Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and
the University of Colorado set out to determine
what lifestyle changes were needed to lose weight
AND keep it off. They began an on-going study
called the National Weight Control Registry (www.nwcr.ws).

This registry does not list all of their test
subjects. In order to make it you had to lose over
30 pounds AND keep it off for a year. So they did
a good job qualifying success.

What they found was intersting.

And the numbers they compiled don’t lie.

The findings are listed into 10 lifestyle changes.

Here are the 10 habits of these successful weight
losers:

1. 98 percent of registry participants reported
that they modified their food intake in some way
to lose weight. Ok, kinda obviousl But you must
change your eating habits in some way (i.e. fewer
calories) to lose weight.

2. Most registry members reported consuming less
high-fat dense food groups and more low-fat dense
food groups resulting in a lower daily calorie
intake and greater weight loss. Eat lighter and
cleaner. Stay away from fried, high fat foods and
eat more fresh fruits and veggies.

3. 94 percent of registry participants reported
increasing their physical activity. Again, kinda
obvious. More out, less in.

4. 90 percent reported exercising, on average,
about one hour per day. Note the difference of
activity and exercise. Yesterday a client ran 1
mile and also played in a basketball game. She
asked if the game counted for cardio. I said no.
Walking your kids around the block, golfing and
gardening are all activity. But exercise is
strength and cardio training. There IS a
difference.

5. 78 percent reported eating breakfast daily.
I’ll venture to say they didn’t eat donuts.

6. 75 percent of registry participants reported
weighing themselves at least once a week. The
interval can and should vary, but measurment of
progress is essential. It helps you stay
accountable and also provides motivation, which fuels your efforts.

7. 62 percent watched TV less than 10 hours/week.
More TV means a more sedentary lifestyle. Do you
know how much TV you watch? Try tracking it. I bet
you’d be surprised.

8. 42% of the sample reported that maintaining
their weight loss was less difficult than losing
weight. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Because I see this
mistake all the time.

In the beginning, when you’re trying to lose
weight, you CANNOT afford to cheat. You MUST
remain committed to your program and keep the ‘dial turned up’. Then, once you’ve reached your goal you can afford to cheat here and there. If you start to backslide you simply ‘turn the dial back up.’

9. Nearly all registry members stated that weight
loss led to improvements in their level of energy,
physical mobility, general mood, self-confidence,
and physical health. I won’t begin to list the
benefits of losing weight and getting in shape. You’re smart, and I’m sure you know there are TONS of them. Life is better when you look good and feel good about yourself.

10. For those who did regain weight, weight regain
was due, at least in part, to failure to maintain
behavior changes. This clearly tells us “diets”
don’t work. If you don’t continue to pay attention
to your health and fitness you will backslide.

There’s a lot of wisdom in these 10 strategies.

In the book Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, they
discuss how one guy helped solve a major
malnutrition problem in Vietnam back in the 90s. He did so by looking at the “bright spots” of other villages without the problem.

He didn’t try to solve all of the other underlying problems; poor sanitation, rampant poverty, ignorance to nutrition, etc… He looked to the villages that did not have any malnourishment followed their success.

You can learn a lot by finding the “bright spots”
and then implement them in your own life.

Stop trying to find more time – you’ll never find it. Stop trying to set aside enough money – you’ll never have enough. Stop trying to fix your problems. Make a few changes that other successful people have done to lose weight.

In addition to the weight loss registry mentioned
above our very own Bootcampers, maybe
some of them your neighbors, are another place to
find bright spots.

Sometimes we need to see the possiblities. We need
the motivation and inspiration of others that have
gone before us.

I hope the findings from 5,000 successful weight loss subjects and that of your very own neighbors motivates you to create change in your own life.

To your weight loss success,

The Bootcamp Team

P.S. So you didn’t start fresh on January 1st. Big deal.
It’s never too late to start. Get your free trial here.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

It’s that time of year!

Time to take an honest assessment of where you are
in life, and decide what you’d like to achieve
in the upcoming year.

It’s a sad fact that the majority of folks NEVER
see those resolutions come to fruition. That’s
why today, I’d like to share with you a few tips
that will help you stick with your resolutions, no
matter what – creating a NEW YOU in 2012!

The major reason people don’t follow through on
their resolutions is FEAR. Change is scary, and
committing to change is a scary endeavor. But
follow these tips and you should be able to nip
fear in the bud and actually accomplish what you
set out to achieve in 2012!

Get Serious - If you make “another resolution”
it’s going to be just that, another resolution.
Make a resolution because you want to change
something. Don’t do it because everyone else is or
because you feel like you have to. Get serious
with yourself and do it because you want to.

Chunk It Down - However big your resolution is,
chunk it down into bite size pieces. Let’s say you
want to lose 80 pounds this year. Chunk that down
into a smaller increment. Try losing 15 pounds in
the first 2 months. Or if you want to improve your
relationships focus on one at a time. This way
you’ll build momentum and have a higher rate of
success.

Relax - You’re setting a resolution to make this
year better than the last. Don’t put yourself on a
tight rope with no net. If you fail with your
resolution you won’t be any worse off than where
you stand today. Take a deep breath and keep it in
perspective.

Have Fun - Yes, this is very important. Think of
something you hate. It could be doing laundry,
cleaning toilets, or even running on a treadmill.
Now picture yourself doing that every day. It’s
terrible! You wouldn’t last. The more fun you can
build into your resolution the easier it will be.

Research - You gotta do your homework. Talk to
your friends. Find out what they’re doing. Find
out what they’ve done. Were they successful? Talk
to your doctor, a personal trainer, a financial
advisor, etc… Get on the internet, read some
books or magazines. Get the info you need to make
your resolution work this year.

Get Help - You can never have enough help. And you
should never be afraid to ask for help. It’s what
smart people do. Telling yourself your resolution
and going it alone is a recipe for failure. Ask
the right questions to the right people and you’ll
be a leg up.

Resolutions are tough. But do not be afraid. If
you’ve failed in the past, try and learn from what
you did wrong and make the necessary changes.

Remember that nothing happens without action.
Action, no matter how small, will help give you
the momentum you need. And once you’ve started
taking action, you’ll have a better understanding
of what you need to do to get to your final
destination.

So this year, set some resolutions… and follow
through until you’ve achieved them!

Happy 2012,
The Bootcamp Team

P.S. If you want help, we’re here for you! Join
us and many other St. Louis women for your free
trial. Starting your day early and exercising
are two great resolutions!

Posted under Fitness Tips, health, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

A recent Harvard study published in The New
England Journal of Medicine looked at long term
weight gain linked to specific foods. Participants
gained on average 17 pounds over the 20 year span
the study was conducted. That’s a lot of pounds.

What’s interesting about this study is they looked
at how much specifc foods led people to gain
weight over four year periods.

Can you guess what food contributed to the most
weight gain?

It wasn’t candy. It wasn’t ice cream or cookies.

Potatoes.

Fried, boiled, mashed… didn’t matter.

Dr. Mozzafarian, an professor of epidemiology at
the Harvard School of Public Health, said this is
likely due to starches and refined carbohydrates
procucing bursts in blood glucose and insulin.
This leads to an increase in hunger and thus
upping the total amount of food people eat at
their next meal.

Everyone I sit down with in our consultation
process hears me address this problem. I call it
the ‘Viscous Carbohydrate Cycle’.

And the consequences don’t stop with eating more
food. It’s also responsible for energy highs and
lows, lethargy, dizziness, and depression. And
there’s more. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and
a slew of other bad stuff.

If you pass on the potato chips at Bread Co. and
opt for the apple or whole grain baguette, don’t
think you’re in the clear. Because there were
plenty of non-potato foods too.

The simple fact is this… we eat too many carbs.

We’re a carb laden socitey. And if you continue to
eat as you do, you will not lose weight, you will
not get healthy, you won’t pass Go, and you won’t
collect $200!

In all seriousness, you must control your
carbohydrate intake. I’m not saying go on Atkins.
But you must drastically cut your carbs.

This is one of the reasons why our clinically
proven, done-for-you nutrition plan works so well.
It’s a low glycemic, higher protein, precisely
desinged diet.

Ronni is down 14 pounds in 8 weeks, Anne Marie is
down 11 pounds in 8 weeks, Annie has lost 3 inches
in her waist in 4 weeks, Kathy lost 31 total
pounds and has remained at her goal weight for
over 2 years! And the list goes on.

If you would like more info on our nutrition
plan and find out how much weight you can expect
to lose contact me here.

To your weight loss,
Your Bootcamp Team

P.S. I haven’t posted in a while and there’s good reason for that. We’re currently in the midst of launching a new service. I can’t release all the details just yet, but it’s pretty exciting! This service will make personal training much more appealing and affordable for a lot of people. Stay tuned!

P.P.S. Cut the carbs!

Posted under health, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I’ve never seen an episode of Jersey Shores. And
frankly, I don’t care to.

But I do know Snooki. A name like that demands
attention.

Snooki knows a BIG secret to achieving weight loss
results.

But you know it too.

You might not know you know it. But you do know
it.

This secret isn’t some special piece of equipment
or any particular exercise. It’s not even a new
diet or supplement.

Would you like to know what this secret is?

The secret is sacrifice.

You see, sacrifice is essential when it comes to
losing weight. You must sacrifice something.
Often times many things.

Sacrifice is defined as ‘destruction or surrender
of something for the sake of something else’.

You can’t get something without giving something
(up) in return.

You know it.

I know it.

When it comes to your weight loss, it’s making
sacrifices that will help you get rid of the
pounds.

“If I weren’t here (working out) I’d be sleeping.
It’s been a good decision. A no-brainer really.”

One of our clients said that after I
inquired about their program.

He sacrificed a little sleep.

Snooki is sacrificing booze.

“I just have to quit the drinking so much. If I do
drink, it’s going to be, like, vodka and seltzer
… maybe like two or three.”

Sheesh. Ok, maybe she’s not sacrificing all that
much.

What are you sacrificing to lose weight? What have
you ‘destroyed’ or ‘surrendered’ in order to lose
weight?

Fast food is a popular one. Sweets, eating out,
TV, the list goes on and on.

The fact remains, if you are not making any
sacrifices, you will not lose weight.

Taking a pill is easy. Buying some abdominal
contraption is easy. There’s no sacrifice in that.

Nothing good and lasting comes with ease.
Sacrifice is a must.

Now go make some sacrifices.

By the way, giving up booze except for vodka
is pretty weak. That’s like saying you’ll give up
McDonald’s except for the Quarter Pounder. Make
your sacrifice something worthwhile.

Posted under health, Weight Loss Tips

My blog post last week was about Drew Carey’s 80
pound weight loss. I revealed his fatal flaw to
lasting results. Nonetheless, he’s doing a lot
right.

But this week John Goodman has lost a reported 100
pounds! And he has done it the RIGHT way.

Let’s talk about how he did it.

His Turning Point

“It’s been constant. It’s always been in the back
of my mind. It just ate at me the whole time. That
may be part of the reason I shoved food in my
mouth so much. That satisfaction.”

When John got a role in Santa Clause he said
enough was enough. But he finally wised up and
didn’t set the ever-futile New Year’s resolution.
He hired a trainer and got on a program.

Whether you have a specific turning point or not,
you MUST decide enough is enough.

His Nutrition

“I had to clear out my own house first. It was
built on a bad foundation.”
“…But also fresh vegetables, lean protein… I’m
not a real hard-on about keeping strict calorie
counts. I know what’s in my wheelhouse, what I can
eat and what I can’t. And I’m satisfied eating it.
I cannot tolerate sugar. I crossed over to the
diabetic side, but I can’t tolerate it anyway
because it creates hunger.”

Spot on John. First fix the foundation. Get rid of
the crap. Now he’s getting protein and cutting the
sugar. Very important. And if you notice his
nutrition is supportive to his exercise.

His Alcohol

“Alcohol is alcohol. I’m an alcoholic. I would
drink no matter what. That’s just part of being an
alcoholic.”
“…and the big key was drinking.”

Goodman has cut out alcohol completely. The
problem with alcohol is not the calories or how
many carbs are in your beer. That’s marketing
hype.

Alcohol inhibits your metabolism. And your
metabolism is your body’s process for burning the
fat. If you want to lose weight and get in shape,
cut out the alcohol.

His Identity

This is very important and I probably don’t give
it as much attention as I should. I’ve talked to
men and women over the years that feel as if their
weight helps identify themselves. If your weight
helps identify you, i.e. being the ‘big cuddly
bear’ or defines you in any way, then YOU WILL NOT
LOSE WEIGHT.

I’m not being a cold s.o.b. here. I’m being
honest. How you define yourself will dictate how
you think, act and live your life. I identify
myself as being a healthy guy. Will I always be
healthy? Yeah, I probably will. I may eat a donut
from time to time, but I won’t let myself become
grossly unhealthy. Because that’s not how I define
myself.

So if you identify yourself with being ‘the big
guy’ or in some other way with your weight; you
won’t lose it. You might lose some for a period of
time, but you WILL gain it back.

So… on weight being apart of his persona and
being worried about losing his weight and having
people perceive him differently in the acting
realm…

“Hey, that’s too bad. I’ll scream and cry when I’m
in the unemployment line, but that’s really
secondary. I am what I am. I can act at different
weights. It’s a miracle I was hired at all for a
lot of these jobs.”

Don’t let ANYONE tell you who you are and what you
can or can’t do. Ever!

His Exercise

All cardio John?

“This time we mixed in strength training with
resistance bands. They’re great for me because I
can contract and release slower, and that builds
up better muscle for me.”

“I was doing a job in New Orleans twice a week
called Treme. I was only working a couple days a
week. I wanted to treat this other thing
(exercise) like a job–to get healthy.”

This speaks to how much he’s exercising. I wish
more people took their health and fitness as
serious as John has.

His Effort

Does he like it?

“I do. I’m still a sucker for highs, and I get
those endorphins. It’s just a feeling of well-
being. I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing
what I should be doing. I feel good. I’m hopefully
extending my life. Before, I didn’t care.”

Being fit, firm and strong; able to handle stress
or any situation that comes your way; not just
looking good, but feeling good… that’s when you
have it all. That’s when life is at it’s best!

But I can’t adequately describe to you what being
fit feels like. That feeling must be experienced.

There are a TON of lessons to be taken from John’s
weight loss journey. I hope you pick them all up.
Of course the 80/20 rule will apply to these
lessons.

Many will read this and say, “Well, he’s a
Hollywood actor, with money, and time, and blah,
blah, blah.” And those people won’t do a thing.
They’ll stay the same. Stagnant. Inactive.
Unchanged.

The other camp will take this as another success
story (yes, I have given you others) to model and
motivate and make a change in their life. What you
do is your decision. But I hope you decide wisely.

If you haven’t signed up for a free trial you can reserve your spot here.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show. I thought he and that tall skinny guy, Ryan Stiles, were hilarious.

Drew took over Bob Barker’s place as host of the famed Price Is Right. Earlier this year he decided to lose the weight he’s carried for so long. To date he has lost 80 pounds!

I’m going to breakdown the good parts of his program and then reveal his fatal flaw.

Let’s start with the GOOD.

“I was sick of being fat on the camera.”
Believe it or not, this is good. If your current situation is not making you sick, then you’re likely OK with it. Just because someone may need to lose weight or improve their fitness doesn’t mean they want to. A lot of times a heart attack, starting medication, or just a trip to the doctor can spur taking action. For Drew it was sick of being fat on camera.

“I’m not diabetic anymore. No medication needed.”
Obviously good. Type II diabetes is growing more and more and it’s controllable with diet and exercise. Drew has conquered this one.

“I don’t drink anything but water.”
Although not totally necessary, it’s a good step. Alcohol, soda, energy drinks loaded with sugar will all slow down weight loss results.

“Lots of cardio…at least 45 minutes of cardio.”
The third leg of the 3 Legged Stool of Body Transformation. He doesn’t mention anything about strength training, but I would guess he is doing some. But cardio is just as important. And he’s certainly doing it.

“(Losing weight) was easy because once you see the results, then you don’t wanna stop.”There is no greater force than your own momentum. Once you get the ball rolling it picks up speed and gets faster and faster and faster. Soon you don’t want to stop. And it’s a heckuva lot easier!

He wants to lose weight so he can “be looking that great at 86″ like his predecessor Bob Barker. “I’d love to be able to play with him without getting tired, enjoy my life and watch him grow.” As I told a group of Enterprise employees I spoke to yesterday, you must start with goals, motivation, and commitment. Drew clearly has his reason ‘why’ down pat. He wants to see his step son grow up and live a healthy, enjoyable life. Retiring with health problems is no way to grow old.

Drew is doing a lot of good. But as I mentioned, there is a fatal flaw. Did you find it?

“No carbs…not even a cracker. No bread at all. No pizza, nothing. No corn, no beans, no starches of any kind.” If you guessed this was his fatal flaw, you guessed right. Whether he’s doing Atkins, South Beach, or some new and cool Hollywood diet we don’t even know about, he will soon fail. You can’t expect to stay on a diet by eliminating one of the macro-nutirents(carbs, protein, and fat). They are ALL essential. It’s not about eliminating them but balancing and controlling them to support you and your exercise program.

Mark my words, he will gain his weight back. I won’t say how much or how long, but he will gain it back. That’s my prediction.

I imagine he goes to some good restaurants and dinner parties. And sooner or later his craving for a donut or carbohydrate treat will cause him to crack. And that will be the start of a slippery slope. It’s just a matter of time.

That doesn’t discredit his hard work. I just hate to see people work so hard and invest so much with the wrong solution. I hope you’re not making the same fatal mistake.

If you haven’t checked out a free bootcamp trial click here. Come get fit and have fun with other St. Louis women!

Posted under Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

What would you say if I promised you easy, no
effort weight loss? Just take this pill, and POOF!
you drop the pounds.

Sounds great, right?!

But what if I followed that promise with a range
of possible side effects including memory
lapses, suicidal thoughts, and heart palpitations?

“Hold it Tim! That doesn’t sound so great.”

The pharmaceutical industry continues to search,
(yet it will never find) for an answer to weight
loss in a tiny little pill. Their latest effort is called Qnexa.

I could save them millions of R&D dollars if they would just ask me whether these weight loss pills will work or not.

But they won’t. Because there is BIG business in
weight loss pills. Wall Street analysts say any drug with modest results could become a blockbuster. So I assure you pharma execs will stop at nothing to develop ‘that’ drug. Even if it has side effects such as sucidal tendencies.

The FDA panel’s chair, Kennth Burman said this
about Qnexa, “Some of these side effects are
serious and could be life-threatening and must be
weighed against a relatively modest weight loss.”

If you stop and think about that, we’ve taken
weight loss to a whole other level. We’ve gone
from side effects like gas, bloody stools, and
cramps (remember Wow! Chips with Olestra) to
sucidal thoughts. It’s madness! People will soon
be deciding whether to risk life-threatening side
effects in order to lose some weight.

Don’t fall victim to the weight loss pills… to the diets… to the HYPE! Be a smart consumer. Anyone that needs to lose 20 pounds knows they didn’t gain it overnight. And you certainly won’t lose it overnight. At least not safely and permanently.

Go with what’s been tried and true. Exercise and
nutrition. Sure, it won’t happen in a week or two.
But the time and effort you put in will help you
discover a body and a person you haven’t seen in
awhile. Take the first step and start today.

I would love to help you. You’re welcome to request a free bootcamp trial by clicking here. You’ll see how St. Louis women get fit and firm and start losing weight and getting in shape the right way. Oh… and I promise the only side effects will be looks from your man and questions from your girlfriends about what your ‘secret’ is!

We hope to see you soon!

St. Louis Bootcamp for Women

P.S. Whatever you do to lose weight, please do it safely. If you’re unsure seek out a professional. Call your doc or a fitness trainer. Trust them. Not the big weight loss companies.

P.P.S. I don’t expect you to trust me right away. I believe trust has to be earned. You can see what our ladies say about us and then request your fre.e trial here.

Posted under health, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips