Minneapolis Personal Trainer Tells How to Succeed with New Year's Resolution of Weight Loss

Happy New Year!  I'll bet that you found this blog because you are looking to lose weight in 2009.  Most people do not succeed with their weight loss resolutions, but if your search for answersand ideas brought you here, you most be serious about looking and feeling your best in 2009!  I'm here to help!

Reading today's blog provides you with three specific benefits: 1) get 3 ideas that will help you with your weight loss resolution, 2) learn how to get my $100 virtual boot camp for free, 3) learn how to get "The 27 Factors Affecting Fat Loss and Weight Loss" for free!

If you are serious about losing weight in 2009, here are the three most important things I can tell you about successfully losing weight...

New Year's Resolution Weight Loss Tip #1: Don't Lose Weight

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss, and most other programs try to convince you that weight loss is the ticket.  If weight loss is the ticket, how come the weight keeps coming back?  Because weight loss is not the ticket.  When people focus on weight loss, they end up burning up their body's ability to burn calories and kill their metabolism as a result! 

Fat loss is the answer.  By focusing on losing fat (which is what I help all my clients to do, and can help you to do for $100 or free.....email me at adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com to find out how to do it for free!), I help clients lose fat weight instead of muscle weight, help them increase their metabolism instead of slow it down, and help them keep their new body instead of watching it slip away.

It is not about how much we weigh, it's about how much fat weight we have.  Don't lose weight in 2009, lose fat weight!

New Year's Resolution Weight Loss Tip #2: Start it the Right Way!

Are you tired and sluggish as you go through your day?  Are you stressed out and irritable?  Are you locked into cravings that help make you fat?  If so, you are like most of us in the United States!

Most of us have a severely damaged body.  We are filled with fat cells that don't burn calories!  We are filled with toxins and organisms that make progress more difficult for our body.  We have stressed our organ, digestive, and nervous systems so much that they are worn down and not functioning the way they were designed to function.

The first step for anyone wanting to lose weight is to clean the body out and get it ready to live again.  Doing a cleanse helps the body function correctly, makes fat loss (and weight loss!) progress happen more quickly, and helps us to have abundant energy!  If you want to lose weight and do it the right way, the first step is to do a cleanse.  And there are thousands of cleanses you could do by yourself, or....

Join me for the 2009 Total Body Makeover Virtual Boot Camp (www.keepyourbetterhalf.com).  We start January 15th.  We walk you through a gentle and body-changing cleanse.  You can join me as I help you and others around the world for $100 or do it for free (again, send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com to find out how to do it for free!)

New Year's Resolution Weight Loss Tip #3: Focus Some on Exercise, Focus Mostly on Foods and Life Changes!

For most people, exercise makes up less that 5% of our day.  Mastering exercise is a nice step for fat loss and weight loss, but taking care of the other 95% of our day is going to impact weight loss a lot more than the 5% of our day spent on exercising.  Mastering our daily intake of food is more important than anything else we can do to change your body.  Eating the right foods at the right times will do more for us than exercise ever could (exercise is tremendously important, don't get me wrong, but it's just 5% of our day).

For this reason, the 2009 Total Body Makeover Virutal Boot Camp (www.keepyourbetterhalf.com) has a food focus.  In fact, for 28 days you will know exactly what you need to eat.  No guessing, just a concrete plan full of foods you probably already enjoy...just put in the right order and in the right amounts!

To learn more about how to position your body for fat loss and weight loss, send me an email (adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com) and ask for a free copy of "The 27 Factors Affecting Fat Loss and Weight Loss!" 

Lose Weight in 2009 Successfully: Make Your Resolution a Reality!

Don't leave your weight loss to chance in 2009!  Join the 2009 Total Body Makeover Virtual Boot Camp experience or find out how to hire me personally (www.keepyourbetterhalf.com).  Make your resolution a guarantee today!

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!

Build Black Friday to Capitilize on Thanksgiving Calories Says Minneapolis-Based Personal Trainer

This is the day that people will fall over each other, run like crazy, and even bite someone's ankle to get the early morning deal at the department store.  If Thankgiving is all about consumption, Black Friday is all about consumers.  It's all about the door-busting deals!

Well...have I got a deal for you?!  What if I told you that you could use the consumption from Thanksgiving and turn it into weight loss on Black Friday?  Heckuva deal, right? Most of us scared our metabolism yesterday will way too many calories.  Now that our metabolism is in full gear, let's captilize on it!  Make sure to include some of these weight loss tips for your Black Friday.

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #1: Shop!

Battle the crowds, run up and down store aisles, and be on your feet all day.  Burn lots of calories.  Shopping is a great way to burn calories...as long as you behave with your foods.  We need a sweat band in aisle 9! 

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #2: Don't Eat Anything You Ate Yesterday

Black Friday is a day to abandon the left overs.  Save them for Saturday (and then feast again!).  Today, lay low with your calories, and eat healthy.  Instead of doing fast food and mall food while you shop, bring an orange or other fruit.  Drink water.  Stay away from starches like mashed potatoes and breads.  Seriously, give the left overs a day of rest and eat a lot healthier than you did yesterday. 

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #3: Go to the Gym Before Your Big Meal of the Day

I can see it now, frazzled and shopped-out ladies all over the country will crawl to the dinner table to devour anything they see.  Don't do it!  Before you eat your largest meal of the day, lift weights.  Not cardio, weights.  It can be a 20-minute weight-training session, but get it in before your largest meal of the deal.  It will help your metabolism to conquer those calories and not leave your body stressed out!

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #4: Consume Fiber

Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.  To celebrate that, it would be a good idea to consume a fiber drink, some fiber pills (we're talking psyillium seek husk, people!), or some leafy green fiber.  We don't want Thanksgiving to sit inside us forever.  The best way to do that is to put some fiber into the mix and help your body get back to normal.

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #5: Try Papaya

I would imagine that several digestive issues, like heartburn, will pop up Thursday, Friday, and the rest of the holiday weekend.  Why?  Our digestive system gets overwhelmed and our digestive enzymes and bacteria (the things in charge of breaking down foods in our system) are under-staffed.

To fix heartburn and other maladies, go to your local GNC and buy some digestive enzymes and also the chewable papaya enzyme.  Take the papaya with you wherever you go and chew a few after each meal this weekend.  Take the digestive enzymes as directed.  You will be amazed how heartburn and other digestive issues get resolved when you take in digestive enzymes. 

As for the bacteria you will need, try some acidolpholus (at least 2 billion CFU's...colony forming units...the official measurement of bacteria everywhere) or eat some morning yogurt.  That should do the trick.

In Closing

Try to work the ideas above into your Black Friday mix and you will have been successful in weight loss today.  For Saturday, follow the Thanksgiving blog ideas!

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, Sidney Australia) to work with you.

Minneapolis Personal Trainer Sets Up Thanksgiving So You Can Succeed With It, Not Just Survive It!

I love Thanksgiving.  I love the entire holiday season.  Were it not for the 6 lbs .that the average American gains during the holidays, I wouldn't have as much job security. :)  Since I want to work myself out of a personal training career, I will share with you how to make Thanksgiving a success.

Two quick things before we get to the main course:

1)  If you like today's blog, pass it on to your weight-loss minded friend, family member, or colleague.

2) If you like today's blog, email Adam (adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com) and ask about his "Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss" that will hit cyberspace next week. :)

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #1: Go Light on Wednesday

You are about to give your body the feast of the year on Thursday, so don't go to town on Wednesday.  Shoot for 1200-1500 calories on Wednesday, and don't eat anything after 8pm.  Drink 64 oz of water today as well!

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #2: Exercise 2 hours before mealtime

On the big day, give yourself a big workout 2 hours before mealtime.  Easier said than done, right?  Well, let the turkey cook, sneak to the bedroom or basement and do all the squats, push ups, bicep curls, tricep dips on the staircase, of full-blown weight training you can do.  Don't do cardio (unless that is your only option), pump iron!  And hard!  This will stimulate your metabolism and get your body ready for the big meal.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #3: Enjoy the best meal of the year

Go for it.  Whether or not you deserve it, go ahead and eat like a normal American on Thanksgiving.  Don't kill yourself, but certainly enjoy.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #4: Eat Your Left-Overs by 7pm

Most people have "the meal" in the afternoon.  That's fine.  Prepare your palet for the double-dose around 7pm.  If we are going to go nuts on calories, it's best not to put too many calories in the system late at night.  Start "left-over dinner" around 7pm.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #5: Drink 64 oz of Water on Turkey Day

It's a must!  With all the toxins and garbage going into your body, make sure water is present enough to flush them out.  Throughout the course of the day, drink water.  I like to have a 64 oz container with me to make sure I down the right amount.  If you do water well on Thanksgiving, you will set your body up for a successful toxin flush out on Friday (note: the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.  Drink water so your body can flush toxins more easily, which will help keep the plumber away!).

Two quick things before you go:1)  If you liked today's blog, pass it on to your weight-loss minded friend, family member, or colleague.

2) If you liked today's blog, email Adam (adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com) and ask about his "Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss" that will hit cyberspace next week. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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, Sidney Australia) to work with you.

Minneapolis Personal Trainer on Losing The Weight (Fat) Around the Middle and Getting Nice Abs!

I was at a family function today, talking to a family friend about weight loss and ab work.  Jim, our friend, was frustrated because he had been trying to lose weight around the middle and had worked really hard but wasn't seeing the results he thought he would be seeing.

Most people work really hard on their belly fat and don't see results because...

Ab Workout and Weight Loss Secret #1: If your hormones aren't right, your belly fat isn't going anywhere!

Stress and belly fat are closely linked.  When people are stressed, they produce extra cortisol, which is a hormone that prevents belly fat from being easy to burn off.  When we don't get good sleep (between the primetime hours of 11pm and 4am) and don't fight off stress (working out, breathing exercises, slowing down), our stress hormones will be in high gear and the belly fat won't be going anywhere.  To help the belly fat go away, attack stress by getting better sleep and fitting exercise into your day.  Fighting stress is huge for attacking belly fat!

Ab Workout and Mid-Section Weight Loss Secret #2: Sequence is everything!

If you were handed six numbers (239402) and were told to unlock a combination, it would be very difficult to unlock it unless you knew the correct sequence of the numbers (34, 29, 02, etc.).  If you are trying to work out your abs and lose weight but don't know how to sequence your efforts, it would be difficult to unlock belly fat loss.

When people hire me to train them and help them lose fat around their midsection, we don't really address that work until we have established a nice improvement in body composition.  If you focus on improving your muscle/fat ratio, your ability to burn calories will be significantly increased.  If you focus on ab workouts and weight loss around the middle after you have more calorie-burning potential, it's a lot easier to get your ab work done successfully.  Sequence is everything.  Body composition groundwork first, abs focus later.

Ab Workout and Mid-section Weight Loss Secret #3: Make Water Your Focus!

A well-hydrated fat cell will burn much more easily than a poorly hydrated fat cell.  With that in mind, be sure to focus on drinking a large amount of water (1/2 your body weight in ounces of water) every single day.  The more water available to the body, the less water it will retain.  And, the more water present in the body, the better chance of burning off fat cells!

If you hungry for more information like this, email Adam at adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com and ask about the forthcoming "Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss".

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, Sidney Australia) to work with you.

Killing Your Legs One Exercise At a Time

Tonight I killed my legs in 20 minutes flat.  A lot of people believe a workout has to be 40 minutes or an hour to be a difference-maker...this is not the case.  I only had 30 minutes to go through a workout (warm up for 5, workout for 20, stretch and cool down for 5).

To kill my legs in the small amount of time I had, I opted to alternate between quad and hamstring exercises, mix in some calfs, and not rest for a second.  Here is what a personal trainer killer leg workout looks like tonight!

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #1

Weighted wall squats with swiss ball-holding 12K kettlebells in each hand, I lowered into a wall squat, with a swiss ball supporting my back...knees at a 90 degree angle.  I held this position for 30 seconds (holds are great for any muscle group because they stimulate every type of muscle fiber we have!), rested in a standing position for 10 seconds, then back down for another 30 second squat.  After three 30-second squats, I went onto...

One-legged lying leg curls with swiss ball-lying on my back with my right foot on top of the swiss ball and my butt off the ground, I curld the ball toward my body by using my hamstrings.  15 per leg. Ouch, these hurt.  After 15 per leg, I went to...

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #2

Weighted Bosu Ball Squats-standing on the black side of a BOSU ball, my feet shoulder-width apart, I squated while holding 12K kettlebells.  After 15 slow and steady reps, I did...

Leaning Leg Curls-Kneeling on my knees with my arms crossed and hands on my shoulders (with partner holding down my heels), I leaned forward while keeping my back straight, and used my hamstrings to curl back into an upright kneeling position.  5 reps of these was enough before I went onto..

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #3

Running Stairs in Place-I climb the lowest stair fast for 15 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and climb the second-lowest stair for 15 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat one more time before I do...

Quick Jumps Over Resistance Band-With a band laying in a straight line on the floor, I jumped with both feet from left-to-right and back for 15 seconds (as fast as I could), rested for 5 seconds, jumped forward to back with both feet for 15 seconds, rested for 5 seconds, jumped left-to-right on my right foot for 15 seconds, rest for 5, then left-to-right with my right foot.

And then I repeated this circuit two more times through!!!  Talk about a tired, sweaty, legs-killed mess.

If you are looking for workouts like this, contact me about "The Little E-Book on Fat Loss and Weight Loss", which you can pre-order today for 40% off!!!  Send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about "The Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss!"

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.

What Restaurants Hope You Don't Do Before Your Next Meal

I am working with a couple on my 30-Day Boot Camp program (view the program at www.keepyourbetterhalf.com), which means we kick their butt twice a day and carefully manage every morsel that goes into their body.  Last week my client couple wanted to go out on a date night.  With two youngs kids at home, a short time at the corner sit-down restaurant chain (Applebees, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, Houlihans, etc.) was the best that could be arranged for the night.

Before sending them off to the restaurant, we went online to check out the nutritional data from their menu...

Chicken Caesar Salad: 1020 calories, 98g fat, 786mg sodium

Lettuce Wraps: 586 calories, 71g carbs, 1865mg sodium

Prime 5 oz Sirloin Steak (with green beans and baked potato): 1054 calories,  53g fat, 93g carbs, 2516mg sodium

And so it went for everything on the menu.  Lots of calories, too much fat, terrible amounts of sodium.  If one person ordered an appetizer and entree or entree and dessert, it would be easy to clear 2000 calories...and all after 7pm.  Yikes!

Here are the weight loss reality checks that restaurants are hoping you don't make before dine with them.

Weight Loss Reality Check #1: Check the Nutritional Data for Your Intended Meal Beforehand

Don't be a casualty of the calorie.  Many restaurant foods will kill you in at least one category (calories, fat, carbs, sodium, cholesterol), if not more!  Go online and find the nutritional information for the restaurant's menu.  Deciding what to eat and how much of it is easy when you are looking at their awful nutritional data!

Weight Loss Reality Check #2: Budget Calorie Consumption by the Clock

In America, we tend to eat the most calories when our body is least equipped to handle them: dinner! Talk about a recipe for a weight gain!  If you want to give your body a fighting chance to handle your out-to-eat calories, be sure to eat lighter the later you eat.  If your out-to-eat meal is a 12pm lunch, you can go a little heavier than if your out-to-eat meal is an 8pm dinner.  In America, we would all be better off if we swapped lunch and dinner.  It is crucial to eat lighter at a restaurant, and very light if it's late.

Weight Loss Reality Check #3: Be Wary of Sodium the Day Before and Day After Eating Out

Most restaurants douse their foods in sodium.   They are shameless in their use of sodium.  With this in mind, prep your body the day before eating out by having a super low sodium day.  Also, give your body a light sodium day the day after eating out to allow it to recover!  In the US the RDA for sodium is 2400mg per day (which is a ton compared to the UK's 1600mg).  If you are interesting in keeping off of blood pressure medication, pay attention to sodium!

Wrapping It Up

Getting fit and losing weight are tough things to do on a restaurant diet, and almost impossible to do on an unorganized restaurant diet.  To increase your odds of fat loss and weight loss, check restaurant information online before you order, budget your caloric intake based on the clock, and go easy on the sodium before and after a restaurant visit.

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.

Top Ten Foods to Help You Lose Fat and Lose Weight

I just finished up with a six-week project with a client.  As we closed up our program today, he told me what a difference the food selections had made for him.  Rob had seen some specialists about his hypoglycemic tendencies and none of them provide him with solutions that made a difference.  We were able to pinpoint some ideas for him that proved to be difference makers.

Here are some of the best weight loss and fat loss foods(by food I mean consummable goods...not necessarily solids). 

Tenth Best Weight Loss Food: Whey Isolate Protein Powder

Protein can help conquer hunger.  Whey isolate protein powder (made into a shake) can really help the body reach a sense of fullness.  It can also feed muscle (which helps with fat burning), and is low in calories, carbs, and cholesterol.

Ninth Best Weight Loss Food: Pears

Pears are very nutrient dense, very filling, and are low in calories.   A great morning or afternoon snack!

Eighth Best Weight Loss Food: Chick Peas

Chick peas are a great item to put alongside a chicken or fish main course.  They are filling, have a good raiot of carbs/fats/proteins.  The only down side is they pack a little bit of sodium.

Seventh Best Weight loss Food: Lemons

Not only are they great to add to water (they have an alkalizing effect to water, which seems counter intuitive), lemons are very filling, are midly anti-inflammatory in nature, and contain a little bit of fiber. Add a lemon to your water, or add it to your chicken breast for flavoring and nutrition.

Sixth Best Weight Loss Food:Buffalo (top round steak)

The biggest thing about a source of protein is the cholesterol associated with it.  While buffalo has some cholesterol (82mg per 100 g of steak), it is also rich in protein (33g) and low in calories (146). It is typically leaner than venison and chicken, amongst others.

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.

How to Pick Up Energy, Drop Pant Sizes, and Spend Less Time in the Gym!

As a personal trainer, I possess the deadliest of combinations: I'm a fast talker with a lot to say.  My clients can go from "ready to learn" to "eyes glazed over and brain full" in record time!  In part, my ebook is for them.  It's a way to slow things down, stop the madness, and digest the information I am feeding them.

It's also for you, the person I may never meet.  It is me pulling back the curtain on how I helped a 43 year-old mother of three loses 61 lbs. and wear her smallest dress as an adult.  It is me showing you how I helped a 30 year-old man go from maxing out on diabetes medication to losing 30 lbs. and not having to medicate his diabetes at all (and fitting into his smallest pant size since sixth grade!).  It is me putting a bug in your ear from the second you get up and walking with you through your day to help you eat the right snack, execute the right type of cardio workout, and take action in ways to demonstrate that your eyes are on the prize. 

I will be giving you sneak peeks of "The Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss" until the book launches on October 15th.  You can pre-order a copy for half-price this week only (ending at 11:59pm on October 5th!).  Go to www.keepyourbetterhalf.com or send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com for more information.

And now....for a sneak peek at "The Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss"...

Step Away From The Scale!

How to Measure Your Progress and Keep Your Sanity

I hate scales.  Do you know why I hate scales?  Scales have taught us that our weight will be up when we expect it to be down, our weight will be stuck when we expect it to move, and we will seldom be able to explain the results the scale sends us.  Based on the unprediactability and ever-changing nature of scales, I'm beginning to think they were invented by women.  

Every week I can count on a phone call from a scale-driven new client.  It goes something like this:

Laura the New Client: "Adam, I gained two pounds this week!"

Adam the Personal Trainer: "Laura, this is your first week.  I told you that you would either break even or gain a pound or two this week.  And I asked you not to step on the scale, remember?"

Laura: "I know, I know.  I just wanted to see how much progress I was making."

Adam: "The scale doesn't measure progress, it measures gravity's pull on our progress.  Have you been doing your cardio every day?"

Laura: "Yes."

Adam: "Have you been getting your protein shakes in and eating your snacks?"

Laura: "Yes."

Adam:  "Then you are making great progress!"

Laura: "But why am I up two pounds?"

Adam: "It could be because you are gaining muscle.  It could be because you aren't getting enough water and your body is retaining water.  It could be because you are drinking lots of water and haven't used the restroom in three hours.  The two pounds probably came from new muscle growth.  Let me ask you this, how do your clothes fit?"

Laura: "They seem a little looser around the waist."

Adam: "Good.  What does the mirror say?"

Laura: "I think I look a little bit more toned."

Adam: "Good.  Has your husband noticed anything?"

Laura: "No.  Hasn't said a word."

Adam: "And he probably won't.  One day he'll just start chasing you around the house, which is why we need to keep you on that interval training...for those days when you aren't in the mood."

Laura: After a giggle, "Okay."

Adam: "You are doing great.  I'll see you in a few days."

I get that call almost every week from someone who has forgotten the truth about the scale.  And the truth is that a scale can't tell you very much about your progress.  It can't tell you if you lost fat.  It can't tell you if you gained muscle.  A scale only tells you what you weigh (gravity's pull on you) but it doesn't tell you what your weight is (the amount of fat, muscle, and water that are constantly fluctuating in your body).

Measuring fat loss and weight loss progress is not a scale-driven activity.  Here is how to measure progress while pursuing body change.

The First Step To Keeping Sanity While Measuring Body Change: Measure Activity Goals

In the conversation above I asked Laura if she had been doing her cardio, drinking her protein shakes and eating her snacks.  Since successful and healthy fat loss and weight loss are contingent upon doing the right things, measure your progress based upon what you are doing. 

It is amazing what can happen when the body gets WHAT it needs WHEN it needs it.  It is easy to keep your sanity by measuring what you are doing for your body and when you are doing it.  If your mid-morning snack consists of you eating the right food at the right time, you are winning!

In this ebook we will teach you what to eat and when!  We will provide a chart to help you measure your progress on your activity goals. 

The Second Step To Keeping Your Sanity While Measuring Body Change: Let the Clothes and the Mirror Tell You How You are Doing

I am sure you noticed that I asked Laura how her clothes were fitting her.  Clothes are a great truth teller.  If we are losing inches around the waist (or in the arms, or around the thighs), our clothes are the first ones to tell us.  Look for that progress, then celebrate when your jeans require the assistance of a tighter slot in your belt!

The mirror can also be a great tool for determining progress.  "Adam, I have shoulders!" my client Sarah exclaimed recently.  "You've always had shoulders," I told her.  "No, you don't understand," she said. "When I look in the mirror, I have shoulders now.  I'm not round any more in my shoulders!  I have some definition coming in!"

The mirror can help us to see if we have lost half a chin and are more firm in an area or two.  The mirror can be a great tool, accurately displaying progress that a scale can miss.  However, it is important to know yourself when it comes to using a mirror.  If you are one of those people who have a difficult time with body image and honest visual feedback, the mirror can be a very difficult tool to use successfully.  If you are confident of your ability to use the mirror for a realistic tool to measure body change, be sure to use it.  If you are unsure of your ability to use the mirror to accurately assess your body, refrain from using it as a guide for your progress.

For many of you, the way your clothes fit and the image the mirror displays will more accurately pinpoint progress in body change than a scale ever could.

The Third Step To Keeping Your Sanity While Measuring Body Change: Reacquire the "Look What I Can Do" Mentality

Every time I see my 5 year-old nephew, he is showing me all the new stuff he can do.  "Look what I can do, Uncle Adam," he'll yell as he tempts fate with his latest daredevil feat (like jumping up and hitting a leaf on a tree, running fast in a circle, things like that).  He's cute.

Sadly, most people miss significant progress points with their body change because they fail to recognize...... IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE REST OF THIS SECTION, THE EBOOK IS RIGHT FOR YOU!!!!

IF YOU LIKED THE SNEAK PEEK OF "THE LITTLE EBOOK ON FAT LOSS AND WEIGHT LOSS", GO TO WWW.KEEPYOURBETTERHALF.COM OR SEND EMAIL TO ADAM@KEEPYOURBETTERHALF.COM TO GET A SPECIAL PRICE ON A PRE-ORDERED COPY OF THIS EBOOK!

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.

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.

How to Bring a Weight-Loss Camp to You

One of the most searched google terms within the field of body change is the term "fat camp".  Thousands of obese Americans are investing thousands of dollars to attend camps to get away from their out of control lifestyle and learn how to get healthy and be fit.  There is one problem, though.

Weight-Loss Habits Tend to Stay At Camp

The best and worst thing about any camp is that it is camp: it's a remote location far removed from reality.  The gap between a weight loss/fat camp and reality can be devastating.  Imagine going through a week of nutrition and exercise bliss, only to come home to the same old pantry, the evil fridge, and the impossibly convenient calorie factory: the workplace.

The biggest problem anyone should have with a weight loss camp is that it is a destination.  The workers of the camp won't come by and blow up your fridge.  They won't raid the pantry.  And they won't check in three weeks later when it's 11pm and the cupcakes at the corner store are calling you.  The unfortuante by-product of a weight loss camp is that all the strategies, progress, and new great habits tend to weaken quickly away from camp.  How disheartening it can be to spend a week or two making great progress in a safe haven, only to have your dietary will collapse at the very sight of the items in your own pantry.

How to Cultivate Lasting Weight Loss and Body Change: Bring a Weight-Loss Boot Camp to Your Door

What if a weight loss camp came to you?  What is the boot camp to body change stopped by your door on a daily basis?  Can you imagine eating the perfect food at the perfect time and completing the perfect workout for days and days at a time...all the while still going to work and living your regular life?

That's what I do.  I bring a weight loss boot camp to your door.  We meet daily for exercise, we build your meals and snacks, go grocery shopping, and even plan out eating out.  Instead of people going away to a weight loss boot camp safe haven, I work with people to turn their life into a safe haven for body change.  How can we re-write the rules of your work environment to get turn it into a place conducive to body change?  What do we put in your pantry (and your car, and your home office) so that every time you reach for a food it is the right food? 

What if your life was rebuilt to not only be conducive to weight loss, but was rebuilt to maximize it?  What if you knew what the tastiest 200-calorie breakfast tasted like?  What if you knew what to eat every single time you ate out with clients or family? Why go to a weight-loss boot camp when you can bring one to your door? 

Creating a Lifestyle to Maintain Weight Loss

A plan for weight loss is only as good as its execution.  Imagine having a meal plan that had 30 days of flexibility.  Imagine having an exercise plan with tremendous variety, had challenging and fun exercises for each day, and was built just for you.  When you bring the program from www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to your door, you are taught how to maintain and advance the lifestyle of weight loss and body change that began during your boot camp.  Not only do we walk with you through your first week(s) of weight loss, we give you all the materials you will need to maintain the habits of exercise and nutrition that fit nicely into your body change lifestyle.

Bring a weight-loss boot camp to your door.  Send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com or visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about bringing body change to your door.

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer 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.

How to Get Your Body To Burn Fat, Gain Muscle, and Lose Weight Again

I met with a new client last week who was looking to get "unstuck" in his current workout routine.  Ron (not his real name, and not that it really matters because there are lots of guys named Ron out there) is a pillar of consistency.  He goes to the gym every day and will do cardio, abs, and then another muscle group (shoulders, back, chest, etc.) for his workout.  Ron could probably do his routine in his sleep and says he is bored in the gym now.  If he is bored with his workouts, his body is bored as well.

Here are a few tricks to help fix boring workouts, get your body working harder, and pushing you into new levels of fat loss, muscle gain, adn weight loss.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #1: Exercise in the Elements

My training clients have a love/hate relationship with my outdoor workouts.  They love to be outdoors and hate how much harder it can be to exercise in the elements.  Jogging on a treadmill in the air conditioning is nothing compared to an interval workout in a grass field.  Lifting weights in the gym is a far cry from doing a kettlebell workout on a sand volleyball court.  The outdoors can put increased workload demands on your body, which can give your workout an entirely different feel.  If you wan to fix your boring workout, take it outside.  You will put yourself in position to burn more calories and stimulate your muscles in a different way.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #2: Hold It!

Want to kill your biceps in 60 seconds or less?  Take a full-length bar (a 45 lb. used for bench, squats, etc.), sit at a preacher curl station, and hold the bar in curl position with one hand for one minute.  The elbow of the arm at work should be positioned at a 90-degree angle.  Good luck!

Any sort of hold (bicep curl hold, push-up hold, bench press hold, leg extension hold, etc.) is a shock to the muscle group(s) at work.  The trick is to hold position with a major joint (elbow, knee, or shoulder) at a 90-degree angle to force the muscle to perform an unusual amount of work.  Doing a set of holds will recruit every type of muscle fiber in the muscle being used...a truly unique way to work a muscle group.  If you perform a hold set (or two) for your major muscle groups, you will find this to be a great fix for your boring workout.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #3: Incorporate Uneven Loads

Have you ever been in the middle of a dumbbell exercise and realized that you had accidentally grabbed two differents (a 25 lb. and a 35 lb. instead of two 35 lbs.)?  Your muscles notice the variable load as you launch into the set.  Your body works harder to compensate for the imbalance of weight.  An uneven load feels very different.

Instead of accidentally grabbing two dumbbells of different weight, why not grab them on purpose?  Make it a 10-20 lb difference if possible.  As you perform your exercises with uneven loads, make sure to alternate the weights back and forth so each muscle group (bicep, chest, etc.) has relatively equal time with each weight.    Incorporating uneven loads will help to fix your boring workout.

To learn more about getting your body where you want it to be more quickly than you thought possible, contact Adam Erwin to talk about where you are today, where you want to be, and how he can help you.

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer 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. Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about his work.