Have You Ever Considered a Starvation Diet Plan for Weight Loss?

The less food you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, right? Sorry, but it just doesn’t work this way. If your idea of the perfect diet plan for weight loss is popping crackers and diuretics, you’re headed for disaster. Besides being downright miserable, a starvation diet can thwart your weight loss efforts and do some serious damage to your health.

Starving Slows the Fat Burning Process

Your body relies on the nutrients in food (real food, not saltines) for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

Lean muscle mass needs more energy to function than fat. Basically, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn. If you continue to starve yourself, your body will feed on your lean muscle tissue and make it even harder for you to lose weight.

Obviously, if you starve yourself long enough, you’ll have no choice but to lose weight. But the weight loss won’t be healthy, and it will show in your appearance. You’ll become emaciated and your body will start to look like an old bag of bones (not joking).

Starvation Diet Results Are Short-Lived

The weight lost from starvation diets almost always comes back. Starvation slows your metabolism down. And it can take months for it to return to normal. As soon as you start eating again, you’ll likely gain all of the weight you lost back, plus a few extra pounds. In the end, you’ll wind up bigger than you were before you started starving.

Starving Can Damage Your Health

When you go without food, you don’t get any of the essential nutrients needed for good health. This can result in fatigue, kidney failure, heart failure, gallstones, ulcers, hair loss, muscle weakness and osteoporosis. This is just a short list of the physical problems a starvation diet can cause. We haven’t even touched on the mental stuff yet.

It’s not uncommon for extremely calorie-restrictive dieters to struggle with depression, anger, indifference, memory loss, poor concentration, hallucinations and mood swings. Starvation can also increase your chances of suffering with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.

In essence, your health will be a mess if you try to lose weight by starving. The worst part about it is that some of the health issues that arise from starvation diets can cause irreversible damage to your body and require long-term hospitalization or lifelong medical care.

I’m not trying to scare you, but if you plan to turn starvation into a lifestyle, you’ll end up in a body bag way before your time. No amount of skinny is worth your life.

Don’t let the desperation to lose weight push you to go on a starvation diet. This type of diet can destroy your health and make weight loss harder to achieve. The healthiest way to drop unwanted pounds is to eat right, manage portion sizes and exercise.

Let The Diet Solution Program show you how a sensible diet plan for weight loss can work for you.


Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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How to Burn Fat and Tone Your Upper Body Without Weights

Lifting weights (dumbbells, barbells, etc) is not the only effective way to burn fat and tone your upper body. Medicine ball throws and passes are great exercises for toning your upper body.

To get better fat burning results, mix up your training with weights, resistance tubing, medicine balls and bodyweight exercises.

Here are 3 medicine ball exercises to do more often:

Note: Use a medicine ball about 10% of your bodyweight for these exercises if you can control and throw it explosively. Use a lighter ball if needed and progress from there. Perfect your form for these exercises before progressing to full speed.

MB Chest Pass

The 2-handed medicine ball chest pass is a great exercise to burn fat, improve your power and core strength. This is an advanced power exercise that is performed at full speed.



1. Stand with your feet straight and in a staggered-stance. Generate power from your legs (then to your core) to pass the medicine ball.

2. Hold the medicine ball with both hands at chest level and your elbows flexed.

3. Push and pass the ball as explosively as possible. Don't let your shoulders shrug.

4. Repeat the pass as soon as possible with control and power.

MB Soccer Throw

The soccer throw with medicine ball is a great sports power exercise to improve your core strength and arm speed.

The soccer throw works the muscles that you use to throw a ball or swing a racquet overhead. The soccer throw is also an advanced core exercise.



Be sure to also use your legs as you throw the medicine ball. If you don't use your legs, you won't be able to throw at full speed. Don't stand straight up as you throw. Keep your back leg straight and your front leg bent.

MB Rotational Throw

Medicine ball rotational throw - Many everyday movements require coordination while rotating your body. This exercise is also very difficult to do correctly. When you get good at it, you will burn upper and lower body fat at a faster rate.



1. Start with your stance a little wider than shoulder width, standing sideways. Hold the medicine ball with your arms extended but elbows not locked.

2. Swing the ball back and rotate your torso, shoulders, arms and head to throw the ball straight ahead (similar to swinging a baseball bat).

3. Transfer power from your lower body through your core and explode with the throw. Don't just use your arms to throw the ball.

4. Do all repetitions for one side and repeat with the opposite side of your body.

Use throwing more often to burn more fat!


Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Interview: Fat Loss for Visible Abs

Fat Loss for Visible Abs -- Workouts, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Tips for Success

by Mike Geary, author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs, interviewed by Craig Ballantyne - CSCS, Men's Health Magazine Training Advisor

CB: Mike, let's start off with some background on the types of people you train, and your training background.

MG: Craig, I've been a Certified Personal Trainer for almost a decade now, and in recent years, I've become certified as a Nutrition Specialist as well. As for the types of people I train... I've trained everybody from skinny teenagers looking to add some bulk to their frame, to middle-aged housewives and businessmen looking to lose body fat, to senior citizens looking to get stronger and leaner in their golden years.

CB: You have a site, The Truth About Abs. So...what the heck is the truth?

MG: Well Craig, from what I see on a daily basis, one of the most common fitness goals people have is to get a flatter stomach and if possible, achieve some sort of a "six pack abs" appearance to their midsection. Unfortunately, most people struggle for years without ever achieving this goal.

Instead, I see so many people waste so much of their time on worthless abs exercises, and falling for every gimmick product that comes onto their TV screen promising them a 6-pack in only 2 minutes a day while sitting on their couch.

To be honest, seeing so many people over the years waste their hard earned money on all of these worthless ab gadgets, machines, and bogus fat loss pills was really getting under my skin.

That's why I developed my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program. Over the last couple years, this program I developed has gained popularity worldwide, and has now recently become the most popular abs program on the internet with over 200,000 people in over 150 countries using my system.

So what's the truth? The truth is that people are looking in the wrong direction to achieve this goal... abs exercises are NOT the answer to six pack abs! Sounds counterintuitive I know. In fact, ab-specific exercises are the LEAST important training aspect in getting a six pack.

Most people think there must be some magical "underground" abs exercise that is going to finally get them their six-pack after years of struggling.

The fact is, the real solution to seeing a visible six-pack is simply bringing your body fat % down to a low enough level to where the abs become visible. Most people already have a six pack hiding underneath their stomach fat and don't know it. This is generally about 10% body fat or lower for men, and about 16-18% body fat for women from my experience.

Heck, even my 7-year old nephew has a six pack... do you think he got that by doing "abs exercises"? No way! He has a six pack because his body fat % is extremely low since he's so active running around playing all day at his age.

So the most important aspect to getting visible abs is actually a properly designed full body training program, combined with good nutrition that can be maintained for life (instead of a short-term gimmick diet).

CB: For a beginner, how much focus needs to be on abs? What other exercises would you give them for fat loss?

MG: For beginners, I generally start them off with the most basic bodyweight exercises such as bw squats, bw lunges, bw step-ups, pushups, inverted body rows, along with basic dumbbell exercises like overhead presses, rows, etc. We also work on body stabilizing exercises like planks and side planks and a few stability ball exercises to make sure they've learned to properly engage their entire "core" area in stablizing the body.

CB: What type of cardio/interval training do you use for fat loss?

MG:The programs I design are almost entirely based on high intensity resistance training instead of cardio. In fact, my resistance training workouts get people sweating and huffing and puffing much more than any boring cardio workout ever will.

The bottom line based on research as well as my personal experience... cardio is NOT necessary for fat loss! In fact, some of the leanest people I know NEVER do traditional cardio. Personally, I haven't stepped foot on a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike in about 8 years and I maintain single digit body fat year round.

Now don't get me wrong about the cardio thing... in reality, I actually work on exercises that are much tougher and more intense than traditional cardio... I prefer wind sprints, hill sprints, swimming sprints, speed rope jumping, etc to complement my resistance training... all of which are more anaerobic in nature than aerobic.

This type of training stimulates a vastly higher metabolic response in the body than steady pace cardio.

Of course, most people can't just jump right into doing wind sprints without injury until they've gotten themselves into pretty good shape first. I use various resistance training methods and interval training for most people before they are ever ready to even attempt any type of sprinting.

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CB: Tell us about your favorite bodyweight exercises and how you use them in a fat loss program.

MG: I like to combine bodyweight exercises and free weight exercises into what I call "tri-sets" or "quad-sets" (aka - mini circuits). Basically, I pick 3 or 4 exercises that don't work the same body movements (non-competing) and combine them into high intensity mini-circuits for my clients.

A great example would be:

1. mountain climbers for 20-30 seconds
2. dumbbell squat & presses (combination squat then press overhead)
3. stability ball leg curl-ins
4. stability ball plank holds (a little harder than a floor plank)

This type of circuit can be done without much rest at all between exercises and we would repeat the circuit several times before moving to a new circuit. This creates a high intensity fat burning workout that works almost every muscle in the entire body.

CB: Let's turn to nutrition. What is your fat loss nutrition philosophy?

MG: I could talk about nutrition for hours and it's such a controversial subject, so I'll keep this brief...

It doesn't have to be as complicated as the "diet gurus" make it out to be. It can be a lot simpler...

1. whole, unprocessed organic foods, as close to their natural state as possible

2. High nutrient density food choices instead of nutrient deficient processed foods

3. Fruits and vegetables (lots of vegetables) as your main source of carbohydrates instead of so much reliance on grains as is so prominent in our food supply these days

4. Moderate amounts of high quality protein at each meal

5. High fiber intake to help appetite control and glycemic control (maintaining more balanced blood sugar)

6. Don't neglect healthy fat intake from nuts, seeds, organic eggs, wild fish or fish oil, virgin coconut oil and olive oils, avocados, etc (helps appetite control and hormonal balance)

Once you gain control over the aspects listed above, everything else usually works itself out in your diet... you no longer crave sweets or junk food because your body finally has all of the nutrients it needs. Another important thing that this style of eating does is that it tends to bring people naturally back to the proper amount of calories they need each day without having to attempt to count calories or anything like that.

CB: How do you address "lifestyle" with your clients to help them lose fat?

MG: One of the most important things I try to instill in my clients is that this has to become part of their lifestyle if it is ever going to work long-term. They need to make their health and fitness a priority in their life, and they must enjoy it...whether it's because they actually enjoy the actual exercise and healthy eating, or because they enjoy the feeling of strength or energy or confidence that it gives them.

CB: Give us some of your unique fat loss stories. For example, have you ever made one small change to a client's program that helped them get through a plateau? Or has a client ever responded to one form of training that surprised you? Stuff like that...

MG: I had one client a couple years ago... a guy in his early 30's...a classic case in reality. He'd been doing the same routine for years... about an hour of cardio 5 days/week while reading the newspaper, and then he'd finish it off with a few weight machines.

He finally came to me because his body was actually getting worse despite his long workouts. I asked him to put his trust in me, and asked if he'd be willing to try something drastically different...

I asked if he would fully give up his cardio for 6 weeks and follow one of my free weight training routines instead. I actually insisted that he didn't do any cardio at all during this experimental 6 weeks of change...only weights would be allowed. This was hard for him at first as he was so accustomed to just doing all of this boring cardio because it was easy. But easy workouts don't create a better body!

The results were incredible... I think his strength improved about 30-40 lbs on almost all of his lifts during that 6 weeks while simulataneously losing about 15 lbs of body weight, and his beer belly shrunk down considerably to the point where he had to go out and buy some new pants with smaller waists.

All of this by doing LESS CARDIO and more weight training (but in high intensity fashion).

Another story... As far as clients getting new results from just a small tweak...

A few people that have been stuck at a fat loss plateau have come to me and I gave them a simple nutrition trick to try. This simple change was to start basing their last full meal of the day around just meats with lots of veggies and salad... basically, no starches with dinner, just meat and veggies.

As simple as that sounds, I've seen many people break their fat loss plateau just by implementing that into their diet. So many people think that their meals need to be based on starch like pasta or rice, but I think it's so much easier to lose fat when your meals are based around meat and vegetables instead of starch.

I could go on, but I hope that gives your readers some useful ideas for now.

CB: Thanks Mike!

See what actual users of The Truth about Six Pack Abs program are saying.


Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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An Apple a Day Keeps Weight Gain Away?

I definitely recommend eating an apple or two every day. But, that won't necessarily keep you from gaining weight and body fat.

Eating apples will help improve your health. For instance, pectin in apples helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Apples are also great snacks any time of the day. One apple is 60-70 calories, so that's good. And, apples can be a part of an overall healthy, managed meal plan designed to help you lose weight or manage weight. They are a great source for fiber (about 5 grams per) which helps you eat less because you feel full for longer.

But, there's more to the story......

Courtesy: www.worthpoint.com

We've all watched "Leave It to Beaver" re-runs. Remember Larry Mondello (real name Rusty Stevens)? What did he always have in his hand? That's right....he was always eating an apple. Larry Mondello was also overweight. I'm only making a point here, not poking fun. Excess weight gain is a serious matter.

Despite what you might hear on infomercials, it does matter how much you eat. Calories do matter. If you consistently eat more calories than you burn, you will continue to gain weight. There are other factors at play in the weight gain process but "calories in, calories out" (absent medical reasons) is the most important piece of the weight gain or weight loss puzzle.

Eating healthy does not guarantee against weight gain.

Its popular these days to eat the "superfoods." I'm all for eating the "superfoods."

But, “superfoods” or no “superfoods,” you must somehow transform your body to lean and healthy.

Here are some tips:

1. You must burn more calories than you consume on most days in order to burn fat and lose weight. This is the law of thermodynamics. It applies no matter how hard you workout. The right amount of calorie deficit is the key to success.

You cannot eat as much as you want (or maintain a calorie surplus) and still lose weight. On the opposite end, you can't starve yourself and expect to succeed long-term with weight loss and fat loss. Starvation will cause your body to go into survival mode and store fat.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that losing weight and body fat with diet and exercise are more effective when done together. Doing either one alone is not as effective. The results of this randomized trial, led by Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Prevention Center and a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, were published online in Obesity.

According to the Hutchinson study, the majority of women who both improved their diet and exercised regularly shed an average of nearly 11 percent of their starting weight, which exceeded the study's goal of a 10 percent or more reduction in body weight.

2. Keep a food journal until you know when and how much to eat. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan if you keep a food journal.

By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day and it helps you plan your meals better.

3. Get the guidance you need to succeed. A personal trainer provides valuable guidance and feedback. Have you tried every diet plan and exercise program without success? If so, get help.

Research proves that having an accountability partner such as friend, spouse or personal trainer will help you succeed with weight loss and fat loss.

4. You must change your body’s composition! You must increase muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.” You can’t do this by just doing cardio exercise. You need a combination of regular weight training and short, interval cardio sessions. It takes hard work and many adjustments over a long period of time.

Keep eating your apples and other "superfoods" every day.....but do all the other things it takes to change your body too!

Download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program, start burning max fat and start building your lean body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Five Of The Best FOODS For Fat Loss

Five Of The Best FOODS For Fat Loss
By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Everyone wants to eat right and/or lose weight. But not everyone knows what the best foods for fighting belly fat are. Protein, fat, and carbohydrates (yes I said carbohydrates) will feed your metabolism-boosting lean mass helping you destroy belly fat forever! So what are the best foods for blasting away belly fat?

Here is a list of my top five foods for weight loss:

#5 Eggs

Words cannot describe the fat fighting power of eggs. One egg has high-quality protein, and plenty of essential nutrients like choline all in 70 calories.

Pair with organic greens, a piece of whole wheat toast, and an apple or pear and you are well on your way to providing your body with fat fighting nutrients, including plenty of fiber to keep you feeling fuller for longer throughout the day.

#4 Apples or pears with skin

Apples and pears are another great way to add extra fiber to your diet. One large apple gives you 5 grams while 1 large pear gives you 7 grams of fat-fighting fiber. Fiber is perfect for curbing your appetite, which makes you eat less at meals or when snacking. Not only do pears and apples provide plenty of fiber, but they are fat free and cholesterol free. An apple gives 65 calories and a pear about 100 calories, making it a perfect healthy snack or a side dish at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Pair together with low-fat cheese, yogurt, or all natural peanut butter to provide essential amino acids and making it a wholesome and nutritious snack.

#3 Greek Yogurt

So do Greeks know something we don’t? This amazing food is a staple in Greek and Mediterranean cultures and is frequently given to a bride and groom on their wedding night for vitality, energy, and strength. Why is Greek yogurt so good for you? Your typical yogurt is double filtered but Greek yogurt is triple filtered, resulting in a very creamy texture. Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in carbs than most commercial yogurts. This is a perfect treat for Diabetics and people who are low-carb crazy!

Pair this together with nuts and a touch of honey for a sweet and savory treat packed with fat burning protein, low carbohydrates, and a healthy dose of fiber.

#2 Sprouted Whole Grain (SWG) Breads

Considered the “flourless” bread. This bread is unique because it is made directly from the sprouted seed, which provides more vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and fiber. You get the whole-grain goodness without the flour! This type of bread is made from a sprouted wheat berry, picked, ground up, and then added to the mixture, which makes it “flourless." High in protein, vitamins and minerals, and packed with plenty of fat-fighting fiber, this is the perfect item to include in your menu plan!

Pair this with some grain-fed beef for a healthy steak sandwich, which packs plenty of nutrition and loads belly slashing fiber!

#1 Whey Protein

This widely used supplement is the byproduct of cheese manufacturing. The liquid left over is purified and made into whey powder, concentrated whey protein, or whey protein isolate. Whey powder is used in many products from bakery items to infant formula. Whey is power packed with essential amino acids, which are the building blocks for muscles. Research has shown only 56 grams of whey protein a day can help you lose weight without restricting your energy intake. This same research showed consuming whey protein resulted in a drop of 4 pounds, 1 inch off the waist, and a drop in body fat of 5 pounds!

Pair this together with ice, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and some fruit for a healthy and nutritious snack with plenty of appetite-suppressing protein and plenty of fat fighting potential.

Incorporating these five foods into a well-balanced diet plan will help provide essential nutrients needed to help you lose weight and keep it off. Fiber-rich foods have been shown to help curb your appetite which can suppress the desire to eating more. This will fight stubborn belly fat and help you stay healthy and fit for a long time to come!

Discover The Fat Burning Secret Unlocked By $300,000 Worth Of Research

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Testosterone And Body Fat (High Testosterone=Low Body Fat)

Testosterone And Body Fat (High Testosterone=Low Body Fat)
By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Have you looked in the mirror lately and seen someone almost unrecognizable? You look tired, old and fat. You have lost your mojo, your motivation, and your body. This may not be entirely your fault. You can blame poor diet, lack of exercise, and general sedentary lifestyle for some of it. Lower testosterone levels might also be to blame for the change in you.

This is not an uncommon experience for men across the world. Declining testosterone levels can result in depression, loss of fat-free mass, and change in mood. Increases in body fat and loss of lean mass can be a double-edged sword, with higher body fat levels resulting in a further decline in testosterone levels.

Aging results in decreased hormone and testosterone levels. This decrease raises BMI and alters body fat distribution across the body. This altered body fat state can be attributed to decreases in lean mass.

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Do you want to go from this...

To THIS?

Increasing your testosterone levels, either naturally or with the help of testosterone replacement therapy, you can change your body for the better. Having higher levels of testosterone can make you, once again, feel the vigor or youth, increase your lean mass, and decrease your body fat stores.

Research done by Snyder et al. concluded that increasing testosterone levels in men over 65 to what would correlate to mid-normal testosterone levels in young men has positive effects on body composition. With the supplementation, elderly men showed an increase in lean mass and a decrease in fat-free mass. The increases were mainly in the trunk, and in the arms and legs of the participants.

Other research done by Vermeulan et al. concluded that the increasing the levels of testosterone in the body do have positive effects on muscle hypertrophy and increase fat-free mass. They also showed that in several incidences throughout their research, increased plasma testosterone levels had positive effects on fat-free mass, and lower testosterone levels had negative effects on fat-free mass, and increased body fat accumulation.

Supplementing with natural testosterone boosters can help give you back that lean muscular look by shedding some stored body fat and improve your mood. Testosterone administration, under physician guidance, has been used to increase muscular strength and size, and as a way to decrease body fat and increase athletic performance.

Increasing fat-free mass can improve self-confidence, self-esteem, and help promote a positive self-image all with the lean, muscular body that can be associated with increased testosterone levels.

Be sure and download your FREE Report, "How to Knock 20 Years Off Your Body." You will learn the top ways to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Your Fat Cells' Secret Weight Loss Weapon

Your Fat Cells' Secret Weight Loss Weapon By Mike Roussell, PhD

It would seem kind of crazy to think that your fat cells would release compounds that would actually make them shrink in size, but they do.

It is just up to you to take advantage of your fat cells’ self-destructive behavior.

One way to do this is with the hormone adiponectin. Chances are you haven’t heard of adiponectin in the past as it is not well known outside of scientific circles.

Let me get you acquainted.

Adiponectin is a hormone released from your fat cells. Here are just a couple of the things that it does:

1. It helps break down fat so you can use it for energy (i.e., burn fat)

2. It improves how your body uses carbohydrates (which helps reduce their storage as fat)

3. It increases your calorie burning.

Sounds great doesn’t it? How can you get more adiponectin? Here are a couple ways.

1. Exercise - One study published in the scientific journal Diabetes Care found that adiponectin levels increased by 260 percent after just 2-3 bouts of exercise.

I always tell clients that exercise is like a booster shot, making your weight-loss diet work better.

One of the ways it does this is by increasing adiponectin levels.

2. Lose a Little Weight - The more body fat you have, the less adiponectin your fat cells are going to release.

The good news is that adiponectin will help you with the fat loss snow ball effect because the more weight you lose, the more adiponectin your fat cells will release, causing you to lose more weight.

It is just up to you to get the ball rolling.

3. Eat Salmon - The fats found in fish, like salmon or omega-3 supplements like krill oil, have been shown in animal studies to increase levels of adiponectin.

It seems counterintuitive that fats help you burn fat, but this is just another example of the incredible power of omega-3 fats.

Start getting your fat cells to work for you, not against you, by releasing more adiponectin.

These three easy tips will get you started on your way to becoming a leaner, calorie burning machine.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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4 Top Body Transformation Tips

You can't transform your body without significant fat loss. Fat loss will make your body more healthy and lean. Fat loss will also lead to lasting weight loss.

Courtesy: www.womenshealthsa.co.za

What if the bathroom scale only showed you your body fat percentage and not your weight? A body composition change (less fat, more lean mass) is the key to permanent weight loss.

In a study led by Eric J. Jacobs, PhD, American Cancer Society strategic director, Pharmacoepidemiology, researchers examined the association between waist circumference and the risk of death among 48,500 men and 56,343 women age 50 and older who had taken part in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, a subset of the larger Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II).

“We were interested in looking at waist size because it’s strongly correlated to fat tissue in the abdomen, which is the most dangerous kind of fat issue,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs and his colleagues found that people with very large waists (47 inches or larger in men, 42 inches or larger in women) had approximately twice the risk of death compared to those with the smallest waists (35 inches in men, 30 inches in women) during the study period.

Give yourself the best chance to live a long, healthy life! Transform your body to lean.

If you lose 20 pounds in 10 days using severe calorie restriction with no exercise (you probably won't have the energy to exercise), just about all of that weight loss will be lost muscle mass.

Increase your muscle mass (with regular strength training) to permanently speed up your metabolism. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. You need to build a lean body that will give you good health and one that will last through the years of your life. If you rush the fitness process, it won't work.

Here are 4 tips to help you transform your body:

1. Make the commitment to a lifetime of fitness and not just to a 4-week or 8-week exercise plan.

And, you can't just go to the gym and "haphazard" your way to fat loss and weight loss success.

A good fitness plan is based on basic science, research and evidence. A good fitness plan is also unique for every person. Two people following the same program will get different results because of individual differences.

Don't underestimate the value of a personal trainer. Besides helping you visualize your fitness and health goals, a personal trainer will give you expert guidance and feedback. A personal trainer will also be your accountability partner.

2. Be honest with yourself (like why your fat loss efforts failed in the past) and set realistic fitness goals.

3. Improve your eating habits day by day based on a sound nutrition plan. You may need to make small changes at first. An example would be to cut out processed foods and replace them with whole, natural foods. You may need a pantry makeover!

Don't starve yourself (severe calorie restriction). This will only encourage your body to store fat because it thinks you are starving. Eat small meals every 3-4 hours to keep your body energized and to keep your metabolism humming.

Forget the quick weight loss gimmicks--they lead to yo-yo weight loss and even more weight gain! There are no quick solutions to permanent fat loss and weight loss.

4. Adjust your lifestyle to "fit in" exercise. That doesn't mean you need a gym membership. You need to be intentional about staying active (like walking every day) and exercising regularly. A home workout will do the trick.

Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

3 Reasons Intense Workouts Tone Your Body Faster

If you have no time to waste working out....make your workouts more fat-burn effective by ramping up the intensity! This will shape and tone your body faster. That's what you want right? You want to look and feel your best--sooner rather than later!

Get more progress with your fat loss and weight loss by working out smarter, not longer. Make it a goal to be finished with your workout in 45 minutes or less. Talk to your friends after your workout.

Let's get right to it...here are 3 Reasons Intense Workouts Shape and Tone Your Body Faster:

1. Doing these types of short burst workouts will change your hormones allowing your body to naturally regulate fat burning, appetite and moods.

Short burst workouts, such as interval cardio and circuit weight training had these advantages over the low-to-moderate intensity workouts: a) more release of fat from cells, b) more fat used as fuel during exercise and c) increased metabolic rate after exercise. All it takes is 20-30 minutes of workout time.

FREE Report, Free Report: How to Knock 20 Years Off Your Body. You will learn the top ways to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

For instance, do your interval cardio "on land" such as bodyweight cardio (examples: mountain climbers, burpees, leg circuits, etc.), jump rope and running in place. The key here is to speed up and shorten your cardio work to about 20 minutes. Research and my experience has proven that this type of cardio work is one of the best ways to tone up your body.

2. Doing this type of intense exercise will burn more calories and fat during and after your workout. Exercise Post-Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) causes your body to burn more calories and fat after a tough workout.

Your body has to work harder to get back to its pre-exercise state. Fat burning and metabolism can increase for up to 48 hours after your workout!

Research at Duke University, directed by Dr. Cris Slentz, supports high-intensity exercise for better fat loss. The eight-month study showed that people could lose weight with exercise and no dieting. Those who exercised intensely (especially using interval training) lost much more fat than those who exercised moderately.

3. Long, traditional 1-2 hour workouts can have a negative impact on hunger and stress hormones which can cause increased appetite and cravings for sugary and other fatty foods.

Forget about weight loss and concentrate on fat loss. Build muscle mass, burn fat, change your body's composition and permanently speed up your metabolism so that you burn more calories during workouts, during the day and at rest.

As time moves on, make frequent changes to your exercise routine or your body will adapt. That's when your progress begins to stall. There are many things you can do to change up your routine such as choosing different exercises, rest periods, supersets, speeds, etc. You can change up exercises every workout if you want (but not necessary).

Here are 3 high intensity workout methods to burn more fat and calories:

Trainer's Note: Strength train your movements and not just your muscles. Bodyweight strength exercises are good for this purpose. You will burn more fat because you will be training all muscle groups. Some call this functional strength training.

1. Add more one-legged strength exercises such as step ups, single leg squats, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, single leg good mornings and single leg medicine ball exercises to your workout routine.

These types of exercises are more intense than two-legged exercises. Doing these exercises with circuit weight training using supersets (with lighter weights) adds even more intensity to your workout.

Rotate heavy and light lifting days. According to the research, doing heavy weight lifting will give you exercise-induced testosterone increases. Of course, this will help you build muscle mass. Women can lift heavy weights without fear of getting too bulky. Your repetition range for exercises should be between 3-5 (you would have a difficult time lifting these repetitions). You would typically do 4-5 sets of each exercise.

Doing some of these exercises with your eyes closed will improve limb position sense (proprioception), balance and will help you burn more fat and calories. Balance training also improves your core strength.

One last strength training tip would be to do combinations of one-arm and one-leg exercises such as single leg squat-to-single arm shoulder press.

2. Add more intensity to your workouts by exercising your body in all 3 planes of motion. This also improves your multi-planar balance.

An example would be a grouping of walking lunges, side lunges and transverse lunges.

Want more intensity? Exercise on different surfaces such as grass, sand, astro-play and soft surfaces.

3. Do cardio blasts. This is a very intense form of exercising. You will get great fat burning results.

Cardio blasts could work this way: between each weight training exercise set, do 30-45 seconds of a high speed cardio exercise like jump rope, mountain climbers, sprints or squat jumps.

Devote more time to strength training and less time to cardio. That way, you will build more muscle mass, burn more fat and lean out your body faster.

Ready to get started?

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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10 Top Lean Body Building Exercises

To get the lean body you want and need, you must do regular full body strength training and burn fat on your total body. Just spot training your abs or upper body will not get the job done.


You should strength train your muscles with all contraction types (eccentric, isometric, concentric). All muscles function eccentrically (reduces force or deceleration), isometrically (stabilizes force) and concentrically (produces force).

And, you should train your body in all three planes of motion to give your body its 3-D shape and prevent injuries.

Short, interval cardio sessions, like sprint intervals, will also burn max fat and help lean out your body. Do interval training 2-3 days a week (you can also use bodyweight strength exercises to do intervals). Either way, you won't get bored with this type of cardio!

Having said that, here are 10 top exercises that will help you burn fat and sculpt your lean body:

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

1. Squats - Research shows that the abdominal muscles are engaged more when doing squats than they are doing many of the more popular ab exercises.

Squats require stablization in the body's core muscles in general, not just the abs. The other benefits of squats (strengthens quads, gluteals, hamstrings,etc.) are well known. So, the next time you do squats, brace your torso (like getting ready to take a punch) and work on those abs!

Squat variations: bodyweight, Bulgarian (pictured below), overhead barbell, dumbbell, front, lateral and split---do them all. Bonus: do squat jumps regularly!

Lunges and deadlift are also top exercises you should do regularly.

2. Standing Shoulder Press - This is one of the best exercises to work the entire core area (just brace during execution).

3. Bentover Dumbbell Rows - If you're trying to build up back muscles and burn back fat, bentover dumbbells rows should be in your routine. Rows allow you to work your lats using heavier weights. Your lower back will be worked more if you row with both arms at the same time. Your obliques will also get quite a workout.



If you experience back pain doing two-armed rows, then try doing one-armed rows so you can support your body with the other arm.

Do two-armed bentover dumbbell rows this way:

--With your feet about shoulder width apart, bend over and grab the dumbbells. Keep your back straight (don't bow or arch back) and keep your head in line with your torso. Look straight down during the exercise.

--Pull dumbbells up to your side until they make contact with your ribs. Keep your elbows close to your side during the exercise. As you pull the dumbbells up, squeeze your shoulder blades together.

--Don't curl the dumbbells as you lift. Curling will allow too much use of your biceps. This is primarily a back exercise. Return the dumbbells until your arms are fully extended. That is one repetition.

4. Pullups with Knee Raises - The pullup is not just a back muscle exercise. Pullups work your lats (and other back muscles), core, shoulders, arms, chest, biceps and improve grip strength. That's why you should be doing pullups. Brace your torso during execution of the exercise.

--Grab the pullup bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), arms straight and a little wider than shoulder width.

--After doing the pullup, lift both knees together until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold 2 seconds.

--Slowly return to start position.

5. Hanging Leg Raises - There is a reason you see more people doing ab crunches instead of hanging leg raises! The hanging leg raise and its variations is very tough to execute. Gymnasts have been doing hanging leg raises for decades. You will need core strength, arm strength and grip strength to perform the exercise correctly. If you can't do one hanging leg raise, you need to strengthen your core, back, arms and grip.

--Hang from a bar using an overhand grip with arms straight and shoulder-width apart. Let your legs hang straight down.

--Contract your abs and make sure that your back remains neutral with natural arch. Keep your head still and looking straight ahead. Raise your legs to the midpoint of your body using your abdominal muscles. Don't swing your legs up and use momentum to do the exercise. This is a controlled strength exercise.

--Hold for 2 seconds and slowly lower your legs. That is one repetition.

Beginning exercisers can start by trying to bend the knees up to the chest. Intermediate exercisers are able to do a straight leg raise up to the midpoint of the body. Advanced exercisers can usually raise straight legs up to the head or "windshield wiper" bent knees to the left and right.

6. Ball Plank - You need to do isometric core exercises. This is a surprise to many people. Isometric core exercises build up the deep stabilizing muscles and give tone to your entire core area. Isometric exercises help you build strength and burn fat without moving much.



Isometric contractions can be described as a type of muscle contraction where your muscles develop tension without changing length. For example, pushing against a wall and holding for 30 seconds causes an isometric contraction.

Isometric exercises cause most if not all of your muscles to work during an exercise. To do the ball plank (pictured above), you get into position and hold for a period of time (like 20 seconds). So, many core exercises are great isometric exercises.

7. Cross-Body Mountain Climbers - This exercise will build strength and help tone your "six pack" and obliques. Cross body mountain climbers also work the calves, quadriceps, glutes, back, chest, triceps and shoulders. You will need high levels of core strength to do this exercise the right way for each set.





--Start by getting in the push up position with your arms fully extended. Keep your hips and torso in a straight line. Don't let your hips sag and don't point your butt in the air during this exercise.

--Do the exercise by moving your left knee straight up and across your body to the right armpit area (keep your abs braced). Also, don't let your foot touch the ground as you do the movement. Move your left leg back to the starting position and repeat with your right leg. Alternate your leg movements until you have completed all repetitions.

8. Ab Ball Jackknife superset with Ab Ball Rollout

This challenging superset will improve your strength, balance and coordination.





Do the ab ball jackknife this way:

--Place both shins on the stability ball with both hands on the ground (arms straight). Keep hands a little wider than shoulder width. Keep your body in a straight line from head to feet.

--Roll the ball toward your chest with your legs together. Bend your knees to your chest as far as you can. The movement should be controlled and steady throughout.

--Roll the ball back to the starting position. That's 1 repetition.

Do the ab ball rollout this way:

Finish

Start

--Start with the ball in front with your elbows on the ball.

--Roll the ball out slowly and keep your abs braced (as if taking a punch to the gut). As you straighten your torso you will feel your abs stretch and extend. Return to the starting position.

Don't be afraid to try this superset! You will see results fast.

9. Medicine Ball Throws - These exercises are great full body movement exercises that can be done at full speed. This helps you burn fat and activates your shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. Some good exercises are:

--Soccer throw
--2-Handed Chest Pass
--Rotational Throw
--Slams
--Squat and Scoop Throw

10. Farmers Walk with Dumbbells - Do the farmer's walk with a pair of heavy dumbbells (not like the light ones I'm carrying in the picture below!).

It is one of the best full body exercises going. Be sure to keep a strong, upright posture throughout the walk. Hold the dumbbells by your side, walk 20 yards, rest 10 seconds and walk back 20 yards. That is 1 repetition.

Get busy working with the program below:

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

As Your Brain Ages, Keep It Healthy

Just as you keep your body healthy with exercise, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle habits, you can do things to keep your brain healthy as you age. Read the infographic below to see how (click on the image for a larger view):


Presented by: Term Life Insurance Resource

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Obliterate Stubborn Belly Fat With This Nutrient

Obliterate Stubborn Belly Fat With This Nutrient

By: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

Carbs, carbs, carbs. That’s what everyone seems to want to talk about. How do I avoid carbs?

Well, what you should be talking about instead is, "How do I get more lean Protein into my eating plan?"

More and more research is coming out showing that protein is a major player in your weight loss success. One way it does this is through the “thermic effect” of food. Some of you may have heard of this term, but don’t really understand what it means.

The definition of the thermic effect of food is the increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) above your resting metabolic rate due to the cost of digesting your food for storage and use.

Every time you consume food your body burns calories to digest that food. The interesting thing with this is your body does not require as many calories to digest carbohydrates and fat as it does protein.

For every 100 calories of carbohydrates or fat you consume your body only requires about 3-7 calories to digest those carbs and fat. If you consumed 100 calories of protein your body requires around 24-28 calories to digest that protein.

So roughly your body burns potentially up to 30% of the protein calories you consume just to digest that protein and only 3-7% of the carbs and fat you eat and digest.

This can be significant when it comes to successfully losing weight as you can see from this research study.

In 2005 a study conducted at the University of Illinois studied the interaction of 2 diets (high protein, reduced carbohydrates vs low protein, high carbohydrates) with exercise on body composition and blood lipids in women during weight loss.

The study was a 4-month weight loss trial and the diets were equal in total energy, but differed in protein content and the ratio of carbohydrates to protein.

The exercise comparisons were lifestyle activities which was the control vs a supervised exercise program of cardio and resistance training.

Subjects in the Protein and the Protein + Exercise groups lost more total weight and fat mass than the Carbohydrate and Carbohydrate + Exercise groups. They also tended to lose less lean body muscle as well.

The exercise increased the loss of body fat and preserved lean muscle.

This study demonstrated that a healthy diet plan with higher protein and reduced carbohydrates combined with exercise improved body composition during weight loss.

Other studies have replicated these results and have shown that a higher protein diet of at least 1.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight and reduced carbohydrates of 120-200 grams per day appear to enhance and improve weight loss due to a higher loss of body fat and reduced loss of lean body mass.

Short-term studies report beneficial effects that include:

1. Satiety (fullness)
2. Increased thermogenesis (faster metabolism through the thermic effect of food)
3. Sparing of muscle protein loss (less lean muscle loss)
4. Improved glycemic control (your body uses the sugars more for energy instead of storing them as fat)

These results are likely occurring from lower carbohydrates, which result in lower blood glucose levels as well as higher protein providing increased Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine levels.

Increased protein intake also triggers the hormone glucagon, which is the counteracting hormone to insulin and helps to keep your insulin from spiking. This minimizes your chances of storing blood sugars as fat.

A key element in a higher protein diet appears to be the higher levels of the Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine and its regulatory actions on muscle protein synthesis, controlling your insulin signal and the ability to use glucose for energy rather than fat storage.

If you are like many weight loss seekers you do not eat enough protein in your healthy diet plans and especially not enough protein that contains the key Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine.

Saying you are going to eat a high protein diet for the next 3 months is great, but that isn’t going to help you with long-term weight loss. Essentially you need to maintain a higher protein diet long-term and the research studies are showing that long-term weight maintenance is better when following a higher protein diet compared to a moderate to high carbohydrate diet.

Now the biggest obstacle is consuming enough protein. Some are not big meat eaters and that is fine, but it does make it harder to get in the suggested amount of lean protein required to maximize your fat loss and long-term weight maintenance.

This is where a protein shake can be beneficial to your overall success.

A cold-processed protein powder that also contains plenty of Branched Chain Amino Acids particularly Leucine is what you want to look for so that you can benefit from the lean muscle growth, increased metabolism, and accelerated fat loss. Make sure it is cold-processed protein because many cheaper protein powders use heat in their processing methods. What this does is damage the fragile protein molecule and make the protein molecule less active and functional. Essentially you get protein that is not as effective as it could be.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Top 5 Trans-Fat Filled Foods You MUST Avoid

Losing weight and protecting yourself from chronic diseases is VITALLY IMPORTANT.

Many of the foods you eat may pose SERIOUS risks to your health and weight loss goals.

Food manufacturers today may be in the business of deceptive marketing.

Some have changed their ways, while others have not.

The changes that have been made may reduce your risk.

For those who have NOT changed, their products may SLOWLY lead to inflammation and increase your heart disease risk.

Chronic inflammation may lead to heart disease, diabetes metabolic syndrome and obesity

But there is ONE ingredient especially bad for you: that is trans-fats.

And these trans-fats are found in more foods than you would think!

Trans-fats

Trans-fats are made through a chemical process called hydrogenation.

Manufacturers add hydrogen to unsaturated fats to break down their double bonds.

The goal is to produce partial or full saturated fats.

However, since this is not a natural process, but a chemical one, the fats are not completely hydrogenated.

This may produce a trans-unsaturated fat, which is not a completely saturated fat.

Trans-fats may be associated with increased inflammation in your body.

Inflammation may increase your risk for chronic diseases by increasing inflammation in your body

Trans-fats may increase LDLs and decrease HDL cholesterol, posing a risk to your HEART and CARDIOVASCULAR SYTEM.

Here are the top five trans-fatty foods to avoid:

Food #1: Meat Sticks

Have you ever “Snapped into a Slim Jim”?

If you have, you may be wary of meat sticks in the future.

You may be ingesting anywhere from 1 to 2 grams of trans-fats per serving.

You may also be increasing your SODIUM intake, possibly leading to increased BLOOD pressure.

And increased blood pressure may increase your RISK FACTORS.

Food #2: Margarine

Which is better: butter or margarine?

Butter should be the obvious choice.

Margarine contains hydrogenated oils which may increase your trans-fats and saturated fats.

This may increase your risk factors for heart disease.

Food #3 Frozen Dinners

Sodium is not the only thing you need to worry about with frozen dinners.

Now you need to worry about trans-fats.

Trans-fats may be used as an additive to foods to improve the consistency of the product.

It may also keep your food more stable.

But what it might really do: is add to your trans-fat intake.

Food #4: Packaged Pudding

This dessert favorite in the lunchroom at school, may potentially be putting your children (and YOU) at risk.

Packaged pudding may include ingredients such as non-fat milk or low-fat milk.

But the secret ingredient may be the partially hydrogenated oils found in these snack treats.

And this poses a risk not only for you, but also your family.

Food #5: Nondairy Creamers

You make your eggs.

You make your coffee and your oatmeal.

But what you put in your COFFEE may be misleading.

Non-dairy creamers may include trans-fats.

And most of them claim to be trans-fat free.

But take a closer look at the label, and you might be SHOCKED.

Halfway down the list, you may see an ingredient that may increase your intake of trans-fats.

Most, if not all, contain partially hydrogenated oils.

And that means: you are taking in trans-fats, and you may not even know it!

Other foods that contain trans-fats which you should limit in your diet:

• French fries

• Fried food of any kind

• Canned frosting

• Pie and pie crusts

Lower Your Heart Disease Risk

Trans-fats may increase your risk for developing heart disease.

Trans-fats may raise your LDL cholesterol and decrease your HDL cholesterol, and might even lead to inflammation.

The good news is: Most food manufacturers have reduced trans-fats found in their products.

However, some products still may include ingredients which may increase your intake of trans-fats.

Limiting your intake of these foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables, may significantly reduce your risk for developing heart disease.

Including lean proteins and essential fatty acids may also reduce your risk factors.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES at My Fitness Hut

Hill Country Ride for AIDS Adds First-Ever Run Component

Austin, TX - The Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which features cupcake and popsicle treats at pit stops and foot rubs at the finish line, is now adding a run to its annual cycling fundraiser.

For the first time ever, the Hill Country Ride for AIDS offers 5k, 10k and half marathon running routes for non-cyclists who want to be a part of the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in Central Texas.

All cycling and running trails will start and end at Reunion Ranch in Georgetown on April 28.

Runners will receive the same support offered to cyclists: individual help from a Hill Country Ride coach, training runs leading up to the big event to acclimate beginners, and routes that are fully supported by a wildly entertaining staff of volunteers.

"One great thing about this ride is that all ages and experience levels are welcome," said Executive Ride Director David Smith. "Adding a trail run means that even more can participate."

The Hill Country Ride for AIDS is a ride and run for the whole family, with special pricing for kids. Cyclists can choose the distance that best suites them: 13, 27, 53, 70 or 100 miles. Participants are welcome to both run and cycle, if they choose.

Voted "Best Bike Ride" for the last two years in the annual Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll, the Hill Country Ride for AIDS supports 10 local nonprofit organizations that provide critical services for people living with HIV and AIDS. Last year, 500 people participated in the ride, raising more than $600,000.

For more information about the ride and registration details, visit www.HillCountryRide.org.

About the Hill Country Ride for AIDS:

The one-day ride offers distances for all cyclists of all levels: 13, 27, 53, 70 or 100 miles. For the first time this year, 5k, 10k and half marathon running trails will be included. The event is a ride, not a race, so anyone can participate. All routes are fully supported by enthusiastic volunteers offering drinks, food, bicycle-repair assistance and rides for stranded cyclists. Children 8 years old and up can ride if accompanied by an adult, and kids of all ages may enjoy the Hill Country Adventure for Kids. Visit www.hillcountryride.org for more details about the Ride.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES at My Fitness Hut

Interview: How Is Your Metabolism Affected by Foods You Eat?

Interview: How Is Your Metabolism Affected by Foods You Eat?

With Isabel De Los Rios, The Diet Solution Program

Q: How important is it to eat based on your metabolism and eat the right foods for your metabolism? Do you touch
on this in your program?

A: Eating the right foods for your metabolism is so important, that it is the difference between losing weight and not losing weight. We are all individuals and so are our metabolisms. In order to pinpoint exactly which meal plan will work best, I have included a Metabolic Typing Test so my readers can determine exactly how they metabolize food and which foods are “fat burning” foods and which foods are “fat storing” foods.

The results of this test have been a true “AHA” moment for thousands of people, finally, maybe for the first time, finding why they have not been able to shed their unwanted fat before. What I teach in The Diet Solution Program is exactly what your body needs to maintain a lean and healthy body for a lifetime.

Q: Do you think people can lose weight on a fat free diet?

A: Definitely not. The no-fat craze clearly made most Americans (and many other countries) gain more weight than ever before. Why? Because the right kind of fat is essential to the body and without it, your body can not metabolize the fat you don’t want. So unless you feed your body the fats that it needs, it literally holds on to all the fat you don’t need (and don’t want!).

Eating a low fat or no fat meal plan is a huge mistake. Not only will you not lose weight but you may suffer from many conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. This is usually one of the most eye-opening chapters for most of my readers. They can’t believe they need to eat fat to lose fat and are amazed when they see the results first hand. Now, of course, eating unhealthy fats (like the ones found in French fries and burgers) is not the right approach. You must focus on the healthy fats (again, as Mother Nature intended).

Q: After reading The Diet Solution I discovered that I am a serious ‘Protein Type’ – what's the main thing I should do to increase my energy?

A: The main thing is not to be afraid of eating healthy fat and healthy proteins. Everyone thinks chicken breasts and egg whites is the only way to lose weight but, especially for a protein type, that is not the case. Actually a protein type may gain weight by only eating low fat proteins and a low fat meal plan. Someone like you needs whole eggs, dark meat poultry, beef, and healthy fats.

Q: What exactly is Metabolic Typing and why is it so important for each of us to know our metabolic type?

A: Metabolic typing is actually a very old science-based way to determine which foods respond best to your body. The best way to describe this method is: the foods that an Eskimo would eat are clearly different than the foods a native Hawaiian would eat. Why? Because their natural ancestors and their environment dictate how their bodies will process and digest food.

So, an Eskimo will need a meal plan higher in healthy fats to keep warm and a Hawaiian will need a meal plan higher in veggies and fruits to stay cool. Now, it is often not this simple. Each and every person’s metabolism responds very differently to all food and can vary greatly from person to person.

For example, I feel my best and stay at my ideal weight when I eat higher fat proteins along with lots of vegetables where as many of my clients do better with higher amounts of natural carbohydrates and lower fat proteins. My book provides a detailed, easy to answer test to determine your own personal metabolic type and then tells you exactly which foods are the best fit for you.

Q: Can people lose weight by just starving themselves?

A: Back in the caveman days, there were periods of feast and famine. Our bodies have a natural ability to make sure we do not die of starvation. This mechanism in our bodies holds on to every bit of fat and every calorie possible to keep us from dying.

This is obviously no longer a risk in most countries, but this mechanism is still present in our bodies. So when people starve themselves all day, the body sees this as a potential risk, and holds on to every calorie and fat gram it possibly can.

This is why people become extremely frustrated when they “don’t eat all day” and still don’t lose weight. I know it seems counterproductive, but the only way to truly lose weight and keep it off is to start eating. But not processed unnatural foods. Your body will respond best to natural, wholesome foods and LOTS of them.

Q: How do companies get away with selling products with harmful chemicals in them?

A: I hate to say this but most food and pharmaceutical companies are really only concerned with one thing: money. So if they were to actually teach people the real truth behind how to lose weight and take control of their health, most of the food products, supplements and medications on the market today would be completely unnecessary. Let’s be honest. No one is going to get rich selling apples, you know?

I think many of these companies are also feeding off people’s emotions. The more addicted they get people to their products and diet foods, the more money they will continue to make. But if you were to get someone to their ideal weight with natural foods like veggies, fruits and natural meats, there would be no food addictions to diet foods and chemicals, just good healthy eating.

Isabel is one of America’s top nutrition experts and educators and the author of The Diet Solution Program. She has helped hundreds of people lose weight.

Isabel is the owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey where she has personally educated and coached hundreds of people to realize their weight, health and fitness goals. As a nutrition specialist and lifestyle coach, it is Isabel’s passion to educate, motivate and inspire people of all types to take daily action in order to realize their physical and personal dreams and goals.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES at My Fitness Hut

4 Tips to Burn Fat Without Fat Burn Supplements

Burn body fat and lean out your body without spending a dime on fat burn supplements. These supplements either do not work or will only give you a short-term boost at best. Some of these supplements could harm your health!

Here are 4 Tips to Burn More Body Fat and lean and tone your body:

1. Make frequent changes to your workout program. Here are some examples:

---vary the workout intensity, repetitions and rest periods
---change the duration of your workouts
---change your exercise routine (try new exercises) every 1-2 weeks
---use different methods such as supersets, circuits and blasts
---use very little machine weight exercises and cardio machine routines (machines do too much work for you)

You don't have to workout for hours per session to get huge fat loss results! Shorten your weight training workouts to 50 minutes or less and ramp up the intensity. Shorten your interval cardio workouts to 20 minutes. Research has proven that short bursts are very effective fat burners.

Do as many compound strength exercises (with weights or bodyweight) standing up as possible. These types of exercises work major muscle groups and many times are full-body strength exercises. Squats, deadlift, lunges, standing bentover rows, squat-to curl-to press and bench press are great examples. Full-body core exercises like planks and side planks work well also. Spend less time posing on "mirror exercises" like bicep curls, calf raises and tricep extensions.

2. Shorten and intensify your interval cardio workout. Too many long, slow cardio sessions wastes time and eats away at your muscle mass. Short, intense interval cardio sessions also burn more fat and calories during and after your workout.

Some examples of good interval cardio exercises are:

--sprints on the ground (flat or incline)
--jumping jacks
--squat jumps
--stair stepper
--bodyweight exercises

3. Make needed changes to your eating habits! Its possible to have layers of fat on top of your muscles. Eat whole, natural foods. And, track your calories in a journal until you have a good idea of how you need to eat to burn fat.

Don't ruin great workouts by eating bad food with a million calories.

It will be easier to eat right if you plan your meals for the week. And, instead of eating out during the day, pack your food. This will protect you from binge eating and haphazard eating (i.e. grazing).

4. Take your fat loss to a higher level with jump (plyometric) exercises and workouts.

If you're having trouble sculpting your butt, hips and thighs, try more plyometric training. Plyometric workouts are advanced workouts. You need to perfect jumping and landing techniques or you will injure yourself. And, if you have knee and low back problems, high-speed plyometric training is not for you.

Effective fat burners are jump rope, squat jumps, lunge jumps, depth jumps, jumping jacks, tuck jumps, side-to-side hops and front-to-back hops.

Use these fat burners to lean out your body and keep the weight off!

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Exercise Smarter, Eat Healthier and Burn More Fat

You know the drill...exercise, eat right and so on....I'll just add exercise smarter, eat healthier on a consistent basis and you will burn more fat.

Exercise Smarter

1. Tough, smart workouts are mandatory to change your body. Total body fat loss is the key to burning more fat and transforming your body. To lose weight and keep it off, you must make a major commitment to strength training. In other words, "muscle up" (not bulk up) and the fat will melt away!

Not only will your body's composition improve (less fat, more muscle), it will improve your overall health (including bone density).

Strength training should be tailored to your body type. We all have a body type due to heredity and lifestyle choices. A fitness assessment is important because a personal trainer identifies postural weaknesses and muscle imbalances. The fitness program is then tailored to fit your needs. Without this assessment, you are "shooting in the dark."

Eat Smart and Healthy

2. Help control your hunger during the day so you don't overeat when you do eat. Do this by eating small meals every 3-4 hours (never skip breakfast) to keep your metabolism ramped up.

Another way to control your hunger pangs is to eat protein with every meal. You don't need to do protein shakes...just eat the right foods. Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady and helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your hunger doesn't spike so high.

If you feel fuller for longer periods, you will eat less and you won't binge eat if your hunger pangs are "not out the roof" when you do eat. Use your eating smarts!

If high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is one of the first items listed on the food packaging label then don't eat that food! This ingredient is found in many foods and drinks.

High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper for food manufacturers than regular sugar (sucrose) so that's why you see it so much on food labels. Sugary drinks, baked goods, frozen foods and even foods like ketchup are laced with this stuff. Nutritionists point to HFCS consumption as a major player in the nation's obesity crisis (the fact that we eat it is the real problem).

Why is HFCS so deadly? Here it is: the body processes the fructose in HFCS differently than it does regular sugar. It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you're full. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast)! So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time.

Take Care of Your Body

3. Life brings on stress. A certain amount of stress and tension helps you take on challenges and perform better. Too much stress (left unchecked) over a prolonged period is not good and it causes health problems and affects metabolism. Also, some people respond to stress better than others. One person might crumble under the same workload that causes another person to thrive.

Your body's normal state (homeostasis) is changed by stress. The hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are secreted in response to a stressful situation. The "fight or flight" response to stress is intended to give you the energy to take on or run away from a particular situation. Stressful situations that go on for months or years signals to your body that the normal state includes excessive amounts of adrenaline and cortisol.

As it relates to metabolism, adrenaline makes the fat cells more efficient at turning fat into energy and speeds up metabolism. On the other hand, cortisol increases the amount of glucose in the blood and creates more energy. If you have an office job (and don't exercise), this excess adrenaline and cortisol builds up. Unused excess energy will be stored as fat.

Chronic stress or stress with no end in sight has major health implications. Adrenaline will continue to be secreted but the body and the fat cells will build up a tolerance to it. This means that the fat cells won't be converted to energy and cortisol will continue to increase glucose in the blood. This means the fat gain and weight gain begins to happen if left unchecked.

Life continally has stressful situations and life sometimes brings unavoidable prolonged stress. Regular exercise helps me to deal with stress and brings my body back to the true normal state (or as close as possible).

Many of you don't have the willpower to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals. There are many reasons for this. I won't play doctor here but your motivation needs to be right and realistic. Unrealistic goals (like lose 30 pounds in 10 days) can leave you mentally and physically exhausted with disappointing results.

One thing I do know: MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO HEALTH AND FITNESS BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH IT! Focus on fat loss (transforming your body) and not weight loss.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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