My Fitness Hut - Burn Fat and Manage Weight Loss

Metabolism and Weight Loss Management

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 12:39:00 +0000

Ever feel like you’re “eating perfectly” but still not losing weight?

It’s possible. But it’s not what happens most often.

Usually, there are one of two things going on:

1. What you think is the “right amount”... isn’t.

2. You're eating more than you think you are.

Or, it could be both.

What about #1?

Well, your individual body may be playing a role in your challenges. For example:

► Your basal metabolic rate—the energy you need just to fuel your organs and biological functions to stay alive—can vary by 15 percent. For the average person, that’s roughly 200-270 calories a day.

► Sleep deprivation can cause a 5-20 percent change in metabolism (the equivalent of 200-500 calories a day).

► For women, the phase of their menstrual cycle can affect metabolism by another 150 calories a day or so.

This is why all calorie calculations are just a starting point. You try to consistently eat a certain amount, and if after, say 2-3 weeks you’re not seeing changes, you can adjust.

And, #2…

Let’s say you’re trying to lose weight and eating 500 fewer daily calories than what you’d need to maintain your weight.

Hypothetically, that’s enough to lose one pound a week.

That’s with no... hiccups.

Maybe you’ve got a great routine down, and you’re consistently eating the same amount and nailing your calorie intake goal.

You like eating this way, and it feels pretty sustainable.

Good. But then the weekend comes…

On Saturday night, you have friends over and grab curbside from the Cheesecake Factory. You order the Thai Coconut Lime Chicken, which sounds reasonable and looks pretty healthy.

But… it’s 1,980 calories. And, that cheesecake slice, ohhh so delicious! You eat the whole slice (you had planned to eat half now, half tomorrow).

Despite your consistent eating during the week, after the extra dessert and the one meal from Cheesecake Factory, you end up with just a 70 calorie deficit for the week instead of your planned 3,500 calorie deficit.

So, you don’t lose weight.

Disappointing, for sure.

This is a pretty simplistic example, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that happens to many who struggle to lose weight, despite feeling like they’re eating exactly how they planned. Because they were—almost.

But it’s not necessarily just about cutting more calories. It could be, for example, that “the fix” is getting more sleep. Or moving a little more.

This is where metabolic nutrition coaching can be really valuable. Because you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

Top 3 Metabolism Reboot Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 12:46:00 +0000

You want to reboot your metabolism and stop your weight gain trend?

Burn body fat. Protect your health. Excess body fat poses a threat to your good health.

Body fat doesn't discriminate; you can be big, little, muscular or skinny and still have too much body fat.

Belly fat, in particular, has been shown to contribute to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. You can even be normal weight obese.

The Body Fat and Overweight Problem

Absent medical conditions, the primary reason any person has a body fat and overweight problem is due to consistent daily calorie surpluses.

Simply, you have been eating more calories than you burn on most days, for too long. There are also other psychological and physical factors that influence what and how much you eat.

Top 3 Metabolism Reboot Tips

1. DO NOT use starvation diets as a long-term solution to your body fat problem!

See Your Metabolism and Weight Loss Management

This will lead to yo-yo weight loss and even more weight gain. You will regain weight quickly once you begin to eat properly again.

Advertisements such as "lose 40 pounds in 20 days," sends a message that has a short-term solution to your body fat and overweight problem.

Weight lost that quickly, without regular exercise, will be mainly lost muscle mass and water instead of fat mass (this will slow down your metabolism).

Too many quick weight loss programs leads to a host of other problems including: a weaker immune system, hormonal imbalances, loss of lean mass, increased body fat, decreased energy levels and disrupted sleep patterns.

Eat better--meaning whole, natural foods with quality calories. Whole, natural foods have one ingredient, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. And, they are many times nutritional and low-calorie.

Limit eating foods like sugary sodas, donuts, candy, sugary foods, highly processed foods, etc.

Stay hydrated by drinking mainly water and unsweetened drinks like tea.

In short, don't go on a starvation diet, begin to change your eating habits to healthy and nutritious.

2. During workouts, concentrate on strength exercises that work large muscle groups.

Exercises like the chest press, lunges, step ups, squats, shoulder press, rows and planks all fit the bill. This will help you burn more fat. Do strength workouts 2-3 days a week.

Vary your workouts every 4 weeks to keep your body guessing. Your body will adapt to the same workouts. When this happens, you need to vary your workout routines and intensity.

Do different lifts for the different body parts, such as substituting chest presses with stability ball dumbbell presses or doing step-ups and lunges instead of squats. A shorter, more intense 30-minute full-body circuit weight workout will work better than a 1 hour weight workout when you are trying to burn body fat.

Do full-body circuit strength training, whether lifting heavy or light (including bodyweight exercises). Also, add full body core exercises to your workouts.

3. Speed up your cardio with 20-minute interval sessions (2 times a week).

Use intervals for cardio and you will burn fat faster and start to see your body lean out sooner. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a proven effective fat-burning cardio exercise method.

Also, HIIT is the best way to burn fat, while saving muscle mass, in the shortest amount of time.

Ready to take control of your health and transform your body?

Start implementing these metabolism reboot tips today and kickstart your journey towards a healthier, happier you.

Say goodbye to excess body fat and hello to a leaner, stronger physique.

Don't wait another day to prioritize your health and well-being.

By making small, sustainable changes to your diet and exercise routine, you can achieve lasting results and protect your health for years to come.

Are you ready to say goodbye to excess body fat and hello to a leaner, healthier you?

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

Mark Dilworth, PN1-NC, CDS , NMH, LWM

Certified Nutrition Coach, Dietary Strategies Specialist, Specialist In Nutrition For Metabolic Health and Lifestyle Weight Management Specialist

7 SECRETS To Improve Your Eating Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:36:00 +0000

If you want better eating habits, start improving your daily practices!

Going on starvation diets just to lose weight won't work to transform your body long-term. You end up having what you're trying to avoid--weight gain.

If you've never tried a starvation diet, you're not missing anything except misery!

And, if you're consistently eating too much, that's misery and weight gain too. Food is meant to nourish and energize your body and it should be enjoyed in the right portions.

Here Are 7 Tips For Better Eating Habits

1. Make a commitment to a lifetime of fitness and health and not to a diet.

Don't become too concerned with pounds on the weigh scale. Those who have succeeded at transforming their bodies from fat to lean have health and fitness practices that they do on most days. It becomes a sustainable lifestyle. You need to keep a food journal until you know what, how much and when to eat.

2. When you get in the habit of going on starvation diets, its hard to stop. The less food you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, right? Sorry, but it just doesn’t work this way in the long-run.

Starvation slows the fat-burning process. Your body relies on the nutrients in whole, natural foods for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

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

Obviously, if you starve yourself long enough, you’ll have no choice but to lose weight. But the weight loss won’t be healthy, and it will show in your appearance.

The weight lost from starvation diets always comes back. As soon as you start eating normally again, you’ll likely gain all of the weight you lost back, and more.

3. Chronic starvation dieters end up with damaged health. If you are eating 900 calories a day, that is not enough food to even support your basal metabolic rate.

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

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

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

No amount of skinny is worth poor health. Don’t let the desperation to lose weight push you to go on a starvation diet!

4. Starvation dieters are not concerned with burning body fat. You MUST change your body's composition. You must increase muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.” This keeps the weight off your body for good. You don't need to be a body builder but you need to replace the fat (to an acceptable body fat percentage) on your body with muscle mass. This will give you the lean, healthy body you need.

You must do more than cardio exercise to change your body's composition. "Cardio only" will not lean out your body. Too much cardio will waste away your muscle mass.

Make a commitment to full-body strength training. Among other things, it builds muscle mass, speeds up your metabolism (the body has to work harder to maintain muscle) and helps improve your bone density. And, you’ll look great.

5. Starvation dieters lose water weight. Burn body fat and lose weight.

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

The problem is further compounded if you gained weight without exercise. The composition of this weight gain is mainly fat and water retention. I have seen individuals with up to 70% body fat.

One big cause of water retention is too much salt consumption (sodium). If you eat many processed foods and not many whole, natural foods, your sodium consumption is too high---and you will take on more water weight.

So, you find yourself regaining this weight quickly when you begin to eat the carbohydrates, proteins and fats that your body needs. Why? Because you will also replenish water stores in your body's cells.

6. Veteran starvation dieters are frequent users. The typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year. "We have this mentality that a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible," says FITNESS advisory board member Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh's Weight Management Center. "But lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that will work long-term."

7. Quick weight loss veterans deal with slowed metabolism, a weaker immune system, hormonal imbalances, loss of lean mass, increased body fat, decreased energy levels and disrupted sleep patterns. Is that worth it?

Stop starving yourself (or eating too much), start eating better, more consistently, and start building your body the right way. You are worth the effort!

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

Mark Dilworth, PN1-NC, CDS , NMH, LWM

Certified Nutrition Coach, Dietary Strategies Specialist, Specialist In Nutrition For Metabolic Health and Lifestyle Weight Management Specialist

5 Top Home Exercises For Health and Stress Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 18:55:00 +0000

Home body weight exercises are great for health and stress reduction during these stressful times.

Body weight exercises use natural body motions that don't limit your natural range of motion like machine lifting does.

Body weight exercises allow you to develop strength that allows your body to stabilize itself. Also, no two people have the same exact motions. So, adjustments are made for your unique challenges.

Take 20-30 minutes out of your day and improve your health!

Here are 5 Top Fat-Burning Body Weight Exercises for Your Home Workout:

1. The Burpee exercise. It sounds kind of gross but it burns body fat like crazy and its good for you! Always do burpees under control with good technique.

If you want, you can do full-speed burpees for 10-20 minute intervals (1 minute burpee, 2 minutes walk).

The burpee is a great full-body exercise that will increase your strength endurance, power and anaerobic conditioning (remember, aerobics is an exercise done for more than 2 straight minutes).

Research has proven that anaerobic conditioning will give you superior fat loss and heart health.

Do the burpee this way: From a squat position with your hands on the floor, kick your feet back to a pushup position. Quickly return your feet to the squat position and jump as high as you can from the squat position. Repeat this exercise at full speed for 1 minute! Whew! Walk or jog for 2 minutes and burpee again!

2. Jump Rope with your body weight to burn more fat, improve your heart health and better lean and tone your body.

Jumping rope will also help improve your balance, coordination and overall core strength.

Buy a jump rope and practice for 5-10 minutes every day and soon you'll be jumping for 20-30 minutes. I can make you a promise if you will jump rope for about 20 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week: your body will burn fat and get leaner like never before!

Just do intervals for 20 minutes when you jump rope such as jumping for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. As you improve, you can begin to jump faster and faster and burn more and more fat!

Be sure to look straight ahead, keep your body erect, your core braced (as if taking a punch to your gut) and use your hands/wrists to propel the rope. Keep your arms and body as still as possible as you jump. Land on the balls of your feet and not your toes.

3. Cross-Body Mountain Climbers

Cross-Body Mountain Climbers work the calves, quadriceps, glutes, back, chest, triceps and shoulders.

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

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

4. Pushups - Close-grip pushups, pushups on stability ball, power pushups, regular pushups, incline pushups, decline pushups, uneven pushups.... take your pick! Pushups are one of the all-time best bodyweight exercises.

How to do the standard pushup movement: Keep your body straight and torso braced throughout the movement. Keep your head in line with your torso at all times. Lower your body down to the ground and back to starting position. Repeat as required.

5. Bulgarian Split Squats

a. Start by standing with feet shoulder width apart, like you’re going to do a squat. Place one foot on the bench, 2 feet behind you and stand on the front foot.

b. Lower your body until the front leg is parallel to the ground.
Keep your back upright (90 degrees) and abs braced (like taking a punch to your gut).

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workout Book below and start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. You will also get fat-burning menus!

Body Fat Defines Obesity, Not Body Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 16:40:00 +0000

Take back your body from the obesity monster. You must be intentional and committed to burn fat and lose weight to build the lean body you deserve....

What is Obesity? Here are 2 points to consider:

1. Even though you may be "normal weight," you may still have too much body fat.

This will negatively impact your health. So, you can't just concentrate on the weigh scale.

You need to know where you are fat no matter what your Body Mass Index (BMI) may be. You can be skinny with high body fat (skinny-fat). You may also be normal weight obese.

You are fat if you have too much body fat.

If you don't combine healthy, managed nutrition with consistent strength training and cardio exercise, you probably have high body fat even if you are a skinny person due to genetics.

Its good to know your body weight but body fat percentage is much more important as it relates to your health.

2. Your body's composition (fat mass vs. muscle mass) is the key to real body transformation.

Increase your muscle mass and burn body fat. This is your ticket to a lean, healthy body. Your BMI is only a good starting point.

Body mass index looks at overall body fat, whereas body composition reveals where you are fat.

Belly fat (visceral) is the worst kind of fat and it has been proven to spread toxins into the internal organs which leads to health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

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

Participants filled out detailed questionnaires about their health and lifestyle, and also measured their waist size with a tape measure. They were then tracked for 9 years.

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

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

And, this is the interesting part about the study: it didn't matter if the person was normal weight, overweight or obese (according to body mass index).

“We found a pattern showing that expanding waist size was linked to a greater risk of dying regardless of body weight,” said Jacobs. “Similarly, people with the smallest waist sizes had the lowest risk. The take home message here is watch your waist size regardless of your weight.”

Read the following two excerpts in this Mayo Clinic article:

a. Yes. You can have a normal weight, but if your body fat percentage is high enough, you may be considered obese — a situation known as normal weight obesity.

Normal weight obesity means you may have the same serious health risks as does someone who's obese.

Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat — not as weighing too much.

A formula called body mass index (BMI) is used to determine whether you're at a healthy weight for your height. But BMI doesn't tell the whole story because it doesn't measure body fat. So you may have a normal BMI while your body fat percentage is high enough to increase health risks.

b. Like obesity, normal weight obesity may increase your risk of serious health problems, including:

Heart disease
Diabetes
Abnormal cholesterol level, in which your triglyceride level is high, but your HDL ("good") cholesterol level is low
High blood pressure
Metabolic syndrome

Get started today!

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

10 Healthy Ways To Cope During Stressful Times

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:19:00 +0000

We are in unavoidable stressful times.....there are different ways for you to cope with stress. Let's focus on healthy ways to cope.

If you are suddenly working from home or furloughed by your employer to stay home, staying active and eating well will only help you feel better, be less stressful and stay healthier.

This can be an opportunity to start new, healthy routines or adjust the ones you have been already doing. Either way, everyone has had to make adjustments.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL to minimize stress levels.

When life shifts suddenly and duties at home and work pile on top of each other, it's easy for your routine to "get out of whack."

10 Healthy Tips To Cope During Stressful Times

See: Refocus Your Weight Loss Goals During Coronavirus

1. Plan your day. This is especially important, if you are at home all the time now. Otherwise, you could find yourself wasting a lot of time and becoming unorganized (causing more stress).

2. Plan your eating to control food intake and maintain energy during the day. Healthy eating habits also help you burn fat and lose/manage weight loss.

When you eat whole, natural foods (especially protein foods), you are filled for a longer period, with fewer calories. Eating foods like fresh fruits/veggies, fish, lean meats, eggs, etc. will help you do this.

3. Control snacking and emotional (trigger) eating. Planning your eating will help with snacking.

Removing trigger foods (fat-filled, high-calorie or sugary) from your kitchen is also a huge key. You can't eat what is not there. Instead, load up with snacks like yogurt, nuts, fruits/veggies and healthy drinks.

4. Stay hydrated with water, unsweetened drinks and hydrating foods (fruits and veggies). This will help you limit sugary drinks and empty calories. 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 160 pounds, drink about 80 ounces of water each day. Eating foods with high water content count towards your water intake.

5. Start or continue a bodyweight exercise routine 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

6. Instead of binge-watching television series/documentaries, play fun board games with your family. A physical game, such as kickball, is even better.

7. Write in your gratitude journal every morning for 5 minutes. You have much to be grateful for. Focus on these thoughts. This will help you focus on positive, optimistic situations rather than these stressful times.

8. Fill in the nutritional gaps with dietary supplements. No one eats perfectly. Supplements, such as multivitamins, can help you stay healthier.

9. Walk and unplug 30-45 minutes everyday. Need examples? Don't check your cell phone for 1 hour. Can you do it? Or, are you checking that device every 5 minutes? What about your email? Do you check it every 2 minutes? These are just 2 examples of how life is on full tilt, seemingly non-stop. Unless you manage it.

10. Get 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night to rest/recover and release growth hormone (youth hormone).

Make these adjustments and cope with stress better during these times!

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

3 Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:53:00 +0000

You have heard this.....exercise and eat right to get the weight loss you want. I'll just add exercise smarter, eat healthier on a consistent basis and you will burn more fat and lose more weight---and keep it off.

Exercise Smarter

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

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

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

Eat Smarter and Healthier

2. Help control your hunger during the day so you don't overeat when you do eat. Do this by eating small meals (whole, natural foods) every 3-4 waking hours to keep your metabolism ramped up.

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

If you feel fuller for longer periods, you will eat less during the day.

Treat Your Body Well

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

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

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

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

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

It takes more than willpower to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals. Your motivation needs to be right and realistic. Unrealistic goals (like lose 30 pounds in 20 days) can leave you mentally and physically exhausted with disappointing results.

Its never too late to start a strength and conditioning program and transform your body!

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

REFOCUS Your Weight Loss Goals During Coronavirus

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:35:00 +0000

REFOCUS to reach your weight loss transformation goals during this stressful time of coronavirus and isolation. Always do something to improve your health, especially now.

REFOCUS your fat loss and weight loss goals to be more realistic (based on your situation now). Now is always the best time to start, if you are physically able to do so.

Because of coronavirus, you may now be:

working at home,
on furlough from work and at home,
laid-off and unemployed (and at home),
a little frustrated and fearful or
depressed

Exercising, staying active and eating well will only help you in every way!

Don't let frustration and overwhelm paralyze you.

Always do something to improve your health, especially now.

REFOCUS, re-evaluate and make changes.

Here are a few tips for you to do this......

1. Limit prolonged stress in your life. A certain amount of stress is good for us to live efficiently. Too much stress…well, you know the answer.

In a Mayo Clinic article, “Stress Basics,” it states:

“When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones to fuel your capacity for a response. This has been labeled the "fight-or-flight" response.

Once the threat is gone, your body is meant to return to a normal relaxed state. Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life means that your alarm system rarely shuts off. Without stress management, all too often your body is always on high alert. Over time, high levels of stress lead to serious health problems.”

Note: The hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are secreted in response to a stressful situation. Stressful situations that go on for months or years signals to your body that the normal state includes excessive amounts of adrenaline and cortisol.

As it relates to metabolism, adrenaline makes your fat cells more efficient at turning fat into energy and speeds up metabolism. On the other hand, cortisol increases the amount of glucose in your blood and creates more energy. If you are consistently inactive, this excess adrenaline and cortisol builds up. Unused excess energy will be stored as body fat.

2. Regular exercise and eating well helps your body work better, stay healthier and relieves the stress of being at home and impact of social isolation. Exercise and nutrition are definitely part of any weight loss transformation plan. If your gym is closed, adjust and stay active at home.

Trigger and emotional eating decisions can definitely stop your progress. Its important to watch your hunger cues.

Life continually has stressful situations and life sometimes brings unavoidable prolonged stress, like this coronavirus situation.

Regular exercise helps you to deal with stress and brings your body back to the true normal state (or as close as possible).

3. Laugh often and don’t take yourself too seriously. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter:

soothes tension,
relieves your stress response,
stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles,
increases endorphins in your brain and
improves your intake of oxygen-rich air

Laughing consistently, day after day, greatly improves your overall health and well being.

4. Get deep sleep each night and learn to relax by using tools such as music, deep breathing, walking, massage therapy, meditation and unplugging from your phone/technology, etc.

Get 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night so your body's metabolism will work properly and maximize growth hormone release (youth hormone). Researchers have found that the less sleep the test subjects got, the higher their body mass index. The shorter sleep time altered the subjects hormone levels, energy decreased and appetite increased.

5. Have a grateful attitude. Find things and situations to be thankful for every day (take 5 minutes in the morning). Write them down in your gratitude journal. This will help keep your thoughts away from bitterness, fear, anger and resentment.

6. Focus on positives and not negatives. You can always choose to be optimistic in any situation.

7. Disassociate yourself from negative energy vampires in your life. You become like the people the hang with.

Reduce your stress levels and body weight with a healthy lifestyle!

REFOCUS. I'm here to help you REFOCUS and RESHAPE your fitness program and goals!

Do you want to:

Eat Better to be Healthier, Burn More Fat and Lose Permanent Weight?
Feel Better than You have Felt in Months or Years?
Have the Energy to Accomplish Your Daily Goals?

Be sure and sign up to start my FREE 7-Day Fat Loss Jumpstart!

The Weight Loss Process That Doesn't Work

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 14:34:00 +0000

It happened again….you lost 20 pounds and regained 35 pounds. You feel frustrated and defeated with the whole weight loss process. The good news is that you can reach your goal, if you use the right process for weight loss. But, first, you need to know how your weight loss failures affect your mind and body. And, how to avoid them in the future.

Here are 5 Ways Weight Loss Failure Affects Your Mind and Body

1. Weight Loss Success Begins In Your Mind

Your confidence mindset takes a hit with each weight loss failure and weight regain episode. Many of you have tried over and over to lose fat and weight.

If you are in this situation, get help from a personal trainer. Part of the first fitness consultation with a personal trainer will include you identifying why your fitness goals have failed in the past.

Another part of the consultation is for you to visualize and set realistic fitness goals you are willing to work towards.

The more times you fail at weight loss and body transformation, the less confidence you will have that you can actually achieve your goal.

2. Quick Weight Loss Diets Aren’t Worth The Trouble

Quick weight loss leads to slowed metabolism, a weaker immune system, hormonal imbalances, loss of lean mass, increased body fat, decreased energy levels, disrupted sleep patterns, short-term results and yo-yo dieting.

Advertisements such as “lose 40 pounds in 20 days,” sends a message that has a short-term solution to your weight problem. Weight lost that quickly (without regular exercise) will be mainly lost muscle mass instead of fat mass (this will slow down your metabolism). You also might be very ill after losing that much weight in such a short period of time.

Never do crash diets or severe calorie restriction. This will usually lead to yo-yo weight loss and even more weight gain. You will regain weight quickly once you begin to eat properly again.

3. Starvation Diets Make You Nutritionally Deficient (this makes it harder to lose weight).

The less food you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, right? Sorry, but it just doesn’t work this way in the long-run. If your idea of the perfect diet plan for weight loss is eating crackers and taking diuretics, you’re headed for disaster. For example, if you’re eating 1,000 calories a day, you’re starving.

Starvation slows the fat-burning process. Your body relies on the nutrients in whole, natural foods for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode within as little as 7 days. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

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

The weight lost from starvation diets always comes back. As soon as you start eating again, you’ll gain all of the weight you lost, and more. In the end, you’ll wind up bigger than you were before you started starving.

4. Starvation Dieters Lose Fat-Burning Muscle Mass

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

The problem is further compounded, if you gain weight without exercise. The composition of this weight gain will be mainly fat and water retention. I have seen individuals with up to 70% body fat.

Exercising with more intensity works to your advantage when transforming your body. It will dull your appetite. Circuit strength training and interval cardio training are examples of intense, fat burning exercise. These types of exercises will also burn more calories during and after your workout.

In a study published online in The International Journal of Obesity, researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth and other institutions compared the effects of easy vs. strenuous exercise on people’s appetites following the workouts. The study was performed using 17 overweight men in their 20s and 30s.

The results: The men who exercised using intense interval training had lower levels of the hormone ghrelin and had lower levels of blood lactate and blood sugar. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and blood lactate/blood sugar lessens the desire to eat.

5. Healthy Lifestyle Habits Complete The Puzzle

Healthy lifestyle habits produce a healthier body. This is a no-brainer. If you get adequate nightly deep 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.

Here’s a quick healthy habit you can do today: drink enough water. Your body is about two-thirds water. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like 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 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day.

Consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining your lean and healthy body.

Start your body transformation for free today and I will help you get there!

5 Long-Term Weight Loss Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:08:00 +0000

If you're not having long-term success with weight loss transformation, there are reasons. You need to identify the reasons or you will continue to go in circles. Some of you are so frustrated that you have stopped trying to transform your body to lean and toned.

If you are in this situation, get help from a personal trainer. Part of the first fitness consultation with a personal trainer will include you identifying why your fitness goals have failed in the past.

Another part of the consultation is for you to visualize and set realistic fitness goals you are willing to work towards.

In my experience with clients, these are my Top 5 Weight Loss Transformation Stoppers:

1. Fear of failure.

Many of you have tried over and over to lose fat and weight. When fear or deep frustration creeps in, it can paralyze you into doing little or nothing to reach your goals. Its hard to keep trying. Its easier to quit.

According to the Mayo Clinic, you should focus on the process rather than the outcome.

The Mayo Clinic goes on to say, "Exercise regularly is an example of a process goal, while "weigh 145 pounds" is an example of an outcome goal. It's changing your processes — your daily behaviors and habits — that's key to weight loss, not necessarily focusing on a specific number on the scale. Just make sure that your process goals are specific, measurable and realistic, too."

In my practice, that means clients commit to regular strength training, interval cardio training and changing eating habits.

2. Low self esteem.

This affects every area of life and not just setting and reaching fitness goals.

According to Cognitive Therapy Associates, "Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-image...these are the trio that intertwine and perhaps have the most significant impact on a person's well-being and enjoyment of life."

"Therefore, we find that self-esteem is often at the core of a variety of psychological difficulties. Low self-esteem shows up in depression, anxiety (especially social anxiety), eating disorders, addictions, relationship problems, communication problems, and more. One may have rather high self-esteem under certain conditions, but in others, it may waver."

Negative self-talk also becomes a problem......

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. Here are some negative self-talk examples that I have heard from clients:

“I can’t stop eating sugary foods and drinks.”

“I wish I could fit into that dress.”

“I hate lifting weights so I only do cardio exercise.”

“I can’t run fast so doing sprint intervals won’t work for me.”

“I would go to the gym but I don’t want people staring at me.”

“I don’t have time to workout.”

Those negative phrases could easily be replaced by “I can” or “I will” or “what’s the alternatives.” We will end up believing what we continually tell ourselves. And, it shows in our attitude and behavior.

Always do something:

3. Achieving fitness goals takes smart work.

And, you also need more than willpower. You need good reasons to as to "why am I doing this?" Some could include (and change over time):

you got a bad health checkup from your doctor
you’re trying to fit into your “skinny clothes”
you don’t like the way you look naked in the mirror
getting in shape for a fitness competition
trying to be a role model for your kids
trying to reach your high school weight

Whatever gets you going will work. The main thing is to stay consistent over time with your workouts and eating plan.

4. Low or no confidence in the weight loss methods.

Many of you have used weight loss and fat loss methods that don't work such as fad diets, weight loss pills, patches, powders, etc. So, you are skeptical as to whether a personal trainer's methods will work. Check out my methods that have gotten huge results for my clients and readers.

5. Perseverance.

Again, willpower is not enough (what is your good reason for doing this?). But, commitment to a fit lifestyle is required. There will be setbacks and failures along the way. If you commit to the fit lifestyle first, you will reach your goals with the right guidance.

Every day, try to take steps forward to reach your goals. Even if you take a step back today, don't let it stop you from taking steps forward tomorrow.

You have to be honest with yourself to set and reach fitness goals. Sometimes the truth hurts. That's okay. Just make the commitment and get the guidance and support you need to reach your goals.

Get on the right track today...For FREE!

Fat-Burning Breakfasts Helps Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:35:00 +0000

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 management 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.

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.

Start your day off right with a nutritious breakfast! Start transforming your body for free today!

Why Weight Loss Stops With Calorie Restriction Diets

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:01:00 +0000

Severe calorie restriction diets and quick weight loss will leave you fatter and less healthy in the long-run. And, you will feel miserable during the process. Who needs or wants that!?

The less food you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, right? Yes, until this process stops working for you.

If you lose 40 pounds in 20 days, it will be mainly muscle mass loss and some water weight. Your body fat will still be there.

Starvation slows the fat-burning process. Your body relies on the nutrients in whole, natural foods for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

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

The weight lost from starvation diets always comes back. As soon as you start eating again, you’ll likely regain all of the weight you lost, and more. In the end, you’ll wind up weighing more than you were before you started starving.

Eating just 800-1,000 calories a day for a period of even 7 days will cause your body to shift into survival mode. It thinks you are starving and stores fat to survive.

The best way to lose weight and maintain it is to regularly strength train (including bodyweight exercises), do interval cardio exercise and eat managed, healthy meal plans. Strength training will build muscle and you will burn fat and lose weight over time.

And, the good thing is that the fat will not come back as long as you maintain your weight training, cardio and nutrition habits.

The muscle-building and fat burning process takes longer, but the effects are lasting. And you will be much healthier. The fringe benefit? You will love your lean body!

Physicians and health professionals agree that the key to long-term health is proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Consistent severe calorie restriction dieting:

Slows metabolism
Weakens immune system
Creates hormonal imbalances
Aggitates the nervous system
Generates loss of muscle mass
Increases body fat, decreases energy levels
Disrupts sleep patterns
Provides short term results
Initiates yo-yo weight loss and regain

That sounds like bad stuff to me.....and its not worth wrecking your body to lose quick pounds!

Start your amazing body transformation for FREE today!

Your Body Transformation Is Closer Than You Think

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 19:03:00 +0000

You can't transform your body without significant fat loss. Fat loss will make your body more healthy and beautiful (lean). Fat loss will also lead to lasting weight loss. Listen in to my short podcast:

What if the bathroom scale only showed you your body fat percentage and not your body weight? That wouldn't be a bad thing. A woman or man with 10-15% body fat is never a bad thing. A body composition change (less fat, more lean mass) is the key to permanent weight loss.

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

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

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

And, this is the interesting part about the study: it didn't matter if the person was normal weight, overweight or obese (according to body mass index).

“We found a pattern showing that expanding waist size was linked to a greater risk of dying regardless of body weight,” said Jacobs. “Similarly, people with the smallest waist sizes had the lowest risk. The take home message here is watch your waist size regardless of your weight.”

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

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

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

Here are 3 tips to help you transform your body and have lasting weight loss:

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

And, you can't just go to the gym and "haphazard" your way to fat loss and weight loss success! Becoming fit is not "rocket science" but its much more than "gym science."

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

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

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

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

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

If you watch and believe weight loss infomercials, you will never have lasting weight loss. Businesses are trying to make money off of you and they'll lie, tell half-truths or present unproven facts to get it. You have to make a choice to believe or not believe those lies.

Fad dieters are always looking for the next pill, diet or fat blocker to change their bodies. The dream never comes true. Doctors, dietitians, and fitness experts agree that the best way to burn fat and lose weight is to eat higher quality calories, exercise regularly and increase your daily activity. Don't look for shortcuts.

If you don't incorporate healthy lifestyle habits while you are trying to lose weight, your weight loss won't last. This is basically common sense. If you get adequate nightly sleep, limit excessive stress, don't smoke, limit excessive alcohol consumption, exercise regularly and eat mainly whole, natural foods, you will have a healthier/fit body. Practice these types of healthy habits on most days.

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

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

You can have it all.....just do it the right way!

Start your amazing body transformation for FREE today!

10 SMART Tips for Weight Loss Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:42:00 +0000

So, you want to eat and live smarter and lose weight? What you eat matters and healthy lifestyle habits matter.

Here are 10 Smart Lifestyle Tips to give you Weight Loss Success:

1. Exercise with more intensity to dull your appetite. Circuit strength training and interval cardio training are examples of intense, fat burning exercise. These types of exercise will also burn more calories during and after your workout.

In a study published online in The International Journal of Obesity, researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth and other institutions compared the effects of easy vs. strenuous exercise on people's appetites following the workouts. The study was performed using 17 overweight men in their 20s and 30s.

The results: The men who exercised using intense interval training had lower levels of the hormone ghrelin and had lower levels of blood lactate and blood sugar. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and blood lactate/blood sugar lessens the desire to eat.

2. Plan and pack your meals with mainly whole, natural foods. You may also need to journal your eating choices and weigh and measure your food until you know what, how much and when to eat. Making hasty eating decisions can lead to poor meal and snack choices.

Don't skip meals, especially breakfast. A study at the University of Texas found that people who eat breakfast eat fewer total calories during the day. Your body is also ready for food after being in a fasted state throughout the night.

And, when you skip meals, your energy suffers and you are more likely to overeat at your next meal.

3. Eat one serving of food on a small plate. You may need to learn to be satisfied without stuffing yourself. One quick way to pile on the calories is to eat second and third servings.

4. Eat a complete protein with each meal. Complete proteins come from animal sources such as lean meats, low-fat dairy and eggs. Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady when you have a meal that includes carbohydrates. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period. Protein also keeps ghrelin in check so your hunger doesn’t spike so high.

5. Eat more fiber for your overall health and satiety (with basically no calories). Your body cannot digest fiber and there are two forms:

a. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and produces a gel-like substance in your stomach. This substance helps digested food move slowly through the small intestine and slows down food absorption and release of nutrients into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber also limits the amount of cholesterol released into the blood. Oats are high in soluble fiber.

b. Insoluble fiber cannot be broken down once entering the stomach and increases in size by absorbing water. This type of fiber speeds up foods absorption once it enters into the small intestine. Insoluble fiber cleans your system as it travels through your body.

Eat both types of fiber to help you feel fuller for longer and to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Eat 25-35 grams of daily fiber. Fruits and vegetables have both types of fiber.

6. Eat healthy fats to improve satiety. You need fats in your diet for your body to function properly. Fats are twice as nutritionally dense as protein or carbohydrates. Get about 20% of total daily calories from fats. Eat no trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats found in packaged foods and fast foods). Eating too many trans fats will land you in the doctor's office with heart and cholesterol problems!

Focus mainly on eating heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower total cholesterol. Good sources of MUFAs are nuts (especially raw), nut butters, olives, virgin olive oil and avocados.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are also good for you---especially the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout and white tuna. Flaxseed and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats. Eat more omega-3 fats and less omega 6 fats.

Too much omega 6 fat intake can lead to inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Sources of omega-6 fats are sunflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and cottonseed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) fats found in red meat and dairy are also good for you provided they come from grass-fed cattle. Another option would be to supplement your diet with fish oil.

Saturated fats like grass-fed butter are great. Coconut oil is also very healthy and great for cooking. Moderation is the key to eating saturated fats.

7. Drink water. This will help you limit sugary drinks and empty calories. 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 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day. Eating foods with high water content count towards your water intake.

8. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup. Your body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does regular sugar. It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you’re full. It causes your liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast). So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time.

9. If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation. Researchers from Denmark found that alcohol drinking can increase appetite.

Also, when you take a drink of alcohol, your body converts a small amount of it into fat and the rest is converted (by the liver) into a substance called acetate. This acetate is then quickly released into the bloodstream and used as the body’s main source of energy. So, your body is using the acetate for energy instead of the stored fat in your body. The more you drink, the more fat your body will store (many times belly fat).

10. Get enough sleep each night so your body's metabolism will work right. And, if you're awake when you should be asleep, you are more apt to eat those fat-filled comfort foods. Aim for 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night.

Work and live smarter to achieve your body transformation goals!

Start Your Amazing Weight Loss Transformation now for FREE!

How to Get Major Weight Loss and Super Health

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 01:32:00 +0000

You can have an amazing Weight Loss Transformation Story Too!

If you thought you had too far to go to lose major body fat and body weight, think again!

DeeDee lost over 250 pounds using my training and nutrition methods!

You can listen to the major points of my interview at the following time intervals:

Dee Dee C. lost over 250 pounds in 2 years!

Dee Dee was on medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was about to undergo kidney dialysis. Today, after changing her lifestyle and losing OVER 250 POUNDS, she is prescription-drug free!

EPISODE NOTES

Major Interview Points:

0:01 - 1:19 Mark's background and fitness journey

1:20 - 2:45 How Mark gained 40 pounds

3:00 - 5:00 Mark's health problems related to weight gain

5;01 - 7:25 How DeeDee reversed serious health problems

7:26 - 8:45 How DeeDee lost over 250 pounds using Mark's training methods!

8:46 - 9:35 How DeeDee stopped binge eating and emotional eating

9:36 - 12:00 Mark explains how to deal successfully with food triggers

12:01 - 16:25 Mark explains how to develop the Fit Lifestyle

16:30 - 18:35 How has DeeDee Kept the Weight Loss Off for Good? How food became her medicine and she no longer has diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or kidney dialysis

19:05 - 20:35 What are the foods to eat to burn fat and lose weight?

20:40 - 28:29 What workouts to do for fat loss, weight loss and body transformation

28:30 - 30:36 Do you need Hormone Replacement Therapy?

30:40 - 34:40 How to Get Started Transforming your Body Today for FREE! Start transforming your body for FREE 5-Star Body Transformation Plan.

34:41 - 37:00 DeeDee's Testimonial for her success using Mark's training methods

37:15 - 46:11 Other Information: Importance of rest, recovery, deep sleep and how to stay younger with more energy. How to stay hydrated and how to eat and drink less sugar in your meal plan

What are you going to do? TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for FREE 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

Behaviors That Sabotage Your Weight Loss Success

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 03:22:00 +0000

If you have been unsuccessful with your fat loss and weight loss, improve by making needed changes. If you do the same things over and over, you will get the same disappointing results. Check out my short podcast:

Fat loss and 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 this country has an obesity epidemic. All of the reasons have to do with behavioral habits.

Here are 6 Behaviors that can Sabotage Your Fat Loss and Weight Loss Success:

1. Overeating

Control your hunger during the day so you don't overeat when you do eat. Do this by eating small meals every 3-4 hours to keep your energy and metabolism active. And, binge-eating is always looming....

The Mayo Clinic defines binge-eating disorder as follows:

"Binge-eating disorder is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food. Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But for some people, overeating crosses the line to binge-eating disorder and it becomes a regular occurrence, shrouded in secrecy.

When you have binge-eating disorder, you may be deeply embarrassed about gorging and vow to stop. But you feel such a compulsion that you can't resist the urges and continue binge eating.

Although binge-eating disorder is the most common of all eating disorders, it's still not considered a distinct psychiatric condition. But if you have binge-eating disorder symptoms, treatment can help you."

2. Too little exercise

Regular strength training and interval cardio sessions are a must if you want to change your body. You also need an active lifestyle to keep you healthier and happier.

3. Sedentary lifestyle

So, if you have a "sit-down" job, I would recommend that you move more.

Research proves that when you sit, your fat-burning enzymes basically shut down....when you stand during the day, those fat-burning enzymes go to work for you!

Try to stand as much as you can during the day and take walking breaks and lunches to activate your fat-burning enzymes! Any activity is good to go along with your regular workouts. All movement burns calories.

4. Negative attitudes

Negativity affects every thing you do in life. Always look for the best in every situation and get rid of the "negative vampires" in your life. Hang with positive people. We all need all the help we can get.

5. Limiting behaviors

Are you sabotaging your fat loss and weight loss efforts? For example, if you are trying to break bad eating habits, why do you keep junk food and sugary foods in your kitchen pantry? If its there, you will eat it!

6. Following bad weight loss advice

You may need a personal trainer to help you visualize success and individualize your fat loss and nutrition program. Its hard to change your body all by your lonesome.

Whatever the reasons are for you being overweight, YOU can change your behavioral patterns that limit your success! You can start taking positive steps today to improve your health, burn fat and lose weight.

Start Your Amazing Weight Loss Transformation now for FREE!

#1 Summer Weight Loss Transformation Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 03:47:00 +0000

There is one summer eating tip that you need to do every day for weight loss transformation. Eat protein with every meal.

At your summer parties, get full on protein foods first. It will help you eat less of the condiments, desserts and other high-fat foods at the party. Most summer parties have plenty of foods loaded with protein. Nuts, ham, turkey, chicken, fish, etc. are great foods to eat. Protein helps control your blood sugar if you happen to eat carbohydrates. Rapid rises in blood sugar and insulin promotes fat storage and stops fat burning.

It takes your body longer to digest protein (thermic effect), so you will fill fuller for a longer period of time. This thermic effect increases your metabolic rate because it takes your body twice as long to digest and transport protein as compared to carbohydrates. This should help you eat fewer calories during the day.

Protein is also used by your body to repair and rebuild damaged tissues as a result of a tough strength training workout. Quickly digesting protein shakes work well after a workout. Other daytime and nighttime meals could be comprised of slowly digesting protein (such as lean meats) that will give a constant release of protein into your system during the day and overnight.

Eating on The Run

Are you tired of deciding what to eat each day on your weight loss quest? Quick solution: drink smoothies for meal replacement, workout performance or workout recovery. These meal replacement drinks are delicious, easy to prepare, hopefully healthy and cost effective. What else do you need?

Meal Replacement Smoothies

Eating every 3-4 hours will keep your energy up and metabolism active. Going too long between meals can cause you to load up on sugary carbohydrates to get quick energy. These types of snacks are usually high in calories, not very nutritious and cause rapid ups and downs in blood sugar levels.

Whether you're on the run or eating breakfast or lunch, smoothies are a great choice. Hopefully, you will use whole, natural foods like fresh fruits, veggies, oats, nuts and Greek yogurt. And, take advantage of healthy herbs and spices instead of using excess sugars and salt. Its easy to make meal replacement smoothies of 400-600 calories. All it takes is a little planning, which is the best way to stick with your meal plan anyway.

If you plan your smoothies right, you will get the necessary protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals you need during the day.

So, when used right, protein will help you build a lean body and help your fat loss and weight loss efforts.

Start Your Amazing Weight Loss Transformation now for FREE!

That Eating Thing, Say Yes

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 19:19:00 +0000

That Eating Thing, Say Yes.  How to stop emotions from controlling your eating decisions.  Yes, you can do it!

EPISODE NOTES

That Eating Thing, Say Yes

00:00 - 01:23 If you have body fat, don't stress out about it. Instead.........

01:24 - 03:21 We are all emotional eaters. Here is one key to deal with the situation.

03:22 - 04:45 How does the "left brain" and "right brain" figure in the equation?

04:46 - 07:51 Life happens. What now?

07:52 - 10:55 Eating triggers you may need to control NOW.

10:56 - 14:59 Dealing with people, places and situations.

15:00 - 17:37 Learn how to deal with stress and eating triggers.

17:38 - 21:15 Stuffing emotions and how they influence eating.

21:16 - 24:48 Overwhelm vs. Stress

24:49 - 26:14 How much do you need to know?

26:15 - 26:59 Boredom and loneliness. Deal with this duo effectively.

27:00 - 28:59 Childhood habits and experiences must not be left out.

29:00 - 35:55 Tips on using emotions to enjoy eating and still reach your goals.

35:56 - 37:04 Weekend haphazard eating habits and how to plan around these minefields.

37:05 - 37:20 **What are you going to do? TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for FREE with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

Don't Sabotage Your Weight Loss, Own It

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:00:00 +0000

Sabotaging your weight loss goals can be brutally frustrating.   Check out this podcast and skyrocket your weight loss success.  

EPISODE NOTES

00:00 - 02:35 People and situations can sabotage your weight loss goals.

02:36 - 05:04 Want to lose 25 pounds and 3-5% body fat in 30 days?

05:05 - 06:00 Don't let the "gym atmosphere" intimidate you.

06:01 - 07:19 What you need to do.

07:20 - 09:14 Staying on track after failures.

09:15 - 10:55 Diets, Diets, Diets

10:56 - 12:00 What are you going to do?

12:05 - 13:05 TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

It happened again….you lost 20 pounds and regained 35 pounds. You feel frustrated and defeated with the whole weight loss process. The good news is that you can reach your goal, if you use the right process for weight loss. But, first, you need to know how your weight loss failures affect your mind and body. And, how to avoid them in the future. If you want to maintain your weight loss transformation, it won't happen by chance. You must take the right steps and continue on.

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

Own It: Your Body Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 29 May 2019 20:01:00 +0000

Body transformation.  You have to own it to change it. Your body transformation waits for you.

Listen in to my podcast and start "owning it" today!

EPISODE NOTES

00:00 - 01:44 How to OWN IT to CHANGE IT with your mindset. Look and feel great.

01:45 - 04:54 S. M. A. R. T. Goals. How to be very specific and plan for amazing results.

04:55 - 05:30 What's going on in your life that will hinder you?

05:31 - 07:40 What gets measured gets changed.

07:41 - 08:25 Why do you want to do this?

08:26 - 09:40 Own it with time limits.

09:45 - 10:34 TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

Weight Loss Motivations That Work

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Wed, 22 May 2019 22:27:00 +0000

It's time to start doing the things that work for weight loss and body transformation.

Listen in to my podcast to learn how.

SHOW NOTES

Learn how to stay motivated and lose weight for life.

00:00 - 01:20 How to STOP using the phrase, " I'm trying to get motivated."

01:30 - 02:30 What about your willpower?

02:31 - 05:30 What motivations will sustain you to transform your body for life?

05:35 - 06:37 TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

How To End Weight Loss Frustration

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 20:03:00 +0000

Are you frustrated with weight loss? Stop trying to lose weight.

SHOW NOTES

Mark Dilworth is interviewed for "Ultimate Waistline Makeover Summit" by Jen Kennedy

00:00 - 05:15 Welcome and how Mark got overweight and fat

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

05:16 -06:36 Why frustration and quick solutions don't work

06:45 - 08:00 Why celebrities pitching products to lose weight won't work for you

08:01 - 12:15 Is BMI a good guide to follow for body transformation?

15:00 - 18:15 How to Find Your Fitness Groove

19:15 - 22:30 Are you depending on willpower? Here is a better method that works.

22:31 - 27:00 How to train to burn fat

28:00 - 29:00 How my client lost over 250 pounds!

29:01 - 30:25 Will women get bulky by strength training?

30:30 - 40:00 Nutrition. Low-fat, low-carb, Paleo, Keto, starvation, etc. Which is right?

40:15 - 43:00 Dietary supplements or fat burn supplements?

44:45 - 47:30 Accountability

48:25 - 51:25 Do what you love. DO IT NOW!

51:26 - 56:07 YOU-based program

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Start transforming your body for free with my 5-Star Body Transformation Plan!

5 Ways Weight Loss Failure Affects Your Mind and Body

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 17:17:00 +0000

Here are 5 Ways Weight Loss Failure Affects Your Mind and Body

1. Weight Loss Success Begins In Your Mind

Your confidence mindset takes a hit with each weight loss failure and weight regain episode. Many of you have tried over and over to lose fat and weight.

Another part of the consultation is for you to visualize and set realistic fitness goals you are willing to work towards.

The more times you fail at weight loss and body transformation, the less confidence you will have that you can actually achieve your goal.

2. Quick Weight Loss Diets Aren’t Worth The Trouble

Never do crash diets or severe calorie restriction. This will usually lead to yo-yo weight loss and even more weight gain. You will regain weight quickly once you begin to eat properly again.

3. Starvation Diets Make You Nutritionally Deficient (this makes it harder to lose weight).

Starvation slows the fat-burning process. Your body relies on the nutrients in whole, natural foods for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode within as little as 7 days. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

4. Starvation Dieters Lose Fat-Burning Muscle Mass

5. Healthy Lifestyle Habits Complete The Puzzle

Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day.

Consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining your lean and healthy body.

Start your body transformation for free today to help you!

Your Ideal Body Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:12:00 +0000

Even though you may have "normal weight," or have achieved recent weight loss, you may still have too much body fat. Have you ever thought about "ideal body weight?" You can't just concentrate on the weigh scales.......

You need to know where you are fat no matter what your body mass index (BMI) may be. You can be skinny with high body fat (skinny-fat). You may also be normal weight obese. Too much body fat is not good even if you have a good BMI.

If you don't combine managed nutrition and training, you probably have high body fat, even if you are a skinny person due to genetics.

Its good to know your weight but body fat percentage is much more important as it relates to your health.

Your body's composition (fat mass and muscle mass) is the key to real body transformation. Your BMI would be a good starting point.

Body mass index looks at overall body fat, whereas body composition reveals where you are fat. Belly fat (visceral) is the worst kind of fat and it has been proven to spread toxins into the internal organs which leads to health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

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

Participants filled out detailed questionnaires about their health and lifestyle, and also measured their waist size with a tape measure. They were then tracked for 9 years.

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

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

And, this is the interesting part about the study: it didn't matter if the person was normal weight, overweight or obese (according to body mass index).

“We found a pattern showing that expanding waist size was linked to a greater risk of dying regardless of body weight,” said Jacobs. “Similarly, people with the smallest waist sizes had the lowest risk. The take home message here is watch your waist size regardless of your weight.”

According to the Mayo Clinic:

1. Yes. You can have a normal weight, but if your body fat percentage is high enough, you may be considered obese — a situation known as normal weight obesity. Normal weight obesity means you may have the same serious health risks as does someone who's obese. Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat — not as weighing too much.

A formula called body mass index (BMI) is used to determine whether you're at a healthy weight for your height. But BMI doesn't tell the whole story because it doesn't measure body fat. So you may have a normal BMI while your body fat percentage is high enough to increase health risks.

2. Like obesity, normal weight obesity may increase your risk of serious health problems, including:

heart disease, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol level, in which your triglyceride level is high, but your HDL ("good") cholesterol level is low, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.

Its the same story---eat right, burn fat, lose weight. Start your FREE 5-Star Body Transformation today!

3 Tips to Burn Low Back Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Dilworth, Certified Nutrition Coach) — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 10:15:00 +0000

Burn low back fat the same way you burn fat in other parts of your body---build muscle in your low back (while burning fat) and eat right!

I haven't seen anyone in the health club mirrors scanning their low backs the way they look at their abs, biceps, legs, etc.! Well, pay more attention to training your low back and you'll get more results.

So, here's a plan to burn your low back fat:

1. Do full-body strength training and interval cardio. See Top 6 Back Muscle Building Exercises

2. Do foundational core exercises like planks, side planks and bridges. These types of exercises will strengthen and stabilize your entire core area.

3. Build the muscles of your lower back with these exercises:

Deadlift: one of the best exercises to build muscle thickness in your lower back is the deadlift. Squats also work your lower back.
Good mornings: also a good exercise to build low back muscles. Start with just the bar to perfect the technique of the good morning exercise.
Back extensions (pictured above): You can do back extensions on the ball or on the back extension machine. Hold a weight at your chest to make this exercise more challenging.
Low pulley cable rows: Try this underused exercise.
Cobras and supermans: Add these exercises to your core routine.

There you go! Burn that low back fat by building muscle in that area!

Start your body transformation today for free!