There's a lot of power in a logbook or journal...and especially if it comes to how you use it for fat loss.
You and I might not be as in control of what we do as we believe we do...
We don't see first hand what we do each day because we aren't making that little bit of effort to write it down. And as we often think taking notes as hassle we don't realise how crucial it is for a fat loss plan to do it.
The simple truth is that without knowing what you current are doing to try and lose fat, you won't know how to change it to get more success.
Because it is worth the time and patience and then some. A little effort regularly really gives you that insight and awareness...especially when you can then look over all the short entries (not talking about a Dear Diary here!)...and see how far you have come..
And it may be that in a few months all you do is write a one liner or a quick bullet list of what exercises you did...and how you felt you have performed...instead of a line by line table about what calories you saved...
Even the act of writing every day...or at least doing it a few times a week produces a great habit of self-discipline and control...
And it's this that keeps you focussed on your fat loss plan. Even if when you mention it to your friends they might think it sounds like you are a bit obsessive!
Well, as is usually the case they're the ones who could do with losing some pounds, getting into shape and having better discipline!
Just remember: keeping even a one-liner a day log is all you need for you to see how much you workout and if it is matching the changes in your body...
And remember that it also subconsciously reinforces your fat loss plan...and without having to spend more than 5 minutes of your time!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
You don't need to worry! It's only one slice of cake
There is going to be an occasion when you'll want to eat some cake...and probably some good cake...
So what do you do?
Well, you eat it
Hold on though...isn't the whole idea to get a flat belly about not eating fatty and sugary food and cakes?
The usual stuff you hear is about taking out all sugary foods and eliminating refined carbs...
But actually the trick is that you don't have to completely cut out sugary foods and beer or wine to lose stomach fat.
You do have to learn to ease off on eating things like chocolate and cake and build the habit of eating healthier options...but going cold turkey on sweet foodwill not last...unless you have large reserves of willpower...
If you have discovered a method to increase your will power then fantastic!. Most likely this is not you and you are faced with The Cake Dilemma
The long-term answer is this:
If you eat something sweet everyday, then you are going to have to limit yourself to 1 cake day a week. No joke. 1 day a week. If you eat cake on more days, chances are you won't lose body fat, because it tends to be that you don't control your diet in other ways...
...so write it in your diary...something like Cake Day on Wednesday... and if a cake eating opportunity arises on this day, yes, you can have the cake.
Every other day, eat something healthier instead or just drink some water...do something that replaces the cake eating and builds a new habit...
Because it's this replacing for something healthier that ultimately will mean that even on the Cake day you won't get the urge so much to eat cake...and if you do still want it well...
Don't be worrying it's only one bit of cake
You are already doing enough to lose those last inches of belly fat. You can happily eat the cake without getting down on yourself.
But remember...there are no short cuts here. You need to reduce your cake eating before you get that feeling of liberation when eating cake...before you know you are already doing enough to lose belly fat...
So pull out the notes app, yes get it out RIGHT NOW.. and make one day a week Cake Day!
So what do you do?
Well, you eat it
Hold on though...isn't the whole idea to get a flat belly about not eating fatty and sugary food and cakes?
The usual stuff you hear is about taking out all sugary foods and eliminating refined carbs...
But actually the trick is that you don't have to completely cut out sugary foods and beer or wine to lose stomach fat.
You do have to learn to ease off on eating things like chocolate and cake and build the habit of eating healthier options...but going cold turkey on sweet foodwill not last...unless you have large reserves of willpower...
If you have discovered a method to increase your will power then fantastic!. Most likely this is not you and you are faced with The Cake Dilemma
The long-term answer is this:
If you eat something sweet everyday, then you are going to have to limit yourself to 1 cake day a week. No joke. 1 day a week. If you eat cake on more days, chances are you won't lose body fat, because it tends to be that you don't control your diet in other ways...
...so write it in your diary...something like Cake Day on Wednesday... and if a cake eating opportunity arises on this day, yes, you can have the cake.
Every other day, eat something healthier instead or just drink some water...do something that replaces the cake eating and builds a new habit...
Because it's this replacing for something healthier that ultimately will mean that even on the Cake day you won't get the urge so much to eat cake...and if you do still want it well...
Don't be worrying it's only one bit of cake
You are already doing enough to lose those last inches of belly fat. You can happily eat the cake without getting down on yourself.
But remember...there are no short cuts here. You need to reduce your cake eating before you get that feeling of liberation when eating cake...before you know you are already doing enough to lose belly fat...
So pull out the notes app, yes get it out RIGHT NOW.. and make one day a week Cake Day!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Losing Stubborn Belly Fat - Finding Time To Exercise When You Feel It's Impossible
Losing stubborn belly fat can be an uphill battle. You probably have a million things to do each day. Perhaps you have a small child or have a long boring drive from work. And the last thing you want to think about is doing a workout when you at last get home.
So though you know you that you need to some exercise because it helps you lose fat, the time just never seems right for you. Yes, you could try going to the gym before work or after work but you've tried that and it eats into other more important things. That's not a good solution.
It seems like you can't really get any traction. And then you get that feeling, that creeping sense of disappointment. Your goal of losing fat in the time you wanted isn't going to happen.
But you still hope that you can find an easier, quicker way, a short-cut to give you that result.
If any of this sounds familiar then you'll be happy to know that there is a very simple technique that you can use to change this picture. How you can actually get your weekly workouts and start losing stubborn belly fat without taking time away from other commitments.
If you apply this technique you will find that more opportunities seems to appear as if by magic for exercise.
The logic behind this technique is that due to years and years of building habits and having experiences in life, you and I have brief moments during the day when we get a sudden drive to do something. These bursts are remnants of times before when we had the habit of doing something during those moments.
Most of the time, you may not notice it. But when you start to examine it, you see patterns. And by using these patterns you can try to fit in workouts into your schedule.
Because it's highly likely that you have more time than you think you do.
So to find out this information here's what to do:
Make a note of when during the week you got an "slight urge" to exercise
You should get them a few times a week, perhaps even a few a day. Now if the urge was strong enough and you did exercise when you felt like it, great!! If this didn't happen and another thing came up, you at least had the beginnings of a drive to go for it.
But why is this important?
If you know when you most feel like working out, it will only take a little more effort to work out. And then when you start exercising more, you can then expand this to more times when before you didn't have such an urge for it.
And there is no good or bad time. It might be 7 in the morning before the kids are up. It might be 20 minutes high intensity when you get home. Or you do something before lunch.
Just write down when it is and keep making that log for the next 7 days. Try and work out as well, in whatever style you do.
And here's some extra advice: if you can't think how to exercise, then consider doing circuits of simple body weight exercises. Push-ups, crunches, lunges, with and without a medicine ball or weights of any kind. And you might only do it for 10 minutes. Right now the amount of time you spend is less important than the building of a habit to workout at that time.
So, for the action step: get something to be a log (it could even be a Notes application on your laptop, PC, iPhone, Black Berry, whatever) and make this the place where you record these urges. Make sure you fill it in each day.
And lastly: the way you go about losing stubborn belly fat, using exercise as a part of your plan, is by having your own habits and rhythms work WITH you, not against you!!!
So though you know you that you need to some exercise because it helps you lose fat, the time just never seems right for you. Yes, you could try going to the gym before work or after work but you've tried that and it eats into other more important things. That's not a good solution.
It seems like you can't really get any traction. And then you get that feeling, that creeping sense of disappointment. Your goal of losing fat in the time you wanted isn't going to happen.
But you still hope that you can find an easier, quicker way, a short-cut to give you that result.
If any of this sounds familiar then you'll be happy to know that there is a very simple technique that you can use to change this picture. How you can actually get your weekly workouts and start losing stubborn belly fat without taking time away from other commitments.
If you apply this technique you will find that more opportunities seems to appear as if by magic for exercise.
The logic behind this technique is that due to years and years of building habits and having experiences in life, you and I have brief moments during the day when we get a sudden drive to do something. These bursts are remnants of times before when we had the habit of doing something during those moments.
Most of the time, you may not notice it. But when you start to examine it, you see patterns. And by using these patterns you can try to fit in workouts into your schedule.
Because it's highly likely that you have more time than you think you do.
So to find out this information here's what to do:
Make a note of when during the week you got an "slight urge" to exercise
You should get them a few times a week, perhaps even a few a day. Now if the urge was strong enough and you did exercise when you felt like it, great!! If this didn't happen and another thing came up, you at least had the beginnings of a drive to go for it.
But why is this important?
If you know when you most feel like working out, it will only take a little more effort to work out. And then when you start exercising more, you can then expand this to more times when before you didn't have such an urge for it.
And there is no good or bad time. It might be 7 in the morning before the kids are up. It might be 20 minutes high intensity when you get home. Or you do something before lunch.
Just write down when it is and keep making that log for the next 7 days. Try and work out as well, in whatever style you do.
And here's some extra advice: if you can't think how to exercise, then consider doing circuits of simple body weight exercises. Push-ups, crunches, lunges, with and without a medicine ball or weights of any kind. And you might only do it for 10 minutes. Right now the amount of time you spend is less important than the building of a habit to workout at that time.
So, for the action step: get something to be a log (it could even be a Notes application on your laptop, PC, iPhone, Black Berry, whatever) and make this the place where you record these urges. Make sure you fill it in each day.
And lastly: the way you go about losing stubborn belly fat, using exercise as a part of your plan, is by having your own habits and rhythms work WITH you, not against you!!!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Making That Next Step - All You Need To Lose Fat
It is a strange phenomenon…looking back on all those little things you've done and suddenly seeing that you have accomplished so much. Look at all the ways you are fitter.
You may not be exactly in the place you believed you were going to be…but you will have progressed further than doing absolutely nothing but worrying about starting.
It’s times like these that you should congratulate yourself.
…and Personal Motivation is the key to this success…
If you don’t have a technique to keep motivated to lose weight then chances are you won’t reach your goals of, for example, having a flatter belly in 90 days or fitting into a special outfit for say, a wedding.
I know sometimes it sounds like everyone tells you “You need to have a plan…you must have this”…but it really isn’t that difficult to create one.
Just say to yourself: I will lose that fat in 12 weeks…or whatever time period you wish…but make it realistic!
If you do have a plan AND the extra motivation to lose weight then you will get results. Simple as that. It WILL happen.
I find good motivation in a technique I decided to try: It’s called the Just The Next Step method…and it is as straightforward as it sounds.
Here it is:
What happens is that you end up getting more done in less time because you only think about the next thing to do. And in general, it keeps you from over thinking.
Remember though: you still have to have a basic structure of steps to take the first few times you attempt this otherwise you will get distracted…
…and this means, especially for a fitness and weight loss program:
THE FAT ISN”T GOING TO SHIFT
So try this as motivation to lose weight if you find you don’t have the time in the day…it has the added benefit of making time magically appear from nowhere.
You may not be exactly in the place you believed you were going to be…but you will have progressed further than doing absolutely nothing but worrying about starting.
It’s times like these that you should congratulate yourself.
…and Personal Motivation is the key to this success…
If you don’t have a technique to keep motivated to lose weight then chances are you won’t reach your goals of, for example, having a flatter belly in 90 days or fitting into a special outfit for say, a wedding.
I know sometimes it sounds like everyone tells you “You need to have a plan…you must have this”…but it really isn’t that difficult to create one.
Just say to yourself: I will lose that fat in 12 weeks…or whatever time period you wish…but make it realistic!
If you do have a plan AND the extra motivation to lose weight then you will get results. Simple as that. It WILL happen.
I find good motivation in a technique I decided to try: It’s called the Just The Next Step method…and it is as straightforward as it sounds.
Here it is:
- Write down what you aim to do for the task at hand – for example, to workout, this would be get changed, review what you are going to do, warm-up, exercise, warm-down, shower, write down what you did in you exercise log
- Start with the first step and only focus on going to the next one.
What happens is that you end up getting more done in less time because you only think about the next thing to do. And in general, it keeps you from over thinking.
Remember though: you still have to have a basic structure of steps to take the first few times you attempt this otherwise you will get distracted…
…and this means, especially for a fitness and weight loss program:
THE FAT ISN”T GOING TO SHIFT
So try this as motivation to lose weight if you find you don’t have the time in the day…it has the added benefit of making time magically appear from nowhere.
Friday, March 25, 2011
2 Crucial Pieces of Advice To Stop Food Cravings
You're dying to to get control of your food cravings but you just can't seem to put the pieces of the puzzle together...or you keep making the same mistakes.
You may have tried not eating the food or distracting yourself. It just doesn't work. And those cravings are driving you up the wall...holding you back from losing weight and keeping the fat on.
Well, in this video you can learn how to stop this pattern...and with the 2 tips I talk about, you can start to make a tangible change to your food cravings habits.
You learn to conquer them and get that control over the way you eat, control that you have always wanted. And it starts with 2 things...
Click on the picture below to watch the video. See how you can transform the way you handle cravings forever...and start losing that weight and fat in the process!
You may have tried not eating the food or distracting yourself. It just doesn't work. And those cravings are driving you up the wall...holding you back from losing weight and keeping the fat on.
Well, in this video you can learn how to stop this pattern...and with the 2 tips I talk about, you can start to make a tangible change to your food cravings habits.
You learn to conquer them and get that control over the way you eat, control that you have always wanted. And it starts with 2 things...
Click on the picture below to watch the video. See how you can transform the way you handle cravings forever...and start losing that weight and fat in the process!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The most important step to beat food cravings
The most damaging mistake that you can do when trying to stop food cravings is trying to force yourself NOT to have something...
I'm referring to that time when the craving comes and you consciously say to yourself to not eat some “bad” food or drink that “bad” drink.
You know how that feels? That “forcing” yourself. The focus...the way your chest gets a bit tighter and you need to get up and sit somewhere far from the biscuits..
Or when you feel yourself having a hard time concentrating on work...you NEED to eat that slice of chocolate..but no, no, NO I HAVE TO FIGHT IT...
As you are aware, this type of occurance is not something you can maintain day after day. Maybe you stop yourself once or twice or maybe you push it to a week.
It doesn’t matter. Pretty soon you are going to fall back into old ways...in fact I'm sure you have these habits already, but you don't call them that so that you can trick yourself.
So you say “I don’t really have CRAVINGS...I just like my little treats now and then”...or “Sure only some people really have CRAVINGS, I just have a sweet tooth..”
Or “I tried stopping but you know in the end it won't do me any harm”
Yes. Denial is a terrific friend...BUT I’m not here to talk about guilt or denial and what you can do about it.
I’m talking about how you can learn to get control of that very craving, in fact CONQUER it so that you can smugly, and yes smugness is the right thing to say..how you can smugly eat any sweet food you like when YOU want...
And not have it the other way around...
So how do you begin?
The answer is to develop habits or even better...to replace habits with better ones.
So currently lets say that you always eat something sweet as part of your lunch...this is usually a well-established sweet food craving habit.
Okay. Instead of denying yourself the sweet food...have something else to eat. Like a piece of fruit or some nuts...or even a carrot. I'm not joking.
So you'll need to plan a day to bring in the other food or apply some willpower to buy the other food you are having instead. Then you need to have it with you so that you can eat this when the food craving comes.
So:
Choose what you will eat instead of that something sweet and fatty at that main time of the day when you normally have it.
Bring the other food with you or have it near to you.
Now this is the first piece of the puzzle...but a powerful one.
Also, remember that conquering cravings also fits in nicely to your fat loss plan and getting rid of those last inches of belly fat. If you want to hear more about that you can watch a cool video on it.
You can go here ====>>>Cravings control for belly fat loss
I'm referring to that time when the craving comes and you consciously say to yourself to not eat some “bad” food or drink that “bad” drink.
You know how that feels? That “forcing” yourself. The focus...the way your chest gets a bit tighter and you need to get up and sit somewhere far from the biscuits..
Or when you feel yourself having a hard time concentrating on work...you NEED to eat that slice of chocolate..but no, no, NO I HAVE TO FIGHT IT...
As you are aware, this type of occurance is not something you can maintain day after day. Maybe you stop yourself once or twice or maybe you push it to a week.
It doesn’t matter. Pretty soon you are going to fall back into old ways...in fact I'm sure you have these habits already, but you don't call them that so that you can trick yourself.
So you say “I don’t really have CRAVINGS...I just like my little treats now and then”...or “Sure only some people really have CRAVINGS, I just have a sweet tooth..”
Or “I tried stopping but you know in the end it won't do me any harm”
Yes. Denial is a terrific friend...BUT I’m not here to talk about guilt or denial and what you can do about it.
I’m talking about how you can learn to get control of that very craving, in fact CONQUER it so that you can smugly, and yes smugness is the right thing to say..how you can smugly eat any sweet food you like when YOU want...
And not have it the other way around...
So how do you begin?
The answer is to develop habits or even better...to replace habits with better ones.
So currently lets say that you always eat something sweet as part of your lunch...this is usually a well-established sweet food craving habit.
Okay. Instead of denying yourself the sweet food...have something else to eat. Like a piece of fruit or some nuts...or even a carrot. I'm not joking.
So you'll need to plan a day to bring in the other food or apply some willpower to buy the other food you are having instead. Then you need to have it with you so that you can eat this when the food craving comes.
So:
Choose what you will eat instead of that something sweet and fatty at that main time of the day when you normally have it.
Bring the other food with you or have it near to you.
Now this is the first piece of the puzzle...but a powerful one.
Also, remember that conquering cravings also fits in nicely to your fat loss plan and getting rid of those last inches of belly fat. If you want to hear more about that you can watch a cool video on it.
You can go here ====>>>Cravings control for belly fat loss
Friday, March 18, 2011
Ending It With That Special Other - To Lose Stomach Fat
You know there comes a time when you feel the need to to make an important lifestyle change, like finally admitting you want a better job, bigger house..or to lose stomach fat!…
And lots of things are going crazy, you may not have the focus or time and inclination to do things you usually do…you know you have to make big choices with huge consequences.
Well in all that madness it seemingly always happens…it’ll rear its ugly head. You’ll run into that awkward scene:
How do I say to my lover that I don’t want to be with them any more?
You’ve weighed it up and you and your lover have reached that crossroads. The big decision indeed.
But wait, this is no RUN OF THE MILL lover.
This lover gives the best, all the time and makes you feel you are the special one…always. This lover never gives you that judging look, lets you take them any place you want. They don't nag or expect some meaningless conversation. Just easy quality…every single time.
All they want is that you pay them attention...
This lover I’m talking about is your secret relationship with chocolate.
Now there's great advice about changing your diet and throwing out junk and processed food so that you can lose stomach fat
Don’t be eating white bread. Beware the pasta. Watch out for fried chicken and Big Macs. Things like that.
And that is true. It does help you lose belly fat and other fat to change from eating so much of these and it can help a lot that, when you have to eat carbs like this, you swap them for granary or wholemeal.
But the largest impact you can have on losing weight is to cut down heavily on the one relationship that always provides you with that certain satisfaction…
The one involving Chocolate
But you can’t just cut it out of your life…you may always need precious moments with this lover...just not EVERY DAY.
That little chocolate bar after dinner ring any bells?
So here’s a tip: Replace it with something else…a nut bar or an oat bar…or some fruit and nuts…just something else healthier.
To lose stomach fat you need to be tough!
And if it’s hard, I feel for you. I had to cut my lover out to. We have a once a week date these days, yeah it's not the same magic, it's changed…but my stomach is flatter thanks to it!
And lots of things are going crazy, you may not have the focus or time and inclination to do things you usually do…you know you have to make big choices with huge consequences.
Well in all that madness it seemingly always happens…it’ll rear its ugly head. You’ll run into that awkward scene:
How do I say to my lover that I don’t want to be with them any more?
You’ve weighed it up and you and your lover have reached that crossroads. The big decision indeed.
But wait, this is no RUN OF THE MILL lover.
This lover gives the best, all the time and makes you feel you are the special one…always. This lover never gives you that judging look, lets you take them any place you want. They don't nag or expect some meaningless conversation. Just easy quality…every single time.
All they want is that you pay them attention...
This lover I’m talking about is your secret relationship with chocolate.
Now there's great advice about changing your diet and throwing out junk and processed food so that you can lose stomach fat
Don’t be eating white bread. Beware the pasta. Watch out for fried chicken and Big Macs. Things like that.
And that is true. It does help you lose belly fat and other fat to change from eating so much of these and it can help a lot that, when you have to eat carbs like this, you swap them for granary or wholemeal.
But the largest impact you can have on losing weight is to cut down heavily on the one relationship that always provides you with that certain satisfaction…
The one involving Chocolate
But you can’t just cut it out of your life…you may always need precious moments with this lover...just not EVERY DAY.
That little chocolate bar after dinner ring any bells?
So here’s a tip: Replace it with something else…a nut bar or an oat bar…or some fruit and nuts…just something else healthier.
To lose stomach fat you need to be tough!
And if it’s hard, I feel for you. I had to cut my lover out to. We have a once a week date these days, yeah it's not the same magic, it's changed…but my stomach is flatter thanks to it!
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