The first question I ask myself when starting an exercise program with a client is how can I keep this person healthy. Injury will stop the best exercise program dead in its tracks. To prevent injury, each muscle and joint needs to be moving correctly. In order to ensure this is happening, I use foam rolling and active stretching to improve the quality and function of my clients’ muscles and joints.

Foam rolling is nothing more than self massage. Foam rolling targets trigger points or areas where the muscle fascia has become thick, tough or knotted. These areas, if not treated, can potentially create dysfunction and eventually injury. By rolling out each muscle group with a foam roller, especially targeting tight or painful areas, you can start improving the muscle fascia and prevent injury.

Active stretching means performing a body weight exercise that includes a stretch to a specific muscle or group of muscles. These body weight exercises are designed to teach the correct form of the exercise before adding more resistance. Active stretching also creates an increased range of motion with each stretch. Because active stretches are strength training movements, the muscles will also be strengthened through this new range of motion.

One major flaw in a lot of programs is that individuals are asked to perform exercises which they don’t have the range of motion or strength to complete correctly. Active stretching can correct this problem.

What To Do For Maximal Results

Initially, the most important step is to create a base of lean muscle mass—or, if you are trying to lose weight, making sure that your muscle is at least maintained. Muscle will give you optimum performance in your exercise regimen.

Many people think the most effective way to lose weight quickly is to do a bunch of cardio. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Resistance-based workouts are going to burn just as many calories—if not more—and give you additional benefits. These benefits include extra calorie burn for up to 48 hours after your workout. An increase or maintenance of lean muscle mass burns calories at the rate of 50 calories per pound per day.

Long cardio routines have been proven to actually decrease muscle mass over time. Is cardio the enemy? No, it plays an important part in an exercise program. But cardio isn’t nearly as effective unless you couple it with some form of resistance training.

For detailed routines and information to help you incorporate foam rolling and active stretching into your workout program, check out this eBook: “The Revolutionary Plan To Transform You Into Your IdealShape.”

For those of you who worry about bulking up when you lift weights, I promise muscle looks better than fat. Let’s get rid of the body fat first, and then if you feel like you’re bulky we can decrease your muscle mass.

Here’s why we do resistance training from the get-go. It’s going to force your body to maintain muscle while you are restricting calories to decrease body fat. You don’t want to be left with no muscle in the process of getting to your IdealShape (ex. HCG, MD Diet). Your weight will go right back up!

Here is the conversation your body has with itself when you are restricting calories:

“I am not getting fed enough calories. I must be starving. I need to get rid of muscle because it burns tons of calories every day. If I get rid of enough muscle, I will be able to eat this little and stay alive. The race is on to prevent any more fat loss.”

If the conversation ends here, your goal to get to your IdealShape is in big trouble.

Or, the conversation can continue:

“Wait. What about all this lifting? I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this if I get rid of muscle. Maybe the lifting is what is going to keep me alive. I’d better keep as much muscle as possible, in case it is what is going to get me more food. I have plenty of fat stored and can keep this lifting up for a while. I’ll use the fat for energy in the meantime.”

Our bodies are programmed for survival. Use this to your advantage.

Your Goal for the Day: Create a plan to resistance train your entire body. There are many resistance exercises you can do with your own body weight. You can also use bands, machines and weights. Start slow and gradually challenge yourself, adding more resistance, more reps, or a more challenging form of the exercise. Always have a protein shake before or after your workout. You’ll quickly see excess fat dissolve and uncover muscle in its place!

The Revolutionary Plan To Transform You Into Your IdealShape eBook is a great place to learn basic resistance training exercises and the keys to efficient posture and technique.

Let me explain what supplementation really is, and why you need it.

The recipe for a healthy body and mind includes several ingredients. Supplements are one of them. When I talk about supplementing, I’m not talking about steroids or unhealthy muscle building substances, and I’m not talking about unnatural diet pills.

I am talking about vitamins, minerals, and natural ingredients that bring the body into balance. Nutrients that fortify the immune system and jumpstart metabolism. Many of these substances exist naturally in the foods you eat, but your body literally cannot absorb all the nutrients it needs from food alone.

That’s the beauty of extract form—i.e., supplements.

Understand that I personally would not take, or recommend, anything that was unhealthy, unnatural or a waste of time. I have been studying health and fitness for 12 years. And I’ve come to understand that adding supplements to your nutrition plan isn’t cheating, it’s the opposite of cheating. Here’s why:

You’ve been eating right and exercising hard. Now you can a) optimize your results (with a supplement), or b) cheat yourself out of your results by cancelling them out (leaving the body out of balance, letting the immune system and metabolism wilt).

Supplements are not only a key component of your body-shaping mission, they’re essential for lifelong health.

That doesn’t mean you’ll have to take a weight loss supplement forever; many people use it just to get down to their goal weight. By that time, the body is balanced and they are able to sustain their shape with the basics: exercise, food, a multivitamin and protein. But you need to get to that point first. The right supplement can take you there, helping you shed excess body fat so you can start sculpting!

Here are some body-balancing ingredients you’ll find in a good supplement:

• Green Tea—an antioxidant, promotes efficient metabolism
• Grapefruit—contains vitamins A, B5 and C, plus potassium and folate
• Caffeine—a natural appetite suppressant, promotes efficient metabolism and energy
• Resveratrol—this is one of my favorites: found naturally in the skin of red grapes and other plants, this antioxidant is currently being used by major pharmaceutical companies in longevity and health-promoting remedies. It has been shown to suppress appetite and correct leptin resistance (read the research on Resveratrol ).
• Kelp (seaweed)—promotes efficient metabolism, contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, amino acid and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E

ResveraShape, by IdealShape, is an excellent supplement if your goal is to burn excess fat, curb caloric intake, or just get the nutrients your body needs to stay fit. It contains all of the above ingredients. I encourage you to learn more about it and understand why these natural ingredients help the body slim down and shape up. Get the full scoop on ResveraShape

Bottom line: if your metabolism isn’t running efficiently, you can exercise and cut calories but you’ll still keep the fat. And if you aren’t healthy and energetic, your workouts will be pretty worthless. To achieve your IdealShape and mind, you need to create a holistic balance. Start with supplements.

Your Goal for the Day: start using a natural body-shaping, health-promoting supplement like ResveraShape. Use it every day for 31 days and assess the results!

If all you did was decrease your “calories in,” over time your “calories out” would decrease as well. But your goal isn’t to balance out, it’s to expend more calories, right? And if your only plan to boost metabolism is to eat fewer calories, well, you’re losing lean muscle. That’s not even balancing out—it’s driving your metabolism down. So, you’re skimping on food and yet slowing your metabolism. Not at all what you’re going for.

The real key to getting to your IdealShape is figuring out how to keep your metabolism up while taking in fewer calories.

Is It Possible to Keep Metabolism High While Lowering Caloric Intake?

Yes!

To a lot of people, “metabolism” is something unfathomable and untouchable. They believe their metabolism is set in stone, and they use it as an excuse to stay out of shape.

Metabolism is not a mystery. And we do have the power to shape our metabolism, and thus our bodies. Here are three ways to keep your metabolism high while cutting calories back:

1. Perform resistance exercises. They will build your lean muscle mass right up, in turn boosting your metabolism. Strength training is any activity that uses weights or your bodyweight. For example: bicep curls, push ups, planks, squats and lunges (these are just a few!).
2. Eat well before exercise. In addition to resistance exercises, fueling your workout will help you preserve muscle mass to keep metabolism high. Give your body plenty of carbs and protein pre-workout, so it doesn’t go after existing muscle for exercise energy. Also, consuming protein right after your workout will further muscle recovery and growth.
3. Don’t cut your caloric intake too low. To shed excess fat, you only need to go 300-500 calories less than your daily caloric need. Go any lower and your body will be forced to turn to muscle for daily energy.

Don’t use a “sluggish” metabolism as an excuse to be a shape you’re not happy with!

Your Goal for Today: put the above three tips into motion. Lower your caloric intake within the healthy range, complete a resistance workout, and have protein within 30 minutes of exercise (a weight loss protein shake is ideal). Make this your standard exercise routine, and watch your metabolism become twice as efficient!

More tips on pre- and post-workout nutrition coming this week!

It’s tough to feel confident about your ability to slim down when your friends aren’t. Sometimes even well-meaning friends and family are skeptical of our goals. (Often they feel bad that they’re not making the same great changes in their own lives, so they unconsciously put you down.)

Losing weight is hard. We don’t need negative influences around us to make it harder. No—we need people to help us make it easier! And they can. In fact, positive influences are essential to your body shaping mission.

Take a look at this post on No More Bacon: it’s by “the woman behind the fat guy”—Ryan’s wife. Can you see the role she plays in his journey, and the role he plays in hers? They keep each other strong and upbeat, and the heights they have reached in just one year are phenomenal.

So where are these positive influences in your life?

The People You Hang Out With: It’s smart to spend time with upbeat people who support your goal. Your mind absorbs what people tell you and the energy around you—positivity is contagious! You may not have to go outside your circle to find it: sometimes it’s as simple as asking your friends and family for support.

A Community of Like-Minded People: If you can’t get your friends and family on board (and even if you can), join a community related to your goal. Spending time with a group of people who have the same purpose and experiences as you is invaluable.

Body Shaping Hypnotherapy: How is hypnosis a positive influence? Tammy Garner, the Master Certified Hypnotherapist who worked with me to create the Mastering the Mind series, knows exactly how to get your subconscious mind to work positively toward your goal. So, not only is she a positive influence in your life, but she’ll help you become your own positive influence—which is what achieving your IdealShape hinges on. (Why? Read this)

1. The Experts: Personal trainers, weight loss coaches and nutrition professionals are powerful positive influences. We are trained to help you create your ideal body and mind, and we’re passionate about the mission. This blog is a great source of positivity, so keep reading! I’m here offering encouragement and expert advice, free of charge, simply because I want you to learn that you have the power to create change in your life.

If you want to make your weight loss path smoother, more enlightened and more fun, surround yourself with the positive influences above. You’ve already got three on board—you’ve joined a community, you listen to Mastering the Mind each day, and you’ve sought out my advice on this forum.

That leaves one goal for today: spend some time in the company of a positive person. Pick someone who is supportive of your goals, and hang out with them or give them a call. Enlist the encouragement of everyone around you!

See you back here tomorrow. And if you have questions or comments, leave them below.

You’re doing great!

Here are just a few benefits of drinking more water:

• It’s crucial for brain function, promoting alertness and concentration
• It improves agility, physical coordination and endurance
• Stress robs the body of water. So does sweating. So do processed foods and caffeine.
• It keeps the skin—and the body— resilient
• It flushes waste from your body
• You’ll be less stiff and less likely to injure yourself
• No bad breath!

Water Do’s and Don’ts

Do…

have a glass of water an hour before you eat. It can help you feel fuller at mealtime, so you won’t overeat.

start drinking long before your workout so you’re well-hydrated. Dehydration during exercise can cause dizziness, muscle tightness, fatigue and injury.

keep water on hand all day. It will make you less tempted to seek out other beverages and snacks.

Don’t…

drink water right before or after a meal; it can dilute digestive juices. Stop drinking water 20 minutes before you eat, and wait an hour after to resume sipping.

settle for water if it’s really hot, you’re sweating a lot, or you are going to work out for more than 75 minutes. Replenish with a sports drink instead.

wait until you’re parched to head for the drinking fountain. By then, you’re already dehydrated.

How Much Should You Guzzle?

Individual water needs vary, so you may need more than the “8 x 8” daily recommendation (eight 8-oz. cups). Water is best absorbed by the body in frequent small amounts, so sip continuously instead of chugging a lot at once.

Just like you should consume the bulk of your calories in the first half of the day, I suggest you get a good portion of your water needs early—unless you like getting up in the night!

WebMD gives these exercise guidelines for sipping:

• One to two hours before your workout, drink 15 to 20 ounces of water
• 15 minutes before you begin, drink between 8 and 10 ounces of water
• During your workout, drink another 8 ounces every 15 minutes

Is it possible to drink too much water? Yes. But consuming really dangerous proportions is rare—you’d have to drink gallons. More likely, if you drink too much you’ll just feel bloated. But don’t worry: before long you’ll get a feel for how much water your body needs.

Your Daily Goal: keep a water bottle with you and fill it up every chance you get. Sip at least 7-8 bottles’ worth of water (unless it’s a really big bottle) throughout the day. There’s a water tracker in your Daily Burn nutrition log. Use it!

My guess is that you will feel stronger and more flexible, have greater physical and mental endurance, and be in better control of your appetite… all with just a few more glasses of water a day.

It doesn’t get any simpler than that!

I had an interesting conversation over the weekend about the increasing demand that obesity is putting on our health care system in America. The discussion was centered around the fact that, as a country, we have taken a pretty strong stance against the tobacco industry in regards to health, but have done little about the food industry and its relationship to obesity.

The person I was talking to made a comment: when does it become socially acceptable to say to those who are overeating and are obese, “Do you know what you are doing to yourself? If you continue that behavior, you are going to kill yourself!”

We make those comments to smokers, but when do we realize that food is killing us and make people aware of this issue?

Just some interesting issues surrounding obesity that I thought everyone should consider. Check out the link above and leave a comment for discussion.

To lose weight, the number of calories you eat must be less than the number of calories you burn.

It seems like such a simple equation. Just eat less!

But how are you going to eat less?

Answer: By learning to manage your hunger or completely eliminate it. For most people they are surprised to find out that when they eat correctly, they eat more often and possibly more food than they were eating before. And they eat fewer calories.

Fruits and vegetables, for example, will take up more space in your tummy than a bag of Cheetos and have less calories. Lean meats have less calories than fatty meats. Complex carbs and protein are naturally more filling than sugar. Really, sugar and processed foods are the culprits of a lot of our hunger pangs, and eating them does little to eliminate them.

By eating more often and eating the right things, you can make losing weight an enjoyable experience. No need to starve yourself to accomplish your weight loss goals. Actually, starving yourself maybe more detrimental than anything for long-term weight management. Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) are insanity in my book and completely ineffective from a weight loss expert’s point of view.

Using a supplement to help control appetite is highly recommended. A good meal replacement shake with an appetite suppressant will help control hunger and add an additional meal to your meal plan. Fiber is another great way to attack hunger. The average person should get 25-30 grams of fiber a day, yet the average diet gets about half that. Fiber makes your stomach feel full and aids in digestion.

Learn to eat healthy, in the right portions, and your success with long-term weight loss will drastically improve.

Three Tips to Maintain and Potentially Build Muscle While Losing Fat

1. Eat 5-6 Times a Day: Helps conserve protein to do its job, which is maintaining and rebuilding muscle.

2. Eat Smaller Portions: Each meal should be similar in caloric intake. No big calorie spikes.

3. Eat Meals Balanced With Carbs, Protein, and Fat: Remember fat isn’t the enemy, it is part of a balanced diet. Each energy source is essential to overall health.

Thanks to some key leaders in the weight loss industry, the confusion is getting worse. For example, check out what Weight Watchers is now promoting. This isn’t the first time Weight Watchers has sold their souls to the weight loss devil. Remember when they went to a point system that gave people the freedom to eat whatever they wanted, as long as they stayed within their points? Now there are hundreds of people counting points and eating crap, who have been tricked into thinking they’re on a weight loss program that works.