7 Reasons Why You Can't Lose Weight

Every now and then we need to read or hear something that kind of reminds us of what this whole journey is about.  This article written by one of my favorite workout etrainers Joe Gigantino is one that has done just that for me.  Sometimes i get really tired or frustrated of the everyday grind and the daily process of workout-rest, workout-rest and just want to stop!  I'm reminded here of some of things that can cause a roadblock in my journey for success. 
Enjoy the read!

7 Reasons Why You Can't Lose Weight
by Joe Gigantino Jr. visit Joe on theworkout.com

There are few things more frustrating than not being able to lose weight.
You want to be slimmer and to tone your body, but your weight won't budge.
Read the following 7 Weight Loss Blockers to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker #1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you've always wanted.

Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.

You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.

Give up the belief that you can't achieve the body you've always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker #2: Your Fear

Change makes most of us nervous - even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.

Believe that something MUST change. You can't be wishy-washy about it. You can't be considering it. You can't even be pretty sure about it. You've got to be rock solid.

Believe that YOU must change it. You can't pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It's on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.

Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn't matter. When you put your mind to it, you're able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you'll be unstoppable.

Blocker #3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don't allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

Don't skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.

Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you'll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.

Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker #4: Your Commitment
How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it's no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don't give up until your goal has been achieved.

Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you'll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.

If you don't give up, then you'll never fail.

Blocker #5: Your Diet

If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you're weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

Don't eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.

Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.

Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker #6: Your Patience

It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:

Review your goal. Is it specific and measurable? Is it small and attainable, rather than monumental? Focus on your goal when the going gets tough.

Make each workout a new experience. Challenge your body with different resistance, new exercises and a varied pace.

Remember that anyone can have one great workout, but that won't get you the body you want. The only way to achieve your goal is by consistently exercising and eating right, plain and simple.

Blocker #7: Your Support
People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and are more likely to fail. It makes sense. Who would rush to the gym if no one is was waiting for them? Who would push themselves if no one was paying attention? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.

Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet, work with me, your local fitness expert, to guarantee your results.

I am passionate about seeing you achieve results - don't waste your time, energy and effort on mistakes.

When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. I'll be in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when you need it most.

Get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you'll ever do.

Walk your way fit!

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Walk your way fit!


Did you know tomorrow (April 7) is the American Heart Association’s (AHA) National Start! Walking Day–a day to take a stand against heart disease by getting up from your desk and moving! The fact is that people are working more hours and its creating a nation of inactive people. The risk of heart disease is doubled by inactivity.

Here’s the deal–bring your walking shoes to work tomorrow and walk at least 30 minutes. It’s a great way to raise awareness of the Start! movement and to give your coworkers a friendly push toward a healthier life. Walking is the best “no excuse” workout because it doesn’t take any special training–just do it! Besides decreasing the risk of heart disease, there are other great benefits to walking.

Helps manage your weight

Reduces risk of breast cancer & type 2 diabetes

Strengthens muscles, bones, and joints

Get better sleep

Improves overall mood and much more!
You already know the day can get busy so put it on the calendar. Don’t have time? Take back your lunch hour! Eat lunch a little earlier at your desk and use the rest of the time to walk it out! Sign up for a free, download-able National Start! Walking Day Tool Kit here for more information.

Why wait till tomorrow? I want to help get you started today! Leave a comment and you could WIN a Weight Watchers walking pedometer point counter with Advanced Motion Sensor a $45 value! Let’s GO!

Journey From Health to Wealth

Talk Show

Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010 Time 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Bethcar Fellowship Church (St Ann s Parish Center)

43 Jones Road Hamden, CT. 06514

The Total Woman Body & Soul Tour: A Journey from Health to Wealth

With a delicious, complimentary brunch

(This is absolute food for your soul: You decide the value by giving an freewill offering)

Bethcar Fellowship Women's Ministry presents another in-demand and inspirational talk show. This event is designed to address the health-conscious woman in all of us. Through a biblical view, we will redefine several key elements that shape a woman s life: her health, her hair, her relationships and her wealth, as we aim to free ourselves from unhealthy perspectives which have blocked our success and overall well-being!

Join our talk show host, Deidre Johnson, executive pastor and college lecturer, and join in these exciting interviews:

Defining your Health:

Guest panelists share their faith and weight loss success stories. Not only will you be inspired by their physical fitness, but you will be overjoyed by their spiritual transformation.

Defining your Hair:

A review clip of Chris Rock s video, Good Hair prepares us for a liberating discussion as we examine the black woman's struggle and identity crisis with her hair.

Defining your Relationships:

Pastor Maurice Johnson, senior pasto and founder of Bethcar Fellowship Church is seasoned in the word, and skilled in presentation; he will explore the keys that unlock the door to your relationships with men. Take a new look at your relationships through biblical lens---for practical application.

Health equals Wealth:

Reverand Dr. Donna Taylor, represents the epitome of womanhood, with her delightful demeanor and distinguished qualifications; join her on a refreshing search of the scriptures as she offers the finale giving us substantial understanding to our quest for overall well-being.

Girls are welcome; ages 8 and up.

Please wear comfortable clothing

RSVP Required by 4/15/10

to Debby Davis
at (203) 384-2065 or email deanni@sbcglobal.net
*A Freewill Offering Event

Fultons Fitness: NO MONEY DOWN MONTH!

Exciting special for the month at
Fultons Fitness! 
If there was a good time to join the gym, now would be THAT TIME!

Gym location: 321 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT. They specialize in One-to-One Training, however the have an assortment of classes and programs to benefit the most diverse.  Among other programs, they have a program gear specifically for the diabetic. Charlie (look for his soon-to-come-feature) is a personal trainer and current diabetic.  He will personalize your training catering specifically to your health needs, monitors your blood suger level, teaches you about proper nutrition ect.  Then they have Yoga taught by Michelle who is also an awsome sports massage therapist!  She has spoiled my daughter/athlete.  Going to Michelle for a sports massage is like dangling a bag of candy in front of a child to Alivia! If Spinning is your forte' they have awsome spinning classes, Zumba, weight classes and alot more. You've have to come down and check it out for yourself. Visit the new website for some home workouts to try before coming in to the gym. Even though I have a home fitness Center, I find it beneficial to receive the one-to-one training from an expert who can modify and tweak my fitness routine and nutrition to obtain the optimal results that I'm looking for. It enables me to not only workout hard, but workout smart!
http://www.fultonsfitness.com/

Message from Robert Fulton:  Our Spring Specials for new friends and family rates are just $39.99 per month, with no enrollment fee, until May 31st or $75.00 off $425.00 paid in full for the year. Remember, refer 5 friends who join the club and get a Fultons Fitness Gym Bag. Refer 10 friends who join the club and get 10 training sessions. So you can end up with a Gym Bag and 10 training sessions with 10 friends to workout with. Our 1 To 1 training session packages range for 10 to 60 sessions ,choose the one thats fits your needs.

Once again Thank You and we’re glad you enjoy our facilities! Please try one of our new classes.

Women's Health Fair 2010

Older Women Need More Exercise + Less Calories To Lose Weight

Older Women Need More Exercise + Less Calories To Lose Weight
March 24, 2010 By Kimberly

Just like many women over 40 who are trying to lose weight, Vickie Jones is finding it difficult to get the scale to budge. I hear this from my female clients all the time and I am facing these same issues. I know life is hectic and even getting in a half hour, 3 or 4 days a week, seems like alot of exercise. Today a study released by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), suggests exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week won’t stop weight gain while getting older without cutting calories. Dr. I-Min Lee, the study’s lead author, found that among women consuming a usual diet, physical activity was associated with less weight gain only among women whose BMI was lower than 25. Women successful in maintaining normal weight and gaining fewer than 5 pounds over 13 years exercised approximately 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity activity throughout the study.

At least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women at a healthy weight who aren’t dieting. For those who are already overweight, and that’s most American women, even more exercise is called for to avoid gaining weight without eating less, the study results suggest. The study focused on women so researchers could not theorize if this data would be true for men.

I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 15 years and I’ve noticed that the longer a woman has been carrying those extra pounds, the longer it takes for it to come off. Vickie said she has been trying to lose weight for the past 5 years and she’s only lost 6 pounds.

Are you finding it hard to lose weight now that you’re older?

Thursday workout:
1 hour strength training: sumo squats, lunges, side lunges, rows (over and underhand), machine chest presses, shoulder presses, 200 v ups, reverse sit ups (hanging by legs?)
30 minutes cardio on eliptical (Tabata intervals)

How To Avoid Overeating!

My workout Journal for today: March 15th
Fitness    Minutes Calories Burned    Heart Rate

Walk: 3 mph (20 min/mi) Minutes: 20.0   Calories burned: -154.0 
Elliptical trainer: general Minutes: 35.0  Calories burned:  -570.0  Heart rate: 161 x
Chalean Extreme Weight Lifting - free weights or machine, moderate Minutes: 34.0 calories burned-174.0  Heart rate: 124

Featured workout DVD:

Article for the day:
How To Avoid Overeating

Don't overindulge in fatty foods.

Overview
You may not notice just how much you consume in any given day, and this disconnect from your food and nutrition can lead to overeating, eventually causing weight gain. Being more conscious and using easy tips to keep you constantly thinking about your food choices and eating habits can help you avoid overeating and maintain a healthy weight.

Step 1

Eat more slowly. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that eating slowly increased the response time of the "I'm full" gut reflex that tells you that you are satisfied. This means that be simply slowing down and chewing your food more slowly, you'll consume less calories and stop overeating because your body feels fuller faster.

Step 2

Eat sitting down at a table. With your busy lifestyle, you've likely had a meal in the car, at your computer or while standing up. These positions cause you to eat mindlessly, resulting in overindulgence and overeating, notes fitness website FitSugar.com. If you must go through the drive-thru, take the food home to eat, and resist the urge to open the bag and consume in the car.

Step 3

Eat small meals throughout the day. Rather than choosing three large meals each day and allowing yourself to get so hungry that you overeat, try five or six small meals so that your body isn't given the chance to get hungry. Choose snacks that include whole grains, vegetables and fruit and lean protein so that you're left feeling satisfied, even when you eat less than you normally would.

Step 4

Halve your portions when eating out at restaurants. USA Today reported that restaurants serve portions that are at least two to four times the size recommended by the government. That means you can easily halve your portion and ask for a take-home box immediately, before you even start eating. You'll keep your portions under control and have lunch for tomorrow.

Step 5

Drink a glass of water. The Desert News notes that people often mistake hunger for thirst. If you feel hungry, drink an eight-ounce glass of ice water first, and then reassess your need to eat. You may find that the water quenches thirst and hunger simultaneously

Great Fitness Tips 4 You!

People who don't know me- please don't assume I'm this great fitness queen because this is a long hard journey that we're on together!

So here's the thing. I tried this method of training called Tabata training. Tabata training simply put means that you go all out in whatever excercise you're doing for 20 secons and then rest or slow down for a 10 second recovery and then repeat the process. (see article below)

This kicked my but!  My intervals always consisted of the opposite. All out for 10 seconds and then reduce speed for 20.  Boy what a difference doing it the Tabata way made! The fat-burning benefits are pumped up while also improving your endurance.

Workout log:
March 10, Wednesday: No workout
March 11, Thursday: 6:30 am eliptical interval training using Tabata method
March 11, Thursday evening: Strength training with trainer (moderate pace).

Good measurement day, but he insists that I'm still "behind schedule"! Forgot to take those pics too (smile)

March 12, Friday: I feel like doing something different....maybe I'll hang from my door, do some treadmill work at an incline and perhaps some full body exercises...

Health and Fitness 4 You! (click to read original article)
The Best 7 Cardio Programs

Everyone always asks me, “What’s the best interval program for fat burning?” And unfortunately, like with every other type of workout style, there really is no “best” interval program. But that’s good news because it allows us to use variety in our approach. (So perhaps the best interval training method is simply the one that changes every 4 weeks.) One thing that is known, is that intense interval training workouts result in more fat burning than slow cardio training programs.

Interval recommendations have ranged from 15 seconds to 5 minutes (these are known as aerobic intervals). So let’s take a look at each interval recommendation and all those in between.

1) 15 Second Intervals

The great thing about 15 second intervals is that you’ll be able to work at a very high rate (almost near your maximum power output), as long as you get adequate recovery between work intervals. The downside is that it is very difficult to do 15 second intervals on machines, because it takes a long time to “build up” and “bring down” the machine settings to the correct speed.

If you decide to use these short, high-intensity intervals, you should do so only if you already have an above average level of fitness. Your rest interval should be at least 15 seconds long, and can be as long as 60 seconds. The longer you rest, the harder you will be able to exercise in each interval.
2) 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

This method is known as the Tabata protocol, after the Japanese scientist that published a study on this routine. This is hardcore. Not for the faint of heart. If you are a beginner, try easy interval trainig.

Alwyn Cosgrove and Craig Ballantyne use interval training because it works. Again, it would be very difficult to perform this type of interval training on a machine, due to the time lag as you increase or decrease the settings. And finally, these too should only be performed by above average fitness levels.

3) 30 Second Intervals
The Turbulence Training workouts tend to use a lot of 30 second intervals. Beginners will rest up to 90 seconds between intervals, while advanced fitness levels will rest 30-60 seconds. The longer (relative) rest allows you to work harder in each successive interval (i.e. you’ll almost be able to match your performance in the first interval with each following interval). Short rest intervals (as in the Tabata protocol) will lead to a dramatic drop-off in performance with each interval. You can easily do the 3-second intervals on any machine.

4) 45 Second Intervals

These intervals are proven for fat loss, in addition to being effective for many team sports (such as hockey, soccer, basketball, and rugby). I have used 45 second intervals extensively in both areas of training. Short workouts, but tough workouts. Your rest intervals will feel like they go by so fast. Use 45-90 seconds of recovery between intervals. Do 3-6 intervals per workout. Your fitness and fat loss will skyrocket.
5) 60 second intervals

Similar to the 45 second intervals in benefits and toughness. Rest 1-2 minutes before starting your next interval.

6) 120 second intervals

These are now officially aerobic intervals, and can be used for both fat loss and improving aerobic capacity for sports and running. A great way to achieve two fitness goals at once. Exercise for 2 minutes and then recover for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times. These workouts take longer (obviously), but can have a role in changing your body and improving your performance.

7) 5 minute intervals

Same strategy as with the two minute intervals. This really increases your workout time, so these are only used with serious endurance athletes.

Beginner vs. Advanced

If you are thinking that these intervals all sound “too intense” for you, please don’t worry. Interval training is all relative. You don’t have to sprint for your life in each type of interval. Instead, just work at a slightly harder than normal pace. By the end of the interval, you should be getting tired, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air. Start conservatively and you will get the hang of it.
For example, if you regularly use level 5 on the stationary bike for 30 minutes continuously, you might try doing a 1 minute interval at level 7. Try that for an interval workout and let me know how it goes.

I really like to use short bursts of exercise lasting no longer than a minute. These have been the staple intervals in my Turbulence Training workouts since the first workout was designed back in 2001. But again, I think you will get your best fat loss results if you vary your interval training workouts – just like you must vary your strength training workouts.

Without fat burning intervals, you might never burn belly fat.

Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net/

Get the shocking free report on the Dark Side of Cardio from Turbulence Training to learn how to burn fat without slow cardio – all from Men’s Health expert Craig Ballantyne and his trademarked Turbulence Training workout secrets