Lose 10 Pounds Overnight!

I had someone ask me yesterday for a selection of diuretics and colon cleanses. She was going someplace warm for her vacation in a few days, and wanted to look better in her swimsuit. A “trainer” at a gym told her to get these items. Technically, he was correct, she would lose 10 pounds after a few very uncomfortable days. His advice had all the real merit of telling someone to roll down the windows because the car radio is too loud.

If your goal is to lose 10 pounds of fat to look better in a few days, the best thing you can be told is IT CAN NOT BE DONE!

Think about it.  You spent your life to look the way you do.  Are you really going to change that in days? I have been eating right and exercising for years, and I am no fitness model. It takes time to change your body especially without professional help.

With people making resolutions this time of year, I recommend changing what you eat, exercising, and using supplements to complement your efforts. You can build a house without a hammer, but it ain't easy! That is why I use supplements.

I have in the past recommended a foundation of supplements for body shaping: protein, creatine, glutamine, and arginine. I would add CLA. Conjugated linoleic acid is a great tool for the management of body fat. It used to be part of our diets when we were eating grass feed meat. One more thing we lost when “grain-feed” became a good thing. It works to prevent the absorption of bad fats from food, the reduction of empty fat cells in the body, and the production of lean muscle. It is generally safe, with little to no side effects. I would take 1 gram in the morning, 2 at lunch and 2 at supper. CLA will not win any races for speedy results, however. Most studies done are conducted over 1 year.

Another thing you could try is a product call SafSlim. Like CLA, it comes from safflower seed oil, but it has been shown to be more effective on belly fat in a 16 week trial. CLA was overall more effective on body fat, but SafSlim was more focused so it may be a better option.

Remember that you spent a lifetime looking the way you do. It will take time to change that. This weekend, just have fun and plan for the next vacation now.

New Year Resolutions

Well, here it comes. The annual promises that people make to themselves to “get in shape”, “get healthy”, or “lose weight”. These all last until they realize how difficult changing your lifestyle can be. Some even make it as far as getting to the shock of finding out that it takes a long time to change themselves.

I have said in the past that vague goals will do you no good. Look around you and pick something fun that you would like to do, then train to do it. That is what worked for me, in the beginning. Six years ago, I decided to become a MSBiker.  These events are all over the country and happen most of the year. You do not need an expensive bike to take part, I have never used anything better than a used 30 year old ten speed. It is not a race, so you do not have to ride like Lance. There are rest stops every 8 to 10 miles, which means about 45 minutes of biking. When you pull into the stops, the volunteers there treat you like you are a rock star, which is very energizing. And when you are done, you have raised money for some of the members of your community that could really use it. Throughout the year, I help hundreds of people feel better and get healthy. I tell anyone who asks that the MS Ride is the most rewarding thing I do every year!

That started me down the path to better health. As you are making your resolutions, if you need help picking a goal, I can not think of a better way to start.

Happy New Year!

What to Use, What to Use

People who know me often ask what I use before I start my workouts. There only about a bazillion choices in the pre-workout category, so one of them MUST be the best, right? And everyone must get the same response from the each of them. Yep, this is a good question for me.

Everyone is different, with different goals, workout styles, and tolerances. The best way to pick a pre-workout is to turn the bottle around and read the ingredients. I know, I know, if people did that, most of the crap in the grocery store would never sell, and it may mean the end of microwavable foods. It is a risk I am willing to take, Stouffer's be damned!

My tolerance to stimulants is nothing short of heroically scary. Through experimentation, I have found that I do not even feel caffeine short of 700 mg. That is about 7 cups of coffee, closer to 8 Red Bulls, or around 13 Mountain Dew sodas. It has often been noted that I have issues. So, when I am having a low energy day and need a boost to help me in my workout, I look for 13-dimethylamylamine. If the pre-workout has that in the ingredient label, I know I will feel it. It is a fantastic stimulant and can really power you through a great workout. My personal favorite is Jack3d from USP labs.  It is not great for cardio workouts, however. It can over amp my heart rate and cut my speed dramatically.

In general I do not need the extra energy from stimulants. That makes my choice of pre-workout much easier. I much prefer a supplement that improves focus and concentration. I have found that for almost every workout I have, PreSurge Unleashed is my go to formula. Most people will get a solid energy pick-up from this formula. What I love about it is the increase in focus the L-theanine provides. I am able to get neat, clean, full reps in each set, or cut minutes off my mile pace. If you are serious about your workout, I suggest you give PreSurge a try.