Secret of fat loss
Hello, welcome to fitosity. Can I help you?
You’re interested in a fat loss program, excellent. That happens to be our specialty. We are actually known as the #1 gym for helping with fat loss and obesity treatment.
Ah, you heard that. And that’s why you’re here. Makes sense, what’s your name?
Terri?
Well nice to meet you Terri, if you like we can take a tour and… I’m sorry what?
What’s our secret?
Gee Terri, I don’t know we just met but sure, why not, have a seat.
You see Terri, I could tell you what the secret to fat loss success is by running a lot of scientific jargon and studies, and yes they all contribute to the success of our clients. But the big thing that separates us from other fat loss places is something so simple that it gets overlooked by almost every one.
It’s something we make sure every client learns over time. We realize no one else talks about this, and we think it’s assumed that everybody knows. And they do actually, but they tend to glaze over it and not realize how important it is.
Maybe more people would stick to their workout and nutrition programs if they did.
Everyone starts a fat loss program due to a specific need. Face it, you have to have a certain mind set coming in to purposely make yourself sweat, gasp for air, and overall make yourself uncomfortable for a long term reward that you can’t hold in your hands.
There are many marketing pitches out there who like to let you believe losing fat is easy and can be done in a short time.
Well let me tell you now, it’s not and it can’t.
Sure there are exceptions who knock it out of the park from the get go but +90% of people will make mistakes the first few weeks, months, and on into the first year. You will come in for coaching and metabolic classes with a lot of enthusiasm and willing ness to work, but it will seem like nothing will click.
Every personal athletic success you accomplished before, forget about them. We’re not here to get you back; we’re here to bring the wonderful new you forward.
A lot of people don’t get that, and they quit.
They quit because they are not getting back to the person they were fast enough, which I the wrong mentality. You are not here to get back the past you are here to better embrace and enjoy your future. They keep looking in the mirror looking for that person they used to know. Instead of recognizing the person they could become.
Passed that, everyone sees result differently. Some people can see nothing for a few weeks and then all of a sudden BAM fat jut starts dropping off of them. I’ve even seen it happen after a period of months. Until that happens though it can be frustrating, disheartening, like we have major holes in our game and we are years away from the breakthrough we so desperately want to achieve.
Everyone goes through this. And whether you are just starting your program or are 2 months in you have to realize this is normal and keep at it.
Get a little more explosive behind your lifts, see if you can squeeze out another cycle or rep in your intervals, embrace the journey and ignore the destination.
That’s the trick you see, the embrace of the journey. It sounds silly but thinks about it how often do people go in to a program thinking about losing weight. Or how often do we see some marketing pitch for an insane workout or pill to lose weight. Never do they discuss how they are going to help you keep it off.
You see what you do to lose weight is often not the same thing you will do to keep the weight off. With each passing week, month, year, your body is changing one way or another. And when we started fitosity we made a choice. Our program design will not just be about losing fat, but about building you to a point where you can keep it off and still enjoy all that you want in life.
The only way this can happen is if our clients learn. Not just counting calories or reps. They have to get to know this new body they are going to have. They have to be mentally present during every workout; if they are on auto pilot they will not see as significant of results.
They must embrace a physical culture of strength, balance, and adapt it to fit the life they wish to have. And we as coaches must teach and help them to facilitate that.
Does that answer your question?
Yes and No huh? That’s good actually. I know that may not have been as clear as you like. But trust, as time goes on, it will all become much clearer.
Shall we take the tour now?
Great.
Welcome to fitosity
Strength is Glorious!
Keep Fitness Groovy
Coach W
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )How late can you eat?
Never eat after 8 pm.
Ever hear that rule?
It pops up every once in a while in some form or another. No eating after 6pm, no eating after 8pm, no eating right before bed. Always some rule about when you should eat or how late you are allowed to eat.
Funny thing, try as I might I can’t find any evidence to back up this idea, so where does this come from?
My theory is that some fitness training celeb diet doctor of some kind made a rule with a client not to eat after a certain time. They got results, and as is common in our industry the telephone game turned this into some standard or rule.
Now from a common sense stand point this makes sense in trying to curb a particular client’s behavior. Think about it
- The client is less likely to have any late night snacks which mess up their progress
- In order to abide by this rule the client must be aware of when they are eating. This means they now have to plan out their meal which keeps them on a more regular schedule
- With planning comes awareness. And awareness is huge. You’d be surprised how many people mindlessly eat, or snack on something just because it’s their. I’ve had clients lose as much as 5 lbs in the first month just from having them keep a food journal. I never told them to do anything. The moment they became conscious of their eating habits, and knew they had to show me the results. They changed them on their own.
Personally I never believed in that rule. Of course during my college years I worked as a graveyard shift janitor to help with money. When you start work at 9pm, some one saying you shouldn’t eat after 8, just sounds silly.
So yes you can eat late, early whatever you like.
Does it matter what you eat? Well, sort of.
The practice of having a protein shake before bed, has been a mainstay among many an aspiring bodybuilder for years (1). And there is the possibility it’ best to start your day with a higher protein intake, and eat your carbs later in the day (2). But for most people this is focusing on the minutia.
I often tell clients if you eat a plate of grilled salmon and broccoli, chances are it’s going to do you some good. If you eat a whole pint of Hagen Daaz in one sitting, 10am or 10pm, it’s not doing you any good.
Point is your overall eating habits well tell the tale. Not the time of day. Eat quality foods; drink plenty of water with occasional green tea if you like.
Some like to count calories, but I don’t. If you focus on the quality of food the calories take care of themselves. It would take to long to go into what I consider quality, so lets just l say I prefer my clients eat food in its natural state whenever possible. And if they eat things from off the shelf try to avoid foods with the following ingredients:
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (or Corn Sugar)
- Any ingredient ending in “ose”
- Artificial sweeteners
- Words you can’t pronounce
- Hydrogenated fats
- Canola Oil (other processed oils)
Any one can feel free to argue this point with me. In my experience when clients stay away from these products and eat more ‘whole foods’ results come faster. Regardless of the time of day they are eating. Now you know 🙂
Keep Fitness Groovy
Coach W
- Res, Peter T et al, Protein Ingestion Prior To Sleep Improves Post-Exercise Overnight Recovery, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 9 February 2012
- Sofer S, et al, Greater Weight Loss & Hormonal Changes After 6 mo Diet with Carbohydrates Eaten Mostly at Dinner. Obesity (Silver Spring), 2011 Apr 7
Fat Loss Fundamental #2
I’m very big into people watching. Always, have been.
At the gym it’s no different. Although due to my chosen profession I do abide by certain rules.
Unless I think the trainer is going to do damage to the client I don’t get involved.
I also never criticize the trainer to the client.
I have to establish these rules for me so that when/if I disagree with a trainer’s approach. I am aware that I do so out of logic, not personal ego.
The other day I overheard a conversation with a trainer that made me cringe.
The trainer was with a client and a male member came in.
He told the trainer that he had worked out so hard recently that he actually threw up. And the trainer commended him on his efforts.
The trainer then questioned the client’s commitment to intensity as ‘she’ had never thrown up during a workout.
I am going to assume the trainer was joking, poorly, but joking.
These things do have a tendency to fester though, so while the client was doing her cool down on a treadmill. I approached her. I identified myself as a professional and explained to her there is absolutely no reason to throw up during a workout.
Ever.
And to be certain, any one who says otherwise has no clue what it means to be a coach.
Does it happen during workouts, sure. But it should never be the goal of the workout for goodness sakes!
This brings me to what I consider another fundamental for fat loss. Exhaustion is not intensity.
Too often we find people just killing themselves trying to lose fat as fast as possible. And it just doesn’t stick.
It sounds cliché but it’s true. It took time to put on, and it will take time to burn off.
Marathon sessions in the gym will burn lots of calories for certain, but how sustainable is that?Who wants to 15-20 hours in the gym over and over again? Who wants to be sore all the time?
I know I don’t. When you talk of intensity, think sprint not marathon.
No offense to marathoners intended. I'm merely using the analogy.
When you look at studies on exercise routines and there effect on fat loss there are certain thing you notice
- Intensity matters. Over and over again. Any time you up the intensity of a cardio workout with something like intervals or just a variation of tempo. You see greater fat loss.(1,2)
- Intensity is about getting more out of a shorter period of time, not going longer. In a study where two groups did the exact same weight routine, one as traditional sets, the other as one big circuit. The circuit group lost more fat (3)
- You get more out of a workout by being mentally present. I find those who are working out toward exhaustion tend to go on autopilot, this is a mistake. You must be present during your workout. This way you can focus on lifting with greater force, which leads to greater caloric expenditure. (4)
It’s an old analogy but it still works. Sprinters are a great representation of working out with intensity. How often do you see sprinters collapsing after they finished a sprint? How often do you see any one collapse after a spring who is in shape enough to actually sprint? How often do see people collapsing after a long run?
I am explaining this in simple terms but honestly it’s something that most really don’t get till it happens to them
Embracing the challenge of putting pedal to the medal, not dreading a beat down
Some coaches refer to it as leaving a few reps in the gas tank. You finish a workout, your tired, but if you had to you could do a bit more. If you feel like you have to drag yourself out of the gym with every workout. Or you are filled with dread prior to going to the gym every time. It’s time to re-evaluate.
And if this is happening before you meet with your trainer. It’s time to have a conversation.
Remember, this is your health after all.
Even marathon training can be done with intelligent intensity. Like the Paleo ultra marathoner who lifts weights pictured here.
Keep Fitness Groovy
Coach W
- Tremblay et al, Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness & skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7)814-8
- Trapp EG et al, effects of high-intenity intermittent exercise training on fat loss & fasting insulin level of young women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 apr;32(4):684-91. Epub 2008 Jan 15
- Alcaraz PE et al, Similarity in Adaptions to High-Resistance Circuit vs Traditional Strength Training in Resistance-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Sep;25(9):2519-27.
- Mazzetti S et al, Effect of explosive versus slow contractions & exercise intensity on energy expenditure. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Aug;39(8):1291-301
Fat Loss Fundamental #1
Drink water.
I'm not saying this us what's in bottled water. I'm merely asking what is the difference.
I have coached many people toward fat loss goals, and will coach many more. And so many times people come to me wanting some miracle cure, or crash diet, or 30 day result. Yet more often than not, the basics they just ignore.
One of these basics is drinking water.
Whether you want to lose fat, gain muscle, water is huge. And I mean water. Not coconut water, not Electro-Ade, nothing pre-flavored. I mean actual good old fashioned, well filtered, water.
If you want to flavor the water yourself that’s fine. I recommend lemon or cranberry for additional benefits. In the end, water rules!
The first habit I focus on with a client is drinking enough water. That’s before protein intake, calorie counting, any type of supplement, our first goal is water. Why? Let’s run down the list:
- Fat cells that are saturated with water release fats more easily. And muscle cells that are full of water save proteins. Which means staying hydrated makes it easier to burn fat and save muscle. (1)
- Exercising while dehydrated boosts cortisol and decreases natural growth hormone output (2,3)
- In a diet study, the group that drank 500ml (about 2 cups of water) prior to meals lost 64% more fat than the group that did not (4)
The list can go on and on. So what about water poisoning you might ask?
Water poisoning stems from an drinking to much water in too short a span of time. Or drinking more water than your body is ready to handle.
When I increase a client’s water intake I do this gradually. And I suggest using sea salt as a natural electrolyte to aid absorption if they feel water logged.
Just a pinch per Liter is all you need. A $6 bag lasts me 6 months
Remember, whatever your goal your long-term health should be a priority. So drink to your health, and your body will thank you for it. I said it once and I’ll say it again…
Water Rules!!
Keep Fitness Groovy,
Coach W
- Eur J Clin Nutr 2003 Dec;57 Suppl 2:S69-74.
- J Nutr. 2009 April; 139(4): 715–719.
- J Appl Physiol. 2008 Sep;105(3):816-24. Epub 2008 Jul 10.
- Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Feb;18(2):300-7.
Foods & exercises for fat loss
A question I was posed the other day is are there any specific foods or exercise routines I advise specifically for fat loss.
Well, the simple answer is, no. I find just basic healthy eating habits and weight lifting routines will accomplish the needed goals. There is no special diet or miracle routine. And any one who says different well.. lets just say I strongly disagree with their chosen view or position.
However, as I type this I am reminded of a situation that happened years ago.
I was a trainer for a commercial chain, and my manager came over to me and asked to “talk to me for a minute.” Usually conversations that started with this sentence usually meant he had a potential client who needed specific results which could not be trusted to any one else but me.
He tells me he has a client who wants to drop 2-3% bodyfat. In a single week?! The conversation basically went like this:
- Me – It can’t be done
- Mgr – It can be done
- It can’t be done
- It’s a challenge but it can be done
- It can’t be done
- C’mon you’re a smart guy you could figure it out
- You’re not getting me, it can’t be done
- No your not getting me. I already took their money so you are going to figure out
- *sigh* I hate you
As it turned out a young lady had come in who was going out for the Airforce. And was not yet able to meet the physical requirements, which meant their version of a bodyfat measurement. The lady had been trying for several months using all kinds of magazine routines, supplements like Hydroxycut and either did not lose any weight or lost weight and felt horrible.She had tried many times and was approaching a cut off date to where she would not be able to try again for some time.
I explained to her I could not guarantee results in a week,. she corrected me and aid technically she had 10 days. I then told her either way, we would do the best we could. And in the end, she not only made the cut. Told me boot camp was no problem at all 🙂
So what did I do?
Well first let’s talk nutrition. Mainly it was a high protein, low carb diet. I don’t mean I had her count carbs. I basically went with sticking to what was in a natural state. So fruits and veggie. No bread, or grains of any kind. And plenty of chicken, fish, and eggs. No beef though. It’s a natural creatine source and I wanted to avoid any form of water retention when possible
I also had her take a mega dose of Omega 3s via flax seed oil. Now I’d probably advise fish oil, but flax does the job as well. Fair warning for guys, high doses of flax seed oil ( +5 tbsp) can decrease testosterone in men. So you would probably be better sticking with fish any way. Women can do either((1,2).
Another caveat is that having to high of an intake of Omega-3s in comparison can also cause problems such as dry skin, hair, increase risk of bleeding. So best not to megadose on a regular basis. And if one is currently taking prescription meds, best to consult with your doctor as Omega-3 oils do have blood thinning properties.
The only beverage she was allowed was water. And finally I had her taking a low dose of ephedra and caffeine.
Yes, I had her take ephedra. Despite what many media outlet would have you believe the use of such a product was not dangerous. The misuse of such a product or any product you can buy OTC is.
Any way that was our nutrition plan. Next came exercise.
I coached her every day. Yes, every day. I know the infomercials like to say you can do less and burn more fat. Sadly, that is not true. Doing more will always get you more. The trick is doing more intelligently.
So in the course of her routine there were no isolation or single joint movements. This means we did nothing for arms, calves, and the only shoulder exercise we did was a standing press.
Absolutely no exercise we did involved her sitting on a machine ever. And we finished every workout with some interval runs on a long flight of stairs I liked to use.
This means plenty of squats, push-ups, deadlifts, lunges, step ups, rows, assisted pull-ups, you get the idea.
Absolutely nothing that would be considered “cardio.” if she wanted to go for a long walk she could, but that was it. No running, cycling, cardio salsa (that’s what they used to call Zumba), or anything else in an aerobic class.
I made sure to vary the movement patterns. Using multiple sets of circuits and supersets, keeping reps fairly low.
As you can see, there really is no magic voodoo when it comes to this. And I generally use a similar framework with most clients. the trick seems to be the mental motivation. When a client commits to following my guidelines. Results come quickly. When they get in to them gradually, the results are slower.
Now I would say that what I have generally suggested works with 70-80% of people I run into. The other 20-30% need a more specialized approach. How do you know which you are?
Start with the basic approach of full body weightlifting routines, reduced carbs, supplement with omega-3s, and give it 3 months. You may surprise yourself. It’s better than doing the same thing day in, day out and getting nowhere.
Keep Fitness Groovy,
Coach W
- Demark-Wahnefried W, et al study to explore effects of low-fat, flax seed supplemented diet on proliferation of benign prostatic epithelium & prostate specific antigen. Urology 2001;58:47-52
- Ipatova OM, et al. biological ativity of linseed oil as the source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. Biomed Khim 2004;50(1):25-43
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