(I’m in no way endorsing this program nor am I an affiliate, but I do need to give credit where credit is due…hence the links.)

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by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-seller: The Truth About Six Pack Abs

I’ve read about this very interesting Harvard University study about exercise multiple times in the past, but I was just recently reminded about this study again while reading the fascinating book called 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman.

Pay attention, because this actually shows a pretty powerful trick that you can use to literally make ANY workout or exercise program a LOT more effective and results producing.

According to the book 59 Seconds, here’s how this study was carried out:

Researchers at Harvard University studied over 80 hotel room cleaning attendants from 7 different hotels.  The hotel room attendants naturally received a lot of exercise from their daily jobs, which included cleaning an average of 15 rooms per day at about 25 minutes per room.  This work involves a good deal of exercise in carrying things, scrubbing, lifting objects, vacuuming, and so on.

The researchers knew the hotel maids led an active lifestyle from their work, but also questioned whether most of the maids may not realize that their work was actually good for their health.  The researchers set out to study the effects on the hotel attendants of making them very aware of how beneficial the exercise they got while working was for their health, and to see if this increased the results that they actually received from the exercise.

Basically, the question was… Would telling them that their work was great exercise improve their health, lower their blood pressure, and help them to lose weight compared to the hotel attendants that didn’t realize their work was in fact “exercise”?

The hotel attendants were split into 2 groups:

1. This group was informed about the benefits of exercise and told how many calories they were burning while doing their hotel cleaning work each day. They were specifically told how many calories activities such as changing sheets, vacumming, and scrubbing bathrooms were burning each hour.

The researchers also wanted this information to stick in their heads daily, so they gave the attendants a handout showing the quantities of calories they were burning doing each activity of their jobs.  They were also shown a poster daily that reinforced how many calories they were burning.

2. The control group of hotel cleaning attendants was simply informed of the benefits of exercise, but were NOT told how many calories they were burning doing their work, and also were NOT told that their work actually constituted a good form of exercise.

The researchers studied the existing lifestyles of all of the participants in both groups as well as giving them various health tests, including weigh-ins.

The study was conducted for 4 weeks.  The researchers made sure that none of the participants had actually changed their exercise habits, smoking, or eating habits outside of work.  This assured that there was no external lifestyle factor that could have accounted for the results of the study.

In addition, the hotel managers assured that the workloads of both groups stayed the same throughout the entire experiment.

Here are the VERY interesting results:

It turned out that the group of hotel cleaning attendants that was informed daily about the calorie-burning effects of their normal work routines ended up losing a significant amount of weight, lowered their body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, and decreased their blood pressure.

The control group of hotel attendants that was not told about the calories they burned while doing their work showed NONE of these improvements.

Wow… very interesting huh!

Remember that each of these groups received the SAME amount of exercise and did not alter their lifestyle, eating habits, drinking habits, smoking, or anything else.  The only thing that was different between the 2 groups was simply that the one group was constantly being reminded of how beneficial the exercise during their work was for their health and how many calories they were burning, and therefore their minds were busy believing in the benefits of it.

This actually doesn’t surprise me… this is classic placebo effect at work here, and reinforces how powerful our brains are in relation to the results we get from exercise, food, supplements, etc.

How to use this info to burn more fat in your workouts, build more lean muscle, and improve your health more from exercise and nutrition

There’s a good lesson in this study.  If you strongly believe in your mind that the workouts that you are doing are drastically improving your body, your results will increase dramatically from those workouts.

The trick I’ve used over the years is to really “get mental” during your workouts and believe strongly that the exercise you are doing is transforming your body into a lean chiseled machine. (This is assuming that you’re actually doing legit workouts such as Truth About Abs routines and not just wasting time reading a magazine while pedaling away on a boring exercise bike or treadmill).

So, if you want to burn more fat, not only do you need to workout intensely (for your individual capabilities), but you also need to mentally visualize the results you’re getting, the bodyfat you are burning, and really strongly believe in how powerful the workout routine that you are doing really is for your body.

Along the same lines, if your goal is to build more muscle, then you really need to strongly believe in your mind at how powerfully your workouts are helping you to build muscle.

And this can be applied to your food intake too!

Don’t underestimate how powerful your mind really is… If you are eating healthy foods such as those detailed in myTruth About Abs manual, make sure that you are also actively thinking in your mind about how those foods are dramatically helping your body, making you stronger, making you leaner, improving your energy and health, and so on.

Don’t ignore this… this will drastically improve your results if you actively think about how truly healthy the foods you are eating every day are and how they are changing your body.  This is assuming that you actually are eating truly healthy foods every day.

Another benefit of this “mental programming” is that it trains you to actually want to avoid junk foods, because you want to be able to think about how everything you eat is improving your body instead.

So there you go… an interesting study that shows how you can legitimately increase your results from your exercise and nutrition by just actively thinking about the benefits of both every day!

Making Sensible Food Choices Is The Better, Healthier Way to Lose Weight and Keep it off!

“Sensible Food Choices” is NOT a Diet. It is a Lifelong Way of Eating and it All Centers Around a Common Sense Approach to Healthy Food Choices and Portion Control!”

With the Combination of Sensible Food Choices and Portion Control, You’re Back in Control!

Looking for the “quick-fix” is only a temporary solution. One that can be extremely dangerous. Depriving yourself of the things you love to eat is a short-term fix to the problem. But learning to make sensible food choices, manage portions and control how much you eat is the key to long-term weight control!

Fad diets have been around for decades and there is no shortage of them today. One look at the current state of obesity in the United States and Canada tells us it’s not so much that they work but that, sadly, Americans are still looking for a quick fix to their weight-loss issues!

We are starting to catch on, though. At last, we’re starting to realize that “dieting” isn’t the answer, rather, we should be making lifestyle changes to our “diet” that includes a variety of foods from all the major food groups.

Instead of reaching for yet another diet that totally bans one of the essential food groups, take a few moments to see why you need a variety of nutrients and you’ll discover how easy it is to control your weight just by being informed and making sensible food choices. Read on…

Carbs and Proteins and Fats…

• Not all carbs are bad. Learn exactly what carbohydrates are, the difference between good and bad carbs, and the major role they play in your body.
• You know what protein is…now learn what it does for your body!
• Discover the truth about Trans Fats, which are so detrimental to the body they have come under government regulation!
• Your body needs healthy fats. Discover which oils are the healthiest choices.

1) Only eat until you begin to feel full!

2) Indulge occasionally and enjoy decadent desserts, but do it with awareness and purpose!

3) Don’t think ‘Diet’ – think about eating healthy portions from all food groups, listening to your hunger signals, and enjoying your food!

Learn to Make Sensible Food Choices will help you…

• Discover which foods stave off hunger the longest and make you feel fuller sooner.
• Discover the secrets Europeans use to manage weight control!
• Losing unhealthy pounds isn’t just about looking better; just look at all the positive changes about to take place in your body!
• Get the SKINNY on Organic Foods; not only are they healthier for you – they taste better too!
• Processed foods are always getting a bad rap. HERE’S WHY!
• Just what is a portion anyway? You might be surprised!
• Includes portion control tips to keep you on the straight and narrow at home!
• Includes 12 powerful tips to help you control portions and extras when dining out!
• Includes low-fat, low-sugar meal plans with snack and dessert options with common sense portions!

AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

This guide will walk you through myths and misconceptions about food, show you how food has changed over the past 20 years, explain the value of organic or natural food choices, and help you understand the benefits of eating smart!

Sensible Food Choices takes you step-by-step through the maze of label reading to make it easy for you to see what you are really consuming!

Don’t You Think It’s time You Take a Common Sense Approach to Food!
Get Sensible Food Choices for only $7.00 and Get Started Today.

I’ve heard this before but haven’t yet done what I know I should do.

After reading this article, I think I’ll be heading out to my nearest health store…

The trouble with most fat-burning supplements is that they’re actually just wallet-burning substances. If you want to take the jiggle off, steer yourself away from the late-night TV ads and into the produce aisle.

Research shows that your body needs sufficient vitamin C to burn fat. And in one study, people who had low blood concentrations of vitamin C and walked on a treadmill for an hour burned 25% less fat than people with adequate C. But a dose of vitamin C brought fat-burning levels back up to par. Why? Seems C is essential for creating carnitine, a substance that turns fat into fuel.

To keep your fat-burning abilities at near Olympic levels (meaning at your peak, not at the “staying thin on 12,000 calories a day” plan that Michael Phelps reportedly follows), we recommend that you get 1,200 milligrams of C per day. That also gives you high enough levels of this vitamin to prevent deficiencies and keep away aging and disease. You can get much of C from food and the rest from supplements twice daily (you pee out C quickly, so you need to get half of your dose in the morning and the other half at night). Try beginning the day with some strawberries (nearly 100 milligrams per cup), having an orange after lunch (70 milligrams), and filling your dinner plate with C-rich veggies like red bell peppers (152 milligrams per pepper), broccoli (about 100 milligrams per cup), and brussels sprouts (52 milligrams in just four sprouts). Grab a kiwifruit (70 milligrams) or mango (57 milligrams) before your workout to keep your fat-burning fires stoked.

source: RealAge

image source: Arizona Orange Co.

My most recent research has led me to find 20 common tips that the experts recommend for losing fat.  I’m pretty sure we are aware of all or most of these tips, but a good reminder now and then doesn’t hurt.

Here we go:

1) Set yourself up for success – sit down and think about why you really want to lose the weight, make a list that you can refer back to whenever things get tough.  Do you simply want to lose a dress size?  Are you doing it to improve your health?  Or do you just want to look and feel better?  There are no wrong reasons as long as they keep you focused and motivated.

2) Make goals – you should again sit down and make up goals that you can strive for.  Be realistic and keep your goals small – baby steps. Rather than saying I want to lose 50lbs, how about you work in 5 lb increments, or choose to lose 1 dress size in 6 weeks, etc.  Focusing on the larger end result can be discouraging and overwhelming which in turn might cause you to quite in pure frustration.

3) Find a support group – try and surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you rather than sabotage your efforts.  Supportive family members, friends and co-workers can help you stay on track and shouldn’t offer up temptations.  Let people around you know how important this is to you and you’ll be surprised how wonderfully helpful they can be.

4) Eliminate processed white carbohydrates – I know this from personal experience.  I can’t even stomach process carbs anymore so I try to avoid them at all costs. Avoid white rice, pasta, potatoes and white bread.  Instead choose whole grain pastas and breads, brown or wild rice and sweet potatoes or yams instead of potatoes.  Check the labels on the bread to make sure you aren’t getting some hidden sugar added and limit yourself to 2 pieces a day.

5) Eat real food not processed – processed foods are not only more expensive but they are filled with tons of chemicals and additives.  Try and stick to the outside isles of the supermarket and avoid anything in the middle sections.  Doing this should not only decrease your grocery bill, it will also make you look and feel a whole lot better.

6) Decrease your sugar intake – This is a tough one for me, I love my sweets!  But, none the less, it do try to limit my sweets.  There are tons of sugar free products on the market that can be substituted if you are desperate, but try and limit these as well as they usually contain other unhealthy ingredients.  Read your labels and watch out for hidden sugars especially in your favorite cereals and yogurt products.

7) Slow down your eating – help your body digest the food you are eating by eating slower.  Put down your fork between bites, talk with your family, chew more (my mom always said 100 times, but I’ve since found that to be an impossible goal), take smaller bites and savor your food.  It takes 9-10 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s had enough. By eating slowly, you’ll find that you won’t be able to eat quite as much as your brain will have received the “Full Alert”.

8 ) Choose organic if possible - this one I find tough with a family of 5 simply because of the expense.  I do try and make better choices and whenever possible I’ll choose organic but most often it’s just out of my reach.  Be careful with organic products as many companies have jumped on the “Organic” bandwagon and not all is as it seems.  The more often you choose quality organic food, the fewer chemicals and additives you’ll consume.

9) Portion control - We all do it, our eyes are bigger than our stomach!  What I do is eat less at meals, but I eat more often throughout the day.  I’ll save part of my dinner for the next days lunch or for a snack later on.  I believe all portions should be no bigger than your fist.  Eating slowly will help as well as taking smaller bites.  You’ll feel like your getting more than you really are.

10) Healthy snacking – don’t be afraid to snack on healthy food throughout the day.  Snacking keeps your metabolism pumping and your blood sugar in check.  You could choose baby carrots and hummas, or protein like tuna in water or simply enjoy some raw fruits and veggies.  Avoid the starchy, high carb, high sugary type snacks.  They are empty calories that will only end up making you crave more of the same junk.

11)  Eating out – when eating out you’ll want to avoid the fried, battered foods and stick to lean protein choices with side salad and veggies.  Make sure to get any dressings and sauces on the side as they can be full of calories and sugar.  Avoid the potato options like fries or mashed, instead see if they offer sweet potatoes instead.  Remember to avoid the bread basket (very hard I know!).

12) Spices instead of sauces – spices are wonderful for adding flavour to your foods without adding sugars and empty calories.  I need to find a really good article for this one….I’d love to know more about spices, what they can do and how you can use them to create delicious foods.

13) Don’t give into temptation – the time will come when you will have to remind yourself why you are doing this.  Pull out your lists and read them again and again until you feel the temptation pass.  By remembering why you are going through this journey, you will be reinforcing your goals and will then be more likely to stick to it.  It’s ok to cheat once in a while, maybe even a great thing to do.  But make it a planned cheat.  Choose one day a week or one or two meals a week where you can go a little crazy, then get back on board to carry out the rest of your journey.  Planned cheating can actually help you stay on track better and it might just fool your body into thinking it’s really not on a diet.

14) Don’t drink away calories - I do it too, drinks actually do count in your daily calories intake so be mindful of what you are drinking.  Juices and soda can be extremely high in sugar and calories, if you need to have these, try and slowly cut down over time.  Coffee and tea is ok but try and limit it to 1 per day (ya right!).  Alcohol, well really, this is a no-no for the first 4-6 weeks.  If you absolutely must have a drink, try and dilute it (spritzer) and make sure to drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume.   If you just can’t drink another glass of plain water, try and spice it up with lemon or lime.  Both are actually very good for you so you’d be getting double duty of your simple glass of water.

15) Keep moving – you know it!  Exercise will help you achive your goal and keep your body toned and healthy.  Even if you only do 20 minutes 3 times a week, you are exercises will assist in goals – the goal is to challenge yourself a little bit more each time and mix it up by doing different exercises.  Try interval workouts, or I like interval walking/running where I do 1 minute fast and 30 seconds faster.  Keep it simple and enjoyable.  Then try doing some extras like playing with the kids or climbing the stairs.

16) Eat breakfast – this is a big one and probably one of the most important.  By eating a satisfying breakfast you’ll find you don’t end up eating or needing as much food the rest of the day.  Eating breakfast will also kick start your metabolism for the day and help you avoid cravings or binge eating at night.  I prefer making sure my breakfast includes protein as it’s much more filling and has a more last effect than carb based breakfasts.

17) Reward yourself – when you hit your goal, even if it’s a small milestone, reward yourself with a spa day or shopping trip or even just a day to yourself.  Whatever you like most just make sure it’s not food related.  Just like with our kids, we don’t want the emotional response to victories to be associated with food.

18) Do not weigh yourself – I find this one tough but probably better.  The scale can be cruel and even wrong (adding in water weight, pms, etc) which can be very discouraging.  If you need to weigh yourself, limit it to once a week or once every 6 weeks.  Use your clothes as a guide and measure yourself instead.  Then every 6 weeks or so, check out your progress.

19) Clean out fridge and pantry – With 3 kids, I don’t follow this one too strictly.  I make sure we have more healthy stuff than not and seldom even buy junk food.  But if you need to, as you see on every show, clean out the junk, the processed foods and the sweets.  If it’s not in the house, you are less likely to grab the junk instead of the good stuff when hungry.

20) Think and stay positive - you deserve to look and feel your very best! – if you fall off track, don’t panic!  just pick up where you left off and continue.  Stay positive and focused and you will reach your goals.

And last (actually Tip 21) keep a journal of your progress.  Record what you eat, your exercises and improvements, your measurements, your feelings and emotions, everything.  Doing this will also keep you focused and help you continue to push.  We have a hard time remembering even 5lbs ago….how do you feel now?  If you need to, take a picture and continue along the way so you can see the improvements.

~Toresa