Protein Intake; Why, How Much, How Often, and What Kind?

I generally try to derive some inspiration for these posts from my day-to-day interaction with my clients. Recently a client wanted some more in-depth explanation about protein supplementation and I felt that since I talk so much about it, a new post was warranted.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Protein is vital macronutrient that is important for growth and repair of tissues, maintenance of muscle structure, and the creation of several important enzymes (i.e. digestive enzymes) and hormones like insulin. Protein can also be used as a source of energy if need be. While proper protein intake is important for all people, it becomes even more vital to those engaging in a workout regimen due to their increased need for tissue repair and growth. When you engage in resistance training you are basically causing small tears in your muscle fibers. As these tears repair themselves they do it in a way that the new fibers are thicker and stronger than before. Protein aids in this repair and helps improve muscle recovery.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GET?

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adults with respect to protein is 0.8 g/kg of body weight, however when participating in a weight training program those needs are increased. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends 1.5 -2.0 g/kg of body weight per day. This range reflects the needs of those participating in a moderate strength program vs. those participating in a more vigorous program. *As a quick aside, if you are not sure how many kg you weigh, simply divide your body weight in pounds by 2.205*

When you participate in a workout program you must also be aware of proper pre and post-workout protein consumption in order to maximize your hard work in the gym. Pre-workout you want to get a good source of protein and carbohydrates. This will provide you with more energy as well as aid in minimizing muscle damage. Post-workout you want get that same combination of carbs and protein, but in a greater dose. Post workout protein consumption is even more vital that pre-workout. Immediately after you are done with your last set of exercise your muscles are very receptive to nutrient uptake, like little sponges waiting to absorb whatever is provided to them. It is at this time you need to take advantage of this 30-60 minute window by providing your muscles with a good source of protein as well as a simple carbohydrate source to also aid in replenishing glycogen stores to provide energy at your next workout. The post-workout consumption of this protein and carbohydrate mix is so important that Jeffrey Volek, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition and exercise researcher at the University of Connecticut, says "If you're lifting weights and you don't consume protein, it's almost counterproductive".

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CONSUME PROTEIN?

In addition to the amount of protein you consume per day, thought must also be given to when you are consuming it. Daily protein intake should be spread over the course of your three main meals as well as snacks so that you are in a state of protein synthesis all day. I find that most clients only have a high protein intake at dinner, but the issue with that is your body can only utilize so much protein at once. A study done at the University of Texas found that consuming 90 grams of protein at one meal provides the same benefit as eating 30 grams, thus effectively making the other 60 grams a waste.

As an example, if a 200lb man were to follow the 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg rule that would equal 136-181g of protein per day. Spread over the course of six meals, he would consume approximately 23-30g of protein per meal.

With respect to pre and post-workout protein and carbohydrate consumption research generally says you want to aim for at least a two-to-one ratio of carbs to protein. For example, consume 40 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein.
And despite what you may have read out there, consuming increased amounts of protein will not damage your kidneys, in absence of any pre-existing conditions of course. "Taking in more than the recommended dose won't confer more benefit. It won't hurt you, but you'll just burn it off as extra energy," says Mark Tarnopolsky, M.D., Ph.D., who studies exercise and nutrition at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario

GOOD SOURCES OF PROTEIN

Proteins are made up of compounds called amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids classified as essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be synthesized by the body and thus need to be consumed in your diet. A complete protein, mostly from animal sources, contain all the essential amino acids. An incomplete protein, mostly from plant-based sources, has only some of the essential amino acids, and thus needs to be combined with other incomplete proteins in order to consume all the essential amino acids. For example, while rice alone and beans alone are incomplete proteins, by combining them, you now have a complete protein source. Complete sources of proteins include things such as:

• Meat
• Fish
• Dairy products (milk, yogurt, whey)
• Eggs

Incomplete protein sources include:

• Nuts & seeds
• Legumes
• Grains
• Vegetables

Again going back to pre and post-workout protein consumption there are some things to be aware of. Due to the time needed for the body to digest and utilize whole-food sources of protein, these are often not optimal for your pre and post-workout meals. Instead, a better option is supplementing with protein powder. Whey protein powder, which is derived from milk, is a fast-digesting, high-quality protein that the body can utilize rapidly pre and post-workout. "It appears in your bloodstream 15 minutes after you consume it," Volek says. This is important when you remember that you only have a small window to supply your muscles with that much needed protein after your workouts for maximum benefit. 

I hope you have found this post insightful and can use it as a way to maximize you growth and potential in the gym. You put in the hard work and effort, so make sure you are following these guidelines to make it all worth it. Until next time! - Aaron

References:

1) http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/protein-facts

2) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-protein-required-weight-lifter-2062.html

3) http://www.builtlean.com/2012/10/03/complete-vs-incomplete-protein-sources/

4) http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/get-enough-protein-post-workout

Basic Rules to Making a Lifestyle Change in Diet

When dealing with new clients the topic of diet always comes up. I am astonished time after time at how off base many people in the public are when it comes to diet. Fads and gimmick diets have everyone looking for the next big thing to melt off pounds. Well let me tell you....WEIGHT LOSS TAKES WORK. There are no magic pills. You pay your dues with sweat and tears and sacrifice and you come out better on the other side for it. In honor of all those shitty diets out there I am going to give you my rules to help make your lifestyle change in diet go as smoothly as possible. By the way, notice I didn't just say diet? I said a lifestyle change. If you are truly ready to lose the weight that is how you need to think of this. It isn't a diet. Diet to me are synonymous with temporary. This type of change needs to be permanent.

1. EAT 4-6 TIMES PER DAY. This will help to boost your metabolism so you will be burning calories throughout the day as well as keeping your blood sugar stable. Make sure to eat within one hour upon waking up and every 2-3 hours thereafter. 

2. COMBINE CARBOHYDRATES AND PROTEINS WITH EVERY MEAL. This combination in the right proportion (60/40) will not be as easily stored as fat and will be easier for your body to digest. Keeping your carbohydrate levels up is important to make sure you have the energy to get through the day.

3. DO NOT AVOID FATS. Fats are a vital part of good health. Avoid consuming too much fat in one sitting as it is hard for the body to process and may lead to some stomach discomfort. Keep fats listed to good sources such as avocado, nuts, olive oil, and reduced fat dairy.  Avoid full fat dairy products and heavy creams and sauces.

4. EXERCISE PORTION CONTROL. I cannot stress this one enough. Our portions in the US are out of control!  Get into the habit of actually looking at the label and see what the calories are per serving and also what a serving actually is.

5. BE ACCOUNTABLE AND LOG WHAT YOU EAT. Knowing what you are putting into your body is an easy way to start reducing caloric intake. You can’t cut your calories if you don’t know how many you are consuming in the first place.

6. HYDRATE PROPERLY.  A total of 6-8 cups per day.  An additional 8 oz for every 15 minutes of exercise. More in hotter weather or if wearing heavier clothes.

7. PLAN MEALS IN ADVANCE. This will make it much easier to stick to the 4-6 meal rule. Cooking meals in bulk and dividing them into single serve Tupperware makes it easy to grab and go before you leave the house for the day. Also remember to plan snacks. Nuts, fruit, and protein bars can be a quick and easy way to squeeze in a meal.

8. KEEP YOUR GOALS IN MIND. The exercise is always the easier of the two, yet diets account for 65-80% of failures in life changes.   Every time you want to cheat on your diet or skip a workout remember why you decided to make this change. If you are not happy with yourself or your look then do something about it and stick to your goals!

The Skinny on Fats

 The 80’s will be remembered for a lot of things. Big hair, Spandex, and horrible makeup jobs are a few things that immediately come to mind for me. The 80’s can also be remembered as the decade when Americans started to pay closer attention to their health, weight, and fitness. Steroids ran rampant, places such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig grew in popularity, and, with hopes of slimming their collective figures, America became obsessed with the fat-free trend. Food companies recognized this “fat phobia” and flooded the market with fat-free foodstuffs ranging from cookies to chips, many of which are still produced today.  On the surface this may seem all well and good, but any gourmet can tell you that fat in food equals flavor and if these companies remove fat, they have to replace it with something to keep the food palatable. For food companies the answer is easy, replace the fat with sugar and other simple carbohydrates. Let me give you an example; next time you are at the supermarket look at the difference between the reduced fat and regular peanut butter. You will see that the regular peanut butter has more fat (obviously), but you will also notice that the reduced fat has more carbohydrates and sugar. Swapping fats for sugar makes zero sense and it can be argued that altering food in this way is actually fueling America’s obesity epidemic.

What can’t be argued however is that fat is a vital and essential part of our diet. Fats are integral to forming the very cells that make up our entire body. Fats are also needed to produce various hormones, to absorb essential vitamins (A, D, E, K), and to provide high-density energy to the body. A diet that is deficient in the needed amount of fat can experience all sorts of ill effects ranging from hair, skin, and nail conditions to mental and hormonal disturbances.

We know that fats can be good, but we also know all too well that fats can be bad. There is a mountain of evidence that links certain high-fat diets to heart attacks, cancers, and diabetes. Not all fats contribute to these diseases so it is important that we know what fats we should consume and what fats we should avoid.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are important because they can help to lower cholesterol. However they lower all forms of your cholesterol including HDLs, which is considered your “good” cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. A variety of oils contain polyunsaturated fats including cottonseed and corn oils. Seafood is a good source of polyunsaturated fats as well as being high in protein.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats will also help lower blood cholesterol, but unlike polyunsaturated fats, they do not lower HDL-cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and there are many natural foods that are high in monounsaturated fats including: olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanuts, peanut oil, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, pistachio nuts, and avocados.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats come mainly from animal products but are also found in tropical plant oils such a coconut and palm oil. Saturated fats are usually solid or firm at room temperature. Diets which are heavy in consumption of saturated fats have been linked with many diseases including heart disease. Stay away from tropical oils and fatty cuts of meats including beef, pork, and go easy on the egg yolks.

Trans Fats

Trans fatty acids or trans fat is a byproduct of hydrogenation, a process where unsaturated fats are combined with hydrogen to make them more saturated and thus more stable at room temp. Trans fats are the bad fats that I mentioned earlier as they raise your body’s cholesterol levels and increase your risk of disease.  Many fast foods and processed food are high in trans fat to aid in prolonging shelf life. In short consume little to no trans fat.

Recommended Daily Intake

While individual needs for daily fat intake can vary drastically, the following are general recommendations that should suffice for your average population: 1) daily fat intake should be about 30% of your diet. 2) Around 10% should be from saturated sources 3) with the remaining 20% coming from unsaturated sources. If you have special considerations such as the need to compete in high level athletics or a condition such as high cholesterol you may want to consult with your physician or a registered dietician for more specific guidelines.

Remember to get the majority of your fats from whole food sources while avoiding foods high in saturated fats. Avoid trans fats at all costs. Not only will having a diet made of the proper ratios of fats make you healthier, but it will also make you feel fuller longer between meals to help avoid overeating. It’s time for America to get over this phobia and embrace fat as an ally in the battle for good health. 

The Secret of Weight Loss (Part 4 - Calculating Food Intake)

Yesterday we reiterated the importance of keeping a food journal. We also looked at the importance of knowing your BMR and how that is going to aid you in your weight loss efforts. Now that we know the calories out portion of the equation, we need to figure out the calories in.


If you have ever looked on a food package you have surely noticed the nutritional information printed on it. Surprisingly friends this isn't on there fro decoration. It;s there to help inform you about the nutritional content of the food so you can make informed decisions about what you put into your body. Many labels follow this type of format:

If you are unfamiliar with nutrition, much of this information may seem like gibberish. After all there is a lot to analyze, but as I said yesterday it is my goal to keep this as simple as possible for you. We are going to focus on 4 items from these nutritional labels. Our focus is going to be on calories, fat, carbohydrates, and protein. The amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a food item contribute to its overall caloric content. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats all have different roles in the functioning of the human body. Let's take a look at each of these individually.


Protein is responsible for building tissues in the body as well as repairing damaged tissues. When trying to build muscle it is essential to make sure you are consuming an adequate amount of protein. Protein can also be used as a fuel for energy within the body when your carbohydrate and fat levels are low, however it only provides and small amount of energy and ideally if our diet is properly balanced we will not have to rely on proteins for energy. Sources of protein include meats, cheeses, eggs, milk, fish, as well as protein powders sold at most supermarkets/nutrition stores. 1 gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.


Carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Our body breaks down carbohydrates and uses them to help fuel us throughout the day. It is important to note that while many food contain carbohydrates, not all are created equal. When choosing good sources of carbohydrates we want to focus on what are know as "complex" carbohydrates. Sources of these complex carbohydrates can include whole wheat breads, grains, and pastas, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and quinoa. On the opposite side of the spectrum we have "simple" carbohydrates. This form of carbohydrates should be consumed sparingly in our diets. Sources of simple carbohydrates include white breads, white potatoes, sugars, candies, chips and soft drinks. One important exception to the rule on consuming simple carbohydrates are fruits. Most fruits are technically classified as simple carbohydrates, however they are very nutrient rich and thus essential to a healthy diet. However, fruits should still not be consumed in excess. 1 gram of carbohydrates is also equal to 4 calories.


The 1980's were a bad time for fats. Many people started to become fat-phobic and as a result foods labeled as "low in fat" became synonymous with healthy. Well my friends I am here to tell you that fat is your friend. Its all just a simple matter of what type of fats you are consuming. A diet that is deficient in certain fats can be very dangerous. Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. In addition fats are also needed to process some essential vitamins in our body. Without fat these vitamins could not be processed and that can open the door for a whole host of problems. As I said before, some people confuse fat-free foods with healthy foods, but this isn't always the case. For instance many candies and soft drinks are fat-free, however given the massive amounts of sugar in these products they can hardly be considered healthy. Get the picture? It is important, however, to know which types of fats to consume, and which types to avoid. I could write a book on the different types of fats and what they do and why they are good or bad, but as I said countless times I want to make this easy so let's just sum it up this way. You want the majority of the fat you consume to be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats should be consumed sparingly, and trans fats should be avoided if possible. 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories.


Now that you know the basics, lets get back to the food journal. When recording your daily food values you should always include how much you ate. This is where serving size comes in. Many of my clients err with weight loss not because they do not eat healthy foods, but because they eat too much. When we are maintaining a healthy lifestyle we need to be accountable for how much we put into our bodies as well. It will be your responsibility to measure your food accordingly. I always recommend getting a food scale. You can obtain one from any Wal-Mart for around $20 (make sure it can measure in ounces and grams). When a food item has a nutrition label on it, the serving size will be included as well. You need to get use to either measuring the amount (e.g. 2/3 Cup) or weight (in oz. or g) of a serving size.


Let's put it all together now. When we record in our food journal we are going to include: the amount we ate, the calorie count, and the amount of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It would look something like this


Breakfast
2 eggs (155 calories, 10 grams fat (4 saturated), 2 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams protein)
1 piece of whole wheat toast ( 70 calories, 1 gram fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein)
1 Cup 100% grapefruit juice (100 calories, 0 grams fat, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein)
TOTAL BREAKFAST (325 calories, 11 grams fat, 39 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein)


Do this for all food you eat during the day. At the end of the day you will have a total calorie count. This calorie count is what needs to be 500 calories less than our BMR (accounting for exercise) on a daily basis to see that 1 pound weight loss per week.


Here are some other things to consider:


1) When eating during the day try to split your calories according to a 30/30/40 split. 30% of your calories come from fat, 30% from carbohydrates, and 40% from protein. This will take some number crunching, but its importance will be outlined in the very near future.


2) The food diary is yours. The example I provided is just that. Feel free to log your foods in a way that makes sense to you. Some people do well just writing in list form, others need columns. As I said yesterday however, if you can get an electronic calorie counter, either on your computer or phone, your life will be so much easier.


3) While most foods that have labels on them have nutritional information, some do not. For example fruits and vegetables are not required to have this information on them as they have no packages. For a long while meats did not either, but that has recently changed. Not knowing a food's nutritional information is no excuse not to record it. Remember RULE 1! Education. Many websites offer online nutritional information for pretty much every food under the sun. I have always liked using the USDA website myself which can be found here:


http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/


At first this may all seem like a lot, and truth be told it is. If you want to see real results, true long-term change, this is the only way. If you want to try the newest ab cruncher/developer/ripoff on the late night infomercial instead then I wish you good luck. I hope you have room in your basement for it after your done with it after the first week. With repetition this will get easier until it becomes second nature to you.


So there you have it. The "secret" to weight loss. Calories in vs. calories out. It is work. It takes commitment. It sucks, but I guarantee when you start to see the weight come off it will be all worth it. Keep reading in coming days as I will begin to tackle my favorite aspect of a healthy lifestyle....EXERCISE!


Stay healthy my friends.

The Secret of Weight Loss! (Part 3 - Calculating BMR)

Ideally now you have been keeping constant track of your food intake for one week. I'm willing to bet that you had more than one surprise when you actually saw on paper what you were eating on a daily basis. There is a very specific purpose for having you keep track of the food you are eating. It's all preparation for the next steps which I will outline over the next few days.

In part one I told you that weight loss in its simplest form is really just a numbers game. Calories in vs. calories out. By tracking the values of food you eat you can start to learn how much you need to burn on a daily basis to be in the negative and keep your weight loss going.

The process is easy. Well....not really, but I'm going to make it easy, and as a very dear friend recommended to me, I'm also going to keep it in plain English too. Everyday your body burns energy for you to live. As a matter of fact if you just sat on the couch like the blob and did absolutely nothing all day but waste space and take up air, your body would still burn energy. This is called you basal metabolic rate or BMR. As I have already told you, depending on factors such as activity level, age, weight, and gender your BMR can be higher or lower than the norm. BMR is calculated with a whole long equation that you then take and enter into another equation and if you don't know what you are doing you can really screw it up, but I said I was gonna make this simple. By following the link below you can enter a few variables about yourself and viola!

http://safedietplans.com/bmr-calculator.html

Did you do it yet? Good! Now you have your daily energy (calorie) requirements. If you were to consume this amount of calories on a daily basis, you would maintain you weight. Eat more than this amount and you will gain weight. We are interested in losing so we need to be under that calorie value at the end of the day. This can be done a number of ways.

1) We can simply eat less than that prescribed amount of calories in a day and do no exercise
2) We can eat exactly that amount of calories a day and put ourselves into a negative balance by exercising
3) We can use a combination of exercise and eating less to reach a negative calorie balance

I always recommend the third option because it puts an emphasis on the two most important factors of a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise. Now that you are armed with your BMR, what are you going to do with it?

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories, so in essence for one to lose a pound in a week (a fairly safe amount) they need to create a calorie deficit, with proper diet and exercise, of 500 calories a day (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories/week). This is where the BMR comes in.

Let me give you an example:

Meet Darcie. Darcie is a moderately active, 23 year old female. She weighs 160 lbs and is 5 foot 7 inches tall. Darcie is looking to lose 5 pounds before her big vacation in July. According to the above link Darcie's BMR is 2300 calories. So in order for Darcie to lose one pound a week, she needs to make sure at the end of the day she has not consumed more than 1800 calories (2300 - 500 = 1800).

Let's say that Darcie goes to the gym and between her weight and cardio workouts she burns 400 calories. This 400 calories can now be added to the 1800 calorie limit she has set for herself because the exercise has moved her further into the negative. Darcie can now consume 2200 calories and still see the 1 lb of weight loss per week. Calories burned with exercise need to be accounted for and added back into your daily calorie needs. If you fail to do so you can run the risk of not providing your body with the proper energy it needs for the day and cause your weight loss to come to a screeching halt.

Now that we have your BMR we need to learn how to calculate what we are putting into our bodies. BMR does you know good if you have no idea how many calories you are consuming per day. Keep reading for more information.

As an aside, while any three ring binder and a pen can be a perfect food journal there are other, easier electronic versions. If you have a computer I recommend using an online food journal such as the ones found at:

http://fitday.com/
or
http://www.myfooddiary.com/

If you have a smart phone such and a Droid or iPhone I HIGHLY recommend downloading an app. I'm not sure of apps available on the Droids or Blackberrys, but the hands down best app for tracking calories on the iPhone is LoseIt.

These online and smart phone options can be an all-in-one resource for you and save a lot of time if you are really busy.

Stay healthy my friends!

The Secret of Weight Loss (Part 2)

In part 1 of this post we revealed that there is no secret to weight loss. So what is it all about then? In actuality weight loss can be broken down into very simple terms. Calories in vs. calories out. If you consume more calories in a day then your body actually burns for energy you will gain weight. If you burn more calories for energy in a day than you consume you will lose weight, and if your calories burned equal your calories consumed you will maintain your current weight. In simpler terms:

Calories In > Calories Out = Weight Gain
Calories In < Calories Out = Weight Loss
Calories In = Calories Out = Weight Maintenance

The basics behind this principle are easy enough, but it can be more complicated than that. For instance, how can one know how many calories they burn in a day? Well that is tough to say because it can vary from person to person. For instance I'm sure many of you have known at least one person in your life who seems like they can eat anything they want and never gain a pound. I hate these people myself. They have been blessed with a fast metabolism. Simply put, metabolism is the rate at which your body burns food you consume for energy. People with a high metabolism burn food for energy extremely fast. Conversely people with a slow metabolism tend to hold onto food for longer periods. If you have tried to lose weight in the past and struggled, chances are you are dealing with a slower metabolism.

Along with metabolism there are other factors that can influence how easily (or not) one can lose weight. Others include activity level, gender, and age. People who are more active tend to burn weight faster than those that are more sedentary, as do males vs. females, and younger populations vs. older populations.

Getting Started:

The idea behind this blog is to be a tool, a resource to help you become more educated about losing weight and keeping it off. Getting more educated about the journey you are about to undertake is the first step. Let's say for instance you buy a new piece of furniture at IKEA. You wouldn't dump everything on the floor and start to assemble it blindly would you? Not likely. You would educate yourself on the process by reading the instructions. Consider this blog the instructions.

The next step is getting a journal. Something to keep track of your eating. Many factors can influence our eating habits and it is important to track these in writing. Some people eat when stressed, others eat when bored. By learning what triggers these behaviors you are in a better position to do something about it. In addition tracking your eating can be a great way to open your eyes to exactly what you are putting in your body. I cannot tell you how many clients I have had in that past who swear that they eat healthy yet lose no weight. When I have them track their food intake for a week they are surprised to see how much they overeat without even knowing it.

So now you have the first two steps:
1. Get Educated
2. Get a Food Journal (and use it!)

These are always the first steps I recommend before even starting a new eating plan. It is important to remember that choosing to follow a diet and exercise plan is a big change. Never under any circumstances make all the changes at one time. While your intentions are and you should be commended on your dedication you are sure to fail if you do so. I cannot stress enough that CHANGES NEED TO BE GRADUAL. I always recommend to keep a food journal for one week before I ever implement any changes to the diet or exercise plans my clients follow.

If you want to know more keep following this blog as I will continue to lay out the plan slowly, but surely.

The Secret of Weight Loss! (Part 1)

Flip through your TV channels on any given night and chances are that you will see at least one infomercial that guarantees results with just one piece of equipment. People will provide their testimony about how this piece of equipment changed their life and help them lose 50 pounds in no time.

Well ladies and gentleman, allow me to ruin your day. It doesn't happen that way. So does that mean that these people are lying? Not exactly. I have no doubt that these people saw real results with the program...but look a little closer next time at the bottom of the screen. More than likely you will see a disclaimer along the lines of "results not typical". Which in fact is true. These people are in a small minority that will see results, but here is a little insight for you. Chances are that these people were very sedentary to begin with, that is to say they were not very active. Thus once they begin to be a little more active it's only natural that they will see some results. Now let's fast-forward about a year and look at these people again. I'm gonna bet that chances are they fall into one of two groups. 1) They were so motivated by their weight loss that they continued to lead a healthy lifestyle, they have maintained their weight loss and lived happily ever after. Not likely. 2) After their initial weight loss they quickly reached a plateau, became unmotivated and regained the weight, and most likely a little more. Unfortunately for most this is the more realistic outcome.

So what went wrong? These people fell into the trap. The trap that many of us are guilty of falling for. The trap that weight loss has some big secret to it. That it can be attained and maintained with just minutes a day. Sorry. No. The secret to weight loss is this...........THERE IS NO SECRET. The decision to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle is HARD WORK. It is tiring, it sucks, and if you have any sort of sanity chances are that you will ask yourself on more than one occasion, "why am I putting myself through this hell?" Losing weight requires commitment, sacrifice, and most importantly being realistic with your expectations.

Keep reading for part two and we will start to learn what weight loss is really about.