Reach Fat Loss Goals with Willpower and Smarts

Many of you don't have the willpower to reach your fat loss goals...there are alot of reasons for this...I won't play doctor here but your motivation needs to be right and realistic....unrealistic goals (like lose 30 pounds in 10 days) can leave you mentally and physically exhausted with disappointing results.

One thing I do know: MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO HEALTH AND FITNESS BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH IT! THOSE AROUND YOU WILL BENEFIT TOO! FOCUS ON FAT LOSS, NOT WEIGHT LOSS! BUILDING MUSCLE MASS BURNS THE FAT, KEEPS IT OFF AND SPEEDS YOUR METABOLISM.

Here's some motivation tips for you:

1. Get your overall motivation right! These types of motivations will work: a) exercise and eat right because its good for YOU and YOU CARE ABOUT YOU and b) exercise because you enjoy it (find exercise types that you enjoy)!

2. Set short-term and long-term goals. A good short-term goal would be to cut sugary foods and drinks from your diet for the week. A longer term goal would be to follow your total meal plan for a week, two weeks, etc. Reward yourself with each victory!

You could do the same type thing with exercise....maybe you can't do running cardio intervals just yet...start with fast-walking cardio intervals, work up to jogging intervals and then fast-running cardio intervals.

You can reach your fat loss goals! Stay with it---YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Reviewing again, you need willpower and smarts to reach your fat loss goals. If you have the desire, you can reach your fat loss goals if you:

1. Train smart

2. Eat smart

3. Take care of your body

If this ingredient is one of the first items listed on the food packaging label then don't eat that food! What ingredient you ask? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This ingredient is found in alot of sweet foods and sugary drinks.

High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper for food manufacturers than regular sugar (sucrose) so that's why you see it so much on food labels. Sugary drinks, baked goods, frozen foods and even foods like ketchup are laced with this stuff. Nutritionists point to high-fructose corn syrup consumption as a major player in the nation's obesity crisis (the fact that we eat it is the real problem).

Why is high-fructose corn syrup so deadly? Here it is: the body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does regular sugar. It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you're full. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast)! So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time.

Getting enough sleep lately? Being "too busy" all the time is not good....sometimes we use it as an excuse to not do the things we should---LIKE EXERCISE! If you aren't sleeping (resting) enough, you are hindering your health and fat loss goals.

When you wake up during the night because you can't sleep, you are likely to eat when you should be sleeping. And, you will throw your metabolism "out of wack."

Researchers have found that the less sleep the test subjects got, the higher their body fat. The shorter sleep time altered the subjects hormone levels, energy decreased and appetite increased. And we already knew that decreased energy affects your workout performance. What's enough sleep? The general rule is 8 hours of sleep a night. Some may need more sleep or a little less than 8 hours. Don't sabotage your exercise program and fat loss goals by not getting enough shut-eye.

If you do happen to wake up at night, eat an apple instead of ice cream!

Exercise consistently and get the sleep you need to stay healthy!

Life happens....life brings on stress. A certain amount of stress and tension helps you take on challenges and perform better. Too much stress (left unchecked)over a prolonged period is not good and it causes health problems and affects metabolism. Also, some people respond to stress better than others. One person might crumble under the same workload that causes another person to thrive.

Your body's normal state (homeostasis) is changed by stress. The hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are secreted in response to a stressful situation. The "fight or flight" response to stress is intended to give you the energy to take on or run away from a particular situation. Stressful situations that go on for months or years signals to your body that the normal state includes excessive amounts of adrenaline and cortisol.

As it relates to metabolism, adrenaline makes the fat cells more efficient at turning fat into energy and speeds up metabolism. On the other hand, cortisol increases the amount of glucose in the blood and creates more energy. If you have an office job, this excess adrenaline and cortisol builds up. Unused excess energy will be stored as fat.

Chronic stress or stress with no end in sight has major health implications. Adrenaline will continue to be secreted but the body and the fat cells will build up a tolerance to it. This means that the fat cells won't be converted to energy and cortisol will continue to increase glucose in the blood. This means the fat gain and weight gain begins to happen if left unchecked.

Life continally has stressful situations and life sometimes brings unavoidable prolonged stress. Regular exercise helps me to deal with stress and brings my body back to the true normal state (or as close as possible).

Exercise consistently and take care of yourself!

Let's look at one rule today to help you eat smart:

Control your hunger during the day so you don't overeat when you do eat! Do this by eating small meals every 3-4 hours (never skip breakfast) to keep your metabolism ramped up.

Another way to control your hunger pangs is to eat protein with every meal. You don't need to do protein shakes...just eat the right foods. Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady and helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your hunger doesn't spike so high.

If you feel fuller for longer periods, you will eat less and you won't binge eat if your hunger pangs are "not out the roof" when you do eat. Use your eating smarts!

About the Author:

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s sites:

My Fitness Hut http://myfitnesshut.blogspot.com

Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com 

Sports Fitness Hut http://sportsfitnesshut.blogspot.com