The 1 common thing to ALL successful fat loss plans!

How many times do we have to repeatedly fail at something before we figure out that another strategy is needed?

Nobody jumps to the top of Mt. Everest.

When people attempt to lose weight, they often set overly ambitious goals and fail miserably. How long does this have to happen before they realize that maybe overly ambitious goals don't work?

Think back in your life, when have you attempted to work out everyday for 2 months to get in shape for summer? How often have you had a really good day of eating and then be overcome by horror when you say, "I only have to do this EVERY day for the rest of my life!"

How intimidating is that!

Well over the time that I have been fitness specialist I have seen hundreds of people set goals that even the most disciplined of people could not follow! And instead of backing off some of their goals and proceeding with others, they simply give up on everything. 

This all or nothing mentality is not beneficial at all! The truth is that progress is most consistent when small changes are gradually introduced. The example we see most often is that of nutrition. 

On Thursday everyone attending the Hi-5 FitCamp is going to receive a hand-out titled "10 Steps to Change the Way You Look and Feel." These are basically the 10 habits that we want to develop to burn fat and maintain a lean, healthy body. However, when you receive this I don't want you to look at it and attach all 10 habits. 

Instead, pick 1 that you are most confident you can complete for 2 weeks. Unless you are 90% sure you can complete the task, do NOT start to build the habit. You do not have to go in order. Simply pick the one you feel is the easiest and then start working towards it. Then in 2 weeks, simply pick another. Continue until you have changed the way you eat, live, move and sleep.

Remember, an elephant can only be eaten 1 bite at a time, and a mile is only walked 1 step at a time.

Also, don't forget that this weekend, March 26th we will be hosting a nutrition workshop titled "Eating Healthy While Dining Out" presented by Diane Campbell, RD.

The workshop is from 9-11am and is open to everybody. So bring your friends, bring your family and learn how to develop healthy habits while dining out!

2 things you MUST do to lose fat this year...

This past weekend my family took a trip over to the central coast. We stayed at the San Luis Bay Inn and the weather was beautiful! Sunny, warm - shorts, t-shirt and sandals weather. My wife and daughter drove over on Friday afternoon and are headed back tomorrow. I on the other hand went over Saturday morning and came back on Monday morning. 

I've started using my VALUABLE time more PRODUCTIVELY.

One thing I have developed a habit of on road trips I take by myself is taking my iPod along and listening to podcasts. You see as I have gotten older, I realize that time is at a premium. So, I can either use the drive time listening to songs I've heard at least 93 times before, or I can use the time to educate myself.

So this weekend on the drive back I was listening to a seminar by the creators of the Franklin-Covey planners/time-management systems. This was a basic workshop and they discussed something they have named the Productivity Pyramid. 

The base of the Productivity Pyramid is "Values." Values are what we base our decisions and the rest of the pyramid is based on our values. The second level of the pyramid is "Goals." The goals you select will be reflective of your values. Now granted there are two more levels in the pyramid, I am not going to get into those just yet because I want to address the "Goals" step.

Goals can be long term or short term, but either way, a goal is something you hope to attain or achieve. But the truth is most people don't have goals. If you don't have goals then you really aren't going to have any direction in your life. Instead, you simply move from day to day just handling crisis after crisis, or maybe you're AVOIDING crisis after crisis. But either way, there is no direction. 

Now the level above "goals" in the "Productivity Pyramid" is "weekly planning," and the level above that is at the top. And this is the last thing that is "built." Do you see how each level builds on the one below that? So if you don't have goals, your week isn't going to have any direction! And if you're weeks don't have any direction, how can your days have any direction? 

So the first thing that we all need to do if we plan to lose weight is set a goal. Not just a "I want to lose weight" kind of goal. But instead, a more Specific goal, a Measurable goal, an Attainable goal. So instead of wanting to "lose weight" try going with "I want to lose 10 lbs by summer." Now you have an goal that you can start to plan around. Then after you've got a weekly plan, now you can planning smaller steps. 

The second thing you need to do in order to lose fat this year is to MAKE A CHANGE. Just make a small change. Here are some small changes you can make that take less than 11 minutes a day. 

• Start taking a multivitamin in the mornings
• Drink a liter of water each day
• Take two 5-minute stretch breaks during the day
• Walk up and down 2 flights of stairs twice
• Play with your kids for an extra 10 minutes after work

You don't have to do all of these, but choose one and make it a habit, doing it every day for the next 14 days. To lose fat this year you MUST

1. Set a Specific, Measurable, Attainable goal
2. Make a SMALL change in your life that is in the direction of attaining your goal!

Have a great week!!

Fill in the blank: New Years _________________.

So many of us (myself included) have set goals only to let them slip away into the depths of the "I was going to do that" memory bank.

Many of our goals only show up as cheap New Years Resolutions. But as you know, most New Years resolutions are toast before the end of the month! 

But you don't need it to be January 1st to set a goal. Heck, I think well thought out, well planned out goals set on a Wednesday afternoon are more effective than a quick "resolution" on Dec. 31st. 

So do that tonight. Set a goal for the next month. By September 4th, what is that you want for yourself? Do you want to lose 10-lbs? 15-lbs? 20-lbs? Whatever it is, write it down and place it in a clearly visible location where you spend most of your day. This way you will be reminded that YOU have a GOAL!! And nothing is going to get in your way!

Because face it, if something does get in your way of achieving that goal, was the goal really that important to you? You really have to decide if you are content with the way you look and feel right now!


Are YOU not happy with the way you feel right now? It's most likely because of one of the following: 

• you are eating poor quality foods that sap you of energy rather than deliver it, 
• you are not exercising (but most of you are exercising regularly in the Hi-5 FitCamp),
• you are not sleeping enough or at the right times,

These can all be solved with proper goal setting and then putting together a plan to meet that goal. 

• Do you eat poor quality foods at home? Solution - get them out of your house!
• Are you not exercising regularly? Solution - the Hi-5 FitCamp meets 4 days per week
• Are you not sleeping enough or at the right times? Solution - set an alarm to get to bed and to wake up

By writing down your goals you make it easier to remember what your goals are and you are much more likely to make choices that move you closer to achieving your goals rather than taking you away from your goals.
So set your goal, write it down and look at it every day, then take steps towards it daily!

New Year + New Goals=New You?

At the beginning of last year, we talked about how important it is to set goals. But not only to set goals but SMART goals.

Goals that are SMART goals are:

• Specific - blanket goals like "lose weight" are too generic and vague.
  
• Measurable - Be able to measure your goals (i.e. inches lost, pounds lost, repetitions completed)
  
• Attainable - outlandish goals like "exercise every day" are unrealistic and only serve to set you up for failure.
  
• Relevant - Goals that mean nothing are a waste of time! Time is a precious commodity that you cannot get back. Don't burn it on stuff that doesn't matter.
  
• Time-measured - Put your goals into a schedule. By having a "complete by" date you put pressure on yourself to get started ASAP!

What many of us need additionally is ACCOUNTABILITY.

Write down your goals, tell people about your goals, review your goals every week and see where you are with them. If you don't have these things in place, your goals will slowly slip away and by August you'll forget all about them

So WRITE THEM DOWN. Then go out and TELL EVERYBODY about your goals.