First off.  Starting next Monday The Lab will be offering PM Bootcamp classes on M,W,F at 6pm at The Lab Gym.  If you sign up by Friday you will get in for HALF PRICE!  Also, if you are a current member, remember you will also get half off of your membership if you refer a friend!  See more details below or go here to sign up.

Next to working out my next favorite thing to do is laugh.  Nothing beats a great workout or a big tear jerking laugh.  So what is my point?

Now, we all sort-of know that laughter is good for us, but never really know why exactly.  Well, a good laugh creates many positive chain reactions and activities to happen in our bodies, it’s quite amazing.

In fact, a hearty belly laugh is much like a workout.  So can you laugh yourself skinny?  No, but getting the giggles does burn some calories, and the more you laugh, the more you burn.  This is much like the NEAT calories.  That is, Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, you know from taping your leg or constantly fidgeting, which the Mayo clinic has found you can burn an extra 100-150 extra calories per hour!

If you get a good chuckle in for 15 minutes each and every day for a year, you could drop up to four pounds-imagine that.

Not only is laughing beneficial for your waistline, but laughing also brings great benefits for the whole body.

So, next time you find yourself in a negative mood or need a ‘pick-me-up’ opt for a good joke!  And give yourself a reminder to laugh more…or at least smile.

I coudln’t find a relevant place to put it…so this will do.

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A falling anvil crushes a cuddly cartoon character; a grown man dresses like an elf; a dinner guest washes his face in the toilet.  Why do we laugh at this stuff?

Whatever the cause of a laugh, what happens next is not fully known.  Scientists are actually starting to put people into functional MRI machines and make them laugh in order to find out.

In a recent study at Stanford, researchers showed comics to people while their brains were monitored by an MRI.  The scientists were able to prove for the first time that laughter, or at least humor, stimulates the parts of our brain that use the “feel good” chemical messenger dopamine.  That puts laughter in the category of activities you want to do over and over again, such as eating chocolate…..or working out at The Lab!

EmoryUniversity neurologist Gregory Burns, states that dopamine systems that get out of whack can lead to addiction.  This finding explains then why kids want to keep playing silly games over and over until parents can’t stand it anymore.   And likewise, certain food addictions. Laughter is pleasurable, perhaps even “addictive,” to the brain.

Whole Body Benefits
It’s all about incongruity, scientists say.  When we expect one thing and get another, the surprise triggers several different areas of the brain at once, causing our diaphragms to convulse and goofy sounds to come out of our mouth and sometimes mine comes out the other end.  And while people may make different noises and faces, laugh at different intensities, and have a different sense of humor, all the commands our brains give out as we laugh are exactly the same.

Here is what happens throughout the body:

Face: When we laugh, as many as 15 small muscles squeeze our faces into a smile. Increased blood flow there may turn us a bit pinker and give us a happy glow.

Diets can really suck

Mouth:  Our mouths open to let our those “ha-ha” rhythmic blasts of vocalized air.  Plus, a LomaLindaUniversity study found that laughing episodes raised levels of disease-fighting immunoglobulins by 14 percent.  Other studies have found higher blood levels of killer T-cells, suggesting that laughter may raise our immune function.

Eyes:  If the laugh is vigorous enough, our tear ducts can activate.  Sometimes our glee can have a cumulative effect till we’re literally crying with joy-and studies show that tears, whether happy or sad, may reduce symptoms of stress.

Trader

Vocal:  Our vocal equipment has to roll up its sleeves to produce our high-pitched hysteria.  The diaphragm, a strong muscle under the lungs, pumps down and up, filling the lungs and then blasting air out of them, up through the voice box to produce a laugh.  A hearty wallow is quite a workout for this system, requiring as much effort and volume as yelling.  Because the lungs are exchanging much more air than normal, they enrich the blood with oxygen.

Blood Vessels:  Our heart rate and blood pressure spike briefly when we laugh (especially when laughing while wrestling).  They increase a bit even when we chuckle while sitting in a chair watching a funny movie.  In addition to possible immune benefits noted, laughter also is evidenced to help diabetics keep their glucose levels in check.

He applied for the Lab Rat position…but failed the drug test

Pain Reliever:  Whether in our gut or up in our brains, laughter seems to have an analgesic effect:  It increases our tolerance for pain.  Please don’t laugh during your sets as it can relax the afferent nervous system (sends information to the central nervous system…which coordinates your body and muscles)  and can destroy your set and not to mention make it very dangerous.  In fact during the set snarl, hiss, growl, grrrrrr and arrrrr.  But afterwards, go ahead and laugh it off.

Brainiac:  Beyond the physical perks, a few laughs can also sharpen your thinking.  Ron Berk, Ph.D., a recently retired psychologist from JohnsHopkinsMedicalSchool, started using jokes and gags to deter his students’ lecture-induced narcolepsy.  He soon noticed that his one-liners did more than keep them awake; they caused a spike in their test scores.  How does humor help us think?  Scientists are pretty sure it has to do with the way amusement stimulates the brain’s reward center.

Belly Laughs:  A hearty laugh can cause us to double over and tense all our major muscle groups for minutes at a time, leading the researchers at LomaLindaUniversity to a simple conclusion: Laughter is exercise.  The heart rate and blood pressure go up while you’re laughing, but then they fall down below your baseline afterward, the same as with exercise.  This could be very important exercise, especially for elderly and sick people who can’t get out and run two miles.  Which must be my grandmother’s secret because she is damn funny and approaching 90.  Always blaming her dog for the farts she sneaks out.

An early laughter researcher, William Fry, found that it took ten minutes on his rowing machine to elevate his heart rate to the same level provided by a good belly laugh, a finding that may have us rationalizing our way out of the gym and back to reruns of “Friends” or “I Love Lucy.”  Not likely plausible at this time, but if evidence present itself we will release The Lab’s Laser Lard Laugh Program.

Bootcamp

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And yes, start young!

And never stop!!!

Until, you look like this idiot with the bad form…

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By: Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D.

Those of you who have seen me recently may have noticed that I have lost a few pounds. Okay, more than a few, but I’m not saying how many. I certainly needed to lose those extra pounds and I know from past experience that it’s not easy.

I am very appreciative of the compliments, encouragement and positive feedback that I have received along the way but recently people have started to become rude. Around the beginning of this year (seven months after I started my training program), several people told me that I needed to take a new picture for the American, one that showed the slimmer me. I smiled and thanked them but didn’t take a new photo. As the months passed, more people commented on my photo, saying that it needed to be updated. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, my hair stylist threatened me! “If you don’t take a new picture, I am going to stop reading your column!”

Now that was too much. Of course, I was really afraid that Miyasa would threaten to stop doing my hair. She gets up as early as 5 am on some Saturdays for me so I need to keep her happy!

The truth is that I delayed taking a new photo because I didn’t want to ‘confirm’ that I have indeed lost some weight. In a sense, the new photo brings attention to the change which means that everyone will know (at least the 70,000+ people who read the American will know). I didn’t want to have that ‘Oprah’ effect take place. You know, lose weight, show off your abs, then you feel pressured by everyone to keep it off and you fall off the wagon, gain weight and start hiding behind chairs.

I certainly intend to maintain my healthier lifestyle but it is definitely a challenge. Over a year ago, I started working out with a personal trainer for an hour a day, five days a week. On day six, I do cardio on my own. (I go to church on day seven and thank God for the day off.)

I decided to use a personal trainer after two years of step aerobics three days a week with no results; I knew I had to do something different. One of my good friends was starting with a new trainer and encouraged me to give it a try.

My first day at the gym was interesting. It’s a small gym and at 5:30 am it’s not very crowded so everyone knows each other. The first thing I noticed was how ‘fit’ everyone was. “Why are all these skinny people in the gym?” I thought. Actually, I probably grumbled it under my breath. Everyone was nice and cordial though, and Ashley, my trainer, made me feel very comfortable.

I must admit that I was initially skeptical about working with a trainer. I’m a physician and I know how to lose weight. I eat right and I exercise already so I just need to increase the length of time that I exercise and stay away from the bread. I don’t really need this weight training, strengthening stuff. Wow, was I wrong.

The benefits of the trainer quickly became clear to me. I was being pushed much farther than I would push myself, I was going to the gym consistently, and I was sweating!

More than a year after starting, I am still going to the gym five days a week. And yes, those same fit and skinny people are still there (Hi to Bill, Kevin, Celeste, John and everybody!). What I’ve learned in the last year from all of them is that on most days, they would rather be some place other than the gym. However, they have made a commitment to have a healthy life and that means hard work. I was hoping to learn something easier but at least it’s reassuring that I’m not the only one who doesn’t think that it’s ‘the most fun I’ve ever had’.

So I’ve finally taken a new photo. Hopefully, I won’t have to go back to the old one.

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(Compliments of EmedExpert.com)

1) Longevity People who are physically active live longer. Regular exercise reduces the risk of dying prematurely 6-9.

2) New brain cells development
Exercise stimulates the formation of new brain cells (neurons)10-11. Also, exercise strengthens connections between those cells. The areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise are associated with memory and learning.

3) Cognitive and mental function enhancement
Physical activity improves cognitive performance, information processing and may delay cognitive impairment and dementia1-3. For instance, older adults who engage in regular physical activity have better performances in tests implying decision-making process, memory and problems solving.

And what about children? University of Illinois researchers12-13 have found that physical activity may enhance the academic achievements of children by improving their attention and working memory skills.

4) Prevention of cardiovascular disease
There is a direct relation between physical inactivity and cardiovascular death14.
Regular physical activity makes your heart, like any other muscle, stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. Regular exercise also prevents heart disease by lowering blood pressure, increasing good HDL cholesterol that transports fat away from the arteries and back to the liver for processing, reducing levels of bad LDL cholesterol that can form fatty deposits in the arteries and by preventing blood clots.
In a long-term Swedish study women and men who were physically active at least twice a week had a 41% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who performed no physical activity15.

5) Cholesterol lowering effect
Physical exercise favourably influences blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol16-17.
Exercise itself does not burn off cholesterol like it does with fat. Physical exercise can positively alter cholesterol metabolism by increasing the production and action of several enzymes in the muscles and liver that function to convert some of the cholesterol to a more favorable form, such as HDL-cholesterol.

6) Prevention and control of type 2 diabetes
There is strong evidence from randomized controlled studies18-21 (e.g. Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study and the Diabetes Prevention Program in the USA) that moderate physical activity combined with weight loss and balanced diet can confer a 50-60% reduction in risk of developing diabetes among those already at high risk.
Regular physical activity may improve insulin resistance and glucose tolerance and is highly effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in persons with impaired glucose regulation.

7) Blood pressure lowering
The ways by which exercise can cause a reduction in blood pressure are unclear, but all forms of exercise seem to be effective in reducing blood pressure. Regular exercise decreases blood pressure in approximately 75% of hypertensive persons with an average decrease of 11 and 8 Hg mm for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively23-25.

Regular exercise may decrease blood pressure in overweight and obese persons even without changes in body weight. Aerobic exercise appeares to have a slightly greater effect on blood pressure in hypertensive individuals than in individuals without hypertension.
Low physical activity increases the risk of hypertension22.
Prevention of neoplastic (cancer) diseases
Evidence exists that physical activity may be associated with a lower risk of several common forms of cancer, most notably colon and breast cancer26-27.

9) Reduced risk of stroke
Research data indicates that moderate and high levels of physical activity may reduce the risk of total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic strokes28.

People who have good physical function after the age of 40 may lower their risk of stroke by as much as 50 percent compared to people who are not able to climb stairs, kneel, bend, or lift as well, according to research published in the December 11, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10) Weight control
Regular physical activity helps to reach and maintain a healthy weight. If you take in more calories than needed in a day, exercise offsets a caloric overload and controls body weight. It speeds the rate of energy use, resulting in increased metabolism. When metabolism increases through exercise, you will maintain the faster rate for longer periods of a day.

11) Muscle strength
Health studies29-30 repeatedly show that strength training increases muscle strength and mass and decreases fat tissue.

12) Attractive body
With perfect body you look better in clothes and you look better naked. Exercise helps reduce body fat by building muscle mass. Both resistance and aerobic exercise improve body composition even without dieting31.

13) Bone strength
An active lifestyle benefits bone density. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation, delays bone loss and may protect against osteoporosis (form of bone loss associated with aging)32.

14) Strong immune system
Regular moderate exercise may have a beneficial effect on the immune function. The findings from some studies support the possibility that exercise may delay immunosenescence (age dependent decline in immune function)33.

15) Better night sleep
If you suffer from poor sleep, daily exercise can make the difference. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after exercise may help to fall asleep. Researches from the Stanford University School of Medicine34 found that regular exercise provides improvement in general quality of sleep, quicker sleep-onset, longer sleep duration and feeling rested in the morning.

16) Better sex life
Regular exercise maintains or improves sex life. Physical improvements in muscle strength and tone, endurance, body composition and cardiovascular function can all enhance sexual functioning in both men and women. Men who exercise regularly are less likely to have erectile dysfunction and impotence than are men who don’t exercise35.

17) Back pain remedy
By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain. High quality studies36 prove that exercise is an effective treatment for recurrent low back pain.

18) Stress managment
Exercise can cause release of chemicals called endorphins into your blood stream. These chemicals give you a feeling of happiness and positively affect your overall sense of well-being.

19) Alternative to antidepressants
Study after study has shown that exercise promotes mental health and reduces symptoms of depression37-39. The antidepressant effect of regular physical exercise is comparable to the potent antidepressants like Sertraline37.

Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve symptoms of depression. However, smaller amounts of activity (as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time) have been shown to improve mood in the short term.

20) Gastrointestinal tract benefits
Exercise is beneficial for persons suffering from cholelithiasis and constipation. Physical activity may reduce the risk of diverticulosis, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, and inflammatory bowel disease41.

21) Alternative to hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women
High-intensity exercise significantly reduces negative changes related to the menopausal transition40.

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This is a newsletter I never thought I would ever have to write.  I will do my best to not get to fired up here. But, I am pissed.  Why?  Because of a recent article published by none other than TIME magazine.  The article titled “Why Eercise Wont Make You Thin.” Was a pretty lousy yet hilarious attempt for TIME to try and present some evidence for why spending your time exercising will be spent in vain. Not only are the points flimsy and misinterpreted from it’s source data this article is highly irresponsible for such a major publication.  Next thing you know they are going to present some scientific evidence that the world is flat and that yes, if you hold your face that long, it will in fact stay that way.

I struggled on my decision on how to respond to this.   I was even going to address this issue as it is absolutely comical to me as I have literally helped many many many people LOSE WEIGHT WITH EXERCISE.   As an EXERCISE and DIET professional I am beside myself by these claims.  But, I will spend as little time possible bashing these guys and save that for when I meet their editors in a dark alley, and instead I will present to you, WHY in fact exercise is your best friend when it comes to weight loss.  Morons.

After painstaking analysis of this crap I have come to this major conclusion.  All of this guys claims are based on correlation (a simple relationship void of teasing out the potential hundreds of OTHER possible causes and providing no concrete evidence for why) and not causation (providing cause and effect to a relationship)  and personal opinions (and his is sta-sta-stupid!).  Causation, being the 800 pound guerilla in the room when it comes to proving a scientific point and making such claims as, “Exercise will not make you thin.”  There are literally thousands of correlation studies over many years correlating weight loss with exercise.  Also, there are overwhelming causation studies available and most importantly physiology literature breaks this down quite well.  Because when it comes to weight loss or gain and all is said and done it comes down to calorie balance, simple math and physics.

Quick Example: Lose 1 pound in 7 days.
-3500 Calories in a pound
-Subtract 500 per day for 7 days and you have lost 1 pound of dry weight.
-Then ask yourself how you would like to subtract that 500 calories.
a)    Eat less
b)    Exercise more
c)    Both

And if you read on you will see exactly why “C” is the best answer.

Besides that major trump card I will address Mr. Cloud’s (the enlightened author for TIME) points.  The one point I will give Mr. Cloud is this: Yes, you can lose all the weight you ever wanted with  diet alone.  It is very very very possible.  Heck, I have lost 17 lbs in one week before on just diet alone.  BUT, this is nor reasonable or rationale and definitely not sustainable for most people.  In order to lose the weight I lost I had to make SEVERE nutrient and caloric deficiencies for this to happen.  What I did was a small sample of what professional bodybuilders do roughly 12 weeks out of a competition to shred all visible body fat.  BUT, that’s it.  They do it, but they do it for a short period of time and generally binge afterwards for living such a restrictive life of consuming nothing but chicken and broccoli.  And not to mention they are weight training and performing cardiovascular work at the same time.  But, yes, their extreme body fat loss is diet oriented.

Which is a great time for me to remind my clients the IMPORTANCE of optimizing your diet in order to achieve best results.  BUT, this is in balance with your DAILY exercise program.

But lets get back to Mr. Cloud’s personal vendetta with exercise.  Frankly, I think he has just had bad trainers (because there are trainers and there are TRAINERS!)…And, my very own personal vendetta is with the exercise research which is a VERY LOSE TERM IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE!!!  In general it is safe to assume when there is exercise ‘research’ taking place the exercise is simple aerobics.  This could be on a bike, treadmill, etc.  And by now I hope you realize this is merely a small part of an exercise program and by NO means comprehensive exercise.  Just as (against what my dietitian counterparts like to preach…they are going to hang me for this one) a CALORIE IS NOT A CALORIE IS NOT A CALORIE, EXERCISE IS NOT EXERCISE IS NOT EXERCISE.

So, I will put my disclaimer here: eating a well balanced and varied diet as well as being active on most days of the week is a great thing to do…BUT, not optimal or the best or only way to do things.  And so, in research, you would think that things would get a little more specific and advanced than, “aerobics, ” or “physical activity.”  Furthermore, in many exercise studies participants are simply given recommendations and guidelines on exercise and are thrown into the “exercise” group.  Which, walking the dog and gardening also fall into.  Trust me, our workouts at The Lab are a bit harder than walking your dog or gardening;)

So, lets move on and step over the fine details for now.

Mr. Cloud there are 2 types people in this world when it comes to this matter.  Those who will obsess over and eat perfectly all the time and those who will not.   Those who a motivated and those who are not.  Those who will take on healthier habits and those that will follow every letter of a diet plan.  The types of people that are successful losing weight with diet alone (successfully and keeping it of long term)  are the exception to the rule and this is exactly why one of the Lab’s Nutritional Laws is “stick to these guidelines 80% of the time for long term success…”  Living such a strict lifestyle leads to burnout, failure, and boredom.  Which is also only sustainable for a short period of time.  Hence the success and failures of many crash diets.

And then there are people like Mr. Cloud and myself.  Yes, I share the value and connection of diet to weight loss with Mr. Cloud, but he lacks logic and reason.  That’s why our gym is called the Lab.  Science placed into the real world for results.  We work with real people here, not actual rats.   I have seen human behavior and what is possible and reasonable to the Americans lifestyle.  Lets face it…when movies like Super Size Me paint the picture of the American diet and lifestyle does he really think these people will trade in all of their Big Macs, fries, cokes, video games, TV, for a lifestyle of severe strict dieting?  Not likely.

But, we can meet in the middle right?  We can start by being more physically active which will immediately improve blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.  Which are all simple biochemical building blocks to the weight loss process.  Then, we reduce the super sized portions and even more success is had.  And the consumer did not have to go to insane lengths to achieve a healthier lifestyle and some weight loss success.
Mr. Cloud’s problem is that he is simply relating HIS personal experiences to the article and assuming this is how it should be with ALL people.  This is ridiculous and unrealistic.  If I had the same standards for all of my clients and myself I would have had very little success.

But, personally, I would eat saw dust and chicken poop if I thought it would help my performance.  At one time I ate strictly raw food and greens (yes, even eggs!) as an experiment in nutrition.  But, I have worked with hundreds of people and how many people do you think I have sat across from that would actually take it to the extreme Mr. Cloud suggests?  I could probably count them on two hands.  Hey, its not a bad idea to start a super strict diet to speed your initial successes to get momentum, but life does get in the way and your nutritional plan will have to be more realistic and therefore balanced with the appropriate amount of exercise.  Birthdays, holidays, and sometimes you just may want to relax.

Lets now  examine Mr Clouds  notion that exercise makes you hungry…Geee, ok, with this theory I will just lock you up into a bubble and not allow you to lift a finger so God forbid you cause your self any hunger, stimulate your metabolism, attract any germs, or develop any antibodies for that matter. We will keep you away from all forms of dirt, foul language, sunlight, fresh air, and definitely the opposite sex (or same sex for that matter).   Perfect, more for me! This way, you will not have to exercise, eat, move, sleep, drink, procreate, or pretty much contribute anything to the human race.  If this is you then we will happily weed you out of the population as your pathetic mindset is frankly not helping anyone.  Likewise, calorie restriction alone is a pathetic way to actually lose weight. Sure it works, but lets look a little closer.

Let’s say you have to eat 1200 calories at 150 lbs to lose weight based on your resting metabolism and current activity levels. Let’s say you get down to 140 lbs.  Well guess what, you now have to eat less again.  So, now we are down to 1050 calories per day as the new needs of your body has decreased and thus it will take fewer calories so it can continue weight loss.  This process will have to continue until you are down to nothing.  No fun.  You are wasting away at this point.  This is first why it is unwise to follow the mantra: a calorie, is a calorie, is a calorie and ALSO why exercise will be your best friend.

Not only will you build lean body mass, firm up, feel and look better, become more flexible and functional but you can now liberalize your diet too!  But, what Mr. Cloud doesn’t point out is that weight loss and metabolism is a ‘feed forward’ system.  Meaning, to stimulate cell breakdown and rebuilding (lean body mass gain, which also becomes a fat burning incinerator 24/7 when it is developed) it takes calories to do this…so, you actually need to eat more of the right things to help this process or the muscle will simply metabolize itself for energy and you end up spinning your tracks.

Next, there is your metabolism; this is why small frequent meals work.  If you eat little food and infrequently your body must hold on tight to calories and fat cells and spare the brain and central nervous system from death as it goes into survival mode.  Everything else is fair game for metabolism and energy.  Usually, in starvation it will be muscle and amino acids as it is broken down into glucose easier than fat.  So, you can see the beautiful relationship unfold of DIET AND EXERCISE and how they must go hand in hand.

Let’s go back to our dieter who is now at 140 lbs and eating 1050 calories per day.  Let’s say they also have the motivation to severely reduce calories for life extension.   On one hand, it’s your life go ahead and starve (Great! More for me again!). It’ been proven to work in animals so far, so you may have something there, but as long as no terminal diseases, accidents, or global warming get in the way of your little experiment, I wish you luck.
But, when your quality of life suffers from having such a sluggish metabolism, low sex hormone levels and drive, poor muscle mass and strength, poor bone density, low blood sugar, you will be begging for a cheeseburger if only you had the energy and strength to get up and drive (not walk, because that would take to much effort) to get one. Add  that to the  fact that your now 150 years old and all of your friends and family are dead and you have no one to have lunch, errrr, I mean play cards with in your diapers.  So, while all this sounds god and can work in isolation it is no way to have a solid lifestyle.

Let’s review the statement: exercise makes you hungry.  ACTUALLY, exercise stimulates catecholamines which are you awesome little fight or flight chemicals (also known as adrenaline) that actually fight off hunger  for several hours after exercise (not that you should fast here…but, choose the right foods) and it just so happen to transport nutrients into your cells exclusive of the need for insulin.  This is a very very very good thing,  Why? Because Americans are increasingly overweight and obese, diabetes is rapidly spreading, and the last things we need to do is move less.  A bout of exercise is much like a bout of insulin.  It transports glucose into cells without insulin. So, your insulin sensitivity improves.  It’s that simple yet magical.  In my practice I have cured diabetes with this mechanism.  Blood sugar levels decline with activity and thus the needs of insulin are reduced (a very simple look, but it boils down to that). And not to mention high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure just to name a few other deadly conditions that exercise can cure.

Exercise creates the opposite blood chemical environment of diabetes.  And thus, why exercise is such a great weapon to fight off diabetes.  Likewise, do you think these such Americans are going to improve their insulin sensitivity by eating less and more nutrient dense healthy calorie?   People are hooked on food like drugs and alcohol.  And this speaks so much to why many Americans have struggle with the Food Guide Pyramids suggested 6-11 servings of grains per day.  Because they are so damn physically INACTIVE.  When you load up on so much high octance fuel just to sit there…well, then yes, a low fat high carb diet will not work for you.  IF, however you are physically active, much like the athletes I work with, then yes, you will be able to load up on tons of grains and carb and not suffer consequences.  I enjoy well over 600 carbs on heavy training days:) But, this is simply to fuel performance…And if you like to eat like I do, then exercise will keep your weight and health in control.

Sadly, TIME magazine let this guy sell the idea that if you completely deprive themselves for their rest of their lives they can just sit on their butts.  Great, if it works, you will be skinny, weak, and no better off because you will have the energy and vitality of an 80 year old.  This is not only unhealthy but un-American.  It promotes laziness and lethargy…which are terrible for both the mind and body.

That’s why this issue must be taken seriously and hacks like this shouldn’t be allowed to publish such confusing misinformation.  Food needs to be respected and part of a healthy lifestyle from the day you are born and taught by responsible parents top their children.   Diet and exercise behaviors will be learned by children from watching their parents (who hopefully didn’t’ read this guy’s article).  And if people buy into this obesity will only continue to rise.  And that’s the sad part.  We are just talking weight loss here.  Health benefits both physical and mental are widely obtained from simple physical activity.  Depression, anger, ADD, anxiety, can all be helped with physical activity.

Now lets use our heads here for a second.  The number 1 reason you should exercise isn’t even for weight loss.  It’s for HEALTH.  Being functional and capable.  This is why you were given a body…use it or lose it.  The body and muscles decay and cripple when not used regularly past your formative years.  Disease sets in structurally (bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, etc) and biochemical (blood sugar, blood lipids, etc).  This has major reprocutions and will ultimately shut you down.  With this mindset you will ultimately become a brain on a platter.  And if you are not Steven Hawking you will have less and less to offer this planet.

This one got me fired up.  Sorry if I offended anyone other than Mr. Cloud with this.  I am going to go workout and revel in the calming properties of intense exercise.  And, if you have read this far here are just a few more great exercise benefits PROVEN by science (read below).  Also, check out this article for more TIME magazine bashing.  This article is fantastic!

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If you’ve ever wished that you were more motivated to experience life at your full potential then this is for you.   Strop living with the bakes on, time is ticking , and your life is passing you by.

Most of us set goals and work hard only to find our motivation fizzle out after a couple of weeks…difficulties and struggle set in….and we give up.   But there are little tricks that will help you harness the power of your mind and propel you toward achieving your goal.

The Two Motivators

When you boil it down, you’re motivated by two simple things:

Here in lies human motivation which when matched up to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may explain all human behavior from survival to self actualization.

PEOPLE!  It is 200 annnnnd 9!  We should ALL be working towards self actualization.  We are in America and if you are reading this you too should be heading towards the top of YOUR pyramid.  Its time to dream up your goals and start living them!

Now so many of us are motivated more strongly for different reasons.  But, you are naturally geared toward one of these motivators. To figure out which, think of the last time you accomplished a task and then ask yourself the following: While doing the task were you thinking about what would happen if you failed to finish, or were you thinking about what you would gain when you finished?

Take note as to which motivator works for you – fear of failure, or promise of reward.

Set Your Goal: The first step towards unstoppable motivation is to determine your goal. You know you’re unhappy with your current state, but what exactly do you want to change? Why is it important to you?

Perhaps you can relate to one of the following goals:

Train Your Mind for Weight Loss and Performance Goals:

With your clear and important goal in mind, let’s take a few minutes to train your mind to achieve it. You know that weight loss comes as a result of eating right and regular challenging exercise, so let’s use your mind to conquer both.

We know that your subconscious an not understand the difference from imaging a snake or actually seeing a snake in front of you.  Similar physiological changes occur when this image enters the subconscious mind…..likewise, we will use this process to master our actions with diet and exercise!

Eating Right: Use this exercise to distance yourself from the self-sabotaging foods you really wish you didn’t eat, and to naturally begin selecting healthy foods.

Take a moment to review your current eating habits. Identify the foods that you should stop eating (hint: sweets, anything fried, refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks). Identify the worst food that you eat regularly but know you shouldn’t.

Now imagine the healthy foods that you should eat (hint: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein…..I like to say: If you can kill it, or grow it, you can eat it!). Identify the healthiest food that you know you should eat regularly.

Now with the image of these two foods in mind, find a quiet place and do the following exercise (seriously this stuff works):

Ok, close your eyes (ok, except for when you need to read here…Slightly keep one eye open for reading purposes;).  I am going to count to 10 and you are slowly going to go into a deep sleep.  “1, 2, 3, you are getting sleepy, 4,5,6, I hope your not driving, 7,8,9, goodnight, 10….your are sleeping….now read.”

Regular Exercise: This technique can be applied in a way that encourages you to crave exercise rather than avoid it. If you do not learn to enjoy this process it is ok.  For the first 90 days you need to keep at it.  When you experience some of the benefits you will then find a way to like it.  Remember you first beer? Disgusting right?  Until you got that buzz….hooked.  Once you achieved your internal motivator the connection was made…and wala, habit formed.

Onward…

Take a moment to imagine how you feel after a great workout (notice the emphasis on the word after). Remember the physical satisfaction as well as the sweet feeling of accomplishment. This is the chemical reaction we are after.

Now bring to your mind the aspects of exercise that you dislike. What is your biggest reason for avoiding exercise? Are you too tired? Do you not have enough time? Is physical exertion too much of a hassle? Pinpoint your greatest complaint about exercise.

Now with the image of these two aspects of exercise in mind, find a quiet place and do the following exercise:

Snap! Ok, you can wake up.  You should have seen yourself.  You were dancing around like a crazy chicken!  Thanks for the laugh!  Now, lets see what happens…Now, every time you hear the sound, “Grrrrrrrrr!” This will be a cue to get you to take massive action on your goals.  You can even do it yourself to stimulate this state within yourself (if you are more of the pirate type, “Arrrrrrrr!” works nicely too).

Why It Works:
If this was your first experience with training your mind (also called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, or as I refer to it as a self proclaimed witchdoctor of wellness, weight loss, and weightlifting…I call it simply voo doo or wawaweewah!).

It may have felt a little odd. Many of the world’s top achievers regularly use techniques like these to accomplish astounding goals.  You know, ‘fake it till you make it,’ or ‘thoughts are things,’ or good old Doctor Phil’s, ‘mental tapes’.  Whatever is playing in your head…make sure the sound track is conducive to your goals and desired outcomes.

The techniques above work because they train your mind to bring your behavior in line with your values. Think about it, you value health, you desire to be fit and attractive and you want to instill healthy habits in your kids.

These techniques encourage you to avoid self-sabotage and to make choices that line up with what you truly value.

Now that you are ready to accomplish your goals, go get em!  Dream a big dream and start setting up your life to live there!  Eye of the tiger-Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

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