It happens to everyone. That moment when you realize that it’s time to do something about your weight.
It may happen when you’re looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.
Your first thought is to go on a ‘diet’ but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of a hundred diets past return…along with all the frustration.
Then you wonder, why bother?
The weight will come back, as it always has. Then you’ll be back in front of the mirror as discouraged as ever.
The answer is not to go on another diet.
The answer is to change your lifestyle.
You’ve heard this before, and it makes sense, right? So why haven’t you done it?
Your Lifestyle Obstacles. Most people resist changing their lifestyle for two reasons.
1. Change is scary. Whether you realize it or not, your life is in a constant state of change. Though you cling to the familiar, it’s a futile struggle. Change always wins.
The most consistent thing in life is change. Since you’ll never escape it, you might as well channel it. It’s time to make the change in your life purposeful and positive.
2. Lifestyle misconception. How many times have you heard the term ‘healthy lifestyle’ only to picture a health nut with celery sticks in one hand and tofu in the other? The truth is that most people think that changing their lifestyle will be an extreme and unpleasant experience - and that’s not true.
Improving your lifestyle does not mean swearing off chocolate or living in the gym. You don’t have to eat wheat germ for lunch and you can still enjoy a nice plate of pasta. The key is moderation.
Making the Change. It’s time to lose your ‘all or nothing’ mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. These are your main venues for change:
What You Eat. Let’s face it, most of the foods you eat aren’t the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).
The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a ‘diet’. In fact, I never want you to go on a ‘diet’ again. (Yes, you heard me right!) Instead I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits.
Here are some practical examples:
-Choose salad over chips or fries
-Don’t add butter to your food
-Eat fresh produce with every meal
-Purchase fat free dairy productsM
-Limit desserts to one or two per week
-Cut out mindless snacking
-Drink water, not soda
I don’t expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week - that’d be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones.
What You Do. Exercise is a huge component to a healthy lifestyle, and quite frankly you’re not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your tennis shoes? Don’t disregard the importance and power of a good workout.
Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week. This may seem tough, but I have the perfect solution - my training programs were created for busy people just like you who only have so much time to dedicate to exercise.
I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer - contact me to get started on a lifestyle enhancing program today.
Here are simple ways to move more:
-Watch less TV
-Stretch stiff muscles every day
-Play at the park with the kids
-Go for a jog
-Do some pushups every morning
While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor - make a majority of your choices health conscious.
So the next time you’re in front of the mirror you won’t worry about your weight.
I consider our clients more than just clients they are my friends. I will never stop trying to help our clients achieve their goals. See our clients awesome results by clicking on the video below. See if you made the Fit-4-Life Hall Of Fame Montage Video
Rhoda Abrams is our April Client of the Month. Rhoda started working with us at the end of January because she was feeling really run down, several body aches and pains were taking their toll, and a few extra pounds were starting to add up.
Rhoda just celebrated her 73rd Birthday last Friday and she has a new lease on life. She has no problem scaling the stairs at the hi speed line and she’s even fitting into clothes she put into storage because they were getting too tight. “When I put on that pair of slacks and they zipped up, other than being married that was one of the most exciting moments of my life.” Did I mention her sense of humor.
Rhoda workouts with us 2 times per week, but she still has a sweet tooth we haven’t broken yet. That’s OK everything in moderation. In a little over 2 months, Rhoda has already lost over 9 inches, her workout clothes are falling off. Rhoda is totally awesome and works really hard, I can’t wait to see what results she’ll achieve in the next 2 months.
You Could Be Our Next Client Of The Month. Schedule your FREE Workout Testdrive below and start seeing results ASAP at any age.
That’s right - he’s sick and tired of telling you how important exercise is to your health because YOU DON’T LISTEN.
He’s sick of explaining how so many of your health problems will improve or even disappear as the result of a consistent exercise program.
He’s tired of tallying your controllable risk factors which include physical inactivity and obesity.
So why does he continue to give you the same lecture?
Because he’s seen exercise change lives.
He’s even seen exercise save lives.
A Doctor’s Perspective
Dr. David Shilling MD has been a family doctor for over 30 years. In that time he’s given a fair number of patients the exercise lecture…with good cause.
He’s seen firsthand the healing power of exercise.
Exactly what kind of healing? Dr. Shilling shared the top 5 benefits that he’s seen patients experience as a result of exercise…
1. Feel Great: The first thing that patients tell Dr. Shilling after starting an exercise program is how much better they feel. “People don’t realize how bad they feel. They get used to feeling bad. Then when they start exercising they feel so much better.”
Your energy levels boost and you feel great.
2. Pain Be Gone: Next patients notice a reduction in aches and pains. Chronic muscle and joint pain that they’ve lived with for years begins to fade. For some, joint replacement surgery is postponed. For others, arthritis pain is reduced.
Your muscles and joints feel better than ever.
3. Goodbye Coronary Heart Disease: While patients can’t feel this healing benefit of exercise, it is the one that saves lives. Exercise removes two of the major risk factors that lead to heart disease: 1) physical inactivity and 2) obesity. Exercise also increases your good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers your blood pressure.
Your risk of heart attack or stroke is reduced.
4. Goodbye Type 2 Diabetes: Patients with type 2 diabetes gain substantial benefits from exercise. Exercise improves the body’s use of insulin, and the related weight loss improves insulin sensitivity. Of course patients with type 2 diabetes need to get guidelines from their doctor before starting an exercise program.
Your blood sugar levels are better controlled.
5. Goodbye Sleep Apnea: Patients with sleep apnea are often caught in a destructive cycle. Their weight promotes occurrences of apnea then inadequate sleep promotes weight gain. Dr. Shilling has seen exercise break this cycle.
Your sleep becomes restful and weight loss becomes easier.
With all of these benefits it’s hard to see why anyone would avoid exercise. What’s your excuse?
I know you’re tired…exercise gives you energy.
I know you’re in pain…exercise alleviates your muscle and joint pain.
I know you’d rather stay in bed…exercise makes your sleep more restful.
I know you’re pressed for time…exercise improves your efficiency and extends your life.
I know you don’t know where to start…that’s where I come in.
Reply to this email or call me at the number above and we’ll schedule a consultation where I can show you the fastest and safest way to reap all of the benefits of exercise.
Then the next time you see your doctor he won’t give you a lecture.
He’ll congratulate you.
Know Your Number
Do you know your BMI? Your Body Mass Index is a number that helps determine if you are at risk for weight-related diseases. While it is not a perfect measure, it is a helpful tool. BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are considered healthy. BMI values from 25-29.9 are considered overweight, and BMI values of 30 or greater are considered obese.
Calculate your BMI: 1) Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. 2) Divide by your height in inches. 3) Divide by your height in inches again.
If you go by what you hear in diet ads then you believe that it’s anyone’s fault but yours.
The big diet companies think that if they put the blame on you, then you wouldn’t buy their bogus pills. So they put the blame on your cortisol levels, your modern diet (ie fast food), or your busy schedule instead of where it belongs - which is squarely on your shoulders.
Sure, you have obstacles that get in your way - your schedule, your job, your kids, the weather, your knee injury from college…but ultimately you have the body that you accept.
I’m going to repeat that so it will really sink in.
You have the body that you accept.
Embracing the blame for your current weight is not a bad thing - it’s empowering. Think about it. If it really wasn’t your fault, if it really was due to a long list of variables that you have zero control over, then you’d be stuck. You’d have no way to change.
The Secret Behind ‘Before and After’ Pictures
Allow me to pull back the curtain for you on something that the diet industry doesn’t want you to know. You’ve seen countless before and after pictures documenting weight loss as a result of a diet product. Well, there is more involved than just the diet product, and it’s the same across the board.
Look into the eyes of any person in their before picture and you’ll see that they are disturbed. The body they have is no longer in sync with the body they can accept.
They changed the body that they accept.
Now look into their eyes in the after picture - see the sweet satisfaction? They now own the body that they decided they could accept. And what a great feeling that is.
Your Time To Transform
Whether you realize it or not, you already posses everything you need to transform your body, but it all starts with taking responsibility for the body that you have today. You have your current body because until this moment you’ve been OK with it.
Oh sure, you aren’t thrilled with it, and you even talk about losing weight and getting fit, but you haven’t changed what you’ll accept. Here’s how to transform your body in 3 steps:
Step One: Get Disturbed
You’ve heard it said that emotion creates motion. This is essential when it comes to losing weight. Just like those folks in the before pictures, to transform your body you must first decide that you can’t live another day in the body you currently have.
It’s time to get your emotions stirred up. Make a list of all the reasons that you must lose weight and get fit. Get disturbed!
Step Two: Get Focused
Without clarity it’s very hard to get where you want to go. Now that you’re disturbed with the body you have, it’s time to decide what the body you can accept looks like.
I want you to think in concrete and specific terms. Just like the captions under those before and after pictures - “Suzy lost 25 lbs”, “Mike lost 8 inches from his waist”, “Jenny went from a size 18 to a size 6″ .
Get a clear picture in your mind of what you’ll look like in your after picture and visualize what the caption will read.
Step Three: Get Moving
The time spent between your inspiration (now) and your action determines whether you will succeed or fail. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck between inspiration and action - there is always something that you can do right now.
Don’t you agree that you’ll be happier living life in a fit, healthy and attractive body, rather than the body you have today? Of course you’ll be happier.
I’ve helped scores of clients just like you finally lose their unwanted weight.
I am here to take you from your before picture to your after picture, however, you need to bring something to the table - you need to make up your mind about what you’ll accept of yourself.
What will you accept?
Kevin Hensel
Fit-4-Life, Inc.
Cherry Hill Personal Training Studio
856-751-0033
www.FitLifeInc.com
February is the month that most people revert to their pre-New-Year’s-Resolution habits. Have you given up on your fitness goals yet?
“If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the wagon, the universe will provide one.”
That was the lesson that Oprah shared in her recent confession about her ongoing struggle with weight. Oprah knows how it feels to fall off the fitness wagon; in the January issue of The Oprah Magazine she described her recent 40 pound weight gain.
Her testimony was filled with valuable insights for anyone else prone to relapse. There was a hidden cycle that I found in her story - one that exposes the process of falling off the wagon.
1) You Fall
Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn out process. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising.
Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that’ll get you off the wagon. Once you’re off the real damage begins.
2) You Surrender
There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. For Oprah this was a dramatic moment. “I started eating whatever I wanted - and that’s never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress.”
This is the most destructive part of the cycle. You remove all expectations from yourself and as a result you plummet into an unhealthy realm. The progress that you’ve made toward your goals is lost and even more weight is gained.
3) You Hit Bottom
Inevitably there comes the moment when you hit bottom. Your body shows the new weight gain and you feel awful about it. For Oprah it was a sobering moment. “I felt completely defeated. I thought, I give up. I give up. Fat wins.” She went so far as to say, “I felt like a fat cow. I wanted to disappear.”
While hitting bottom is never a fun experience, it is a necessary one. The pain must become great enough for you to turn it around and take the control back.
4) You Take Control
Now comes the good part. When you hit bottom you were out of control, now you’re ready to once again grab the reigns. Oprah says that “These days I’ve put myself back on my own priority list.”
She plans to get an hour of exercise five or six days a week, as well as eating healthfully and reordering her life to include time to replenish her energy. Her new goal is to be strong and healthy and fit.
Have you fallen off your priority list, like Oprah fell off hers?
The time has come to put yourself back on that priority list. The time has come to decide that you are worth it.
I’m here to help you do just that. Call or email today to get started on an exercise program that will change your body and your life…just like Oprah.
Fit-4-Life, Inc.
Cherry Hill’s Premier Personal Training Studio
856-751-0033
www.FitLifeInc.com
That bit of wisdom came from Franklin D. Roosevelt during a radio address in 1939, and though he wasn’t talking about fitness, it certainly applies to the following fat loss myths.
Myth #1: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat
The Facts: Your body doesn’t have an internal timer that causes late night eats to be stored directly as fat. Weight gain happens when you eat too much and exercise too little - you could eat too much in the morning, the afternoon, or late at night and it would all result in weight gain.
Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.
Myth #2: Snacking Promotes Weight Gain
The Facts: Eating snacks throughout the day is actually a great way to keep your metabolism up and to avoid overeating at meals. However, if you snack on junk food then be prepared to pack on pounds.
Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it’s all about what you snack on.
Myth #3: You Can Lose Fat Without Exercise
The Facts: Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to permanent fat loss. Your body needs exercise just as it needs to be fed a diet filled with fresh produce, whole grains and lean protein.
Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.
Myth #4: Fat Free Means ‘All-You-Can-Eat’
The Facts: It’s time to close your eyes and mentally erase everything that the 90’s taught about fat-free dieting. Fat-free foods are not the equivalent of flavored air – they contain plenty of calories and often lots of sugar.
Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.
Myth #5: Eat as Little as Possible for Maximum Fat Loss
The Facts: Eating too little causes your metabolism to shut down and puts your body into starvation mode, and prone to store fat rather than burn it.
Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.
Myth #6: Diet Pills Work for Fat Loss
The Facts: The only thing that diet pills are capable of burning is the extra cash in your wallet. Billions of diet pills are sold every year – all to no avail.
Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.
Myth #7: You Should Never Eat Fast Food
The Facts: It’s all about what you order. Fried, processed and salty foods will cause weight gain - don’t order them. Lean meat, salad, vegetables and beans, on the other hand, are available at many fast food chains - order these instead.
Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.
Trying to lose weight is often a frustrating experience. In a world filled with quick fixes, lasting weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it will also take some time to lose it.
Permanent weight loss happens as a result of a proper exercise and diet plan - my specialty.
Call or reply to this email and together we will customize a diet and exercise plan designed to help you lose the weight, tone your body and feel fantastic.
New Year’s day…it never fails to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, but is it really a trap?
You’ve been handed a proverbial clean slate - another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.
In an attempt to bottle that New Year’s vigor, you’ll make a few New Year’s Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:
It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year’s Resolutions end in failure.
That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successful accomplish their resolutions in 2009.
Ouch - those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?
As your trusted source for fitness advice, I’d like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.
First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they’d even begun.
They bit off more than they could chew.
In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up.
The 92% gave themselves an easy way out. They approached their resolution with an ‘all or nothing’ attitude. Once the ‘all’ became too tough they opted for ‘nothing’. And just like that another resolution ended in failure - end of story.
Now let’s examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).
They set realistic goals.
I’ll repeat that… they set REALISTIC goals.
Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until they reach their desired size.
Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.
Did you see the difference?
If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic. Sure, it certainly won’t sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make - but they aren’t going to keep theirs anyway.
Remember that the whole point of making a New Year’s Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.
If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.
I’d love to team up with you - together we will transform your body in 2009!
Call or email to get started today
Cherry Hill’s Premier Personal Training Studio
Fit-4-Life, Inc.
856-751-0033
www.FitLifeInc.com
In recent weeks a female Olympic swimmer has been making headlines and she doesn’t even hold the fastest time in her events. So what makes her so amazing?
She’s swimming with women half her age.
Dara Torres, 41, and is headed to her fifth Olympic games. Oh, and did I mention that she also has a two year old daughter? While other women her age are whining about pregnancy pounds and being ‘over the hill’, Dara looks like the 20 year olds she competes with.
What makes her different from other 41 year old moms?
“I love to exercise,” Dara says. “I love how it makes me feel. I love how it makes me look.”
Here’s the fountain of youth part:
Because of exercise, Dara’s body is actually younger on a molecular level than her out-of-shape counterparts, according to a recent study led by Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London as reported by the Washington Post.
The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells (called telomeres), which means a slowing of the aging process.
“These data suggest that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process,” said Spector.
Here’s the study in a nutshell:
Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter.
Once a telomere gets too short, that cell can no longer divide.
Aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die. This results in weakened muscles, skin wrinkles, loss of eyesight and hearing, organ failure and slowed metal functioning.
The study analyzed the telomeres from the white bloods cells of twins over a 10-year period. Telomere length was used as a marker for the rate of biological aging.
It was found that the length of telomeres was directly related to that twin’s activity level. “There was a gradient,” Spector said. “As the amount of exercise increased, the telomere length increased.”
People who did 100 minutes of weekly exercise had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 5-6 years younger than those who did 16 minutes of exercise each week.
People who did 3 hours of vigorous exercise each week had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 9 years younger.
What does this mean to you?
The fountain of youth is literally at your fingertips!
Add to that the previously proven benefits of exercise (such as a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases) and it’s no wonder that exercise lovers look and feel as great as they do.
Do you want to start an exercise program or get back on one?
Whether it’s been months, years or even a lifetime since your last workout, remember that it’s never too late to start looking and feeling your best.
Call the number above or just reply to this email to set up your first workout.
And while you may not share Dara’s passion for swimming, you can share her secret for staying young and looking your best.
Change is a curious thing. In most areas of life you dread it, yet in others you pine for it.
You’re told that change is hard, that it takes time. You’re also told that change is the most consistent thing that you’ll encounter. You wonder how to make lasting changes that will improve your life.
I’m here to argue that change can happen in an instant.
I know this goes against mainstream belief. Most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.
Think about it-how many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold.
Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair or pants that you wish you could fit into?
What is preventing you from making a positive change in your life?
According to professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, it’s the getting ready to change that takes times. In the end there’s an instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.
Belief #1: Something must change.
Do you kind of want to get into shape or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound nice or is living another day in your current body simply out of the question? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time is right.
Belief #2: I must change it.
It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this change enough to make it your personal mission-no one else will do it for you.
Belief #3: I can change it.
Don’t let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you can do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.
Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you’ll always revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution?
Change what you’re comfortable with.
You’ve probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.
You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.
It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.
You are capable of making a big change in your life. Start by contacting me at 856-751-0033 or get started ASAP by clicking http://fitlifeinc.com/Free_Workout_Testdrive.html for your free, no obligation workout testdrive.
Remember, change can happen in an instant.
Committed to your success
Kevin Hensel, Owner Fit 4 Life
Cherry Hill, NJ
856-751-0033
www.Fitlifeinc.com
