I can't eat healthy, I don't know how to cook!

"I can't eat healthy, I don't know how to cook!"

No, that isn't a joke I actually hear that all the time.

It makes me giggle for a few reasons:

1. You certainly don't look like you are starving so you are feeding yourself somehow.

2. There are plenty of unhealthy things that require cooking too.

3. If you can find a grocery store, and you can use Google, you can cook.

4. Even if you DO eat out you don't need to make poor food choices!

I don't consider what I do "cooking".  Heck I probably only use one or two pans and the crock pot.

Does this sound like "cooking" to you: 2 packages of ground chicken breast, 1 package grass-fed ground beef, 3 packages frozen veggies.

 I think that may be what you are trying to tell yourself..and the world, but what you REALLY mean is that you don't know WHAT TO EAT.

Once we get real honest about the situation, then we can do something about it.

Knowing what to eat is the key whether you are cooking at home or you are eating out.  Whether you are eating on a train, or eating in the rain, or in a box, or with a fox...

Luckily for you I can help with that.  Together with what you will learn from Metabolic Precision you will find yourself looking forward to getting in the kitchen and whipping up some great dishes!

Did I mention that with  Metabolic Precision comes an entire cookbible??? Yep, hundreds of recipes so you can make as simple or as fancy a dish as you'd like.

Why spend one more day confused about what to do? Why spend one more day unhappy with where you are? You are worth it.  Take the step now.

The ONE diet you MUST follow...

What good is a diet that you can't stick to? I mean, you are looking for this diet to answer your prayers of weight loss, right? And it certainly can't do that if you don't follow it.

So here's what you do.. follow this ONE diet.  It is the ONE you have been looking for.  It is the ONE that will deliver the results you are looking for.

How do I know this? Because I know you can stick with it.

Yeah I know you are wondering how is it that I can be so sure.  Just trust me on this...

Think about all of the diets that you have tried to follow in the past. Why didn't they deliver the results that you were hoping for?

Well, I'm sure there were a few reasons why- but one of the biggest was most likely the unsustainable changes that you attempted to make.

Sure anyone can do over the top things for a few days or maybe a few weeks...but can you sustain those over the top things for the rest of your life?

Ahhhhh...I doubt it.  If you could, you wouldn't be reading this post about the ONE diet that you MUST follow.

So how do I really know that this will work for you? Easy. Because I live it everyday.

Now before you get all defensive, I am NO different than you are.

I spent years competing in the physique world following nutrition and training plans that were only sustainable in the short term.  Sure, I looked good on stage, but that was about it.  The "off season" was a different story.

But that is how that is set up to work.. really, it is.

Following regimens like that cause hormonal changes and fluctuations that make it a priority for your body to replenish body fat stores as rapidly as possible.  Unfortunately our bodies go above and beyond in this 'recovery' and we end up fatter (literally) than we were before.

Ugh. Not cool.

Learning how to put food to work for you, how to get lean and stay there without delving into the unsustainable is what it is all about.  That is the ONE diet that you MUST follow.  It is the ONE thing that will work.

Now here is the secret.. it isn't a diet.

It is a way of life.  It has to be.

Temporary changes bring temporary results. Permanent changes yield permanent results.

Permanent changes have to be sustainable changes.. it isn't rocket science.

This is how I woke up at 40 looking better than I did at 20, or 30!

This is Metabolic Precision. It is a lifestyle.  A way to live.  A way to get more from life. A way to live energized rather than depleted.

Here is a link to some great FREE information to get you started.

Your opportunity to work with me one on one online with the Metabolic Precision program is coming very soon however opportunities will be very limited.  If you are serious about wanting to know the ONE way to guarantee fat loss you won't want to miss out on this.

Message me to place your name on the list for advanced announcement of this opportunity.

What is the best fat burner?

I remember it like it was yesterday.  The brown liquid in the bottle that promised to help burn fat tasted like a bitter lemon- tea.  Not too bad I thought..but nothing happened.

I didn't drink just one of them, I had a few of them. Maybe one every day.  I'm not sure what I was hoping for but all I got was a nice lemon- tea flavored treat.  No fat burning, well at least not that I could tell anyway.

Does that story sound familiar?

Maybe yours wasn't lemon-tea, maybe it was some kind of pill, or powder, or cream but you looked to it to help you burn fat and nothing happened.

This is usually where all of the fun commercials tell you that it wasn't your fault.  You didn't fail, it was the diet/product that failed you. Well, that may be a part of the situation, but there is something much bigger that you must know.

Are you ready?

You failed.

Yes, I just said that.  You failed.

You failed to realize that NO PRODUCT can do it all.

Yes, some can actually help you in your quest to "burn fat"..although not it the sense that you imagine (more on that later).

I think what needs to happen first is that you figure out what it is you mean when you say "burn fat".  What you are really envisioning happening is losing fat ...becoming leaner.. right?

 So what is the best "fat burner"... or should I say what is the best way to lose fat and become leaner?

YOU are the best fat burner.  And the best way for you to lose fat and become leaner is to STOP ADDING BODY FAT.

Yes, it is up to YOU.

Let's simplify this for a moment.  Think of your body fat as a pool of water (or fat- whatever image suits you best).  At the bottom of this pool is a small drain.  Ever so slowly some of this water (or fat) flows down the drain. This represents your exercise and everything else that you do that causes "fat burning".

Now imagine a large hose placed in the top of the pool with a constant heavy stream of water flowing from it into the pool.  This represents everything that you do that adds to your body fat stores.

It shouldn't be too hard to figure out that if the hose filling the pool is doing so at a rate greater than or equal to the rate that the drain is emptying the pool you will NOT be getting any less fat.  You may in fact be getting even fatter!

....even with the drain open at the bottom of the pool!!

So when you ask me what the best "fat burner" is and what you should take that will help you to lose fat I canNOT answer that with one word.  The answer is not a pill, or potion, or cream. (Sure, some may actually help and as I said we will get into that later).

The answer is YOU and the answer is to STOP adding to the fat.

How do you do that??

Well, I can't answer that in one word either.  I'll need two..
Metabolic Precision.

Metabolic Precision will teach you how to STOP adding to the fat.  THIS is the key.

No matter how you phrase the question to me, this is the answer.  Learning how to stop adding to the fat will get you where you want to go because it also helps to "burn fat".  Yep.  It does.

If you are looking for more information about how to do this, you'll want to check out Metabolic Precision.

Your opportunity to work with me one one one online with the Metabolic Precision program is coming very soon however opportunities will be very limited.  If you are serious about wanting to know the best way to "burn fat" you won't want to miss out on this.

Message me to place your name on the list for advanced announcement of this opportunity.

Please don't intimidate me...

When I read it, I actually did laugh out loud.  Then I thought to myself, "What a shame."

Yep the gym that is famous for not judging (cough, cough) has done it again. This time they have decided that all squat racks must be removed from their gyms. This comes as a result of a member complaining that the squat racks were intimidating.

Wait, WHAT??!

Yes, those very same squat racks that I search high and low for are apparently very scary to some people.  Huh...

While I could go on and on about how squatting is probably one of the best exercises that people can do, and that if people want to lose weight (fat) they NEED to lift weights and squat, and that an inanimate object CANNOT intimidate someone, and...

I think it goes far deeper than just this poor squat rack.  It seems that the squat rack, along with people that are in shape are banned from this gym because people want to avoid pain.

They want to avoid acknowledging the pain they feel in their current situation. Whether they are overweight or under-tall, less muscled than they'd like, or just not confident instead of acknowledging what is REALLY going on they opt for "remove anything that may make me take a good, hard look at myself".

Wow, that is scary!

What happens when the outside world...the world outside the purple pizza parties... does not play by these rules? Is there a way to cope? Does anyone say, "Hey, maybe we should take a deeper look at what is going on here?"

Yeah, probably not and that is quite unfortunate as pain is really the only thing that will cause you to change.

Change will occur when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing.

So removing anything and everything from your life that makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable is a recipe for misery, not for happiness.

Being intimidated has nothing to do with the 'object' it has everything to do with Y-O-U.  The feelings you are feeling are coming from inside of you...in reaction to a story you have told yourself.  Yep, it is in your head.

I don't mean that like "you're nuts", but literally your reactions to things are based on stories you have in your head. Coming to terms with these stories, or at the very least acknowledging them is the first step.

What are your stories?

Answering this is the first step to losing fat, gaining muscle, freeing yourself from your food addictions, and yes, even freeing you from the fear of the squat rack!

Avoidance is a recipe for keeping you stuck.  Stuck in that place you were waaaaayyyy back when that story in your head first took place.

Are you ready to move forward? Metabolic Precision Can Help

Have you just 'let yourself go'?

Have you just 'let yourself go'?  Interesting to think about, and I bet if you took a poll of the general population many would agree that they, or their friends, family members or loved ones have indeed 'let themselves go'.

It was a conversation just like this that started my thinking...hmmmm, maybe just maybe we need a different perspective on this.

I was running with a good friend the other day as she was recounting a conversation that centered around her brother.  Apparently in high school he played sports and was in relatively good shape. Now, some years later he is a good bit heavier and in pretty sad shape.

Sure she was talking about her brother, but this same conversation could have been about anyone.  In fact, I am sure that you could name at least 5 people right now who fit this same description.

Common thinking on our part as well as theirs, is that they just 'let themselves go'.

You hear this saying thrown about all the time, but what on earth does it mean?

I'm guessing that most people use it in a sense that refers to the 'giving up' or 'giving in'.  That whatever it was we used to do we don't do any more.

 "In high school I played football and baseball.  I'm 30 now and I haven't played sports in years.  I've really let myself go."

I don't think I would be far off with that assessment either.

Ok, here is the challenge to that paradigm.  What if 'letting yourself go' didn't carry with it the meaning of giving up on something, what if it meant more of a continuation of things???

Follow me for a minute.

In high school, sure you played sports (or maybe you didn't), you also stayed up late, ate too much junk food, and thought you knew everything.

Look at your life now--I'm betting that you 'let yourself go' on doing at least 3 of the 4 things I just mentioned.  How's that working out for you?

The continuation of things that we could get away with when we were younger may be exactly what derails us later in life.

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep is linked to increased stress levels, weight gain, food cravings, impaired glucose and insulin functioning, and disruption to circadian rhythms.

In a nutshell, losing sleep causes us to feel hungry (even though we aren’t), increase our caloric intake, store more of these calories as fat and burn fewer calories throughout our day regardless of the exercise we do. We gain weight, become diabetic, and develop cardiovascular disease.  Sound familiar????

Eating junk food 

No surprise here, junk food isn't all that great for you when it comes to staying healthy or 'in shape'.  The problem is that most people don't realize just how much of what they are eating actually falls into this junk food category.

Candy bars, cookies, and ice cream are all easy to spot, but the other junk that goes around masquerading as real food is what we need to be aware of.  Those "healthy" boxed, prepared cereals, crackers, breads, and other convenience foods.. yep, pretty much in the junk food category.  And, NO, I don't care what the commercials say...

You may have been able to get away with eating them when you were younger, but not so much now. Guess what, that is because your body responds differently to them now.  Hormonally speaking your body is better able to store those things as fat as opposed to use them for immediate energy.

Let me say that another way, continuing to eat those things as a large part of your diet will make you fatter and fatter.  Period.  You're welcome.

Thinking you know everything 

Interesting how we think that just because we are older we know more than we did before.  Sure this may be true about some things, say for instance the job you have- you probably know more about it today than you did on your first day. But when it comes to your body and your health, I find that most people don't have a clue.

Not knowing which end is up with regard to your health and well-being can be a problem for sure, but the BIGGER problem is thinking you know everything about it when in fact, you do not.

No one is born knowing everything.  And certainly it is very challenging to know a lot about a lot of things.  That is why people specialize- to learn more about one or two things.  So stop thinking you know everything about your health and seek out someone who knows more and who may be able to help you.

So back to my point about 'letting yourself go'.  I propose that it isn't the giving up on what you did when you were younger that got you to where you are, rather the 'letting yourself go' on doing what you did when you were younger that has done it.  The continuation of things that no longer serve you.

All too often people are looking for what it is they need to do to make a change when all too often it is something they need to stop doing that will help the most.

Gym Etiquette For The New Year Resolutioners...

It's that time of year- you know, the time when all of the New Year's Resolutioners show up at the gym and all of the gym regulars get a bit frustrated.

You can't really blame them, I mean for almost 10 months now the gym has been pretty much theirs.  There is an unspoken understanding between 'the regulars'...you know on Monday the guy that always wears the red tank top will be in the squat rack until about 9:30 so you can schedule your training around that.  You get to know people without really knowing them and it makes for a better training session for all involved.

But then New Year's comes and in walk 'the newbies'.

In anticipation of this unavoidable event, I decided to throw together a list of some Do's and Don'ts- a gym etiquette posting of sorts to help folks out.

1. DO Shower.  Yes, I understand you are going to work out, but if you stink already we have a BIG problem.

2. DO Change your clothes.  This goes along with #1. Some folks like to wear the same clothes to train in because they are comfortable..that is fine, but wash them! Otherwise do as the rest of us do and just wear something different..that is clean. And please be sure they fit properly, I don't want to see your junk hanging out no matter how cool you think you are.

3. DO Wear deodorant.  I know I shouldn't need to say this, but I will..because you know somewhere....

4. DON'T stand around in the locker room naked.  Fine to do when you are at home, but in public this is a bit of a no-no. Don't be 'that guy' or 'that girl' that folks try to avoid... unless of course you are at a nudist gym, in which case ignore this recommendation.

5. DON'T stand directly in front of the dumbbell rack.   This area is for loading and unloading ONLY.  It is not meant to be used while doing your set.

6. DO give yourself and everyone else plenty of room. I've had this happen many times- I'm in the middle of a set of squats and some guy drags a bench over, sits down and starts doing shoulder press 3 inches away.  C'mon man, not a good idea.  Don't be that guy, be sure to give yourself and everyone else plenty of room.  Collisions in the gym should not occur. Always be aware of your surroundings.

7. DON'T talk to someone in the middle of their set.  I don't care what it is you want to say, it can wait.

8. DON'T randomly start talking to someone with headphones in.  Head phones in the ears should be considered the international sign for "I don't want to talk".  I don't care if you CAN tell they aren't listening to anything.  They have their headphones in for a reason.  Leave them alone.

9. DON'T sing. This is generally directed towards those of you that wear headphones while training. The rest of us can't hear your back up singers and would really rather not hear you sing "Baby Got Back" out of tune.  Save it for the car, or the shower (just not the shower at the gym).

10. DON'T just jump on a piece of equipment. It is never safe to assume that someone isn't using it- especially if someone is standing near it.  Always ask.  If they have head phones in, simply point to the machine and they will know what you are asking.

11. DON'T talk on the phone while sitting on a piece of equipment. You are there to train, remember? Also, chances are pretty high that someone else is waiting to use what you are sitting on.  Never mind the fact that no one wants to hear your conversation anyway.

12. DON'T hover around a piece of equipment while checking FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, or anything else. See #10.  Put the phone down and train.

13. DO wipe up your mess.  No one wants to sit in your sweaty mess.  Wipe down the equipment before walking away.

14. DON'T assume you know what you are doing. Save yourself a time and energy, hire a professional.  How do you know if you don't know what you are doing? If this is your first time to the gym- you don't know what you are doing.  Hey, nothing to be ashamed of, we've all had our first day at the gym.  If you want to ensure that you continue to have days at the gym, be sure you know what to do and how to do it properly.

15. DON'T bathe in perfume or cologne before your session. While you may think it smells fabulous, the rest of us are choking on it.  Save it for your night out at the bar; not under the squat bar.

16. DON'T come to the gym if you are sick. For goodness sake keep it to yourself.  The gym is kind of like an adult daycare situation..one person gets sick and then so does everyone else..just like the little kids that spread their germs around the daycare.

SO there you go, a few things that can help you out as you venture into some new exciting territory.

Stay safe and have fun.

Happy New Year!