The study was released in the journal titled Obesity followed over 6000 adolescents into adulthood finding that married people pack on more fat and are less likely to lose weight than their single cohorts.

While reasons are not given, here are some possible explanations:

• There is more focus on food when people are married – home life becomes more structured and suddenly life is organized around meal times.  Without paying special attention to diet and nutrition, those meal times can actually be quite unhealthy and lead to weight gain
• Becoming married can come with a certain amount of stress – in fact the study found that weight gain occurred a couple of years into the marriage, when the euphoria melts off and some people can undergo increased stress feeling they are “locked” into a relationship – even if they truly do love their spouse.  As we know, there is a strong correlation between stress and gaining weight
• I didn’t see in the study accounting for children – there is also likely to be a strong correlation between having kids and gaining weight simply because stress levels go sky high, activity is minimized (especially in the first few years) and eating is often an “escape” for mothers and fathers
• Perhaps the most obvious reason, as we become more comfortable in marriage our sites get set on other things – body image doesn’t rank #1 anymore, things like being secure financially, career growth and friendships then take over as the primary focus…the result is we have less motivation and effort going into maintaining a healthy weight.

Interestingly, all is not lost given that married people tend to be more healthy in other ways, so with a little attention paid to weight loss, nutrition and continuing to be active – married people truly can have the best of both worlds.

Are you married?  Have you noticed a difference in your weight or eating habits since being married?

The good news is that instead of cutting out all sweets, carbohydrates and other foods you love, by mixing in some moderate exercise, some natural stress relief and some other positive habits in your life, your fat loss plan doesn’t need to be painful and can occur very quickly.

For example…

1. By simply reducing the snacking you are doing each day by 1 or 2 (let’s say you used to have a mid-morning, afternoon and before bed snack) AND eating smaller portions of carbohydrates or sugary deserts you can set the stage for substantial fat burning

2. Next, make sure you are getting at least 3 periods of rather intense cardio exercise during the week. This could be jogging, swimming for 30-minutes, playing tennis for 45-minutes, playing soccer, running on a treadmill or walking rapidly for 60-minutes – the secret here is to make sure the activity you choose is something you like.

Some people find it easier to plan these activities with friends, while others prefer to do it alone. Whatever the choice, you have to plan that activity into your life…this is something you need to do for months, not just a few weeks.

3. Learn to meditate and/or learn yoga…you will magically find after a few weeks that you are able to handle stress like it was nothing — suddenly you get more perspective and peace in your life and eating doesn’t become your method of relaxation PLUS you have more energy to work on daily activities.

It’s strange – but have you ever come across a person that meditates or does yoga regularly that has a weight problem?

No – and it is mainly because stress is the #1 cause of over-eating AND lowering energy and our immune systems so we don’t feel well enough to exercise.

So, fat burning can be so much easier and less painful if we balance eating 20% better with exercising 20% more and meditating a few times during the week.

There you have the #1 most effective fat burning plan that really works, is extremely easy to follow and really gets you lasting fat loss results. Give it a try!

Let us know what challenges you have with your weight loss goals…and be sure to get your 20-tips for burning fat fast over to the right…it builds on the material we share here.

I’m not sure about you, but for me, Monday’s are always the toughest to get back into my weight loss routine…somehow I always stray just enough on the weekend to break the successful weight loss habits of the week before.

Getting Off Track

And…if I get off track on Monday, it’s usually Wednesday when I suddenly look at my week and figure out – “if I don’t quickly get my butt moving this week will be a total right-off” – ahhhh….my Wednesday then becomes my Monday!

Of course, the right answer is to maintain your weight loss and exercise routine right through 7-days a week so that you don’t have to worry about getting back into positive habits – but for many of us, that is not the way this whole weight loss exercise will go, especially if you are committed to long-term fitness and health.

It’s the summer, and over the weekend we had some friends over, had a few beers, some wine, a barbecue and ate some foods I typically don’t eat including an ice cream with the kids.

Ok, I had been incredibly good with my weight loss goals all week – so cheating ** a little ** would not have been such a bad thing – but it went a bit too far.

So, Monday morning comes around and every ounce of my being was screaming to delay my workout today. But I’m proud to say I fought that urge and convinced myself that even though I didn’t feel energetic, that my stomach didn’t feel great and I had the start of a headache – I would just start my 5Km jog anyway.

Quitting is NOT An Option

When I first turned on the radio in the morning I heard a Tiger Woods commercial for a watch I think, in there he uttered the words – “quitting is NOT an option”.

Coming off of an inspirational British Open run by 53-year old Greg Norman (easily my favorite player past and present) – I was ready to be inspired and all through the run I kept saying to myself “quitting is NOT an option”

Guess what happened!

I finished my run in a record time, burst through all of the bad feelings from the weekend and then came in and did 30-minutes of weights and felt AMAZING!!

I actually exceeded my weight loss objectives for the day by a great deal – quitting is NOT an option.

Try it yourself. If you have trouble getting motivated one day, repeat to yourself “quitting is not an option” and picture in your mind someone who has achieved something extraordinary that you really respect and admire.

You’ll be amazed at the extra weight loss motivation you get from using this simple, but powerful technique.

It starts with moving up one or two sizes in pants, then knowing we are carrying around an extra, stubborn 10-lbs, losing some endurance when we walk up the stairs or go out to play with the kids…and if we don’t deal with it, then belly fat can become something we choose to live with instead of eliminate.

Not only has belly fat been linked to various health issues including heart disease, cancers, immune deficiency diseases, diabetes and a host of other health ailments…the impact on our energy level, how we feel in front of others and most important, how we feel about ourselves is just as critical.

Self-esteem and self condidence are so important to our personal and professional lives and yet the presence of belly fat is allowed to stand in the way of reaching maximum self confidence.

So what do we do about this extra weight that gathers in and around our belly? Fat accumulating in the front or sides of your abdominals can sit there for years, is there really a way to quickly eliminate belly fat?

The answer is yes, if I can do it, so can you.

Here is a 5-step system that is simple to follow and will show amazing results for you in just a few weeks…

1. Get checked or begin a cleanse for parasites. These nasties can end up in your gut from lots of places – kids and pets are especially active carriers. Once in your system, they completely throw off your digestion causing untold issues of gas, bloating and excessive fat build-up leading to both real belly fat and the perception of more weight than there really is due to excessive bloating and digestive disfunction.

2. Yeast – candida is a culprit in many of our bellies, some is natural while an overgrowth can quickly take over and render the intestines virtually dysfunctional resulting in same symptoms as #1. There are various cleanse methods on the market – take them slow at first, but most of all watch your intake of sugar (ex. pop, sweet cereals, etc…) and yeasty foods. By dealing with parasites and yeast overgrowth you can often dramatically eliminate belly fat in a matter of weeks.

3. At least 45-minutes, 3X a week of aerobics exercise such as jogging, swimming, or cycling. If you are not comfortable with moderate exercise, then substitute the 45-minute of moderate exercise for a 60-75 minute walk at least 3-miles per hour. The aerobic activity will work wonders on your belly fat.

4. Drink more water, less soft drinks and juice. One of the highest sources of hidden sugars that turn into fat in your body are soft drinks and juices. Over 5-years ago I made the decision to no longer drink ANY soft drinks or juices…I still hold true to that today with the odd drink once or twice a month. By avoiding these drinks not only do you avoid the sugar that leads to more belly fat but you then find yourself dealing with your thirst by drinking more water – at least 8-10 glasses a day will flush the toxins out of your system, keep yourself hydrated so you feel more energetic and you will burn still more fat.

5. Core body exercises. While you don’t need to spend hours each day in the gym, it does help to maintain a basic level of muscle which helps burn fat when you are at rest as well as when you are out exercising. Imagine, burning belly fat while you are sitting at your desk! Keep that image in your mind and you’ll find yourself just itching to exercise 3-4 times a week. Basic core exercises include sit-ups, crunches, and leg lifts that help to excercise the lower abdominals.

Using this simple program I was able to drop 10 lbs in less than 1-month and more important, lose the belly fat that I had been living with for more than 5-years. And, I did it without creating chaos in my existing routine. Give it a try!

The challenge, as many of you also know, is keeping that 20-lbs off. Eventually it begins to creep up again and suddenly I’m right back where I started from. While there is some comfort in knowing that I can reach my weight loss goals anytime I please, there is also an element of frustration in that I can’t take my eye off the goal or else it seems to magically reappear!

Much of that has to do with eating habits.

When I’m in fat burning mode I keep close watch on my meals – making sure to fit at least one meal of salad in, hold off on sugars (including the hidden sugars in drinks, cereals, etc…) and generally keep close tabs on everything that I ingest.

That’s when I read about this study outlining double the fat burning effectiveness of those who keep a formal food diary.

Makes sense, after all, that’s what I was doing when I’m in fat burning mode, just that I keep it in my head.

So, starting last week, I began writing down everything I eat from the time I get up in the morning to the time I rest my head on my pillow at night.

I’ll share more of my experience with you in a few weeks, but right now I can tell you that keeping track of what you eat by writing it down in a food diary is an excellent motivator to being extra careful and will lead to fat burning.

Have you ever used this technique in your fat burning?

Would you feel that was an infringement on your private right to run your own life or would you be thankful that your doctor is letting you know before you get too far overweight and actually works with you to help you understand how to tackle your weight problem early?

Japan has just come out with government standards aimed at fat burning that demands people aged 40 to 74 have their waist size taken and recorded…those that exceed government guidelines will be given 3-months to lose the weight after which they get extra guidance for a further 6-months followed by more guidance if their fat burning is not successful in bringing them below the guidelines.

States and private companies are responsible for taking the waist measurements which has come under some criticism as a method of the Japanese government offloading the cost of enforcing these weight loss guidelines onto private organizations.

Is this really a good idea?

Oddly enough, it may be a better idea for us here in North America where the average waist size exceeds the Japanese by several inches and where disease and health care costs associated with obesity and being overweight could certainly justify more rigorous attention being paid to fat burning programs.

In North America we have done a good job tackling the issue of smoking along with its impact on the health care system, is fat burning the next big area governments will focus in our bid to become a healthier, less costly society?

I for one look forward to the day when such a program exists…while they’re at it, why not begin to regulate and cover other legitimate forms of alternative health care that can go a long way to preventing disease, lowering stress, achieve lower levels of belly fat and improve the health of our society.

In other words, if I struggle with exercise (for any number of reasons including time or other health issues that make exercise less of an option), can I still accomplish fat burning by focusing just on my diet?   Or similarly, if I struggle to control my diet, how much weight can I lose by increasing the amount of exercise each week? 

Another debate that confuses many of us trying to achieve an optimal fat burning metabolism is do we simply have to “watch what we  eat” or must we reduce the actual calorie intake overall? 

In other words, is it enough to cut back on sweets, potatoe chips and to some extent, carbohydrates in our quest to burn more fat OR do we really have to cut down our portions and perhaps eliminate those snacks before we head off to bed?

I came across this interesting research study “When It Comes To Living Longer, It’s Better To Go Hungry That Go Running…” over at Science News.  The study (albeit performed on mice rather than humans which certainly loads it with uncertainty when compared with people) concludes that in mice less food not only meant less weight but rather substantial gains in overall health. 

In short, the study found that mice lived longer if they achieved fat burning via eating less than if they had exercised the weight off. 

To be clear, the study (and others before it) have found benefits to BOTH exercise and eating less both in terms of fat burning and in terms of overall longevity.  The conclusion of this particular research though was that there was a bigger impact on both weight loss and longevity from eating less versus rigorous exercise.

Does this mean we should hang up our running shoes and simply focus on our diet?  Not necessarily, there is still substantial evidence that exercise is tremendously beneficial to preventing certain types of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes…but one can take some advice from this study…

1. Exercise alone may not be the optimal way to achieve your fat burning goals and should you continue to not focus on the quality and quantity of what you are eating, your longevity may be impacted as well.

2. By balancing portion control, good health diet and moderate exercise you can achieve a great deal more weight loss, prevent disease and possibly live longer all while making your fat burning program more realistic and achievable further improving the liklihood that you will stick with your program over the long-term. 

In the end, weight loss is an ongoing factor in our lives where we must institute a program that we can stick to long term – becoming a way of life – a habit we can live with instead of using techniques that intrude on our lives, that we will not stick with. 

By following the advice of this study, we can offset unrealistic assumptions about exercise with a combined approach of portion and calorie control mixed with moderate exercise and achieve all the health benefits that will improve our lives as we live each day.

Here’s what would happen, I would finish running and it would be so painful that psychologically I would keep myself from running again that week.  Maybe if I was really eager I would get out for a power walk – but something always seemed to come up to ruin the consistency.

It’s been about 60-days now and I’ve been on a very consistent jogging schedule where I get in 30-45-minutes of quality jogging time.  I started out slow, at about a 5Mph pace and have gradually increased the pace to where I figure I’m now burning about 500-600 calories each jogging trip and I’m feeling much stronger, less out of breath, less overheated and a whole lot more energetic after the run than before.

What’s the difference…

1. I took it slow and gradual.  Instead of trying to run a 10-min mile full out for 30-minutes I’ve slowed it down and listened to my body understanding that it takes time to build your stamina and losing the weight will come.

2. Being consistent.  This is the MOST important thing.  Ideally you can get out 3-4 times a week, but if it’s only twice, then that’s ok – just be consistent about it week in and week out.  You will find after 3-4 weeks a significant improvement in your stamina and after 6-weeks another big leap in energy and stamina until you are running faster and farther than you ever though possible just 6-weeks before..  Oh, and you WILL notice some significant weight coming off as long as you maintain a healthy diet along with your exercise.

3. Wear comfortable shoes.  I made this mistake, wearing a $40 pair of running shoes WILL have an impact on your knees, hips, back or some other part of your body.  Running is shocking to your body, so you need to absorb as much of that shock as you can and good shoes are the way to do it.  If you don’t wear quality shoes you will hit an injury which throws off your consistency and weight loss goals.

4. Find your best time and place to run.  By running at an optimal time of day for you and mixing up your routes you can keep the exercise fresh and enjoying not allowing it to get boring.

Try it…and stick with your jogging or running campaign.  Not only will you lose more weight but you’ll find you will notice the fat burning off, leaner core muscles, more energy and stamina and an overall happier outlook on life.

Jeff

We’re up here in Canada wher the winters are pretty snowy, quite dark and yes…pretty frosty!  So, we head down South to Florida, Arizona, Mexico and sometimes to the Caribbean when we can to make the winter seem a little shorter…BUT yikes…that means a bathing suit, swimming and suddenly loose fitting sweaters won’t hide the extra 10-pounds gained since the fall.

Things were pretty hectic in my business back in late February though – there were some major campaigns I was running for my own business so it wasn’t like I had loads of spare time.

But…each day I did one of 3 things:  Every second day I jogged for 35-minutes and then worked out with weights, the other days I either walked for 45-minutes or worked out in my basement at home.

In addition, I decided to eat at least 3 salads for lunch each week replacing what would have normally been a high carbohydrate lunch of pasta, breaded fish or some other high calorie, high fat food.  One other dietary change, cut back on desert and cut out late night snacks.

This was all possible even though I was busy leading up to the trip.  How did this persistant weight loss routine work out?

I had lost 5-pounds before leaving for the trip – that was 2-weeks after starting the program.  But here’s the really neat part…

Despite overeating and not exercising when on our 10-day vacation I didn’t gain ANY of the weight back and still was 5-pounds lighter when I got home.  That gave me the motivation to keep up this persistant action.  Even though I have missed the odd walk day, I’ve been able to stick with the workouts and have lost an additional 5-pounds.

So far, the energy and emotional lift from the way I look and feel is a big boost.  The lesson for me has been persistant weight loss action…not necessarily radical action…is what gets longer term results. 

If you are struggling with your weight today and have had numerous experiences of dieting and exercise only to gain the weight back again…try just one small change and keep it up for a few weeks.  Change your diet in one small way, begin walking 30-minutes 3-times each week or fill in an extra workout or two…but the key is to keep it up. 

Begin your persistant weight loss program today…and watch the weight melt off over the next few weeks.

Jeff

There are so many factors that come into play when trying to focus on a diet in any weight loss program…

• So much information, where do I start?
• Situations in my life I can’t control make me eat?
• Availability of good food – if you travel, you know what I mean?
• Society influences are mostly around BAD foods (parties, peers, TV, etc…)
• Lots of mis-information that focus on other goals such as muscle building at the expense of good nutrition and weight loss goals

Give that there is so much confusing information, so much debate over what is good for you and not and differing emphasis placed on the role of diet and nutrition to weight loss programs, the more we can simplify your dietary “must-have’s” in terms of weight loss foods, the more likely we all will be to follow and see our fat burn off.

Let’s stick with 1pf the most powerful weight loss foods:

1. Fibre

 Fibre is beneficial in many ways to our body – reducing heart disease, controlling blood sugar and seems to help in weight loss.

Specifically, soluable fibre tends to gel together in your system and collect sugars and starch slowing the absorption of these fat causing compounds lowering the probability that they will turn into weight in our bodies.

In addition – it’s been shown that eating the recommended amount of fibre helps give us that “full” feeling while not adding empty calories of carbohydrates or sugars.

First, how much should we be getting?  Fibre intake for a man ages 19 to 55 should come in around 38 grams in one day which can come from a variety of sources including whole grains and fruit.

For example, here are typical fibre quantities in popular foods…

a)  You will get approximately 3-grams of fibre from eating an apple, most of that coming from the skin (so you won’t get the same fibre from eating a peeled apple or drinking apple juice)

b) Now ceareals are really interesting…many of us assume that you get a substantial amount of fibre from any cereal we eat right?  WRONG!  The difference is rather remarkable and can play a huge difference in your fibre intake daily.  In fact, you can get nearly half of the recomended fibre intake for your entire day with as little as one serving of a high fibre cereal – from a weight loss perspective this makes sticking to your fibre intake goals especially easy. 

Let’s look at a few popular cereals in terms of fibre listed:

• Kellogs Rice Krispies – 0 grams
• Rasin Bran – 6 grams per 1 Cup serving
• Fibre-1 Cereal – 14 grams per 1-1/4 serving
• Nabisco Shreddies – 6 grams per 1-Cup serving

Notice that many popular ceareals have zero or barely a touch of fibre where others you can get over half of your daily fibre intake from as little as 1-cup. 

By choosing to eat just 1-cup of ceareal each morning high in fibre you can substantially increase your fibre intake, reduce your exposure to disease and help in your quest for weight loss.

Jeff