Real World Fat Burning

by MealPlans101

As you've already picked up by now, your healthy eating routine and effective exercise program does not just come in a bottle; it's not just pop a pill and watch the fat melt off.

No, real world fat burning takes a bit of work on your part.

However, with that said, and after all you've learned now about ineffective and bogus "fat-loss products" can be, you are going to see that there are dietary ingredients out there that can give you a metabolic edge.

 But first you have to eat well -which includes whole, minimally processed, barely packaged foods, and engage in consistent effective exercise – which includes a mix of both strength and cardio routines, almost every day.

If you don't do that, don't bother with any diet pills, because they just won't work.

Before we get into weight loss ingredients specifically, know that on top of a good diet, some dietary supplements that are essential for your body are always important for healthy and sustained fat loss:

First, a multi-vitamin and mineral blend, which helps cover any nutritional losses you may have, and ensures you have all the vitamins and minerals you need to have the strongest metabolism possible. Prograde VGF 25+ is one of the best.

Second, an essential fatty acid product, such as that from krill oil, fish oil, or flax, to meet your body's needs for these special fats which are important for proper metabolic functioning. Look to Prograde EFA Icon for your omega-3 needs.

Once these bases are covered, and you're consistently eating well and exercising intensely, you can look at scientifically-based metabolic boosters proven to help you realize your body composition dreams.

Download your Free Report, "What to Never Eat After You Workout!" Fuel your body all day to give you better results during and after workouts.

Metabolic Boosting Ingredients that Actually Work

By now you may be skeptical and wonder if anything that comes in a bottle can actually help you burn more fat and look your best. But, just because there are a lot of scams out there, it doesn't mean that nothing effective exists.

In truth, there are ingredients that can help increase the amount of calories you burn each day, on top of the calories you're already burning, by being active and eating the right foods.

And, these ingredients are found to be effective through carefully controlled scientific experiments, not some shoddy manufacturer's claim stating that you'll lose 10 lbs. in 10 minutes, or something ridiculous like that.

Without further adieu, let's look at five metabolism-boosting ingredients that are proven to help you look good on the beach and feel even greater in your clothes.

Some Like It Hot: Capsaicin

It's said that, "Variety is the spice of life." But we say that spicy foods give more variety to your life by allowing you to wear all of your favorite clothes and feel more comfortable in your skin.

That's right, spicy foods like Chile peppers contain a special fat-blasting compound called capsaicin.

Capsaicin is found within the fleshy parts of peppers that holds the seeds, mainly the pepper membranes.

In fact, the seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith around the seeds.

What's even better (especially for your taste buds) is that many scientific studies that show benefits of capsaicin for fat loss are done in a pill form – that's right, you don't have to set your tongue on fire to reap the benefits of hot pepper extracts. But, be our guest if you love Fire-Death Hot Sauce on your Omelet, because that can help fight fat too.

Capsaicin has been demonstrated in several different scientific investigations to significantly boost energy expenditure, so more calories are burned throughout the day, above and beyond eating well and exercising often. For example, Korean researchers found that red pepper extract added to a breakfast meal, boosted metabolic rate by 25% for 30 minutes after eating. This kind of boost could help you burn more body fat in just a few weeks.

Red pepper extract also can help you eat less by reducing your appetite. Researchers from the Netherlands gave men and women a supplement with 0.9 g hot pepper 30 minutes before meals. The pills helped the subjects eat significantly less and feel fuller. Similarly, Quebec researchers showed 0.9 g of encapsulated hot pepper given to study participants before a meal ate 8.5% less food, mostly from eating less fat.

Another added bonus is actual fat loss – people given 0.4 mg capsaicin plus green tea for two weeks showed a significant drop in body fat of about 0.5 kg on average for each person. The way it may have done this is a direct effect on fat cell growth, as cell culture studies have shown capsaicin deters the differentiation of body fat cells.

Overall, supplements containing this fiery extract are clinically proven in many ways to help you fight body fat and get the lean look you've always wanted.

However, they work best when combined with other metabolic-boosting ingredients. Read on to find out how.

Raspberry: Not just the fruit, but what is in the fruit

A potent nutrient, Raz K , works to help mobilize stored fat and move it to the surface of the cell. Once there, the fat cell is broken down, sending it on its way to other areas of the body.

Raspberry ketones are a natural phenolic compound found in raspberries. They can increase lipolysis, which is the breakdown of triacylglycerides into a more usable form. So, it comes as no surprise that Raz K can also: release adiponectin, aid in fatty acid oxidation and, of course, lipolysis.

Research done by Park, determined rats who consumed a high-fat diet in combination with raspberry ketones, stunningly showed no additional increase in body weight or body fat. They also showed an increase in lipolysis, or the breakdown of fatty acids in the cell, shipping it to other areas for energy.

In a similar study, Morimoto et al. discovered rats fed a high-fat diet showed a build up of triglycerides in the liver. Those same rats were fed the same exact fat-enriched diet, this time with the addition of raspberry ketones. What they found will shock you!

By adding raspberry ketones, the rats fed the same high-fat diet did not increase their body weight. They also did not increase liver weight. They actually decreased their weight and the amount of fat in their livers, even though fat in the livers increased prior to the addition of raspberry ketones. Their final conclusion: raspberry ketones can prevent and improve obesity and fatty livers!

Stimulation of your -cells and which synephrine is safe

An extract of citrus fruit, citrus aurantium, has been used widely as a way to aid in weight loss. In the 1990s, ephedra was a potent stimulate for fat burning. Due to adverse reactions, ephedra was pulled from the shelves, only to be re-released. During the ephedra-free time, people were looking for an alternative to speed up metabolism and burn more fat. People then turned to citrus aurantium, commonly referred to as bitter orange.

Citrus aurantium is a natural beta adrenergic agonist, which means it stimulates -cells to do their job.  This powerful nutrient has many adrenergic amines which can increase metabolism, stimulate lipolysis, and allow more amino acid to be used by skeletal muscles.

Bitter orange and blood pressure have been one area of concern. One side effect of ephedra was an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. A component in bitter orange, synephrine, is closely matched to ephedra in chemical structure. People feared a similar increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

Therefore, supplements were running into the same problems which faced ephedra.

However, to put your mind at ease, research done by Seifert et al. determined bitter orange does not raise blood pressure or heart rate, but instead, did increase resting metabolic rate and fat oxidation (breakdown) in certain populations.

Recent research, completed in April, found similar conclusions as Seifert! Research done by Stohs et al. determined bitter orange containing p-synephrine (Advantra Z), appears to be safe with no adverse reactions linked to its use. They also mentioned millions of people consume citrus-related products which contain synephrine (Advantra Z) with no reported adverse effects to date.

So how does it work?

When -adrenergic agonist is introduced, it stimulates cells to begin the process of lipolysis. Research by Fisher et al. determined prolonged exposure to -agonists increased fat oxidation and adipocyte activation, but it also increased energy expenditure through brown adipose tissue. The theory behind the brown adipose tissue was the increased activation of a specialized molecule found in the mitochondria.

Increased activation of uncoupling protein 1, uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, leading to an increase in energy expenditure. They also determined acute exposure to -agonists results in increased lipolysis and elevated metabolic rate.

To sum it up…

B-adrenergic cells are activated by hormones, which can be secreted by adipose tissue and adrenal glands, starting the process of lipolysis. -cells are found in adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue in both adults and infants. Both tissues, when stimulated, begin the process of breaking down fatty acids for increased metabolic rate and lipolysis (adipose tissue) and increase energy expenditure, which increases thermogenesis (brown fat) in the body.

Citrus aurantium (Advantra Z) can increase metabolic rate, thermogenesis in brown fat, and adds appetite suppression, leading to feeling full and satisfied after a meal. Citrus aurantium is safe and effective for losing weight and increases metabolism with no reported increases in blood pressure and heart rate.

As you've now learned above, there are at least 3 metabolism boosting ingredients that you can start adding to your fat loss program right now.  

Now, you can go right ahead and start adding these to your diet, but the problem is that many of these things are hard to eat every day. Or, if you can get them on your daily platter, you'd have to consume several teaspoons of hot pepper extract,  and somehow a specialized extract of raspberries.

Not that this is impossible, but you probably wouldn't do it often, nor enjoy it.

So, the easier solution is to look for a concentration extract of these items and take them consistently along with a great diet, an effective, regular exercise routine, and a positive attitude (think great, be great, right?).

That's where Prograde Metabolism comes in – the ingredients and doses in Prograde Metabolism are based off honest and real science done with human subjects and not cells or rats. Also, since its release last year, it has helped numerous men and women stick to a healthy eating plan and fat-blasting exercise routine and reach their goals of a leaner mid-section, stronger body and healthier physiology.

What's more, Prograde Metabolism is complemented with the B-vitamins B-6, B-12, and Biotin to keep your metabolism burning strong through essential, every day metabolic reactions necessary not only for fat-loss, but proper energy production.

So, if you're eating well, exercising right, and looking for something to complement these efforts, look for a product based off real research and actual results in human beings, like Prograde Metabolism. Before you know it, you'll be fitting into your skinny jeans and feeling fitter than ever.

Download your Free Report, "What to Never Eat After You Workout!" Fuel your body all day to give you better results during and after workouts.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

3 Steps to Solve the Weight Loss Puzzle

Are you tired of the weight loss puzzle and confusion promoted by businesses? Just look at 5 different weight loss infomercials and you will be confused. They are all selling you something different--their products!

Here are 3 steps to take today to begin changing your body:

1. What you need is the correct information to burn fat, lose weight and transform your body to lean and toned. There are no tricks, shortcuts or magic products that will change your body. Stop wasting your money!

You need to know how to lose weight or you will probably not be successful with long-term weight loss. Sure, anyone can starve themselves and lose 15-20 pounds in a week.

But, the weight will return with a vengeance as soon as you begin to eat normally again. You will gain more weight than you previously lost.

2. Weight loss management is a simple process---if you do it day in and day out. Its a process like any goal you are trying to reach. You don't reach your goals overnight! And, you didn't gain that weight overnight---it was a process too.

There are reasons why you become overweight or obese. All of the reasons have to do with behavioral habits such as: overeating, too little exercise, sedentary jobs, negative attitudes, limiting behaviors or following bad weight loss advice.

3. Whatever the reasons are for you being overweight or obese, you can change your weight gaining habits. You can start taking positive steps today to improve your health, burn fat and lose weight. Here are a few:

a. You can't leave exercise out of the equation. It is more important to burn body fat and lose inches than it is to lose weight. The goal is to transform your body to lean (to keep lost weight off for good). If you just lose weight without strength training, you will still have high body fat. And, it is highly likely that you will regain this weight and have even more body fat (weight cycling).

Doing a strength workout with supersets works well to burn fat. You would pair two non-competing exercises and do them back-to-back without rest between exercises. For instance, you could do a set of squats followed immediately by shoulder presses. Bench press followed by rows is also a good superset. This allows you to do more work in less time because the opposing muscle group rests while you are working the opposite muscle group.

Finally, rotate heavy and light lifting days to keep your body guessing.

Have your body fat percentage checked and your circumference measurements done by a trainer to see how much fat and inches you have lost. Do this body fat checkup once a week. Muscle weighs more than fat, so your body could be shrinking. Don't worry, the weight loss will take care of itself.

b. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal.

By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat.

Once you get a good feel for how you need to eat, you may not need a daily food journal.

c. Eat mainly whole, natural foods with one ingredient. Foods such as fruits, vegetables and lean meats have one ingredient, the food itself. Plan and pack your lunches and snacks instead of eating out at work. This will help you stay with your meal plan and prevent haphazard and graze eating. If you eat at a restaurant for dinner, check out the menu online so you know what to order. Most restaurants now have a "healthy foods" menu.

Start taking these steps today!

-Catherine Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine!

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

Snack Better with Real Food like Yogurt

Eat the wrong snacks and it could blow a hole through your fat burning and weight loss goals.  Empty calories leave you, well, empty and looking for your next meal too soon.

You could be gaining weight because of your snacks between meals. It doesn't have to be that way.

What you eat for snacks can mean the difference between out-of-control weight gain or weight loss management/fat loss.

Great tasting yogurt makes your smoothies healthier.  

If you want over 120 delicious smoothie recipes, download your Free Smoothies book now! 

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Why a '30-Day Weight Loss Only Diet' Won't Work?

Have you been on a "30-Day weight loss only" diet in January? How has it been working for you? If you lost weight, now what are you going to do? Another 30-Day diet? You still have a lifetime to go.

Why You Are Better Off Burning Fat

1. Being fit is much more than going on a diet. Fitness is a lifestyle designed to improve your energy, your health, your mood, your self image and your body composition (among other benefits).

Have you checked your body fat percentage? Fat loss is more important than your weight loss. Burning fat is what really changes your body to lean and toned. Its possible to be skinny and still have high body fat. Belly fat, in particular, is dangerous to your health.

A “30-Day weight loss only” goal is a short-term fix for your weight problem and will not ultimately help you attain your goals! Establish eating and exercise habits that will help you burn fat and lose weight for a lifetime.

2. The type of food you eat and timing of what you eat is very important for your metabolism to work properly. Your body needs adequate amounts of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) to function properly.

Here's some eating habits that will help you burn fat:

--Plan and pack your meals with whole, natural foods that you enjoy.

--Don't skip breakfast. It gets your metabolism revved up and helps you eat less the rest of the day.

--Eat every 3-4 hours to maintain your energy and keep your metabolism active.

--Eat your food on a plate, not in a bag or jar. It helps you eat less.

--Eat with a purpose, don't just graze.

--Eat protein with every meal. It helps you stay full for longer and helps keep carbs from spiking your blood sugar.

--Eat at least 2 servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.

--Don't assume that LOW-FAT means LOW-CAL, read the label.

--Eat heart-healthy fats. They are important for satiety and bodily functions.

--Don't eat fried foods.

--Limit alcohol consumption.

--If you eat at a restaurant, order healthy foods and skip the meal appetizers.

--Limit sugary and processed foods/drinks.

--Eat one serving at each meal.

--Eat healthy snacks, like raw nuts or low-fat yogurt, between main meals.

--If you stray from your meal plan, get back on it as soon as possible.

Good or bad nutritional habits don't just happen. Make an effort. You are what you eat.

Follow a nutritious meal plan based on your basal metabolic rate and calorie needs. You will never starve. You will eat enough to maintain your energy throughout the day and during workouts.

3. Increasing muscle mass is critical to permanently speed up your metabolism. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. And, increasing muscle mass will burn the fat off of your body.

Here is your February challenge:

a. Do full body circuit weight training 3 days a week (30-45 minutes a session).

b. Do interval cardio training 2-3 days a week (20 minutes a session).

Compare your body fat percentage at the end of February to your percentage at the end of January. Let me know the answer.

If you need Motivation and Accurate Information to make your best body.......

Be sure and download your FREE 7-Day Body Makeover Jumpstart e-Course, which shows you how to totally remake your body a healthy and lean fat-burning machine!

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

Daily Challenges of Back Pain: Non-Surgical Solutions

Discomfort while driving, trouble sleeping and pain when lifting: back pain can cause everyday activities to become quite a chore. Unfortunately, the majority of people will experience some type of back pain during their lifetime. Often we do not realize we are straining ourselves until it is too late. Even more often, we try to ignore the pain or deal with the symptoms rather than the core problem.

The causes vary widely from case to case. Lower back pain can be caused by strain and overexertion or by herniated or bulging discs. Similar things can cause upper back pain and middle back pain but it is more often times caused by overuse and poor posture. Many try to find back pain relief through exercise and medication, although it is often times not enough. Having good mattresses and taking time to rest helps most mild cases. However, staying in bed too long can end up making matters worse. When pain persists for long spans of time, many choose to seek medical attention.

Sometimes searching for relief seems hopeless; the following is a compilation of basic information you may find helpful if you suffer from back pain. We have also included information on some of the most popular and best ways to treat your pain. One supplement that we found helpful was actually created by someone who experienced chronic back pain himself. We hope you find the information valuable when trying to find pain relief and attempting to return to life as normal.


back pain

Deal with the tough questions and watch things start to change drastically for you.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Program 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

The Best Whey Protein

Whey protein is one of the best proteins to eat before or after a strength workout because it is quickly digested. One of the best ways to use whey protein is to include it in healthy, delicious smoothies.

 Source: Best Whey Protein Advices

If you want over 120 delicious smoothie recipes, download your Free Smoothies book now! You will also receive my Free download, "10 Tools to Help You Live Healthier!

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

5 Changes To Your Diet For FAT LOSS Success

by Kevin DiDonato, MS, CSCS, CES

What’s the easiest way to transform your body – almost OVERNIGHT?

Watch what you eat!

But, if you’re like most people, then your diet may not be the strongest part of your fat loss routine.

In fact, many people feel if you work just a little bit harder…

Or add another rep or set to your exercise routine….

Then everything you eat will just magically disappear, leaving you with a trim, toned midsection, and chiseled muscles.

But the TRUTH is: you CAN’T out exercise a poor diet!

It just doesn’t happen that easily!

Now, take a few seconds and let that reality sink in.

Done?  Great!

Now that you fully understand that you can’t outperform a poor diet, I want to offer you a simple, FIVE-step SOLUTION - that may transform your diet for the better.

5 Steps to a Better Diet

To start, I want to share with you a personal experience.

You see, I was once like you.  I feel that everyone at some point in their lives held a little bit of extra weight…

Didn’t like what they saw in the mirror…

And, were sick and tired or being SICK and TIRED about their FAT loss!

There wasn’t a day that went by, that I wasn’t frustrated with myself, for not looking like the person I DREAMT about.

Then one day, I decided enough was enough!

I searched high and low for the BEST weight loss secrets, tip, tricks, or solutions from every corner of the internet, weight loss gurus, and friends who were nutritionists.

I picked their brains over and over again!

It wasn’t until I discovered the five simple steps that I needed in order to accomplish the goals I was looking for.

I started slow…

Felt GREAT during it…

And, never looked back!

The result:

I looked in the mirror and saw something – or someone – that I hadn’t seen in years!

I was starting to see the person that I had dreamt about before!  Started to see definition where I least expected it!

So today, I want to share with you the five steps that helped me get to where I am today!

Step #1: Add REAL Fruits and Vegetables to Meals

Now this may seem silly, but the first step should be to replace the junk food – you know Snickers bars, cookies, or plain junk – to eating real fruits and vegetables.

You should carefully read the labels, making sure there aren’t foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup or other ADDED sugars.

You should walk straight to the produce section (and some farmers markets) and pick out fresh, ripe, fruits, and hearty green leafy vegetables.

And replace that junk food with these fresh fruits and vegetables.

The discovery that these fruits and vegetables are chock full of nutrients – that help BURN FAT – may be the main driving force to making this change.

It may take some time to get used to, but once you make the SWITCH, there is no going back!

Fruits and vegetables are both low in fat and low in calories, which make them a perfect addition to any mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.

Plus, including them in snacking or in meals may regulate blood sugar more effectively, which means there is less insulin for your body to use.

And, including simple carbs like fruits and vegetables – without all the added sugar – is just a smart move when you are looking to shed some extra fat.

Step #2: Quit the Fast-Food Addiction

Fast-food – which is full of processed white flours and sugar – is nothing but a death trap to your fat loss plans.

Fast food is filled with TONS of sodium, fatty protein, and TONS of calories – which can easily railroad your weight loss.

Not to mention, some studies – yes actual science – shows that fast food doesn’t fill you up or satisfy you long enough.

And this could easily lead to extra fat and weight gain – because you simply want to eat MORE!

Plus, your typical fast food meal may contain as much as one-third of your calories – for THE DAY!

Combine this with everything else you eat, and you are looking at a massive amount of calories and possible weight gain – especially FAT GAIN.

Step #3: Cut Back On Processed Whole Grains, Wheat, and Pastas

Do you hate to admit that you’re a pasta, bread, and dessert LOVER!

This step was may be by far the hardest!

But when you do your research, you may discover just how BAD processed flour and sugar is for you.

When wheat is processed, they strip the essential nutrients – like bran, fiber, minerals, and vitamins – that make wheat healthy.

Then they may chemically alter that processed flour by adding BACK the fiber, minerals, and other nutrients into the flour for added health benefits!

Also, discovering how today’s wheat is different from the wheat from 40 years ago was a true eye-opener!

Wheat today contains super starches, gluten molecules, and other things that may contribute to plenty of ill-health effects.

Again, studies show that today’s wheat may contain things that increase your risk for allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory processes.

Step #4: “Complete” Every Meal

It is a necessary step to complete every meal – and by complete – I mean to have a fruit and vegetable (simple carb), lean protein (grass-fed lean beef, wild-caught fish for example), and plenty of essential fats like olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids.

By completing your meal, you’re supplying your body with the right nutrients it needs to fight off inflammation and infections AND plenty of nutrition to keep you full, satisfied – and most importantly – burning FAT – ALL THE TIME!

This is by far the most important step in boosting your FAT LOSS.

Step #5: AVOID Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Nothing tastes better than a fizzing bottle of soda, or a full glass of your favorite fruit juice.

Sugar-sweetened beverages should be a no-no in any FAT loss plan.

Why?

Sugar-sweetened beverages may be responsible for putting on extra LBs – which is precisely the opposite of what you’re currently trying to do.

And think that diet soda or no-sugar added products are better? Well, you would be wrong.  Not only wrong, but DEAD WRONG!

Diet soda is nothing but added chemicals and preservatives that may cause cancer in some people.

Plus, the research points to diet soda as a main culprit in weight gain!

Why?

The studies say that people tend to crave SUGARY foods when they drink diet soda – which may ultimately lead you to GAINING weight – if you give in to those cravings.

Now, no sugar-added products DO CONTAIN SUGAR! All the label means is that there is no ADDED sugar to this product.

So if you’re drinking 100 percent natural, no sugar-added apple juice for example, then you are still getting the natural sugar that is found in apples!  Most people feel that when there is no sugar added that they can have as many cups as they want.

Well, the truth is, this will only lead to WEIGHT GAIN.

So make the switch to all-natural WATER!

Studies show that water not only fills you up (more water = less space in your belly for junk), but it may even lead you to choose healthier food options – such as fruits and vegetables.

These Five Tips Will SAVE Any FAT Loss Program

If you’re going to start these five tips – then you should start off slow.

Try not to jump into it and include ALL five tips at once!

It may work for short-term success, but for long-term success, it may not work at all!

Adopt one tip per week – or every two weeks – and see if you can reach all five tips by the end of the two months – or even three.

Small steps, like weekly or bi-weekly changes to your diet – may result in greater weight loss, because the changes you’re making are small and less daunting than trying to change everything all at once.

So for your health, including these five tips is not only smart, but sensible for ANYONE looking to change their overall eating plan.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Good Trans Fats vs. Bad Trans Fats

Artificial trans fats are one of the most prevalent poisons in our food supply; but most don't know that healthy natural trans fats DO exist.

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

I'm going to talk about something today that most of you have probably never heard... that there is a distinction between good trans fats and bad trans fats. There is some evidence that the good trans fats can help you with fat loss, muscle building, and even cancer prevention, while the bad trans fats have been shown to cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the general "blubbering" of your body.

I'm sure most of you have heard all of the ruckus in the news over the last few years about just how bad man-made trans fats are for your health. If you've been a reader of my newsletter and my Truth about Six Pack Abs e-book program, then you definitely know my opinion that these substances are some of the most evil food additives of all and are found in the vast majority of all processed foods and fast foods on the market today.

In my opinion, man-made trans fats are right up there with smoking in terms of their degree of danger to your health. After all, they are one of THE MAIN factors for the explosion of heart disease since approximately the 1950's.

With all of the talk about trans fats in the news these days, I wanted to clarify some things, particularly regarding bad trans fats vs. good trans fats. If you've never heard of good trans fats before, let me explain in a bit.

The Bad Trans Fats

First, the bad trans fats I'm referring to are the man-made kind. These are represented by any artificially hydrogenated oils. The main culprits are margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods, junk foods, and deep fried foods.

These hydrogenated oils are highly processed using harsh chemical solvents like hexane (a component of gasoline), high heat, pressure, have a metal catalyst added, and are then deodorized and bleached. A small % of the solvent is allowed to remain in the finished oil. This has now become more of an industrial oil rather than a food oil, but somehow the FDA still allows the food manufacturers to put this crap in our food at huge quantities, even with the well documented health dangers.

These hydrogenated oils cause inflammation inside of your body, which signals the deposition of cholesterol as a healing agent on artery walls. Hence, hydrogenated oil = inflammation = clogged arteries. You can see why heart disease has exploded since this crap has been loaded into our food supply over the last 5 to 6 decades.

As time goes on, and science continues to unveil how deadly these oils really are, I feel that eventually they will be illegal and banned from use. The labeling laws were just the first step. In fact, certain countries around the world have already banned the use of hydrogenated oils in food manufacturing or at least set dates to phase them out for good.

However, keep in mind that as companies are starting to phase out the use of hydrogenated oils in processed foods, they are replacing them, in most instances, with highly refined polyunsaturated oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, etc, etc. These are still heavily processed oils using high heat, solvents, deodorizers, and bleaching agents. Even refined oils are known to produce inflammation in your body...a far cry from natural sources of healthy fats.

Don't be fooled by the new onslaught of foods claiming "trans fat free"... if they use heavily refined oils (even if they're non-hydrogenated), it's still pure evil for your body, and very inflammatory.

Once again, for the best results, your best bet is avoiding highly processed foods altogether and choose whole, natural, minimally processed foods. Your body will thank you!

The Good Trans Fats

Ok, after having trash talked the man-made trans fats, let me clearly state that there is such a thing as healthy natural trans fats. Natural trans fats are created in the stomachs of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, etc. and make their way into the fat stores of the animals.

Therefore, the milk fat and the fat within the meat of these animals can provide natural healthy trans fats (best in grass-fed organic versions only).

Natural trans fats in your diet have been thought to have some potential benefit to aid in both muscle building and fat loss efforts. However, keep in mind that the quantity of healthy trans fats in the meat and dairy of ruminant animals is greatly reduced by mass-production methods of farming and their grain and soy heavy diets. Meat and dairy from grass-fed, free-range animals always have much higher quantities of these beneficial fats.

One such natural trans fat that you may have heard of is called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and has been marketed by many weight loss companies. Keep in mind that these man-made CLA pills you see in the stores may not be the best way to get CLA in your diet. They are artificially made from plant oils in a manner similar to hydrogenation, instead of the natural process that happens in ruminant animals. Once again, man-made just doesn't compare to the benefits of natural sources.

Here's a great site I found that I use to order all of my healthy grass-fed beef and other free range meats. The service is impeccable and they deliver right to your doorstep in a sealed cooler. It's worth it to know that you and your family are actually eating meat that's good for you instead of the normal grocery store junk.

Now that all of your labels should be listing grams of trans fat, keep in mind that if a quantity of trans fat is listed on a meat or dairy product, it is most likely the natural good trans fats that we've discussed here (*I only recommend grass-fed meat or dairy). Otherwise, if the quantity of trans fat is listed on any processed foods, it is most likely the dangerous unhealthy crap from artificially hydrogenated oils, so stay away!

One more important note about food labels and trans fat listings... keep in mind that food manufacturers are allowed to label a food "trans fat free" if 1 serving size contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat. So you may see some products with hydrogenated oils as one of their main ingredients, but if they make the serving size small enough so that it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, they can label it as trans fat free... now that's BS! just another example of our broken system!

-Catherine Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the popular ebook, Fat-Burning Kitchen, which shows you how to totally revamp your kitchen to make your body a fat-burning machine!

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

7 Tips to Use Athletic Workouts to Sculpt Your Body

You are an athlete and you can burn fat like one. Even if you don't make a living as an athlete, you can train your body with the intensity that athletes train with.

Athletes in speed and power sports are usually very cut and lean because most of their exercises are done with intervals at full speed.

Short bursts are proven fat burners and these athletes primarily train this way. We're talking workouts with major calorie and fat burn.

Note: I recommend doing speed and power workouts no more than 2-3 days a week to prevent injuries.

So, here are 7 tips to help you burn fat and sculpt your body faster:

1. Train fast. Ever wonder why sprinters are so cut and lean? You don't have to be fast to train like an athlete, just run as fast as you can. Limit long distance running and long, slow cardio sessions. Too many long, slow training sessions will waste away your muscle mass. Make this simple observation: Compare a sprinter's body to a marathoner's body.

If you are a long distance runner, regular strength training and some speed work should be a part of your program.

Among other benefits, speed and power exercises recruit more muscle fibers (mainly fast-twitch, bulky fibers) more frequently which helps the fat-burning process. Recruiting your fast-twitch muscle fibers during your workouts will give you a more lean, toned looking body.

Doing this type of 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.

Short, interval cardio sessions (like 20 minutes) will also give you superior heart health benefits when compared to long, slow cardio sessions.

2. Do plyometrics or jump training. Power and dynamic balance are the two best physical predictors of athletic success. Power is defined as the ability to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time (rate-of-force production).

Power can be trained for and improved. There is a point at which increasing strength will not result in an increase in power.

What about swimmers? How do they get so lean. They train fast and also do strength training.



With runners, they must train fast to become faster. Current research shows that the same is true for swimmers. Long swim training sessions actually inhibits power development.

Physiologist Dave Costill says:

“Most competitive swimming events last less than two minutes. How can training for three to four hours a day at speeds that are markedly slower than competitive pace prepare the swimmer for the maximal efforts of competition?”

To optimize strength and power, swimmers need to follow an exercise program out of the water that closely mimics their actions in the water. In other words, swimmers need to go workout in the gym too.

Research has proven that there is no speed advantage gained by swimmers continuing to do high-volume swim training (long practice sessions).

Strength training is critical for swimmers to maintain good posture and bone density.

3. Do quickness and agility drills. Exercises such as ladder drills help you change up your workout intensity with short bursts to burn fat faster. Quality workouts (and not time spent) are the key to fat loss and weight loss success.

Speed ladder drills will also improve your balance and coordination.

4. Strength train your body in all 3 planes of motion. Using strength exercises that require rotations, turning, twisting and side-to-side motions will fit the bill.

Muscle tissue is the most metabolically active tissue in your body. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. So, muscle mass is your top fat-burning tool. Work hard and build your body. By the way, fat is not metabolically active tissue.

Keep your metabolism more active at any age with these type workouts:

Do three strength training workouts a week. For example, on your Monday and Friday workouts, you will do full body circuit training with light (but challenging) dumbbells or bodyweight exercises. Your repetition range for each exercise will be 10-12. This type of weight training increases growth hormone in your body.

Growth hormone elevations during this type of exercise have been shown to decrease body fat and increase protein synthesis after exercise. Growth hormone helps promote tissue repair and muscle mass growth from strength training.

Exercises such as sprints and squat jumps also increase growth hormone release. These types of exercises would be perfect for your interval cardio and bodyweight cardio workouts.

Also, build muscle mass with heavy weight lifting. “Heavy” is relative to your body weight and strength. According to the research, doing this type of weight lifting will give you exercise-induced testosterone increases. Of course, this will help you build muscle mass.

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

Your repetition range for exercises will be 5-6 (you would have a difficult time lifting these repetitions). Your Wednesday workout would be with heavy weights.

Machine-based training concentrates on the sagittal plane (up-down, forward-backward movements). Do miminal training (unless you are rehabbing or a beginner) on machines because they limit your natural movement patterns.

Training in all planes of motion will definitely add intensity and variety to your workouts. Concentrate on compound (multi-joint) exercises like squats of all types, lunges of all types, bench press, rows, step ups, and deadlifts. These exercises work major muscle groups and help you build more muscle mass and burn more fat.

5. Athletes have tremendous core strength. Stabilize and strengthen the core to improve your performance and to prevent injuries. This can be done using exercises like bridges, planks, mountain climbers, ab ball rollouts/jackknifes, bird dogs, cobras, supermans and back extensions. Exercises like shoulder presses and front squats also work the core area in a major way.

You would later progress to full speed core exercises on your feet like medicine ball chops, medicine ball slams, 2-arm and 1-arm medicine ball throws and medicine ball rotational throws.

6. Include many bodyweight and dumbbell exercises in your workouts. This will help you exercise at higher speeds and burn more fat.

You can get to the heavier weights once your joints and muscles are stabilized and balanced. If you can't do bodyweight squats correctly then you won't do heavyweight squats correctly.

7. 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).

Eccentric contractions are able to produce the most tension development followed by isometric contractions and lastly, concentric contractions. If eccentric contractions are able to produce the greatest tension development, then more time should be devoted during training for eccentric contractions to reduce the risk of injuries such as knee ACL tears.

Also, strong eccentric contractions are critical for athletes to produce maximal power since all force production (concentric) must be preceded by force reduction (eccentric).

Lowering the bar on bench press 4 seconds (eccentric) and lifting the bar in one second (concentric) would be an example of eccentric contraction training. You could do the same thing with exercises like hamstring curls, shoulder press, rows and squats.

Improve your muscular balance. This will help you build muscle all over your body.

For instance, your quadriceps shouldn't be significantly stronger than your hamstrings. Likewise, the frontside of your upper body should have muscular balance with the backside of your upper body.

Train harder, smarter, safely and burn more fat with athletic workouts!

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

#1 Reason You Have Weight Loss Struggles

The outward signs of weight loss struggles are easy to spot---weight gain and worsening health, among others. But, what's the real reasons you are struggling with weight gain?

The answers to those questions will unlock your healthy, lean body for good! If you fail to deal with those questions, you will have difficulty reaching any goal.

The #1 Reason for Weight Loss Struggles

In my experience with clients and myself for that matter, negative self-talk will defeat any goal you are trying to achieve.

I work with clients every day—online and one-on-one---to help them reach their goals. It doesn’t matter if the goals are weight loss or weight gain---many times the clients’ goals are hindered by “something else” going on in their lives.

We all deal with social, psychological and other problems/pressures every day. Its hard to focus on your body transformation goals when other problems are “weighing you down.” And, the way you talk to yourself day-to-day is critical to your success.

Dr. Kevin Elko, an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Psychology (CBP), states it this way:

“Those are real fancy words (CBP) that mean I learned how to help change the way people conduct conversations with themselves. Changing the way you talk to yourself can totally revolutionize your life, but learning to do it can take some time and guidance.”

Yes, you may need expert guidance but first try talking positively to yourself.

You will end up believing what you continually tell yourself. And, it shows in your attitude and behavior.

Telling yourself phrases like "I can't," "I wish," "I will never," or "I quit" could easily be replaced by “I can” or “I will” or “what’s the alternatives.”

Yes, eating mainly whole, natural foods is very important if you want to change your body to lean. But, how will you train your mind to think differently about what you eat?

It starts with how you talk to yourself on a consistent basis. How about telling yourself you will start to replace the bad, unhealthy foods in your house with whole, natural foods? How will you begin to be more active and exercise regularly? The positive actions starts in your mind.

It is also important to surround yourself with positive people. It will only reinforce what you are trying to do. Research proves that you will be more successful with your fat loss/weight loss efforts if you have positive people holding you accountable.

Personal trainers, spouses, workout buddies and group exercise classes are great for holding you accountable. That means you must inform them of your intentions to transform your body!

Start to transform your body for good this time with the help of my FREE new book, "7 Questions to Help End Your Weight Loss Struggles."

Deal with the tough questions and watch things start to change drastically for you.

Download your FREE Book now! Get started today!

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

10 Tips to Kickstart Your Exercise in 2013

Don't make a New Year's resolution---kickstart your exercise for 2013 and never stop! That would be a real commitment....

So, here are 10 Tips to get your exercise kickstarted:

1. Clear your mind and refocus. You want to be healthier, right? Focus on this goal first. You want a lean body? Do it. If you stop now, you won't reach either goal.

2. Make sure your goals are realistic, such as keeping an active lifestyle, burning body fat (losing inches) and losing 1-2 pounds a week.

3. Start moving more during the day....all movement burns calories, so get moving already! Matter of fact, don't wait until your workout to get moving. Every burned calorie counts no matter how you get it done.

Here's some pointers to get you moving around all day:

--Walk during your breaks at work.

--Walk 20 minutes first thing in the morning or at the end of your day.

--Walk the stairs instead of riding in the elevator.

--Do exercises while watching your favorite television show.

--Do yardwork and house chores.

4.Start today with your great meal plan full of nutritious, whole foods that you like.

5. On Day 2, start a 20-minute interval cardio routine of walking, jogging or sprinting. Do this cardio 2-3 days a week.

For example, you could jog for 1 minute and walk 1 minute. Do this rotation for 20 minutes. Progress to sprint intervals when you are ready.

6. On Day 3, begin doing a 20-minute full bodyweight strength exercise workout. You need to build lean muscle in order to burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Do your bodyweight exercise routine 3 days a week.

Exercises like squats, lunges, inverted rows, pushups and pullups work well.

7. Schedule a fun activity each week such as a hike, jump rope games, hopscotch, volleyball, etc. If you do something like this more than once a week, that's even better. The purpose is to stay active with enjoyable activities.

8. Dance, dance, dance.....this is great full body exercise that's fun!

9. Start training for a charity walk or run. Many people use this tactic for motivation. You don't have to run a half marathon or marathon. It could be a 2-3 mile walk or run.

10. Try a group exercise class like spin or Zumba for fun and support.

Get started already! The FREE fat loss program below will help you.

Download your FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workouts now and take them with you. There are strength and cardio workouts in the e-book.

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

Bodyweight Core and Cardio Workout Torches Fat

A bodyweight core and cardio workout will help you burn more fat and build your six pack abs.

I recommend that you do your cardio session on a separate day than your strength workout because interval cardio drains you. My clients will use this type of workout all the time to vary cardio workouts and burn more abdominal fat and back fat.

A good bodyweight core and cardio workout only takes 30 intense minutes to complete but it is a proven fat burner. You don't have to do a million ab crunches to see results.

For example, research shows that the abdominal muscles are engaged more when doing squats than they are doing many of the more popular ab exercises. And, all it takes is bodyweight squats.

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.

Some other good bodyweight exercises are lunges, inverted rows (pictured above), pullups, pushups and step ups.

Isometric exercises are also good bodyweight exercises to burn fat without much movement.



Isometric exercises are very underrated and are great for building muscles, stabilizing muscles, building strength, improving power and burning fat.

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.

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).

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

So, here is a good bodyweight core and cardio workout (do each exercise 10 repetitions):

1. Prisoner Squats

2. Stability Ball Plank, 20 second hold

3. Step Ups, knee high platform

4. Decline Pushups

5. Side Lunges

6. Inverted Rows

Rest 3 minutes between circuits. Do the circuit 3 times.

And, remember, it does no good to burn 500 calories if you later eat 1,000 calories. In other words, you have to keep up with your nutrition goals or no workout will give you the results you want.

Try a core and cardio workout and burn more fat!

If you need bodyweight workouts that you can start at your own level, check out the Free download below (it has beginner, intermediate and advanced levels):

Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. 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

The Satiety Index - How Full Do You Feel?

A study has shown that high protein meals improve satiety, the feeling of fullness.

According to the study, higher protein intake results in greater satiety during the day along with reductions in both morning and late night appetite in comparison to a normal protein diet.

Other research has demonstrated that high protein diets that contain 18 to 35% of daily calorie intake coming from protein are linked to increased fullness and reductions in hunger the whole day as well as into the evening hours.   Apples have a good satiety index.

Satiety Index Infographic

Infographic by Column Five Media for Massive Health

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

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