Five Critical Mistakes Most Will Make in their Weight Loss Competition at the Office

It is weight loss season in workplaces across America.  Cash will be pooled together.  Walking partners will pair up.  Carbs will be cut.  The mad dash is on to prove who can cut weight like a high school wrestler before a big tournament.

When it comes to the weight loss challenge at the office, the good news and the bad news are one and the same: EVERYONE is a health genius!  Everyone knows to deprive the body of carbs.  Everyone knows cardio, and getting the heart rate in the "fat burning zone", is the ticket to exercise.  Everyone knows water pills and caffeine pills can help cut those last few pounds.

Hey geniuses, you are going to lose your competition.  And in the event that flawed logic and unwise health decisions leadyou to the winner's circle, you will also win the unoffficial "Biggest Gainer" competition in the weeks following your weight loss challenge.

In the month of September two of my clients won their weight loss/fat loss challenges.  The winnings combined to be worth over $3,000.    One guy lost 14 lbs in 21 days to win his competition...and did it the right way.  Another client (a lady) lost 9% body fat in 8 weeks to take the crown in her challenge.   While I am glad their efforts resulted in a competitive win, I am more pleased in the route that was taken and the focus that was paired with their effort.

How can you have success in your office weight loss challenge like my clients experienced?  Don't do what the geniuses do!

Genius Weight Loss Mistake #1: Not Sticking With Your Guns

Any time we are trying to slim down, adding muscle needs to be part of the equation.   Geniuses think muscle weighs more fat.  While it is effectively true, it is technically and tactically false.  The truth is that muscle cells burn 70% more calories than fat cells.   In addition, lifting weights can have a positive impact on metabolism for up to 39 hours after a workout.  The bottom line is that building muscle is the winning way to trim down the waist line...and the scale.  So grab some dumbbells and work those biceps and turn them into guns.   Challenge your big muscles with weights (back and leg groups specifically).  Weight training wins more weight loss competitions than cardio.

Genius Weight Loss Mistake #2:  Engaging the "Fat Burning Zone"

First, let me say that cardio is an important piece of any fitness plan.  But I will also say that there are a lot of overweight marathon runners out there.  Can I get an amen?

Walking and running same pace for the sake of getting the heart rate to obey the "fat burning zone" is bad math and bad science.  What?!  I can hear your inner John McEnroe saying, "You CANNOT be serious!  My trainer told me..."

While geniuses will be walking and jogging, my clients are changing their walking pace (or running pace) every 15-30 seconds.  Intervals are the way to go.  You will burn more calories in shorter time with intervals.  You will sweat more (calories burned!) and work your lungs harder...even with intervals at a walking pace.  Burning fat needs to be triggered by nutrition, not exercise.  To learn how to bust your fat with nutrition, you will need to contact me (adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com).   Short of talking with me, trust me when I say that walking and jogging same pace for over 30 seconds is a losing proposition for your weight loss goals.

Genius Weight Loss Mistake #3: Cutting the Wrong Carbs

Is America addicted to carbs?  Without a doubt.  Does that mean that all carbs need to go.  Not a chance.

Breads need to go.  So do pastas.  And even your brown rice.  Where should the focus be?  Legumes and veggies.

The people most likely to win a weight loss challenge are those who up their fiber significantly and treat their organs to slow-digesting carbs.  Legumes and veggies help you accomplish both objectives.

But what about fruit?  Cheat day, homey.  And yes you need a cheat day...which I'll cover in the next installment.

For now, if you want to win your weight loss or fat loss challenge at the office, contact me.  I'm good for 15 minutes of free advice.  If you are already a genius, get ready to finish a distant second.

Adam Erwin is a fitness and nutrition coach.  He helps people solve their biggest health problem.  To learn how to reduce/eliminate medications for cholesterol, blood pressure, type II diabetes, asthma,  and triglycerides, email Adam here: adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com.

Three Phrases That Transform Fat to Fit!

As I finish watching my second episode of "Heavy" on Netflix, I am reminded that a major mind shift is mandatory for a major body shift.  Thinking and saying the right thing is imperative to arriving at our health goals!

Sadly, most of us get caught up in saying what most people say when trying to transform from fat to fit.  Most people say the wrong things, which means they think the wrong things.

Here are three phrases that will help get your mind right, your words right, and help you hit your health goals!

Say This: I'm On a Mission!      Not That: I'm On a Diet.

Fit people, and people who are pursuing being fit, are on a mission.  When someone offers them a brownie, they say, "No thanks, I'm on a mission here!"  Fat people are always "on a diet."

People who diet feel like they are living through temporary punishment...which means there seems to be an unnecessary emphasis on the first three letters in the word diet.  They feel like they are dying!

Being on a mission is entirely different.  It is positive, captivating, and it even sparks interest from others.  Virtually every adult has "been on a diet", but very few have considered themselves "on a mission!"

Make sure to fire the phrase "I'm on a diet" and replace it with "I'm on a mission!"  When someone asks you about your mission, talk about your fitness and nutrition plan.  Fit people do.

Say This: what do i need to eat?      Not That:what do i want to eat?

Fit people feed their body.  Fat people feed their cravings.  The funny thing is, cravings take control when we focus on what we want instead of focusing on what we need.

If we ask ourselves "What do I want to eat?", our brain will search through the list of our favorite vices.  Brain will answer, "chocolate peanut butter ice cream!" or "pizza!" or "Zebra Cakes!!!".  Silly brain.

If we ask ourselves "What do I need to eat?", our brain will take inventory of our recent food and exercise, then spit out the right answer.  Brain will answer, "grilled chicken and roasted asparagus" or "protein shake" or "southwestern omelet with eggs, green peppers, spinach, and onions!"  Awesome.

To get the right answer from our brain, it is imperative to ask the right question.  Drill into your brain, "What do I need to eat?"  It's what fit people say!

Say This: It's time to be the hardest-working person in the gym!      Not That: i need to go workout.

Everyone has a gear, an extra gear, that can be tapped into when we DECIDE to get our butt in gear.  When it's time to exercise, do so with purpose.  Be the hardest worker in the gym, or the hardest walker on the block.  Get in the zone instead of zoning out.  Hop on an elliptical and stay plugged in by doing short intervals instead of watching TV while moving .2 miles per hour.

Our stress level, cardiovascular system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, and respiratory system CANNOT WAIT for us to engage them.  Be the hardest working man or woman on the block!  Get after it in the gym.  Tap into your inner best.  Have fun with it!  This is what fit people do!

Adam Erwin is a fitness and nutrition coach.  Based in Minneapolis, Adam helps people solve their biggest health problem which include high cholesterol, type II diabetes, asthma, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and others!

Fitness and Nutrition Coach Offers $50, 14-Day Plan to Get Slim During the Most Fattening Time of the Year

The average American adult will gain eight lbs. over the holidays.  EIGHT POUNDS!!!!  If you can't afford to gain eight more lbs. this holiday season, I'd like to help create a 15 lbs. gap between you and the rest of America this December.  And it will only take 14 days to do it!

I am here to announce the December 10th launch of the brand new 15 Lb, Two-Week Turnaround. From December 10th-23rd, you and 29 others can:

• Lose unhealthy weight around your mid-section and attack fat!
• Spark your metabolism to get a head start on 2010!
• Give your body what it needs to fight off flu season more effectively!
• Increase your energy to power through your day!
• Show up for your holiday destination looking your best!

For the first 30 people who register (using the PayPal link below or contacting me for a $25 discount offer), I will offer the following:

1. 14-day meal plan including the exact foods and amounts to eat!
2. 14-day exercise plan that features online videos and workout sheets to track your progress (choose either the home program or gym program)!
3. A grocery list for each week so you know exactly what to buy at the store!
4. Daily blog that teaches you WHY we do WHAT we do (and offers special deals on jewelry massage and more...deals subject to geographic limitations)!
5. A full list of recommended supplements to help you maximize this program AND beyond!
6. $50 discount on a 28-day program for 2010!
7. Recommendations for how to attack 2010 healthfully!

To recap, $50 gives you the fitness and nutrition blueprint to lose 7 lbs. in 14 days. "Wait a minute!" you may be thinking...."you said 15 lbs., Adam." I did. In addition to the 7 lbs. you could lose, this program is helping to spare you from the 8 lbs. of weight gain that may otherwise take place. 7 lbs of possible loss (my record for healthy weight loss for an online client in two weeks is 19 lbs!) and 8 lbs. not gained gives you a 15 lb. turnaround!

To sign up now for one of the 30 spots (as of 7:40pm on December 2nd, 6 spots are already taken). To find out how to reserve your spot (and maybe even for for $25!), send an email to adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com immediately.

30 people will have a chance at a 15 lb. turn around. Will it be you? Registration closes when 30 spots fill up or on December 7th at 11am CTD.

Minneapolis-Based Personal Trainer Helps Clients Master Christmas Etiquette

So you work with a personal trainer and you want to know what to get them for Christmas.  First of all, as a personal trainer, thanks for thinking of us.  We really appreciate it!  And because you care about getting something your personal trainer would enjoy (or you wouldn't have searched online for trainer gift solutions), here are a few ideas for you:

Personal Trainer Christmas Gift Idea #1: A Session Bonus

The last six weeks of the year can be a slow business period for personal trainers.  It seems like many people move their discretionary dollars from the service industries into retail for the holidays, which makes Christmas a tough time economically for some trainers.  A financial gift equal to a training session is a welcome idea.  Were it not for the session financial gifts I received last year, I would not have been able to get home for Christmas...the end of the year can be that hard for trainers.

Personal Trainer Christmas Gift Idea #2: A Gift Certificate to a Health/Nutrition/Exercise Store

My entire Christmas list this year is workout and nutrition stuff.  There are new protein powders I want to try, new equipment I want to buy so I can be better for my clients, etc.  A great gift idea for your trainer is a gift certificate to a sporting goods store, nutrition/supplement store, or an online store that fits those categories.  We want to serve you better in 2010, and having a chance to pick up new tools for torture and new drinks to make you gag is how we love to spend our money.

Personal Trainer Christmas Gift Idea #3: Help Us Repair Our Body

A personal trainer has several tiny workouts a day.  Every time we demonstrate an exercise or spot a client and help them move a weight around, we are beating up our body.  A hot stone or deep tissue massage or chiropractic adjustment would do wonders for the body that we have broken to make your body better.

Personal Trainer Christmas Gift Idea #4: A Melaleuca Membership

We like top of the line health products!  We also like being a resource for our clients when they have cholesterol issues, blood pressure issues, sleep issues, and fat-burning issues.  In 2009 I helped several clients avoid cholesterol/blood pressure/diabetes medication because of products from a company called Melaleuca.    Melaleuca has some of the greatest products on the planet for health and body change.  Help us take care of our body and help us be a resource for you by getting us going on a Melaleuca membership.  I love my Melaleuca membership!!!  To learn how to get one for your trainer, email me (adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com)!

Personal Trainer Christmas Gift Idea #5: Referrals!

The economy is not going to tighten down for everyone.  Help us connect with people who need our help!  We love new business!  If we have done a great job with you, please refer us to your business associate, friend, or church member who is looking to make a change!  Chances are good that we welcome new business!

What Do I Do If I Don't Want To Get My Trainer Something For Christmas?

Giving should always be a want, not an obligation.  If you feel obligated to get something for your trainer for Christmas, give them a card and a $10 gift certificate to McDonald's...then take a picture as they open their "gift" :).  If you don't feel like getting your trainer anything for Christmas, you need a new trainer!  I want to talk with you if you do not feel connected to your trainer, excited about the progress they have helped you make, or if you simply feel as though it is time for a change!

I love my line of work and love the people I work with.  On behalf of all the trainers out there, thank you for choosing to work with us!  And thanks for remembering us during the Christmas season!

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sydney Australia) to work with you.

How to Help Your Body Maximize Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving should be a guilt-free holiday for your body.  In fact, you can even use Thanksgiving to drop a pound or two if you play your cards right.  Here's how to help your body maximize Thanksgiving...

1) Eat light on Wednesday.  Front-load your calories the day before Thanksgiving (consume 1,000 before 3pm).  Have a light dinner (4-6 oz. of a protein source with a light veggie) and drink lots of water in the evening.

2) Start your Thanksgiving Day with fiber!  I think a fiber in powder form is better than pill form, but pick one and start your day with it.  In addition to helping your digestive track get in line, fiber helps track down toxins in your blood stream.  It's a great way to start your day everyday, but especially on Thanksgiving.

3) Eat light but don't skip any meals before the BIG MEAL.  Our metabolism is effectively primed when we eat often.  Eat light and often before the big meal to help charge up your metabolism.  Remember to drink a protein shake after your workout!

4) Do a weight-training-based workout before the BIG MEAL.  Weight training can have a positive impact on our metabolism for up to 39 hours!  By hitting the weights before hitting the feast, your metabolismwill be charged up quite a few hours and will best be able to handle the upcoming caloric load!

5) Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal!  Eat up, and don't forget dessert!

6) Shut off the foods by 8pm.  I'm arbitrarily picking a time here, but it's important to stop eating as early in the evening as possible.  I think 8pm is more than reasonable.  After 8pm, stick to water.  Maybe toss in a protein shake in the evening if you are hungry for something.

7) Have a light day of leftovers on Friday.  If we sandwich a high-calorie day (Thanksgiving) with two low-calorie days (Wed. and Fri.), our body will be more able to burn off the Thursday feast (before I get attacked by the training world, read up on caloric shifting...).  Sprinkle in protein, go easy on the carbs, and try to do the #2-#4 from this post on Friday as well.

If you want your body to work for you and not against you this Thanksgiving, use the seven steps above to help your metabolism use your Thanksgiving feast for good.

Adam Erwin is a nutrition and fitness coach.  He works with clients to give them the food and fitness month of their life.  In 2009, Adam's clients have lost an average of 13 lbs. in the first 28 days of working with him.  To learn more about what it looks like to work with Adam, click to rapidresultsfitnessmn.com.

How to Know if Your Weight-Loss Program Is Healthy or Not

NOTE: This is a blog post about healthy/unhealthy weight-loss programs.  Eating disorders are not part of the conversation for this post.  While eating disorders play a significant role in unhealthy weight loss, I am not an eating disorder specialist and am not qualified to have that conversation.

We are a weight-obsessed society.  Some people step on their scale multiple times a day (what are you, a Wall Street day trader?).  Others use their weight as their primary indicator of progress with their health.

Weight can be a very misleading indicator.  It's kinda like a tax return amount.  If I receive a huge tax return, does that mean I paid in way too many taxes last year?  Does it mean I had a really bad year financially this time around?  Weight can be a confusing indicator of health progress just as a tax return can be a confusing indicator of financial progress.

Recently I had a debate online with a trainer buddy of mine.  He had read something about the amount of weight my clients were losing with my Virtual Boot Camp program.  He became concerned.  To him, it appeared as though my clients were losing weight at an unhealthy pace.

I understand and appreciate his concern.  Weight loss at any cost is very dangerous.  In the case of Virtual Boot Camp, I have built my program in a very specific way which triggers a very specific type of weight loss.  Although the weight-loss numbers can be high, the results are healthy.

So, what is the difference between healthy and unhealthy weight loss?

Healthy Weight Loss Removes Unhealthy Sources of Weight

Have you ever cleaned the area behind your refrigerator?  It's pretty gross, isn't it?  Over the course of 12 months, that area behind the fridge can become one of the dirtiest areas in our home.  A heavy-duty cleaner and a scraper might be involved in cleaning up that often-neglected area.  If that area was never cleaned, bugs and bacteria would thrive there.  Over time, the fall out from the dust and grime could force the fridge to work harder and perform inefficiently.

The human colon is like the area behind the fridge.  The average human has 10-20 lbs. of feces stuck in their colon.  Let that hit home.  Most people have 10-20 lbs. of awful waste just sitting in their body.  Since this is the case, one of the first things I recommend for my clients is a colon cleanse (if they haven't had one in awhile).  There is nothing unhealthy about quickly getting rid of cancer-causing toxins that are in your fecal matter.

Fecal matter and excess fat are unhealthy sources of weight.  Any program that focuses on losing unhealthy weight is on the right track.  There are, however, some programs and some trainers that under-nourish or over-train.  One way to know if you are losing healthy is weight is to take note of how you feel.  If you are constantly tired, constantly sore, and constantly drained, you may be off base with weight loss.  If you have abundant energy, fly through your day, aren't constantly sore from workouts for longs periods of time and do not need an unusual amount of sleep, you may be on the right track.

I'm sure my trainer friends are thinking, "Healthy weight loss can be determined by how you feel???"  It's one gauge.   A better way would be to look at your specific program to see how the nutrition and training are being allocated.  This, however, can be a tricky diagnosis (if you'd like some help figuring out if you are on the right track or not, send an email to adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com and I'd be glad to help).

Bottom line: if fecal matter and fat loss are the targets of your weight-loss program, you have a good chance of being on the right track.

Unhealthy Weight Loss Removes Healthy Sources of Weight

Our bodies need water.  Our bodies need muscle.  Some people try to lose a few quick pounds by shedding water (via a water pill or other forms of dehydration) and doing things to tear down muscle.  Bad idea!  Any program that loses healthy sources of weight like water and muscles are usually off the mark.

There are many programs out there, big famous programs, that are totally broken and off base.  If your program does not specifically address what nutrition looks like before and after a workout, your program is broken.  In fact, if you program has "weight" in its title, it is probably broken.  But Adam, how can you say that?  Lots of people have been SO successfully on some of the big/national programs.

I can say that because programs that focus simply on weight loss omit the "needing muscle" portion of the health conversation.  Programs that do not specifically address ways to spare/grow muscle with precise exercise and nutrition are missing the mark.  They are leading you to use muscle as a source of weight loss, and that is USUALLY unhealthy.

A muscle cell burns 70% more calories than a fat cell.  So, if you are losing muscle, you are losing your ability to burn calories.  I can hear the ladies saying, "But I don't want to look like a body builder."  If you are currently out of shape, the likelihood of you suddenly looking like a body builder is as likely as you working part-time as a fast food joint and suddenly getting too wealthy.

Maintaining and growing some lean muscle is never a bad idea.  After all, muscle is a healthy source of weight.  And the presence of muscle in your body is great news for your metabolism and calorie-burning capacity.

Bottom line: Keeping the body hydrated and keeping muscle fed are important.  Any weight-loss program that focuses on the opposite is off the mark.

_____________

Adam Erwin is a nutrition and fitness coach, based in chilly Minneapolis, MN. (where the lakes are outnumbered only by the taxes).  Adam helps people across the United States to attack the lifestyle problems that are negatively affecting health.  In 2009, his 28-day Virtual Boot Camp program has helped people lose an average of 13 lbs.  To learn more about Adam and how he can help you have the best food and fitness month of your life, send him an email at adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com and also peep www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com.

The Bottom Line on Why Dairy is Upsetting Your Body

I love dairy.  LOVE DAIRY!  I am to dairy what Buddy the elf is to sugar in "Elf" (candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup!).  Cookies need milk, crackers need cheese, and lattes need whipped cream.  In times of economic uncertainty, I believe ice cream might trump gold as a backup currency.

(BIG TIME DAIRY BUZZ KILL COMING IN THREE, TWO, ONE....)

The truth about dairy is this: our bodies are not made to consume dairy.

Why Dairy Is Upsetting Your Body: We Are Not Cows

Guess what people?  We are people.  The milk we were designed to consume is human breast milk.  The function of cow's milk to to take a 90 lb. baby calf and grow it to 300 lbs over the course of 12 months.  Cow's milk was never intended for human consumption.

In fact, the average human loses their ability to effectively digest cow's milk at age 4.  As our bodies progressively develop the digestive enzymes required for a human diet, we lose our ability to digest milk of any kind....human or otherwise.  It should be no surprise that many people struggle to digest dairy.  We were never intended to ingest it.

In fact, I will go as far to say that digesting dairy stresses our body quite a bit.  Bloating, extra mucus, sluggishness, acne, allergies, asthma, acidity in the body, and even bone density problems can result from consuming dairy. That's right....I just implied that dairy is actually bad for bone density.  Think I'm crazy? Go to www.notmilk.com and see what they say.  Do a little study on dairy if you really want to know what it does to you.

Bottom line on your dairy error: we are not cows and were not designed to consume cow's milk.

Why Dairy is Upsetting Your Body: Dairy, What Are You, Dense?

I drank 2% milk for a long time.  It's only 2% fat, right.  Wrong.  It's 2% fat by volume, but 35% of the calories in 2% milk are from fat. So...2% milk is really 35% milk with some twisted, marketing-based math.  Every glass of milk is a rush of fat to the body.  Brilliant!

While that is bad, it gets worse.  Consider cheese.  It takes 10 lbs. of milk to make 1 lb. of cheese.  Yikes!  Cheese is a super dense fatty food.  Did that ruin your day?  It ruined my day when I found out.  Remember, I love dairy.

We're not done yet.  Ice cream is super fatty, and butter is 100% fat.  I can't believe I'm not fatter!  Dairy products are dense with fat.

Why Dairy is Upsetting Your Body: Are You Buying a Bowel?

What dairy does to our #2 is not my #1 concern.  Did you know that cow's milk is allowed to have feces in it?  Yuck!  We already know it is full of bacteria.  But we are supposed to be okay with the bacteria in it because all that yucky stuff is pasterrized out, right?  Well...

Milk is typically pasteurized at 162 degree (F) at 15-second intervals.  To kill bacteria in water, it needs to be boiled at 212 degrees (F).  Considering that the amount of bacteria in a glass of milk DOUBLES every 20 minutes when at room temperature, I'm not convinced that the 162 degree pasteurization process does enough.  Just an opinion of mine...

The #1 conclusion is that milk has crazy bacteria in it (oh, but it's the GOOD bacteria, right?) and feces in it to give it that fine after-taste.  Just like dirty water can wreak havoc on the human body, it is tough to imagine that milk is clean enough for our consumption.

Do you see your dairy consumption in a different light now?  The evidence against dairy is pretty overwhelming if you take a look at it.  Dairy causes lots of problems in our body when we consume it.

My challenge to you is this: eliminate dairy consumption for seven days and then consume dairy on the eighth day.  If you do this, I believe you will clearly recognize the errors in your body that dairy causes.

Are you willing to look at your body's dairy error?  The acne, mucus, allergies, bone density, cancer likelihood, arthritis, Alzheimers, depression, and diabetes likelihood inside of you begs you to take a look look at your body's dairy error.

Adam Erwin is a nutrition and fitness coach, based in chilly Minneapolis, MN. (where the lakes are outnumbered only by the taxes).  Adam helps people across the United States to attack the lifestyle problems that are negatively affecting health.  In 2009, his 28-day Virtual Boot Camp program has helped people lose an average of 13 lbs.  To learn more about Adam and how he can help you have the best food and fitness month of your life, send him an email at adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com and also peep www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com.

Be the Biggest Loser in Your Neighborhood with Unique Fat Camp with Personal Trainer!

I am watching an ABC "Nightline" program that is focusing on a fat camp.  To be more specific, "Nightline" is focusing on a family weight loss camp.  I have no question this camp is doing good work and helping people.  However, in the few minutes of footage being shown, the biggest thing missing from the weight loss camp is this: real life application.

For people who want to truly succeed with a significant body change, here is what they need to consider.

Fat Camp at Home Consideration #1:  Weight Loss Camps Are....Camps

I don't live at a weight loss camp.  You don't live at a weight loss camp.  We live in our home, in a city or town.  We have jobs, we have responsibilities, we have lives.  The biggest problem I have with a fat camp is that, since we don't live at camps, it is unrealistic to expect someone to take a camp lifestyle and integrate it into a daily routine.

For this reason, I created a program that brings me to you.  I come into your life and work with you daily to help change your life in your own habitat.  To be successful with weight loss in the long run, a weight loss camp needs to fit into your everyday life.  I bring my weight loss camp to you so you can succeed in everyday life, and not just at a camp.

Fat Camp at Home Consideration #2:  Weight Loss Camps Cook Your Food for You!

Do you have a chef on hand in your home?  I don't.  My nutrition success or failure falls on me.  The foods I buy and the foods I cook are the foods I consume.  At a camp, most of the foods you consume are not made by you (or purchased by you at the store).  You are served, not taught.

When I travel to someone's home to work with them, I teach them how to cook the best foods for them.  Each meal is a meal you cook, so that you know that you can do it on your own.  A fat camp doesn't afford you that learning opportunity.

The success of your body change is mostly the result of what YOU do.  It's what YOU cook, it's how YOU exercise.  Being catered to at a camp is great customer service, but it is unfortunate disservice to those trying to learn how to incorporate proper foods into their life at home.

Fat Camp Consideration #3:  Weight Loss Camps Do Not Include Customized Exercise

What type of exercise does YOUR body need?  If you are in need of a boot camp experience, it is important to make sure that your exercises are built specifically for your body.

In the "Primetime" exercise footage, some of the exercises being performed at the fat camp were very poorly executed.  Again, it is important to note that I am on board with any person who is helping someone to lose weight, so I'm not bashing the efforts or intentions of the camp.  However, as a personal trainer and as a guy who studies how an overweight body should move, I am not pleased with the execution of the exercises displayed at this camp.

I work with people to make sure their exercises are the built to their needs.  Bad knees, bad backs, or bad feet....how your body moves needs to be build so you can stay healthy and not get hurt.  A fat camp exercise program for teens may be built differently than a fat camp exercise program for an adult.

As the "Primetime" episode closes down, I am really pleased at the results the people experienced.  However, I've helped more people lose more weight in less time (and do it more healthfully!) than what was displayed on the ABC "Primetime" episode.

If you are looking into exploring a fat camp or weight loss camp opportunity, I'd love to talk with you about bringing a camp experience to you so that your success can begin and be maintained in your own home.  If you are interested in exploring a home-based weight loss boot camp, visit rapidresultsfitnessmn.com or send email to adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com.

Adam Erwin is a nutrition and fitness coach.  Based in Minneapolis, he travels the United States to help people experience the best food and fitness month of their lives.  His cutting edge online program, Virtual Boot Camp, is helping people lose weight and change their body in record time!

Losing Weight and That Doughy Figure Involves Re-Evaluating Bread Consumption

Most breads are NOT good for us.  Gluten, the protein type found in bread, is really hard for us to digest (kind of like lactose in dairy products).  Here are a few summary points from a very interesting article I found at this website (http://www.sleepwarrior.com/health-dangers-of-bread-pasta-and-rice).

• Grains put a huge sugar load on the body while providing little nutrients — something our genes weren’t designed to handle well. This is thought to be primarily responsible for the slew of modern diseases absent in pre-agriculture times. In other words, Grok the caveman never had diabetes.
• Grains contain crap our bodies don’t know how to handle. It’s no surprise that lectins, phytates, and gluten aren’t handled well by our bodies — for 99.5% of human history, those chemicals didn’t enter the gastrointestinal tract. By contrast, cows can metabolize phytates, but their cows have always fed on grains.

Many of my Virtual Boot Camp clients notice that we have a slice of bread here and there (granted they are the right kinds of breads in the right portions...VBC is 28 days of providing solutions to problems in the American lifestlye), and stick mainly to long-grain rice (which is safe!).  The best bread to buy is Ezekiel bread.  Other breads, particularly gluten-free breads or even totally fresh breads, are better than what we can buy at the store.  Store-bought bread is the worst!  Stay away!  Buy fresh from a bakery or buy Ezekial bread if you must have it.

Adam Erwin, personal trainer and owner of Rapid Results Fitness,  is not a gym rat with an inner-dictator chromosome like some trainers. He's not an organic food junkie who asks my clients to drive all over the metro for a perfectly ripened pomegranate like some nutrition coaches.

He focuses his entire line of work on building food and fitness plans that effectively integrate into lifestyles of busy professionals. He's a food and fitness coach with a fanatical obsession for functional solutions. Not quick fixes, but highly effective solutions that can be accomplished quickly.  His flagship program, Virtual Boot Camp, helps people have the best food and fitness month of their lives!

Wellness Tip of the Day:  Worried About Putting on Fat? Choose Snickers over Watermelon!

Watermelon makes us fat.  True story.  The amount of natural sugars in watermelon overwhelm our body, creating an excess.  The body then stores the excess sugar as fat.  Snickers, in contrast, does not have the amount of sugars to overwhelm the body and is less likely to be stored as fat.  I hear you asking, "Why isn't Snickers a part of the boot camp?"

When I work with clients on food choices, I pay a lot of attention to the glycemic index.  The glycemic index tells us how our body is likely to handle the sugars in a given food.  Watermelon is full of natural sugars.  Bagels are full of sugars.  Pretzels are full of sugars!

Grapefruit, grapes, and oranges are some of the best fruits for low sugar content (and therefore low fat storage capability).  Part of boot camp is learning how to feed your body the right way over the long haul.  If you would like me to email you a copy of my glycemic index list, send me an email saying such.  I'd be glad to help!

Adam Erwin is a nutrition-based personal trainer who helps overweight people build and execute the best food and fitness month of their life.  To learn more about Adam's work, click here!

Minneapolis Personal Trainer on How to Make Each Day Count

I have been running an online boot camp for the past 10 days, and the results are incredible!   The reason the results are incredible is because the people doing the boot camp are following the grocery list and menu I have given them for each week, plus are hitting their marks with exercise and other things.  Due to the consistency of hitting the mark, we had people lose 8, 9, 10, 13, and even 15 lbs in the first week!  Those are not average results....but they should be! (Go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html)

Here is where the average person on the average program falls short....

Weight Loss and the Power of Compounding

The power of compounding is the most important law in the universe.  The idea is that decisions can stack up on each other in an extreme way for the positive or the negative, depending on the quality of the decisions.  Consider a credit card.  When we charge a lot on a card and then make the minimum payment month after month (several bad decisions!), the balance grows of out control.  Credit card bills can compound against us very quickly.  When we eat the right food at the right time, do the right exercise at the right time, and continue to hit exercise and nutrition marks for 7 days in a row, our body can lose 8, 10, 13 lbs! 

Most people fall short in the exercise and nutrition because they do not fully realize the power of compounding!  Do the right things, hit the mark consistently, and the body will respond in a major way!  Don't cheat on foods, just stack great decisions on top of one another!  Make each day count by making more right decisions than the day before!

Know-How!

I am blown away at how many fat "weight loss gurus" hang around the gym.  If you know so much, why do you look so bad?  A big part of it is that people who think they know it all really don't know very much.  

It seems as though some folks have such an ego that they choose to close themselves off to new ideas or discount a new way of doing an old exercise because they didn't think of the idea.  How silly.  I pick up new ideas and tips all the time!  Part of know-how is to know how to receive new information or how to be reminded of old information that hasn't been applied for awhile.  Developing know-how is a constant process.  If we aren't picking up new ideas at the gym, it is quite possible we are turning a blind eye to the know-how around us!

Make your day count and improve your body by being developing your know-how.

Willingness to Try Something New

One of the biggest challenges I have with people is that they have their "routine" that works.  Unless someone has a big event coming up that they are training for, there is no harm in trying something new.  The first installment of my online boot camp is four weeks long.  Four weeks is 8% of the calendar year.  I find myself saying to people, "Look, I'm asking you to try something a little different for 8% of your year.  For the other 92%, do whatever you like.  But for this 8%, open up to the possibility that there may be some value here!"  It is amazing how set in ours ways we can become!

Try something new today and see how your body responds! 

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is helping people lose weight, burn fat, gain muscle, and experience the best exercise and nutrition month of their life with his “Virtual Boot Camp!”  When not leading people through his online boot camp, Adam travels around to Eden Praire, Minnetonka, Edina, Medina, Wayzata, and Chanhassen to work one-on-one as the in-home personal trainer.  To learn more about what Adam does and how he can help you, visit www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com today!

Minneapolis Personal Trainer Launches His Successful Boot Camp in Cost-Effective Online Format

"I worked with a personal trainer three days a week for eight consecutive months and only lost three lbs. After parting ways with my trainer's ineffective program, I signed up for Adam's boot camp and lost 13 lbs. in the first 14 days! My wife couldn't believe the change!

Anyone serious about turning around their body quickly needs to try Adam's Total Body Makeover Virtual Boot Camp!  Your body will thank you!"

-Steve Giles, St. Paul, MN

Personal trainers and boot camps across the nation are about to disappoint!  Challenging exercise is great, but for most people exercise is less than 5% of the day.  What about the other 95% of your day that most tainers and boot camps don't address?  What do I eat for breakfast?  What should my snacks look like?  What supplements should I take, if any?  The Virtual Boot Camp helps you tackle every element of your day! 

Virtual Boot Camp: The Perfect Month!

The Virtual Boot Camp walks each participant through 28 days of every single calorie they will consume, 28 days of workouts, and it even guides you through a gentle cleanse!  Imagine giving your body 28 consecutive days of perfect nutrition and exercise!  Are you ready to lose those 15 lbs. you haven't been able to shake?  Or maybe even lose 20-25 lbs, if you ace the program!

Read enough?  Go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html to sign up today!

Virtual Boot Camp: Stunning Weight Loss and Body Composition Progress!

Imagine fitting into those jeans that you have kept only because they remind you of a skinnier time!  With the Virtual Boot Camp, you address those pesky mid-section pounds, the sagging arms, and overgrown backside.  When your body gets what it needs when it needs it, amazing results follow!  My clients have lost pant sizes, entire belts, and made tighter fitting clothes look good after participating in the boot camp!

Read enough? Go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html to sign up now!

Virtual Boot Camp: Carefully Chosen Foods and Supplements!

Most people understand how important it is to consume protein after a workout.  Few people understand how ineffective eating protein can be (chicken, turkey, steak) versus drinking a protein shake.  Fewer still know that whey protein is the way to go, and that goat whey is more absorbable than anything else on the planet (plus it's cost-effective!). 

When it is meal time, should there be lots of carbs, lots of protein, and how many calories?  I have prepared everything for you.  All you need to do is follow the plan!  Each meal and snack is carefully thought out.  You simply buy the cookbook (I didn't write it, I don't make any money when someone buys it....I just like it!) and execute the meal plan as I've drawn it up!

Also, doctors acknowledge that everyone should take a mutlivitamin.  Most doctors think all multivitamins are the same.  This couldn't be further from the truth!  Finding a multi that is cost-effective and effective in your body is not an easy task!  I have searched high and low for the best buy for my clients and found one for $19.99 that is clinically proven to absorb better than anything else on the market! 

Ready to sign up?  Go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html now!

Virtual Boot Camp: Your Success Story Awaits!

 The Virtual Boot Camp has the following start dates: January 15th, February 12th, March 12th, and April 9th.  You are a few clicks away from beginning the best month of your exercise and nutritional life!  What will you look like after your 28 days of perfection?

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer and the founder of Rapid Results Fitness.  He creates body changing and life-changing boot camp experiences for his clients that address weight loss and major health issues (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.).  Adam resides in Minneapolis, spending much of his personal training time in Eden Prairie, Edina, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Excelsior, Chanhassen, and Medina.  He also enjoys bringing his boot camp experience cities such as San Diego, Miami, Phoenix, and Sydney, Australia!  To learn more about how to bring body change to your life, visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com!

The Five Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Fat and Weight Loss Get Stuck

About 1/3 of my personal training clients are those who had early weight-loss success and then got stuck.  When I work with these people, here are five questions I ask them as we get going...

Weight-Loss Plateau Question #1: How long has it been since you did a cleanse?

If your car was sluggish and not performing very well, you would probably check to see the timing of the last tune-up.  Likewise, your body struggles to perform well and burn fat fuel if it hasn't had a tune up in awhile.  Getting rid of impurities and toxin via a cleanse is a great way to shake lose of a weight-loss plateau.

Your body stores acidic toxins in your fat cells.  If the environment in your body is too toxic to allow fat cells to release acidic toxins into the bloodstream, your body's natural survivalistic function will not allow fat to be burned.  A cleanse, especially one focused on alkaline foods and drinks, can serve as a tune-up for the body and help it to eliminate toxins and burn fat cells more effectively.

Weight-Loss Plateau Question #2:  When was the last time you swung a kettlebell?

Kettlebell workouts are great for fat loss.  They are a different breed...a different brand of workout.  The body needs workout variety to continue to improve.  When was the last time you turned your workouts upside down and did something completely different, like kettlebells?

Weight-Loss Plateau Question #3:  How much water do you REALLY drink every day?

Fat cells need to be well-hydrated to burn effectively.  I have weight-loss-plateau clients measure their water carefully.  It is amazing how little water we drink...and it makes up 70% of our body!  Drinking more water fixes a lot of problems associated with weight loss.

Weight-Loss Plateau Question #4: How much fiber and protein do you consume in a day?

Most people have very little idea how much protein they consume in a day, and absolutely no idea how much fiber they consume in a day.  Fiber and protein have one thing in common: they help the body achieve satisfaction from hunger.  Fiber also escorts toxins out of the body and assists in colon function.  Protein helps repair and build muscle cells (and muscle cells burn 70% more calories than fat cells).    It is important to consume one gram of protein per pound that you want to weigh (eat like you want to be!) and 20-30 grams of fiber per day.

Weight-Loss Plateau Question #5: Is your cardio optimizing fat-burning mechanisms in the body?

When I ask this question I get a blank stare.  Most people don't know how cardio burns fat.  To maximize fat-based weight loss in your cardio workout, make sure to read my others blogs on fat loss to learn about the secret cardio formula that is the world's proven best fat-burning cardio interval.

Do You Have a Question for Adam the In-Home Personal Trainer and Weight-Loss Boot Camp Extraordinairre?

If you have a question about working out, losing weight, my boot camp program (www.keepyourbetterhalf.com), or nutrition, feel free to go to my website and hit the CONTACT button. :)

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sydney Australia) to work with you.

The Missing Links for Weight Loss, Fat Loss, and Body Change

2009 UPDATE!!!

Before you read this blog, there are two things you need to know:

1) Open enrollment has begun for the Virtual Boot Camp: Total Body Makeover!   Get 28 days of perfect nutrition and exercise (complete with a grocery list, access to videos, and more!) for only $100 (NOTE: This is the very package I charge thousands for...the only thing you are missing is my physical presence!).  Enrollment ends on January 10th, so click to http://keepyourbetterhalf.com/virtualbootcamp.html now!

2) If you would like the free report "The 27 Factors Affecting Fat Loss and Weight Loss", send me an email and I'll get the report to you!

Now, back to the blog...

Boot camps are all over the place.  Pick a gym, find an instructor, and get ready to sweat next to seven other strangers.  When push comes to shove (or push-up comes to crunch), exercise is about 10% of your day.  The other 90% takes place outside the gym.

A good boot camp will take care of maybe 10% of your day.  What is missing in the 90% not covered by your boot camp?  Your pre-workout fat-burning supplement.  Your perfect post-workout shake.  The breakfast you need to eat.  A mid-morning snack with the right amount AND TYPES of carbs/proteins.  The on-target lunch, perfect mid-afternoon snack, and nutritionally appropriate dinner. 

The missing links in your boot camp are the 90% of your day that your boot camp doesn't help you build.  What would happen if your boot camp were designed with your nutrition in mind?

Boot Camp Designed Differently

What would happen if your nutrition was as on-target as your workouts?  More fat loss more quickly. Less soreness and body aching.  More visible progress your friends and co-workers would notice.  Less wondering "am I doing the right thing?"  All in all, you'd have one heck of a boot camp on your hands!  More importantly, you would have a body change experience everyone around you would be talking about!  Many people put too much stock in their workout boot camp and not enough stock in the nutrition and life habits that make or break their day and their boot camp progress.

Enter the Body Change Boot Camp!  With the Body Change Boot Camp (the BCBC), clients get a nutritional boot camp in addition to the exercise boot camp.  Want to know what to have for lunch at the corporate luncheon?  We'll help.  Need to know what type of chocolate will be best for that midnight craving?  We're on it.

With the BCBC we challenge you with great workouts and walk with you through your day to make sure you get the nutrition you need at just the moment you need it.  Need a protein shake in the afternoon?  We are already on the way to the office.  Need dinner made and delivered to you?  Done! 

Suddenly, the 90% of your day that doesn't involve exercise just got a lot better! 

Where to Find the Body Change Boot Camp?

The BCBC takes place in Minneapolis, MN.  We can travel to your door if need be.  And not just in the Twin Cities.  We can travel to San Diego, Delray Beach, FL, Australia, or wherever your body change needs to take place.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com for details!

About the Author: Personal Trainer Adam Erwin

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer (with a nutrition background) who travels the world working with people who want to experience fat loss and weight loss in record-time. He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN and loves to train with people whose health does not match their lifestyle. Adam works closely in the Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Excelsior, Minnetonka, and Edina communities.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about his work.