How's that New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Going?

Are you about to give up on your weight loss resolution after just two months? Did you burn any fat in January or February? That's my question (not weight loss) for you two months into the New Year. If not, then you need to revise your exercise and/or nutrition plan.


I don't care if you haven't lost much weight yet. By now, your body fat percentage should have decreased by 5% to 10%. Lost inches and smaller body measurements will tell you that your body is shrinking and your program is working.

Here are 3 Tips to Keep your Weight Loss Resolutions for Good:

1. Don't place emphasis on weight loss instead of fat loss. Losing weight the healthy way is the only way. Health is more important than weight loss. Don't lose your health and self respect trying quick weight loss tactics.

Your goal should be to burn fat. Losing huge amounts of weight can be gained back quickly if you don't build muscle mass. Build muscle, burn fat, speed up your metabolism and lose weight (and keep it off).

Make the needed changes to your exercise program. Measure your body fat once a week to see if what you are doing is working.

If you hate your workout program, you will stop doing it at some point. If you love your workout program but have no perseverance when it comes to changing your body, you will find a reason to quit. You need both perseverance and enjoyment of exercise to reach your goals (and keep working to improve even more).

I find exercises and workouts that I enjoy. There are tons of exercises to choose from. Why do something you hate? I have never stopped doing something that I enjoy.

Do you hate 60-minute cardio sessions? Stop doing them. Twenty minute interval cardio sessions are more effective for fat burning anyway. Just look at all the types of cardio you can do: running, bodyweight cardio, jumping, power walking, biking, etc. Find some types of cardio that you enjoy and do those. You will be more successful.

The same rule applies to weight training exercises. On the days you don't "feel like exercising," you are more likely to do exercises you enjoy.

When it comes to exercise, research has proven that you are more likely to stay with your exercise program if you enjoy it. But, no matter how much you enjoy exercise, you still need perseverance to "keep it going."

Its the "bulldog mentality" that nothing is going to keep me from reaching my fitness goals. When you have those "bad days," its determination that will pull you through. A great combination to stay consistent with your exercise program---enjoyment and determination! Mix in a well-designed exercise and nutrition program and you will succeed.

2. Get help with your meal plan. Get your nutrition mainly from whole, natural foods. Add in supplements like multivitamins and fish oil to support your meal plan and improve your health. Makers of weight loss pills, fat burn supplements and quick weight loss plans continue to get rich because people keep buying the products that don't work long-term.

You will have to change your eating patterns. You will eat more nutritious food and you will eat every 3-4 hours to maintain your energy. You may actually be eating more food but fewer calories. You will eat enough to start building muscle and burning fat.

3. Get enough rest. If you don't sleep enough, your body won't function as well as it could. Your metabolism will not work properly and you will be fighting against your body. That means about 7-8 hours of sleep every night for most people.

If you need a kickstart to help you "get it going" again, see below:

Be sure and download my FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workout Book and torch body fat now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Drink Coffee Daily To Boost Your Fat Burning Hormones

by Kevin DiDonato, MS, CSCS, CES

Next to water and green tea, coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world.

In fact, there are over 113 million people who consume at least one cup of coffee per day.

It has been shown that coffee drinkers, on average, consume approximately 3.1 cups of coffee PER DAY.

Coffee has been linked to many positive health effects.

It has been shown, that regular coffee consumption may boost fat loss, reduce your risk for Type 2 Diabetes, reduce heart disease risk, and prevent you from having a stroke.

This may be due in part, to the antioxidant profile that is often times found in a cup of Joe.

Recent research has shown that coffee consumption may be linked to a reduced risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

However, other factors, like increased adiponectin levels, could provide benefits to not only metabolism, but for improving weight loss and inflammation levels.

Let me explain…

Health Benefits of Coffee

Coffee is not only full of caffeine, but it is also full of antioxidant compounds, called phenolic acid.

In fact, one cup of coffee may contain up to 350mg of phenolic acid, and the coffee bean itself, is made up of roughly 12 percent cholinergic acid, which is another type of phenolic compound found in coffee.

These specialized compounds have been shown to reverse oxidative stress and damage to your DNA typically caused by free radicals.

Free radicals, which are a normal byproduct of cellular metabolism, may increase low-grade, chronic inflammation levels in your body.

This low-grade inflammation has been linked to increased risk for chronic disease, altered immune response, and weight gain.

Inflammation has been shown to alter the release of powerful weight loss hormones, such as adiponectin and leptin, and instead, release pro-inflammatory cytokines that could further increase inflammation levels.

However, according to numerous clinical studies, regular coffee consumption may be linked to an increase in adiponectin levels and a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, which could boost weight loss and reduce inflammation levels.

Coffee and Adiponectin Levels
Adiponectin, which is a protein exclusively secreted by your fat cells, is responsible for improved glucose metabolism and increased fatty acid oxidation.

Weight gain has been associated with a decrease in adiponectin levels, and to some extent, leptin resistance.

In a healthy metabolism, both leptin and adiponectin levels rise and fall throughout the day.

However, if you are overweight, your body becomes resistant to leptin and your circulating adiponectin levels drop.

Losing weight has been shown to reverse these conditions, potentially altering your metabolism and your body’s ability to metabolize blood sugar more effectively.

Regular coffee consumption has been linked to increased levels of adiponectin, which could boost your fat burning and better blood sugar management.

According to a study conducted on 665 employees in Japan, the researchers showed a dose-dependent response to coffee consumption and adiponectin levels (the higher the coffee consumption, the higher their circulating adiponectin levels were).

The same study further stated that regular coffee consumption (equal to three cups/day) was associated with increased adiponectin levels.

In another study this time addressing diabetic and non-diabetic women in the Nurses’ Health Study, determined that women who regularly consumed coffee, showed significantly higher adiponectin levels, when compared to non-coffee drinkers.

This study also showed a decrease in inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein, and TNF-alpha levels, which could decrease inflammation found in your body.

One other study showed that coffee consumption was linked to a decrease in interleukin-18 (pro-inflammatory molecule), 8-isoprostane (pro-inflammatory molecule), and an increase in adiponectin by -8 percent, -16 percent, and 6 percent respectively.

On a side note regarding heart health, the researchers also showed that serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A-1 increased by 12 percent, 7 percent, and 4 percent respectively.

This study showed that coffee consumption may lead to a decrease in risk factors associated with Type 2 Diabetes.

Power-Packed Bean

Research has shown that coffee contains powerful antioxidants that may prevent heart disease, stroke development, and reduce your risk for diabetes.

Coffee has also been linked to weight loss, especially as it relates to the protein, adiponectin.

Numerous clinical studies show that regular coffee consumption may increase adiponectin levels, which could improve blood sugar levels and increase fat metabolism.

Including a cup of coffee every day, may not only benefit your health and increase your antioxidant levels, but may increase your weight-loss results by stimulating your body to secrete the powerful fat burning hormone, adiponectin.

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

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7 Tips to Enhance Growth Hormone, Muscle Building and Fat Loss

by Rehan Jalali

Growth hormone (GH) is considered by many as the Holy Grail of anti-aging, and among bodybuilders as the Holy Grail of muscle building and fat loss. This is very evident with all the so-called GH boosting concoctions on the market today. But are there really ways to boost GH levels in the body without injections? Before I get into that, I think some background info is in order!    

Growth Hormone Defined

GH is a peptide hormone that is produced in, and secreted from, the acidophilic cells of the anterior pituitary gland, which contain five to 10 mg of growth hormone at any one time in humans. GH is the most abundant hormone in the pituitary gland. It is secreted in a pulsative fashion, is regulated by growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and is inhibited by the hormone somatostatin. Secretion decreases with age, and it’s mainly released in pulses during sleep.

Most of growth hormone’s powerful effects are due to it’s conversion in the liver to IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor). IGF-1 is the key to the effects of GH. It is actually what’s measured in a blood test to determine GH levels in the body. 

GH has been shown to increase lean body mass, reduce body fat, increase energy, enhance immune function, and even enhance sexual function. Obesity diminishes the release of GH, and fasting actually helps increase it. Many studies clearly show that weight training is a potent stimulus for GH release.

GH and insulin have an antagonistic relationship; they act against each other, so they both need to be increased at the same time. What’s interesting to note is that a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in March 2004 showed that testosterone can actually boost GH levels by attenuating auto-negative feedback. In other words, it seems to prevent the shutdown of GH production in response to too much GH release.

The human body likes to maintain homeostasis. So when GH levels get too high, the body self regulates and causes a downgrade of GH release. One way it does this is by releasing somatostatin, which inhibits GH release. It may also lower GHRH, so a smaller amount of GH is released.

The Role of Sleep

90% of GH secretion occurs at night. The circadian rhythms help determine the regulation of hormone released in the body. GH levels need to be maximized during sleep to help rebuild muscle tissue and increase lean body mass. In resistance trained individuals, GH release was lower during the first half of sleep and higher in the second half, whereas it was opposite in non-training individuals. 

It’s very important to get deep sleep, according to one detailed study; because if you don’t, it could mean a major decline in GH output, which is bad news for muscle building. The same study showed that GH secretion was majorly associated with slow wave sleep and that when REM sleep declined, evening cortisol levels increased. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that can break down muscle tissue.

IGF-1 (Somatomedin-C)

Many of the muscle building/fat loss effects of GH are directly related to its conversion into IGF-1 (a fancy word that means a chain of amino acids – 70 in this case). As mentioned earlier, the circulatory form of IGF-I is made in the liver. 

The metabolic activity of IGF-I is regulated by several IGF binding proteins; the most important being IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). IGF-1 has its own receptor site. It has been demonstrated in research that the effects of GH on protein metabolism (including growth and the effects on nervous and renal tissue) are mediated by IGF-1, whereas both of these hormones are antagonistic in their effects on insulin, and some aspects of fat metabolism.

IGF-1 increases growth, boosts muscle and bone mass, and has important effects on carbohydrate, protein and bone metabolism. It stimulates cell replication, cell differentiation and the synthesis of cellular products (proteins, etc.). IGF-1 has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity as well. 

Swiss Scientists in a study published in 2000 concluded that “Administration of IGF I in vivo causes a broad spectrum of effects: it increases insulin sensitivity, improves the lipid profile, supports protein anabolism, enhances kidney function and bone turnover, and exerts beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.” IGF-1 causes growth independent of GH, but they do work together synergistically.

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides (GHRP’s)

The GHRP’s are a family of small peptides acting at the pituitary and the hypothalamus level to release GH. The exact mechanism of action of these peptides has not been conclusively proven, but they seem to act in conjunction with GHRH. Although, a Brazilian study published in 2001 concluded that “GHRP-2 has a GHRH-independent effect on pituitary somatotroph cells.” This means that GHRP-2 may directly release pituitary GH.

GH secretagogues have been clinically proven in numerous studies to boost GH levels. GHRP’s are not just for the hardcore crowd looking to increase muscle mass though. In fact, GH secretion is blunted significantly in obese individuals; even in individuals who are overweight. What’s more interesting is that greater abdominal fat particularly decreases GH release. Boosting GH levels in obese adults decreases total body fat and especially abdominal fat, making GHRP’s potentially beneficial to anyone trying to get rid of that pot belly.

GH-releasing peptides (GHRP’s) stimulate the release of GH through their specific receptors on somatotropes (GH producing cells). A study in exercising individuals showed that high dose supplementation with the amino acid L-Arginine and GHRP-2 had positive effects on GH release and somatostatin inhibition. 

Basically, these two compounds heightened the stimulatory release of GH from exercise to a greater extent. The study mentioned that the L-arginine was responsible for somatostatin inhibition (remember somatostatin shuts down GH production so inhibiting it could have powerful GH boosting effects). Another study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2000 showed that GHRP-2 is a powerful GH booster in exercising individuals.

If you are one of the many people looking to lose fat, GHRP’s may help through a very unique mechanism, namely; increased utilization of fat for fuel and protein sparing. GHRP’s have also been shown to boost IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels. Even though some studies used injectable or intravenous administration of GHRP-2, other studies clearly show it is orally active and absorbed well. Oral delivery technology has also advanced over the years and GHRP-2 can be ingested orally and produce good results in terms of increasing GH levels!

Intense Weight Training and GH

One of the best ways to release GH naturally is through intense weight training. A study entitled “Blood hormone and metabolite levels during graded cycle ergometer exercise” published in 1985 showed that there was an increase in adrenaline, noradrenaline, growth hormone, cyclic AMP, and lactate after increasing exercise workload. 

As the amount of resistance increased, there was a greater anabolic hormone response. Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that after only 10 minutes of high intensity exercise, GH levels were elevated in the training men.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology also confirmed the results of the previous study mentioned. What was interesting about this study was that shorter rest periods between sets (one minute vs. three minutes) caused a raise in GH levels. 

Again, lactic acid levels were elevated in these subjects. The study concluded that the more “glycolytic” type intense exercise may increase GH levels. Furthermore, in a study conducted at Penn State University led by top exercise scientist William Kraemer concluded that “higher volumes of total work produce significantly greater increases in circulating anabolic hormones during the recovery phase following exercise.” It showed increases in both testosterone levels and GH levels secondary to that higher volume weight training.

I hope you realize the powerful benefits of boosting GH and IGF-1 levels when it comes to promoting muscle mass and fat loss. By understanding how these hormones work and what supplements you can use to boost them, you will be on your way to a phenomenal physique!

Tips for Maximizing GH Levels

• Try not to eat one hour before bed to maximize GH’s release during sleep.
• Get at least seven to nine hours of deep sleep per night, without interruption.
• Take GHRP’s before sleep on an empty stomach to maximize GH release.
• Avoid carbohydrates before bed time.
• Weight train regularly and intensely using compound movements.
• Take L-Arginine, which has equivocal evidence that it can boost GH levels. High doses seem to work better; upwards of five to 10 grams before bed time. (note: may cause stomach discomfort in some people).
• Take Alpha GPC, which is short for L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine; an acetylcholine precursor derived from soy. This is a new supplement that has been shown in preliminary research to boost GH levels and increase neurological function.  Smaller amounts (150-400 mg) seem to boost GH levels, which makes it more cost effective.

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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Healthy Recipe: 5 Spice Chicken in a Bowl

by The Worlds Healthiest Foods

The unique use of spices in the broth combined with the chicken gives you a great combination of flavors in this easy-to-prepare addition to your Healthiest Way of Eating. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each), cut in 2-inch pieces 4 cups chicken broth 1/2 inch sliced fresh ginger, sliced (or 1/2 tsp dried ginger) 6 whole cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 5 star anise 1/2 tsp dried fennel seeds 1 medium-sized onion, chopped in big pieces 3 cloves garlic, chopped in big pieces 6 whole medium dried shiitake mushrooms 1 lb green beans, ends cut off 1/2 cup minced scallions

Directions:

1. Chop onion and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health-promoting benefits.
2. Healthy Saute' onion in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Add chicken broth, ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, fennel seeds, and shiitake mushrooms. Turn heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. While broth is simmering, cut ends off beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.
4. Strain broth mixture (saving shiitake mushrooms) and put liquid back into pan. Bring to a boil, add chicken pieces and green beans, and cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes. You may need to skim the surface a little while chicken pieces are cooking. Slice shiitake mushrooms and add to chicken and broth. Add scallion as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Serve with brown rice.

For optimum flavor and nutrition serve with:

• Napa Cabbage Salad

Nutritional Profile

Nutrients in
5-Spice Chicken in a Bowl
491.18 g (491.18 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

tryptophan100%

vitamin B379.5%

protein68.2%

selenium38.8%

vitamin B635.5%

vitamin K33%

phosphorus30.6%

potassium25.5%

copper25%

vitamin C24.6%

fiber23.9%

choline22.4%

vitamin B521.3%

Calories (249)13%

Introduction to Recipe Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify recipes that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Recipe Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the recipes that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which 5-Spice Chicken in a Bowl is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the recipe doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this recipe's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance back up to see the ingredients used in the recipe and the number of serving sizes provided by the recipe. Our nutrient ratings are based on a single serving. For example, if a recipe makes 4 servings, you would be receiving the nutrient amounts listed in the chart by eating 1/4th of the combined ingredients found in the recipe. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this recipe and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

5-Spice Chicken in a Bowl 491.18 g 491.18 grams 249.41 calories
Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
tryptophan	0.32 g	100.0	7.2	excellent
vitamin B3	15.91 mg	79.5	5.7	excellent
protein	34.10 g	68.2	4.9	very good
selenium	27.16 mcg	38.8	2.8	good
vitamin B6	0.71 mg	35.5	2.6	good
vitamin K	26.44 mcg	33.0	2.4	good
phosphorus	306.90 mg	30.7	2.2	good
potassium	892.93 mg	25.5	1.8	good
copper	0.50 mg	25.0	1.8	good
vitamin C	14.79 mg	24.6	1.8	good
fiber	5.98 g	23.9	1.7	good
choline	95.23 mg	22.4	1.6	good
vitamin B5	2.13 mg	21.3	1.5	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good	DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good	DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 5-Spice Chicken in a Bowl

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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10 Medicine Ball Exercises to Burn Fat

Medicine ball exercises help you to exercise with natural movements while burning fat. Your training needs to give you a body that you can use in every day life. Tight, rigid muscles will lead you to many injuries.

Improve your fat burning with high intensity power exercises. This will also shorten your workouts because of the intensity. Speeding up your exercises will burn fat from your body faster. If you need to ramp up the intensity and break through your weight loss plateau, use faster paced exercises and workouts.

Here are 10 medicine ball exercises to help you burn more fat:

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

Note: Working your body in all 3 planes of motion will help you look better in 3-D space.

1. Medicine ball diagonal chop - The diagonal chop helps you work multiple muscle groups in different planes of motion (at the same time). Injuries of the torso (such as oblique strains/pulls) hurt like crazy and are hard to recover from....its better to avoid these types of injuries.

Hold the medicine ball high above your head on the left side and chop down explosively to the right side as you squat. Complete repetitions on the right side and switch to the left side.

2. Medicine ball soccer throw - The medicine ball soccer throw is a great power exercise to help burn upper body fat and improve your core strength. Your lower body will also get a workout.

3. Medicine ball front chop....burn more fat with full body exercises like the front chop. Make the most of your workout time with full body strength exercises. You will burn more calories, fat and better tone your body.


How to do the front chop:

--Stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder width apart.

--Keep your arms straight but don't lock your elbows.

--Hold the medicine ball above your head.

--Bend forward at the waist (into a squat position) and mimic throwing the ball between your legs (don't throw ball). Keep your back straight and your head in line with your torso (don't let head drop down or rise up)

--Reverse the movement and stand with the ball above your head. That's 1 repetition.

4. The 2-handed medicine ball chest pass is a great exercise to burn fat, improve your power and core strength.



5. 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.


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

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

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

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

Use throwing more often to burn more fat!

6. Medicine ball slams sculpt and improve the reactive power of your back and abdominal muscles.   Kick your workouts into "high gear" with medicine ball slams.

Courtesy: www.lifestyle.ca.msn.com

a. Stand with your feet parallel and knees slightly bent.

b. Hold the medicine ball back behind your head and forcefully throw the ball down on the ground as hard as possible.  Be careful or the ball will slam you in the face on the bounce.

c. Catch the ball on the bounce from the ground. That's one repetition.

7. Medicine ball side lunge. Use the medicine ball side lunge to strengthen your hips which will improve your speed and power during lateral movements.

This medicine ball exercise and the frontal plane (lateral movement) of motion is often neglected by many during training. The side lunge forces you to decelerate movement through one hip at a time, placing greater emphasis on the gluteals and hamstrings.

8. Medicine ball deep knee bend jump - This exercise will shape your legs, improve your speed acceleration and power. This exercise is tougher than MB squat jumps.

Just descend into your deep knee bend (holding ball chest high), jump up explosively (from bend position) and repeat for the required repetitions.

9. Medicine ball walking lunge with upper body rotation is a good exercise that will burn fat and shape and tone your butt, hips and thighs. When you do the lunge, keep your torso upright, don't let your front knee go past the front foot and don't let the back knee touch the ground. Also, when you lunge, the front thigh should be parallel to the ground. Rotate your upper body with the medicine ball in both hands as you lunge.


It will also improve your core strength, lower body strength and dynamic balance. In short, it is one of the best exercises you may not be doing! If that's the case, start by doing regular walking lunges.

10. Pushups on medicine ball. You will burn arm fat (tone flabby triceps), chest-area fat and improve core strength.



The pushup on medicine ball is a tough exercise that not everyone can do. If you need to start with a regular pushup, that's definitely okay.

How to do pushups on medicine ball:

Put both hands on the ball at arms length. Keep your body straight and torso braced (as if taking a punch in the gut) throughout the movement. Keep your head in line with your torso at all times. Lower your body down to the ball and back to starting position.

There you go...ready to get after it?

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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5 Facts about Antioxidants' Health Benefits

If you want to lessen your risk of stroke, cancer and other ailments/diseases, regularly eat foods rich in antioxidants.

Antioxidants Infographic

Antioxidants Infographic by Medical Insurance

-Catherine Ebeling and Mike Geary are co-authors of the New book, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging, which shows you how to eat properly all the time. Get it now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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7 Reasons 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.

Download my FREE Book, "7 Questions to Help End Your Weight Loss Struggles," now!


Here's question #2 in the book:

Do You Expect to be Successful in Your Endeavors?

I hope you expect to Achieve what you set out to do! Achievement motivation is what drives you to succeed.

Dr. David McClelland and his associates at Harvard University studied achievement motivation for over 20 years. They concluded that achievement motivated people have certain characteristics in common:

1. The capacity to set high (stretching) personal but obtainable goals.

2. The concern for personal achievement rather than the rewards of success.

3. The desire for job-relevant feedback (how well am I doing?) rather than for attitudinal feedback (how well do you like me?).

In my personal experience with clients, I find that those who embrace the process of transforming their bodies are ultimately successful. They get it done no matter how long it takes. And, they apply the feedback that I give them
without feeling as though they are failures.

These are just 2 examples of clients who have succeeded:

"I have lost over 60 pounds in the last 5 months using My Fitness Hut's workout programs, nutritional advice and just staying with it and not quitting....and my body fat percentage has decreased from 45% to under
30%!" ---Jorge P.

"……Oh and hey, remember when I said that I was in a size 14 and because of your workouts got to be able to put on my size 10’s but they were too tight?? Not anymore!!! I can wear them now!! Yahoo!" ---Jennifer N.

At this point, a lifetime commitment to the fitness lifestyle is needed to achieve your lean healthy body.

Have you looked at your beginning-of-year fitness goals to see how you are progressing? Did you fall "off track?" Have you given up? The good news is this: you can get started again on your exercise program today.

There are reasons why you become overweight or obese. Some reasons may be: overeating, too little exercise, sedentary jobs, negative attitudes, limiting behaviors or following bad weight loss advice.

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

Download your FREE Book now! Get started today!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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10 Tips to Burn Fat with Higher Intensity, Less Work

Tired of working out harder and longer with little body-changing success? Increase your workout intensity to burn more fat and shape your body leaner and meaner. The more intense your workout, the more fat you will burn---faster!. Quality workouts, and not time spent, are the key to long-term fat loss and weight loss success.


What is workout intensity? Basically this: the higher your heart rate during exercise, the higher the intensity.

You can use a heart rate monitor. This is a very useful tool for beginners. Experienced exercisers will often use a method called "perceived exertion," or how you feel during your workout. Perceived exertion varies from person to person. What feels easy for you may be very difficult for someone else.

Perceived exertion can be measured this way:

a) If you can easily carry on a conversation with no problems breathing, you are not working out very hard.

b) You are exercising at moderate intensity, if your breathing quickens but you are not out of breath and can carry on a conversation. You will usually have a light sweat.

c) You are exercising at high intensity, if you are sweating profusely, breathing heavily and can only say a few words before pausing to catch your breath.

High intensity workouts will give you maximum fat-burning and heart health benefits in minimum time. You 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.

Some of you can break through your fat loss and weight loss plateau by increasing your workout intensity. If you have been doing the same workout at the same pace for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, your progress has stalled. Your body has the amazing ability to adapt to your workouts and bring your fat loss and weight loss progress to a grinding halt.

So, here are 10 ways to increase your workout intensity and burn more fat:

1. Shorten the rest time between sets. For example, taking little or no rest between weight training exercises ramps up intensity. You could also vary the repetitions. Circuit training and superset training are good examples.

2. Do more strength exercises that work major muscle groups and burn more fat. Exercises like squats, deadlift, walking lunges (pictured below), rows, medicine ball chops, combination exercises and planks will work well.


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. This will definitely challenge your body more.

3. Shorten your long, boring cardio sessions. A 20-minute sprint interval cardio session will give you more fat-burning and heart-health benefits than a slower 60-minute cardio session.


4. Add more plyometric exercises (jump training) to your workouts. Plyometric exercises are very intense and effective. Examples would be squat jumps, box jumps and lateral cone hops.

5. Do more bodyweight cardio workouts. These workouts give you a dual strength and cardio benefit. Bodyweight workouts are great fat burners.

6. Exercises that require high levels of balance and coordination will increase the intensity. Also, include exercises with your eyes closed to improve limb position sense (proprioception).

7. Unilateral exercises are more intense than bilateral exercises. So, Bulgarian split squats are more intense than two-legged squats. Pictured below are barbell step ups. And, one-armed exercises are more intense than similar two-armed exercises.


8. Do complex strength training. You would superset a power exercise with a biomechanically similar strength exercise. An example would be pairing repeating full-speed squat jumps (pictured below) with barbell squats. The barbell squats would be performed 1-2 minutes after the squat jumps.


This is an advanced training method and should not be performed by those who do not have adequate stabilization strength and muscular strength.

9. Do more full speed strength exercises. Medicine ball, dumbbell and kettlebell exercises are good choices.

10. Quickness and agility exercises, such as ladder drills, help you change up your workout intensity with short bursts to burn fat faster.

Increase the intensity, build more muscle, get leaner and start making progress again with your fat loss and weight loss!

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
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

11 Top Cross-Training Sites for Runners

If you are a serious runner, don't make the serious mistake of only running for your training.  Long gone are the days when running a million miles a week was considered adequate training for runners.

Here are 11 Top Cross-Training Sites for Runners:

1.  An Injury-Free Approach to Cross-Training. From swimming to Pilates to cycling, learn what exercises can complement your running routine.

2. How Strength Training Will Improve Your Running. Learn how weight training can improve your strength and time when running–especially for those running 20 to 50 miles a week.

3. Yoga for Runners. Find out how yoga naturally complements running by providing necessary flexibility, body awareness, and more.

4. The Everything Yoga Blog. Read the posts to gain information to improve your yoga practice or visit some of the other blogs and sites included here.

5. Free Picture Galleries of Hatha Yoga Poses. These helpful photos and accompanying text will improve your yoga practice whether at home or in class.

6. Bike About. The posts in this blog offer much more than just biking with thoughts on healthy eating, hiking, and more.

7. Four Keys for Cross-Training for Runners. Check out these four tips to ensure you are getting the most benefits from cross-training.

8. Abdominal Exercises–Best Ab Exercises–Core Workout. Many experts believe when you strengthen your core, you strengthen your whole body. Try these exercises to do just that (and get flat abs as a bonus).

9. Swimming for Runners Cross Training. Learn about the exceptional benefits of swimming as a cross-training tool for runners.

10. Cross-Training for Runners. Find out why and how to cross-train successfully. They also include a great list of running-friendly cross-training activities.

11. Mix It Up. This article not only offers cross-training activities, but it also breaks them down by body area of focus such as lower back or upper body.

Source:  www.nursingdegree.net

If your body is racked with repetitive stress injuries, muscle imbalances, knotted muscles, muscle strains, etc., training smarter will help lessen your risks.

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

7 Step Weight Loss Maintenance Success

Its one thing to lose weight and quite another to keep the weight off for good.....

Have you asked yourself this question? Why can't I maintain my weight loss while others seem to maintain weight loss with ease?

Anyone who has been successful with weight loss maintenance will tell you it was not always easy. Matter of fact, there were probably many failures and adjustments along the way.

So, what are the hidden secrets of "weight loss maintainers?"



Its the things you practice on most days that helps you burn fat, lose weight, change your body and keep the weight off.

Consistency rules when it comes to transforming your body and maintaining your weight loss.

Practicing weight management can be a simple process---if you do it on most days. When you reach fat loss and weight loss goals, you have to manage your new body to remain successful. Keep working to maintain and improve your new body.

Christopher Sciamanna, M.D., discovered how to do weight managment the hard way: After losing 30 pounds, he described his new, lower weight as "shockingly challenging" to maintain.

He and his colleagues at Penn State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center decided to study weight loss maintenance.

Part of their study was to examine results found at the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). For the past two decades, NWCR has focused on a single group of people. To qualify, they have to lose at least 30 pounds and keep the weight off for at least a year. The findings aren’t surprising.

The participants were successful primarily because of the following habits:

--Exercise at least an hour a day, almost every day
--Follow a low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie diet
--Eat, more or less, the same foods all the time
--Minimize TV watching
--Eat breakfast

So, here are 7 things you can do on most days to practice weight management:

1. Healthy lifestyle habits produce a healthier body. This is a no-brainer. If you get adequate nightly sleep, limit excessive stress, don't smoke, limit excessive alcohol consumption, exercise regularly and eat healthy you will have a healthier body. Practice these type of healthy habits on most days.

2. Drink enough water every day. Your body is about two-thirds water. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like green tea) most of the time. It will help you eat less and help your body function better.

Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water each day.

3. Here's some eating habits that will help you manage your weight:

--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.

3 Veggies to Eat to Burn Abdominal Fat

4. Keep doing full-body strength training 3 days a week. Among other things, it builds/maintains muscle mass, speeds up your metabolism (the body has to work harder to maintain muscle) and helps improve your bone density.

Short interval cardio sessions of about 20 minutes each will help you maintain your lean body. Aim for 2-3 sessions a week. Too many long, slow cardio sessions will waste away your valuable muscle mass.

5. Walk as much as possible every day to help you maintain an active lifestyle.  All movement burn calories.

6. Keep your workout partner. It always helps to have someone hold you accountable and challenge you to do better.

Similarly, use group exercise classes and bootcamps for the challenge and to break the monotony of doing the same type workouts.

7. Keep setting and reaching goals to improve your body's composition, health and fitness. Always look to make progress, even if only by small steps. Otherwise, you will slowly digress.

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

10 Changes To Your Diet That Will Instantly Make it 90% Better

By: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

Most individuals do not eat like they are supposed to. Out of those individuals, 95% of them don’t realize that by making 10 simple changes to their eating lifestyle they can improve their diet by 90% along with improving their health and overall well-being.



Apply these changes to your diet today and you too will be experiencing an increased benefit to your health, probable weight loss, a leaner body, and likely improvements to your blood profile. This all equals a longer, healthier life.

Now let’s get started so you can benefit from these 10 simple changes that everyone can make immediately.

Download your FREE 30-Day Easy Meal Plans for Weight Loss

1. Hydration: Is there a difference?

Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie filled drinks such as soft drinks. Green Tea has many health benefits and is a powerful antioxidant. You should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.

2. Benefits of Fiber

Recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Since the average diet contains only 14 grams we could all use more fiber. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage when they are elevated. By simply eating at least 1 serving of fruit and vegetables at every meal should get you to the goal of 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

3. The Importance of Protein

Eat lean protein sources which include; lean beef, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, salmon, low-fat cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy products, and whey protein powders, at every meal. This will also help control insulin levels and satisfy hunger pangs which tend to promote fat storage. You will find yourself naturally eating less food throughout the day if you eat some type of lean protein at every meal.

4. Frequent Meals: Why?

Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories. By also including your protein and vegetables at these meals you will tend to eat less overall thereby reducing your calorie intake.

5. What are Whole Foods?

Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar such as lean protein (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.

Try to minimize processed foods that come in a box or a bag. Instead choose whole grain choices such as whole wheat foods, oatmeals, and vegetables.

6. Healthy Fats: Yes, there are healthy fats

Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, or other Omega-3 products. Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essentials processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty acids also help prevent certain diseases.

7. Superfoods

Include what I call “Superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. These include but not entirely lean meat, salmon, low fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. These are just some of the “Superfoods” you should be incorporating into your daily meal plans.

8. Fat

Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day. This can be accomplished by not adding too many extra fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, but do not eat them as a regular food item every day.

9. Food Log: Yes, this is the most important step

Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed at what you consume and not even realize you did it until you right it down and reflect back on the day. Keeping a food log is critical to your success because if modifications need to be made you need something to be able to evaluate and analyze. If changes aren’t happening like you had hoped the answer can usually be found in your food and or exercise journal.

10. Food Labels

Review food labels. Avoid foods packed with excess sugar, calories, or foods that contain any trans-fats. You should be looking for more natural foods and not overly-processed foods. Ingredients to look for and avoid or minimize if they are one of the top ingredients listed in the ingredients list: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.

If you see these ingredients listed at the top then that means the product is made up of that ingredient as it’s largest source.

Now I don’t expect you to make every change in one day. What I do expect is that if you are serious about living a better life and a healthier life then you need to make these changes over the next 4 weeks. The best way to accomplish this task is to map out your plan. Create meal plans and have a plan of attack in place in regards to what you are eating and when.

You will start to see just how easy it is to live a healthier life and achieve the goals that you desire.

Be sure and Download your FREE 30-Day Easy Meal Plans for Weight Loss

About the Author:

Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS, is a registered dietitian and fitness professional with more than 10 years of experience. He has worked with 1000’s of individuals in achieving their ideal body and has been published in numerous magazines.