight to lose, you had better be losing more than 2 pounds per week or something is amiss.

There is also the thought that the weight will come back on much sooner if it is lost quicker. Well if it is done in a supportive way and not extreme dieting, the weight that is lost whether it is fast or slow, is much more likely to stay off as opposed to taking a year to lose 50 pounds. If it took a year to lose 50 pounds, you certainly have habits in place, but you may also be on the fringe of reverting back to old habits because you may just plain be sick and tired of dieting.

If you have implemented a lifestyle, and executed the lifestyle over the course of the year you might be better off but will most likely be frustrated because the results didn’t come fast enough. The solution? Implement a lifestyle approach where you instill supportive habits and practice them relentlessly. Once the habits are in place, turn it up a notch and accelerate your weight loss by pushing the limits of supportive nutrition and exercise but still not going to extremes. After a period of pushing the limits, return back to the habits you had instilled prior so that you can maintain your success.

Instill habits first then hit warp speed with your weight loss. You will maintain your results and is perfectly safe to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

Is Losing More than 1-2 pounds a week safe?

Let me just clear the air and answer that question with a resounding YES. The theory that losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is unsafe is false. Its more of a way to shield individuals from going on crash diets and losing a ton of weight using unsafe methods only to gain it back and then some.

Realistically many individuals NEED to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week for their health. They NEED to get the weight off so that many of their medical issues can be resolved. Not to mention that no one wants to wait to see significant results. However it is true that specific lifestyle habits must be instilled before racing to lose as much weight as possible.

Implementing lifestyle habits like planning meals ahead of time, blocking off time for your workouts, and keeping unsupportive foods out of the house. Implementing these and making them habit can take some time so your weight loss during that time can be slowed. However once all components are in place, there is no reason at all that losing more than 2 pounds per week would not be safe. In fact if you have a lot of weight to lose, you had better be losing more than 2 pounds per week or something is amiss.

There is also the thought that the weight will come back on much sooner if it is lost quicker. Well if it is done in a supportive way and not extreme dieting, the weight that is lost whether it is fast or slow, is much more likely to stay off as opposed to taking a year to lose 50 pounds. If it took a year to lose 50 pounds, you certainly have habits in place, but you may also be on the fringe of reverting back to old habits because you may just plain be sick and tired of dieting.

If you have implemented a lifestyle, and executed the lifestyle over the course of the year you might be better off but will most likely be frustrated because the results didn’t come fast enough. The solution? Implement a lifestyle approach where you instill supportive habits and practice them relentlessly. Once the habits are in place, turn it up a notch and accelerate your weight loss by pushing the limits of supportive nutrition and exercise but still not going to extremes. After a period of pushing the limits, return back to the habits you had instilled prior so that you can maintain your success.

Instill habits first then hit warp speed with your weight loss. You will maintain your results and is perfectly safe to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

Is Losing More than 1-2 pounds a week safe?

Let me just clear the air and answer that question with a resounding YES. The theory that losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is unsafe is false. Its more of a way to shield individuals from going on crash diets and losing a ton of weight using unsafe methods only to gain it back and then some.

Realistically many individuals NEED to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week for their health. They NEED to get the weight off so that many of their medical issues can be resolved. Not to mention that no one wants to wait to see significant results. However it is true that specific lifestyle habits must be instilled before racing to lose as much weight as possible.

Implementing lifestyle habits like planning meals ahead of time, blocking off time for your workouts, and keeping unsupportive foods out of the house. Implementing these and making them habit can take some time so your weight loss during that time can be slowed. However once all components are in place, there is no reason at all that losing more than 2 pounds per week would not be safe. In fact if you have a lot of weight to lose, you had better be losing more than 2 pounds per week or something is amiss.

There is also the thought that the weight will come back on much sooner if it is lost quicker. Well if it is done in a supportive way and not extreme dieting, the weight that is lost whether it is fast or slow, is much more likely to stay off as opposed to taking a year to lose 50 pounds. If it took a year to lose 50 pounds, you certainly have habits in place, but you may also be on the fringe of reverting back to old habits because you may just plain be sick and tired of dieting.

If you have implemented a lifestyle, and executed the lifestyle over the course of the year you might be better off but will most likely be frustrated because the results didn’t come fast enough. The solution? Implement a lifestyle approach where you instill supportive habits and practice them relentlessly. Once the habits are in place, turn it up a notch and accelerate your weight loss by pushing the limits of supportive nutrition and exercise but still not going to extremes. After a period of pushing the limits, return back to the habits you had instilled prior so that you can maintain your success.

Instill habits first then hit warp speed with your weight loss. You will maintain your results and is perfectly safe to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

The Ten Commandments of Fat Loss

Above all others the following ten are absolutes when trying to lose fat. No exceptions, no substitutions. Follow these commandments and you will reach your fat loss potential. No ‘yeah but’, no ‘I have no time for this’, no ‘this won’t work for me’. All of those are just lame excuses because I know a lot of very, very busy people that have made the time and have been extremely successful. I have had individuals with slow metabolism and a sluggish thyroid, clients over 60 male and female. Over a huge spectrum of people these 10 have held strong and worked every time, and they will work for you. So if you want to lose fat, here are your ten commandments to live by.

Commandment #1 You shall eat a fruit or veggie with a lean protein every time you eat. That is five to six small meals throughout the day. Doing this will allow you to get enough protein AND enough fruits and veggies to satisfy your muscles and your body’s need for quality nutrients. Proteins and vegetables have the highest thermogenic effect and fruits add much needed vitamins and minerals helping your body recover adequately.

You won’t have to worry as much about calories when you follow this commandment as you will feel full longer and more satisfied with each meal, but this isn’t a green light to go hog wild, there is some self control involved here.

Commandment #2 You shall exercise supportively 5 to 6 times per week. Exercising supportively means performing weight training three to four times per week and performing interval based cardio training two to three times per week. Weight training for fat loss involves short rests and medium repetitions and moderate weight which translates to high intensity. Circuit based training works well in this format (one set of one exercise then to another after minimal rest, etc).

Interval based cardio training will burn 9 times more fat than steady state cardio AND is time efficient. Interval cardio is alternating high intensity work periods with low intensity recovery periods. A typical work to rest time would be 30 seconds or 45 seconds of work and 60 to 90 second recovery. Think of sprinting and walking as a good method of interval cardio (but this can be done over a broad spectrum of modes of exercise)

Commandment #3 You shall create a support system with friends, neighbors, family, co-workers and others that will REALLY support your effort. Surround yourself with people that will participate with your or at very least support your efforts entirely. Lean on these people often for help and guidance through the mentally difficult times. Surrounding yourself with unsupportive people is a recipe for disaster and you will eventually give up.

Commandment #4 You shall plan your exercise and meals ahead of time. Planning and preparation are two very important components of success. I won’t lie it takes work and it isn’t easy, but anyone who tells you fat loss is easy is filling you with a line of Bullshit. Shop, chop, and cooking meals in advance will set you up for being successful in eating supportively especially when life gets busy. Set aside two hours on Sunday or your day of choice and shop, then prepare meals for the week. That also means setting a menu for the week and keeping it on your refrigerator so you can easily follow the menu and it will be one less thing you have to think about during the chaos that is your typical week.

Exercise is no different. Schedule your time for exercise and keep that schedule like you would a doctor’s appointment or any other appointment. Don’t let anything else get crowded into that spot.

Commandment #5 You shall remain consistent 90% of the time. You should be eating at least 35 meals per week (5 meals a day for 7 days). Of those 35 meals you must eat supportively 32 out of those 35. That means only three times can you eat an unsupportive meal, cheat, or miss a meal (yes missing a meal counts against you). If you are 90% compliant you WILL get results. The key here is to remain CONSISTENT.

Commandment #6 You shall take in at least ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. But since you are exercising for fat loss you must take in more, so think .6 to .7 ounces per pound of bodyweight of water per day. Dehydration shuts the body down including the metabolism and prevents full effort in your workouts as your muscles are made up of mostly water. Think of having a water bottle (and drinking from it) with you all day.

Commandment #7 You shall take in a quality multivitamin every single day. Even if you are not on a fat loss program this is a must. Multivitamins fill the gaps to any discrepancies in your nutrition plan. And even though you are eating at least five fruits or veggies a day on your fat loss program, you need 7-10 servings of fruit AND veggies per day to satisfy all the vitamins and minerals you need.

Commandment #8 You shall have a strong powerful goal or reason for taking on this project. If you just want to get in shape then stop reading because this isn’t for you. Your goal has to be much more than just getting in shape. Your goal, when you read it should get you fired up and excited. Write down your goal and read it every single day so that your subconscious mind will take over and help you. Spend a lot of time on this commandment because this will ultimately determine your success. Start with the end goal and work backward so you can set up some midrange goals and several short term goals. Once you have this mapped out and read it every day you have essentially set up a roadmap for your success and all you have to do is hit those mini milestones to keep the motivation burning hot.

Commandment #9 You shall have a realistic approach. You will not succeed your goals in one day. And you will not succeed by taking a pill or exercising extra in one week. You will not succeed long term by eating perfect one week and eating great ½ the time the next week. You must be realistic with your approach and understand that this is a journey not a destination. Achieving your ultimate fat loss goal is your destination but the journey is making it a lifestyle and incorporating new habits that will stay with you forever. Results are only as good as long as they stay results. If you revert back to old habits after reaching your goal, you haven’t achieved anything. Implement strategies that are realistic and that will allow you to KEEP off the fat you are working so hard at losing.

Commandment #10 You shall not give up if you fall down. Mistakes are going to happen, especially when you are trying to make changes to hard fastened habits. Understand that it may take several attempts before you succeed at just one of these commandments, but when you do others will get easier. It is ok to be less than perfect, and understand that you are working on it and do better the next time. The more perseverance you have the much more likely you will be to succeed.

Follow these commandments and you will absolutely be successful in your fat loss goals.

4 Signs It's Time to Step Off the Scale Does Weight Weigh Heavily on Your Mind?

What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can actually be a very useful tool for weight management. But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts. It somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, it can determine your own self-worth. We read way too much into this single-purposed tool.

Here are four signs that you might put too much weight on weighing in:

1. You constantly worry about weighing in.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale

2. You weigh in more than once per day.

I recommend weighing in once a week (or even less). Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.

3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times.
This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time).

4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day.
When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel like Charlie Brown walking around with a rain cloud above your head. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist?

If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Go cold turkey. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do?

Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want.

Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can.

21 day Rapid Fat Loss

Hey everyone,

I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking if Intrafitt has fast solution to help with the shrinking the waist, stomach and butt…

… while there is no quick fix (I don’t care what the infomercials claim) I did go to the drawing board and crafted a new 21 day rapid fat loss program that’s right up your alley – if you want fast guaranteed results.

You probably know that Intrafitt boot camp is pretty much full, but I'm opening up a special time just for this program so I thought I’d let you know that my NEW 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program starts Monday, January 11th and the best part is that the 21 day program is discounted to only $157.00 and INCLUDES a 21 day meal plan program.

The only catch is that the camp can only take on 12 participates and you must commit to attend to at least 3 classes per week. So, if you’re ready to fit into your skinny jeans again or shed the holiday weight, tone your body all while dropping inches and pounds then make sure to register for our 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Bootcamp.

Here’s how to register…

Just call me at 647-885-1730 or respond to this email and tell me that you want in on this amazing 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Bootcamp.

The classes will take place Monday – Friday at 10:00 AM at Intrafitt Performance Training Center.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Michael Grayer

647-348-1104

P.S. Like I said we only have room for 12 participants for the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program and since this email is going out to over 200 local residents I’m sure it will fill out quickly.