My contest preparation tracking since April 10, 2012.

April 10 weight and body fat.

Weight 133.4lbs
Body Fat 21.7%
Pounds of body fat 28.86
Lean body mass weight 104.14
Tested with a 5 point skin fold.

May 1, 2013
Weight 126.6 lbs
Body Fat 16.6%
Pounds of fat on body 21.02
Lean body mass weight 105.58
Tested with 5 point skin fold.

May 20, 2013
Weight 128.0
Body Fat 12.37%
Pounds of body fat 15.8
Lean body mass weight 112.2
Tested with 5 point skin folds.


Summary In 40 days I've gone from 133.4 lbs to 128lbs but I've dropped
13.78lbs of body fat and I've actually gained muscle mass the entire
time I've been dieting. Look at the numbers below.

Lean mass weight
April 10, 104.14 lbs
May 1, 105.58lbs
May 20, 112.2 lbs

In 40 days I've gained at total of 8.06lbs of muscle and dropped 13.78lbs of body fat.


This has been done by training 4 times a week in the gym lifting as
heavy as possible with as many reps as possible and little rest between
sets. Sessions last between 30-90 minutes in duration. I have do NO
TRADITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE!

Fact:
You do not need
traditional cardo to burn fat! If you train hard enough in the gym with
resistance exercise you will burn the fat more effectively and you will
NOT lose muscle mass, in fact if your diet is dialed in like mine it is
in fact possible to gain muscle while getting ready for a competition!

Want a diet and training session that will give you results like this?

Drop me a line and lets get started!!!
I'm not cheap, I'm GOOD!

Peace,

**BB**

What are carbohydrates?


Yesterday I defined what a calorie was and that it did not display
nutritional value, calorie measurement marks the energy units in foods.
Once you break foods down they go into 3 categories Fat, Proteins and
Carbohydrates. Within each of these three groups there are a numbers of
subset groups in each. Today we will focus on one category and that is
Carbohydrates.

The simplest way
to understand carbohydrates is to break down what they do for us. Our
bodies break down carbohydrates in order to make glucose. Glucose is a
sugar that our body uses to give us energy. Carbohydrates generally
provide us with fiber, vitamins and minerals.

What Are the Different Kinds of Carbohydrates?


There are two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex. We get our
simple carbohydrates from foods such as milk, milk products, fruit or
table sugar. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, come from
starches like cereal, bread, beans, potatoes, and starchy vegetables.


As I stated before there are subset categories in each of the three
nutrient groups. Simple and complex is a basic subset yet we can further
break these groups down into the types of sugars these foods contain.
We can also measure them on a ratio scale like the Glycemic Index Ratio.
This scale measure the speed at which the carbohydrate is broken down
into fructose and glucose in the body. The higher the number the faster
the carb converts to sugar in the body. The lower the number the slower
the carb converts into usable energy. Too high of a number is typically
found in simple carbs and the lower numbered carbs are typically found
in the complex carbohydrates.

The trick to staying lean is to
keep your blood sugar normal all day long by eating complex carbs based
on your activity levels for the next 3 hours. By keeping blood sugar
levels in normal range your body can not store fat and makes it
difficult to burn muscle fiber.

That is why it is so important to understand what type of carbs you need throughout the day.


As I have already mentioned there are many subsets in carbohydrates so I
will briefly give you the description of these different catagories.
Carbohydrates may be classified into monosaccharides, disaccharides,
oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and heterosaccharides. The most
fundamental type is the simple sugars called monosaccharides, such as
glucose, galactose, and fructose. These simple sugars can combine with
each other to form more complex type. The combination of two simple
sugars is called disaccharide whereas carbohydrates consisting of two to
ten simple sugars are called oligosaccharides, and those with a larger
number are called polysaccharides.

Carbohydrates are produced
in green plants by photosynthesis and serve as a major source of energy
in animal diets. They also serve as structural components, such as
cellulose in plants and chitin in some animals. Their derivatives play
an essential role in the working process of the immune system,
fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting and development.


Bottom line is understanding carbohydrates can be made very complex.
Each and everyone of us eat or have eaten carbohydrates on a daily
basis. However simple carbs have become the general populations worst
enemy. The introduction of fructose and in particular high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) has become societies number one problem. You see our
bodies are not designed to eat high amounts of the sugars and the proof
is in the population. HFCS can be compared to crack rock cocaine in its
ability to cause addiction. It triggers L-Dopamine response in the
brain the exact same way as cocaine or a number of illegal and legal
prescription drugs do. HFCS triggers the pleasure center in the brain
and it shuts down the production of Leptin (a protein hormone that
controls hunger). The more HFCS you consume you more damage you do to
your body and its functions. The list of damage HFCS is far too long to
list here in this article, I will be discussing this in detail at our
seminar this Saturday May 18 at 7:00PM at the Studio at 118 Shenandoah
Dr.
Come and learn all about HFCS and how it is damaging your body.


Fact: Obesity is at an all time high, diabetes and cancer are also at
epidemic levels. 50% of all Americans are now overweight! Obesity rates
in some states are passing 30% of the population.

Fact: Look
back in history and you will see a distinct relationship between disease
and sugar consumption. The history goes back several hundred years.
However HFCS is the new kid on the block and disease and obesity have
exploded since it entered our food supplies.

In closing there
are good carbs and there are bad carbs, there are even good sugars but
that is another story. I will discuss that at our seminar as well. Learn
to read labels on the foods you eat. In fact avoid eating foods that
need labels if at all possible. Processed foods are the problem because
almost every processed food contains HFCS. Eat whole foods, fresh
veggies, grass fed beef, hormone free chicken and eggs. Avoid canned
foods and eat frozen veggies it its place.

Dr. H

Myths that can frustrate and confuse you. Lets get the facts straight, ladies!

Myth 1, Spot Reduction



Let's start off with the theory of burning fat or toning a certain area
of the body. Toning involves two constituents: adipose tissue (the
subcutaneous body fat) and muscle tissue. In order to appear more toned,
a reduction in body fat and increase in muscle mass will have to occur.

The human body does not allow spot reducing, which would include losing fat exclusively in
the abdominal area. If you were to lose weight, it would occur all over
your entire body. Unfortunately, body fat is not necessarily reduced
evenly.

People often have trouble areas where the fat is last
to go. Women especially find this to be their stomach, legs or arms.
There is not much that can be done about this aside from continuing to
lean out.

A reduction in body fat occurs when a person is in a
caloric deficit. This occurs with two variables: decreasing the amount
of calories you consume, increasing the amount of exercise you
participate in, or doing both. Resistance training is used to help build
and maintain muscle tissue, while cardiovascular training is a tool
used to help achieve a caloric deficit. You should use a combination of
both for the best results.

Here is a statement that many of you
probably do not want to believe: There is no exercise out there that is
going to burn fat off of your body in a specific area! No resistance
training exercise will help tone or reduce fat on top of any muscle in
your body. It is a reduction of calories and an increase in exercise
that will take care of that.

There is a very big misconception
regarding that "burn" you feel after performing many repetitions during
an exercise. Some people actually believe that is the fat melting off
the body right before our very eyes! That burn is actually caused by
lactic acid, which is used by your muscles to form adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) for immediate energy.

I often see people
lying on the ground at the gym performing sets of 100 crunches. They
probably assume that burning sensation is actually helping her "toning
their stomach". If you are performing a set of 100 repetitions on any
exercise, don't you think it is time to move on to something a little
harder?

Myth 2, Losing Your Femininity


The
theory that lifting weights will cause a woman to appear bulky and manly
is completely false. Resistance exercise (weight training) will only
take you as far as your genetic potential will allow. Men even find it
difficult to make good muscle gains.

I must say that the
actual weight training may the easy part. The difficult part for most
women is eating like a horse, because a calorie surplus is needed to
gain muscle mass. I often watch Amanda (my daughter) gagged during some
of her meals as she was pretty much force-feeding herself like a mother
would to a small child eating their vegetables.

Now, I am
pretty sure that most women do not force feed themselves by mistake.
Muscle mass gains are not something that occurs out of the blue. You
have to really want it for it to happen. It is pretty safe to say that
muscle gain is much, much harder than fat loss for most people.


Two little facts that most women forget is testosterone and myostatin.
Testosterone is a very anabolic hormone found in the human body, males
and females, which is very important for gains in muscle mass. Men
usually have about ten times more testosterone than women.

Now
myostatin is a different story, most women have 10 times the amount of
myostatin present in their muscle cells than men. Myostatin is a protein
that prevents muscle over growth. This protein will not allow you to
grow big muscles PERIOD!

Even if a woman were to put the time
into eating a crazy amount, it would still be about ten times harder to
look like a man. It sounds like it is fairly difficult for a woman to
gain an incredible amount of muscle mass and be mistaken for a man,
doesn't it?

Do not be fooled by the pictures you see in the
muscle magazines, these women have been abusing Anabolic Steroids,
Growth Hormone and Insulin to overcome the lack of Testosterone and the
abundance of myostatin in their bodies.

Bottom line is you may
find it next to impossible to ever be accused of looking like a man
because of your muscle mass, sorry ladies.

Myth 3, Avoiding Chest Exercises



Another fairly popular fallacy is the theory that a woman should not
perform any chest exercises, as this would "shrink her breasts". A
woman's breasts are an area of fat deposit just like anywhere else on
her body. The breasts will shrink as body fat levels of the entire body
are reduced.

Resistance exercises for the chest would not cause
a reduction in size. In fact, it might help your breasts appear larger
as you can stimulate growth of your pectoral muscles. The larger
pectoral muscles would help push out the fat found on your breasts and
assist them in looking bigger.

Myth 4, Eating Less To Lose Weight



Most women claim to have a sound diet, but this usually ends up being
in the form of a starvation diet. It probably includes skipping
breakfast, eating a salad at lunch and a slice of cheese for dinner if
you are lucky.

Breakfast is known as the most important meal of
the day for a reason. Your body is begging for fuel, as it has not
received any in most likely a good 10 to 12 hours. Skipping meals
frequently actually slows your metabolism down as it is much more
beneficial to eat five to six smaller meals spaced evenly throughout the
day.

A lot of people are always confused by this as they think
eating so frequently will cause them to gain weight. This simply is not
true unless you eat many calories above your maintenance level.


Let's say 1,500 calories is adequate for your goal of weight loss.
Instead of eating two 700-calorie meals, five meals consisting of about
300 calories would be much better. If you happen to eat 500 calories for
one meal and 200 calories for another, this will not break you. As long
as you finish the day with the same amount of calories and you eat
several times per day, you will be fine.


Fact 1,


Nothing replaces sound nutrition and hard work in the gym. Stay focused
on your goals and watch your body change in the mirror and how your
cloths fit.

If you want good sound advice that is backed with
science you need to attend my next seminar this Saturday May 18, 2013 at
7:00PM It is being held at Tha Body Specialist Studio at 118 Shenandoah
Dr. In Shenandoah TX right behind the Valero Station of the I-45 Feeder
Rd south bound side just 200 yards north of Research Forest Drive.
Seating is limited so please RSVP at our meetup group page here (http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meetup.com%2FTha-Body-Specialist-of-The-Woodlands-Group%2Fevents%2F115975692%2F&h=kAQEed5TU&s=1)

Ten Steps to a better leaner YOU!!!

10. Take Measurements


You'll never reach your destination if you don't know your starting
point. A great place to begin is calculating your bodyfat percentage.


This will allow you to set accurate goals and measure progress. The
most accurate (and available) method of measuring body fat percent is
the skin-fold method.

This is a simple process that only requires
a scale, a bodyfat caliper, and an equation. If you don't have body fat
calipers, then take girth measurements—waist, hips, chest, arms, etc.
Don't just rely on the scale. The more information you have on your
body, the better you will be able to see and analyze your progress.

9. Eat 5-6 Meals Each Day


You've probably heard this countless times before but it just can't be
stressed enough. Eating 5-6 meals containing protein, carbohydrate, and
healthy fat each day is key, regardless of your training goals.


To begin, if you are looking to drop some body fat, then eating more
often allows you to better manage your insulin levels for increased fat
burning. Controlling insulin levels when dieting is critical as insulin
is the body's most potent blocker of lipolysis (i.e. liberation of
stored fat to be used as energy).

Another added benefit of
controlling insulin levels is consistent energy levels; your blood sugar
won't rise and crash throughout the day. Purposefully spreading the
traditional "three square meals" into 5-6 smaller meals will allow you
to increase your fat-burning ability while at the same time providing
your body with nutrients required to build muscle.

8. Train With Weights 3-4 Times A Week


Lifting weights is an essential part of developing a lean physique. Not
only will weight training boost you metabolic rate for extended periods
of time, it will help you build muscle (which will allow you to burn
more calories just sitting around!).

Let's say you love lifting
weights. You might ask, "Why just 3-4 times a week? Professional
bodybuilders lift 5-6 days a week double sessions!"

When you
are dieting, you are in a calorie-deficient state. This will put your
body in a compromised position where you will have limited recovery
capabilities. 3-4 sessions of intense training sessions are perfect for
most people to stimulate their muscles and metabolism without beating
themselves into the ground (or worse a state of overtraining).

7. Don't Overdue The Cardio


A lot of people go cardio crazy when trying to lose body fat. The days
of getting on the bike or treadmill for 40-60 minutes 5-6 times per week
are done! If burning body fat and building muscle is your goal,
shorter, more-intense interval-based cardio sessions are the way to go.


Cardiovascular activity performed in a high intensity interval fashion
(high intensity is a term relative to your personal fitness level) has
been shown to burn more calories than the old school 40-minute cardio
sessions.

This means you'll burn more fat, in less time. If you
have been doing longer cardio, don't quickly jump into this
higher-intensity cardio.

Give your body time to adjust over
several weeks by slowly replacing the interval sessions for the longer
sessions. Most people find that 3-4 interval sessions give them better
results than 6+ traditional longer cardio sessions.

6. Plan Your Meals The Night Before


This one has made all the difference in my personal fitness journey.
Not only does it make eating multiple meals per day easier, but it
changes your focus during the day from creating a nutrition plan to
executing one.

You have enough going on during the day that you
don't need to be worrying about where your next meal will come from and
how you can make it fit perfectly into your plan. Eliminate the added
stress, plan the night before, and just follow your roadmap during the
day.

5. Drink Green Tea

Ever since the FDA put the
clamps down on Ephedra, supplement companies have been searching for a
replacement. The winner is ... Green Tea extract. While it is not as
effective as Ephedra, it is the best thing most companies have to work
with.

The compound within green tea that contains the metabolic
enhancing effects is a polyphenol called EGCG. To make a long story
short, scientific studies have shown EGCG to produce a thermogenic
effect (increased rate at which calories are burned as heat) in the
body.

Another interesting feature that makes green tea more
attractive to dieters comes from a 2004 study published in Life Science.
Researchers found that green tea was a potent inhibitor of fatty acid
synthase (FAS).

As you may be able to deduce by the name, this
is an enzyme in your body responsible for synthesizing fatty acids. The
last thing you want your body to do when you are trying to lose fat is
to synthesize fat.

You don't have to supplement with green tea
extract either, you can get the same result by simply drinking a pot of
green tea each day (3-5 cups). In addition, green tea is a great
substitute and much better for you than diet soft drinks.

But
remember green tea is naturally caffeinated which is perfect (Mother
Nature knows best right?) as the combination of EGCG and caffiene is
best for eliciting fat loss.

4. Get Rid Of Bad Friends And Bad Food


Don't let your environment sabotage your weight-loss efforts. If you
are trying to eat healthy foods you can not have the freezer stocked
with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and the cupboards full of BBQ potato
chips.

As it gets to be later at night you know you'll be
tempted. Don't set yourself up for temptation and failure; create an
environment where you can't fail! It can be simple, if the food isn't in
your house, then you won't eat it. So, throw out the junk, high sugar,
over-processed high-fat foods!

The same goes for your friends.
If you are constantly being scoffed at and joked about because you
choose to have a grilled salmon salad instead of buffalo wings, or
because you asked the waiter to bring you steamed broccoli instead of
french fries – get new friends! Find people that are supportive of your
fitness goals and the behaviors that they require.

3. Drink Lots Of Water


Water is essential to life and a healthy body. Dehydration will wreak
havoc on you and your fitness goals. If you are dehydrated your body
cannot function at its optimal level. For example, your muscles will
lose strength, you won't burn fat as quickly, and you'll feel tired and
fatigued.

A 2003 study entitled 'Water-Induced Thermogenesis'
was published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
It was stated that drinking 2 Liters of water spread throughout the day
burned up to 100 extra calories (the equivalent of running a mile).

2. Take Time Off To Rest And Recover


Fat loss training and dieting is mentally draining. That is why you
need to take extra care of yourself. Extra stretching and foam rolling,
epson salt baths, going to bed an hour early, and/or taking a magnesium
supplement prior to bed are all simple ways that you can help accelerate
your recovery (and progress).

One of my favorite sayings is:
"Physiology trumps diet." This means that if your body chemistry and
physiology is off, you won't be able to maximize your fat loss. Trying
to lose weight is no excuse for being unhealthy and it will in fact
hinder your progress. Rest, recover, and you'll lose more weight.

1. Apply The Previous Nine Rules


It is important that you realize that the statement "Knowledge is
Power" is false! Applied knowledge with passion and consistent
persistence is power! The chances are you know everything that you have
to do to achieve your best body but you're not applying your knowledge.
Stop...take the time to focus and execute the steps above with a well
structured game plan and achieve all your goals.

Summer Foods to trim the tummy!

 With summer right around the corner, many of you are starting to think about what's going to be on the menu. Nights of barbecuing are approaching, along with days spent picnicking at the beach, and afternoons tanning on your deck with a cool, refreshing snack.

There are many foods that we associate with summer memories that help to make these warmer months that much more enjoyable, but unfortunately, if you're on a fat loss diet, many of these classic favorites don't quite make the cut.

Luckily, there is a whole other group of summer foods that do fit the bill and still taste great. Incorporating these into your day more often will make them the new summer foods and you'll also get the benefit of looking your best at the same time.

Watermelon

    Nothing screams summertime like a big slice of watermelon. You probably recall eating this as a young child, but have let it fall from your diet as an adult. Now is a great time to bring it back into your diet though because of all the different nutrients it provides.

    Considering this fruit is over 90% water, it also helps keep you well hydrated when the sun pours down. Finishing off an outdoor activity with a big bowl of watermelon and some form of protein is a great way to re-hydrate yourself while supplying the carbohydrates and protein your muscles need.

Summer Squash

    The second fruit you should add to your fat loss diet this summer is summer squash. This form squash can easily be added to stir-fries or eaten on it's own as part of a veggie tray with low-fat dip.

The health benefits you'll receive from doing so include protection against heart disease, cancer, and stroke. These effects come from the high amount of phytochemicals found in the vegetable.

Blackberries

    Strawberries typically get all the attention during the summer months, but this year, change that up and opt for blackberries instead. This berry has a sweet taste to it and will taste great eaten alone, tossed into your favorite protein shake, or added to a bowl of low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt for dessert.

    Each cup you eat will provide just 62 calories, less than one gram of fat, 13.8 grams of carbohydrates - 7.6 of those coming from dietary fibre, and 2 grams of protein, making it a nutritional powerhouse for optimal fat loss.

Home Made Fudgesicles

    If you're the type of person who typically gravitates to ice cream as a way to cool down during the summer months, this year opt for making your own homemade fudgesicles instead.

    To do this, simply buy a box of fat-free, sugar-free chocolate Jell-O pudding powder and blend together with 2.5 cups of skim milk. Add to that 1/2 cup of Splenda or your favorite sweetener and 1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder. Pour into fudgesicle molds and let freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. These will offer you a higher dose of calcium than ice cream as well as be a source of protein - not to mention they'll be only about 35 calories per pop (assuming a 12 mold container is used).

Papayas

    Papayas are another summertime fruit that packs a powerful nutritional punch. This fruit is incredibly high in vitamin C, and also contains the nutrients vitamin C, folate, potassium, and fiber. In addition to this, papaya helps to promote better digestive health by reducing the occurrence of colon cancer. Males in particular will want to consider increasing their intake of papaya in their diet as if you combine it with green tea, you'll really decrease your chances of developing prostate cancer.

Water

    While not really a 'food', water should be increased during the summer months, even if you aren't active. Many people are quick to replace their water with sodas, beer, or mixed alcoholic beverages, which just puts you in a further state of dehydration.

While it's fine to have the odd beverage to treat yourself, be sure you're drinking extra water to compensate for this. If you really find that you're having a hard time getting the water down due to its bland taste then add a few slices of orange, lemon, lime, or even watermelon to the water. It will add a burst of flavor that proves to be quite refreshing.

Sweet Potato 'Fries'

    If you aren't much of a corn fan, then another option for a sweet side dish to place beside your protein source is sweet potato fries. A small sweet potato contains just 54 calories and supplies 2 grams of dietary fibre per serving. They also supply you with vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as potassium, helping enhance your energy levels.  Consider drizzling your sweet potatoes with a small amount of olive oil and whatever spices you prefer and then cooking them sliced, wrapped in tinfoil on the barbecue for home made fries that don't pack near the fat and calories as traditional fries do.

Cantaloupe

    Finally, the last sweet food you should add to your summer diet this coming year is cantaloupe. This melon is another great source of vitamin C and vitamin A, providing well over 100% of your daily needs per cup.

    In addition to this, cantaloupe proves to be even more effective for protecting your eyesight than carrots do, as individuals who consume 3 or more servings of fruit per day show a decreased risk of developing macular degeneration. At only 56 calories per cup of cantaloupe, this should be an easy addition to your fat loss diet.

As with everything in life eat these foods in moderation and ENJOY your summer months!

Dr. H

Trying to drop a few pounds?

Do you feel hungry all the time?

Here's a little help.......

Strategies To Handle Hunger

1. Eat a lean protein with every meal. Lean protein foods suppress appetite better than any other macronutrient. A study from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle found that swapping out a small amount of carbs and putting lean protein in its place (increasing from 15% protein to 30% protein) improved weight loss by increasing leptin sensitivity and reducing appetite. By the way, whey protein, which is available as a protein powder supplement, is a slow-released protein. A study at Maastricht University in the Netherlands reported that having whey protein makes you feel fuller.

10. Keep alcohol to a minimum. Research has consistently found that alcohol can distort your body's perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren't compensated for, and that leads to positive energy balance, then you get fat. Men should be on guard more than women. The correlation between drinking alcohol and body fat gain is stronger in men in almost all of the studies. It seems that women might be better at compensating for alcohol calories than men. In other words, men tend to drink and eat, while women tend to drink instead of eating.

Making Exercise a habit.....

We know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting again.

The Main Problems
So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are probably a number of factors, but here are a few of the obvious reasons exercise in not a habit for everyone.

1. Too difficult. People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long. You can do it for a few days, but you soon run out of energy, and it becomes a drag to do it.

2. Too many goals or unrealistic goals to start. Often we set out to do too much. We want to run, and lift weights, and eat healthy, and quit sweets, and stop drinking soda. Some of us have an image in our heads of exactly what we want to look like and set a time to get there! STOP!!! Take your time and focus on getting daily exercise first, clean up your diet and drink water with fresh lemon or lime juice instead of soda. If you stick to the plan and get the good habits to replace the bad then the rest will fall into place. Your body will reflect your new habits but be patient you didn't get in the shape your in overnight so it certainly won't be fixed overnight either.

Golden Rule never give yourself a deadline for looking good!

3. Not enough Motivation. So many times we start with good intentions yet the motivation dies quickly. Well if that's the case lets fix it!!!! Starting May 18, 2013 we will start our support group for everyone that needs motivation. That is a Saturday and we will meet at the Studio at 7:00PM sharp. If you want to stay motivated you have to have a great support team to help and that's what your trainer and our staff is here to help you do "STAY MOTIVATED"

Solutions

1.  Start by setting your goals low and attainable for you. Remember if you set unrealistic goals you will FAIL! Set goals that will assure your SUCCESS! As you become more fit and eager for more that is when you step up and make those harder goals, just remember to baby step your way up to the bigger goals!!!!

2. Write your goals down and keep them posted so you can see them everyday multiple times a day! Remember out of sight out of mind!

3. Be specific with your goals both short and long term. Write down the exact exercises you plan on doing everyday and DO THEM!!! Make a date with yourself everyday and stick to it so at 3:30PM I will walk 2 miles and do 25 push-ups and 25 set-ups. Like I said be detailed with your daily goals. Once you've completed the goals write down how you feel and how easy or difficult the exercise was for you, evaluate yourself and increase or decrease the exercise based on how you feel.

4. Look for a Trigger mechanism that will spark the motivation to exercise daily. This will help you get into the habit and stay there. We all have events that happen everyday without fail. So take one of those events and use it as a trigger for your exercise program. Here's what I'm talking about. Many of us wake-up to coffee brewing in the kitchen or an alarm clock blasting in our ears that starts the day rolling it makes us focus on the task at hand, "getting ready for the day". Many of us now have smart phones so set a timer or your alarm for your workout time and give yourself ample time to get where you need to be to exercise. If you work 15 minutes from the gym then set your alarm on the phone 30 minutes before you need to leave. That way you can close things down, take your pre-workout supplements and get to the gym on time.

5.Hold yourself accountable- Journal every workout everyday. Be detailed and write down exactly what you did for the day. As you get in better condition your will be impressed with how much more you are able to do with greater ease. This will help establish the good habits and boost your self confidence and self-esteem.

6. Visualize your new image....cut out pictures from magazines clip out articles on fitness and nutrition and post them where you work and live. If you can see yourself in a bikini or that cute dress you saw at the mall, chances are you will succeed by staying focused. Remind yourself with visual images.

7. Avoid Negative People, the last thing you need in your life is a nay sayer! You know the type always giving you an excuse as to why you are wasting your time! Remember this, they just want you to quit because what you are doing is making them feel bad about themselves. Stay away from these people, remember misery loves company. Stay in contact with people that are lifestyle friendly with your new program. These people will support you and encourage you to stay focused.

8. Educate yourself on what you are doing to your body. Take the time too learn how your body is responding to the exercise and the nutrition programs just don't follow a plan without actually doing some research and learn what really works best for you. Remember the only person that can build the perfect program for you is YOU! Sure trainers can help and I highly recommend using one if you are just getting started but lets face facts few us us want to pay money for years and years and never learn a thing. Personal Trainers are a great way to start your program and if you are training for a specific sport or event you need one. But they can not tell you how you feel after you train with them! Only you know how you feel and only you can adjust to get maximum results with your efforts.

So get in the habit of being accountable to YOU!  Set your goals and get in the right HABIT!!!!

Dr. H

The Smart Way to Set Goals.


WOW 2013 is moving fast we are already in the 5th month and summer heat
is just a few weeks away! With summers being long and HOT here is South
East Texas you still have ample time to look good by the pool. Now all
you need to do is set your goals and stick to the plan.

Here is a plan to help you plan!

The SMART Goal Setting principles will help you reduce your chances of setting goals that you wouldn't be able to obtain even if you had some sort of superhuman powers.

The SMART Principle
dot

The SMART Goal Setting Principle Includes Setting Goals That Are:

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Attainable
4. Realistic
5. Time-frame

1. The 1st Principle: Specific


This refers to setting goals that are clearly described so you know
exactly what it is that you are working toward. For example, rather than
just saying you want to "bulk up," set a specific goal, such as "I want
to focus on adding size to my arms."

If you just said you
wanted to bulk up, it's too general to really help you determine what
course of action you want to take. Are you going to work on your whole
body, or is it just one part that needs work. How do you look in terms
of being proportional? If you are strictly focusing on one body part
will any other body parts begin to suffer?

By setting a
specific goal, like adding size to your arms while maintaining your
legs, you will know that you need to concentrate your weight training on
your arms, but still keep up some cardio and a clean diet so that your
legs don't also increase considerably in size and become out of
proportional to your arms (assuming your arms were lagging to begin with
which is why you have chosen this goal in the first place).

2. The 2nd Principle: Measurable


This is extremely important as it will help you to know exactly when
you have achieved your goal and will give you a much greater sense of
accomplishment. So referring to our previous example, instead of saying
you want to "bulk up," say you want to add 1 inch to your arm size."


This is something that you can track and see your progress. Just think
of how you will feel when you finally see that tape measure reach the
magic number you are striving for. If you were just going for "bulk,"
well you can really bulk forever ... and then how would you ever know
when you were done?

3. The 3rd Principle: Attainable


This is also critical because if your goal isn't attainable, chances are
you will give up hope and either burnout trying to reach it or just
quit. Someone who is currently 150 pounds, shouldn't set a goal to be
200 in 5 months.

While the goal is measurable, it definitely
isn't attainable (at least not naturally). If this person sets this
goal, they will no doubt feel like a failure as they approach the 4
month mark and have only gained 20 pounds and still have 30 more to go.


In this case, it would be much better to set both long-term and
short-term goals. The long term could be to get to 200 pounds but you
then need to allow a much greater time frame to achieve this.


Then set smaller goals, such as 170 then 185, then 200, so that you can
celebrate each achievement after you have reached it and since the goals
aren't so large, you will be able to feel success within a shorter
duration which will also serve to keep your motivation high.

4. The 4th Principle: Realistic


This sort of ties in with attainable, as if your goal is unrealistic,
you will also see a huge drop in motivation and will likely never keep
pursuing this goal.

For example, and this is extreme, but let's
say you are new to exercise, have been pretty much sedentary all your
life, and you set the goal to do the Ironman at the end of the year.
Chances are, no matter how good your training is, this is just not a
realistic expectation for you.

Everyone will have their own
unique goals and what is realistic for one person may be completely
different than what is realistic for another. This is why it's always
important to look at your current status and set a goal for yourself,
not based on what your training partner is doing.

5. The Final Principle: Timeline


All goals should have a set time in which you wish to achieve them.
This will make sure you don't start getting lazy and push your workouts
until 'tomorrow'.

When you see the date fast approaching, you
will more than likely kick yourself into high gear to ensure you reach
your goals on the date you set for yourself.

Once again,
incorporate the other principles into this one and make sure the
timeline is realistic, as this is critical to achievement. By setting a
date in which you want to achieve your goals by you are making a way to
hold yourself accountable.

Now most people hate deadlines, and
granted, you may start to dread this one as well, however you will be
doing yourself a favor in the long run by setting it because it will
keep you on your toes and will make you much more likely to keep
persisting and going after your dreams.

Final Thought...


So, the next time you are about to embark on a new fitness or diet
plan, take a look at what your goal is and make sure it follows the
SMART principle, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and
time-oriented.

By making sure it incorporates all of these
factors, you will increase your rate of success and make the whole
process much easier on yourself.

Is Stretching Important........?

YES, here's why.......


Of all aspects of bodybuilding training, stretching is the one part
that is most often ignored by the majority of people. It is just one of
those things that seems to get pushed off to the side as not that
important. You probably say to yourself in the back of your mind "I know
I should stretch... blah, blah, blah... but why bother? I just want to get big and muscular. And besides I don't want to look like some skinny yoga master."


Well, one thing you probably didn't realize is that when stretching is
properly integrated into a weight training program it can actually speed
up your muscle growth. In this article I'm going to outline several
unique stretching exercises that are designed to stretch the connective
tissue which surrounds the muscles, and there by expand the fascia and
enable the muscles to grow bigger and stronger.

Connective Tissues


The connective tissues that surround the muscles are very tough and hug
the muscle fibers tight. This can actually constrict expansion and
growth. For muscle hypertrophy to occur the surrounding fascia needs to
be stretched and become more pliable in order to give the muscle fibers
room enough to expand grow bigger.

Even if you haven't
seriously focused on stretching before, the muscle mass that you have
built up to this point came about from the stretching and expanding of
the muscles encasing tissue. During your workouts when blood is being
pumped into the muscles, the surrounding connective tissues are being
stretched, that's why you get that tight feeling we call "the pump".


The ideal time to stretch for increasing muscle mass is right after
you've trained a particular body part and the muscles are "pumped up"
and feeling tight. At this stage the connective tissues are already
being stretched from the blood volume in the muscles, and then by
manually stretching the muscles as well, you get a double whammy effect
and this really increases the muscle fibers growth potential.

Let's Get Down To Business...


There are basically two types of stretching that you can do to expand
the fascia and surrounding connective tissue, active stretching with
weights and static stretching.

Active Stretching With Weights


Active Stretching with weights is where you include exercises in your
routine that work the muscles in the fully stretched range of motion.
Some good examples of this include:

1. Incline dumbbell flys for chest.

2. Dumbbell Pullovers For The Lats

3. Preacher Curls For The Biceps

4. Standing French Press For The Triceps

5. Shrugs For The Shoulders/Traps

6. Stiff Leg Deadlifts For The Hamstrings/Lower Back

7. Lunges For The Quads


Each of these exercises allow you to lower the weight all the way down
and really feel a deep stretch in the muscles at the bottom of each rep.
To really emphasis the stretch you can hold the bottom position of each
rep for a couple seconds while you do these exercises in your workouts.


Static Stretching

Static stretching is the more
traditional form of stretching that most people are familiar with. For
example, bending over and touching your toes is a good static stretch
for the hamstrings and lower back. With static stretching you want to go
to the point of discomfort and then hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.


Ease into it at first, don't rush into it and push yourself to the
point of excruciating pain and risk pulling or tearing the muscles. As
you become more accustomed to stretching your pain threshold will
improve and you'll be able to hold the stretches longer and stretch
deeper.

Here are some static stretches that you can do at the end of each bodypart workout.

1. Chest/Shoulders/Biceps Stretch.


Extend your arm and hold a pole or some other sturdy stationary object
with one hand. Then rotate your body away while keeping your posture
upright. Keep going until you feel a good stretch in the chest,
shoulders, and biceps. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with
the other arm. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

2. Upper Body Stretch.


This stretch is quite simple, just grab a chin up bar and hang from it
for as long as your grip will hold out. You'll pretty much feel the
stretch throughout the entire upper torso. You can repeat several times
with different grips (i.e. wide, narrow, underhand, overhand, etc.).

3. Front Deltoids Stretch.


Using a bar or machine handle that is waist high, grab it from behind,
palms facing backwards, and step forward until your feel the stretch in
your front deltoids. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and
then repeat again.

4. Triceps Stretch

Extend both
arms overhead, then bend one arm down behind your head and grab your
elbow with the opposite hand. Pull your elbow until you feel the stretch
in your tricep and lat. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat
with the other arm. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

5. Quads Stretch.


Using a leg extension or seated leg curl machine, set the foot roller
pad so that it is just lower then the height of your butt. Put the pin
in the full weight stack so that the pad doesn't move. Then hook your
foot over the pad and lean back and down until you feel the stretch
throughout the quads. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with
the other leg. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

6. Lower Back/Hamstrings Stretch


This is pretty straight forward, just bend over with your legs straight
and touch your toes. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and
then repeat again. Do not bend your knees.

Conclusion


Well there you have it... some simple stretches that you can
incorporate into your workouts. The way you would do them is after you
train a particular bodypart you would go through the above list of
stretches and perform the ones that stretch the muscles you just worked.
You DO NOT have to do each and every stretch after every workout. Just
stretch the muscles that you trained. And then as you go through your
workout cycle you'll train and stretch each and every muscle group.


The actual time commitment to doing these stretches is minimal we are
only talking about 5-10 minutes at most at the end of your weight
training. But I can guarantee you that if do these stretches on a
regular basis you'll see noticeable improvements in your muscle fullness
and separation within the next 6-8 weeks.

GOLDEN RULE: NEVER
STRETCH A COLD MUSCLE, YOU ARE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR INJURY. ALWAYS
STRETCH AFTER WORKOUTS. IT'S GOOD TO WARM UP FIRST BUT NEVER USE
STRETCHING AS A WARM UP!!!

The importance of fruits and vegetables in your diet!


I've seen people who think they've come up with the perfect diet
program, have everything tailored out to the exact calorie and second
they should be eating - only to forget one important aspect: fruits and
sometimes even vegetables.

We've all heard of the food guide and the different food groups - grains, dairy, meat and alternatives, fruit and
vegetables, and fats and oils. Eliminating any of these food groups is
never a good idea when preparing a diet that you will follow for any
decent amount of time.

Sure, while you are getting ready for a
competition, you may wish to cut out certain foods that cause you
problems, such as dairy products, however boycotting these on an
everyday basis is a mistake.

If you've heard about the food
guide, chances are you've also heard about antioxidants. These are
chemicals that prevent the oxidation by other substances on the body's
cells, and come primarily from fruits and vegetables.

Without
these foods in your diet, you may find that your immune system is not as
strong, your energy levels are not as high and that you start suffering
from various ailments. By ensuring you are satisfying your body's
requirements by getting the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables,
you will also ensure you are functioning at your best.

The most studied antioxidants are:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for all the body's cells as it helps in the first line of defense against invading organisms.


Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, green peppers, broccoli,
green leafy vegetables, strawberries, raw cabbage, and potatoes.

Vitamin E


Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and is used for a wide variety
of functions, such as healing a sunburn. Fulfill the requirements of
this antioxidant by getting green leafy vegetables along with nuts,
seeds, whole grains and select oils in your diet.

Beta-Carotene


Beta-Carotene is another good one and can be found in carrots,
squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe,
peaches and apricots.

Selenium

Finally selenium is
thought to help fight cell damage from oxygen derived compounds.
Selenium can be found in vegetables so long as they are grown in
selenium rich soils.

Bulk & Fiber

The next reason
why fruits and vegetables are important to include in your diet is
because they provide you with bulk and fiber. Anyone who has ever dieted
will know that the less calorie dense a food is, the better. This is
because it means you are able to eat more of it, thus giving you a
feeling of fulness along with increasing psychological satiety without
significantly adding calories.

Have you ever tried to eat 5
stalks of celery? Chances are you didn't make it all the way through,
but if you did, you would have only consumed around 25 calories,
compared to the 1000 calories you would have consumed had you eaten 5
chocolate chip cookies.

So, does this give you the go-ahead to
eat as many fruits and vegetables as your heart desires? Not quite.
Vegetables, as long as they are prepared with minimal additional sauces
or fats, can be eaten in abundance.

Take special note however
that certain vegetables, such as peas, corn and potatoes are quite a bit
higher in starch, they will add a much greater number of calories and
carbohydrates to your diet, so be sure to take this into account.
Otherwise, add any of these excellent choices to any meal or snack:

carrots bok choy eggplant
broccoli bean sprouts zucchini
cauliflower cabbage spinach
cucumbers mushrooms brussel sprouts
peppers onions celery

Next is fruits;


Moving onto fruits, these are a slightly different story. Since they
contain sugar, you need to be a little more careful on the timing of
these when adding them to your diet. Don't be scared just because they
contain sugar, it is not the same kind of sugar as if you had eaten a
tablespoon of white or brown sugar, since it is naturally occurring and
offers much more benefits.

Nonetheless, it is still a simple
sugar and is best eaten around times when you are most active and early
in the morning. Bananas are a great choice right before a workout as
they also provide your body with potassium, which is crucial to muscle
function.

Generally, add fruits into your diet as carbohydrate sources the same way you would oatmeal, whole wheat bread, rice or pasta.


Keep in mind that as the day goes on, you will likely want to switch to
slower-burning types of carbs, such as as oatmeal and potatoes, while
adding in more and more vegetables to help keep the total carbohydrate
count under control.

If you are currently dieting, you might
want to limit your total fruit count to 1 or 2 two pieces and if you are
trying to gain some weight, they can be perfect for helping you to add
additional calories as they can easily be blended into shakes for
increased taste.

One point with fruit, however, is to try and
eat fresh whenever possible, and if not, turn to canned or frozen
without any added sugar. Pay special attention to this, you want the can
to say, 'in water' or 'canned with light syrup.' If it says 'heavy
syrup,' don't pick it up - this will have many more calories and
nutritionally void sugars added.

While mostly all fruits and
vegetables are healthy, there are some that are better choices than
others. For fruit, ones that are very brightly colored, mostly in the
orange and red spectrum are going to be your best bets. This includes
ones like cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, and raspberries, which are
all rich in vitamin C.

On the vegetable end, again, brightly
colored ones are great options, like red peppers, carrots, romaine
lettuce, asparagus, and spinach.

Serving Sizes

As for the number of servings and typical serving sizes, read on.

Veggies


With vegetables, so long as they are not the few that are more
starchy (potatoes, corn, and peas as mentioned above), you shouldn't
really limit yourself. Generally 1 cup of raw or 1/2 cup cooked is
considered a serving.

These are so low in calories and
carbohydrates that they will make very little different in your daily
total counts. You want to get at least 4 servings of vegetables a day,
with preference moving towards the higher end of 6 or 8.


One note with vegetables, that if you are trying to gain weight or
require vast amounts of calories a day, you may want to limit yourself
to the lower number of recommended servings and possibly even try
blending them and adding them to a soup or something so that they take
up less room in your stomach and don't interfere with your appetite.

Fruit


With fruit, the total number of servings will depend on your total
calorie and carbohydrate allowance, those who require more calories or
who are bulking being able to eat more servings than those who aren't.


At the minimum, try and get at least one serving of fruit in your
diet, with the max probably somewhere around 5 or 6 (then for the rest
of your sources of carbohydrates turn to whole grains products and sweet
potatoes).

Some tips to help you get your vegetable count
up is to buy a bunch on the weekend and cut them up into bite-sized
portions so they are easily reachable during the week. They then can be
eaten raw, added to stir-fries, soups or other canned or frozen mixes
without creating any additional cooking time.

So, next time you
go grocery shopping, make sure you take a trip to the produce aisle and
stock up. Don't skimp out on this food group or you will be
shortchanging your body of good health and reducing the chances you will
meet all of your health and fitness goals. Not only is it the healthy
choice, you will see that after eating these foods on a regular basis,
you just won't feel good without them. Your body will start naturally
craving them and you won't believe that you once lived without them in
your daily diet!

It's a family thing!

Teach your children early that exercise is crucial to healthier life!


Many of you know me as Barbie Barbell's (Amanda Harris) trainer, pound
for pound one of the strongest women in the world. She has set more
world records than any other Powerlifter, in fact she may even have a
world record for setting world records.

I bring this to your attention because we as parents have
an obligation to raise our children as best we can. So many of us make
sure our children have nice things to wear, the latest and greatest toys
and electronics to play with, we focus on their education so they can
one day grow up and become successful adults. The one thing I see
lacking is exercise at home. We should all set an example at home on how
important exercise is to maintain our health. Many of us place our
children in little league sports, dance class or join the local YMCA and
that is great, however none of these things can be done for a life time
and the gifted children excel while the not so gifted or unfit children
learn their first experience in sitting the bench while the more fit
kids excel and have all the fun. This is exactly the thing that puts a
nasty taste in the kids mind about sports and exercise.

It is
up to us as their parents to minimize the risk of that happening to our
children, that is why exercise should start at home years before
organized sports come into play!

When Amanda was 3 years old
she knew how to do proper push-ups and set-ups. In our home we never
spanked our children when they misbehaved they were made to do push-ups,
set-ups and flutter kicks. It did not matter where we were if they got
out of line they dropped and did push-ups regardless of the situation.
Amanda's older brother Beau demonstrated to Amanda at a very early age
how to do push-ups and other exercises to make her stronger and develop
advanced motor skills.

By the time our children were in
elementary school their physical conditioning was off the charts. They
were able to go through PE class with ease while other children
struggled to get through the class. Beau and Amanda were both self
confident and had high self esteem due to their physical conditioning.


Exercise became a competition at our home one child betting the other
that they could out do each other in push-ups or I can jump rope way
faster than you can.

You see punishing your children for
misbehavior is a parents responsibility and obligation. We are not
suppose to just let things happen we have a goal to raise our children
as best we can. Using exercise as punishment will NOT burn them out, in
fact once their friends find out how much stronger your children are
than they are they become admired and that's when the self-esteem begins
to build. As a parent you are taking a negative situation and turning
it into a positive situation with positive results. You are also
establishing and instilling the importance of physical fitness with your
children and this is a type of fitness that will stay with them for a
life time. Start a good exercise program with your children today and
have happier more confident children tomorrow.

In fact do not hesitate too get down on the floor with them and exercise right along with them.

For more information please follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/Texas-Metabolics/

Starting today I am going to be posting articles that will help us all attain better healthier lives. Fact based information on exercise, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. I hope many of you will read and share the information I will be providing here for everyone. FYI; My father is the principle author of many of these articles but not exclusively.  Much of the information I will be sharing with you all is much of what I've been taught over the years from my dad.

Welcome to my Health & Wellness Blog!!!

Amanda Harris PT

I just found out that I was published in Muscle & Fitness Magazine. Here is the link; http://www.muscleandfitness.com/news-and-features/athletes-and-celebrities/17-time-world-champion-powerlifter-barbie-barbell.

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/news-and-features/athletes-and-celebrities/17-time-world-champion-powerlifter-barbie-barbell.

This is a very effective, yet short shoulder workout that anyone can follow. So grab some weights and follow along on the video. The entire workout is less than 8 minutes, but you will feel the burn.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STVj6AnXgJs

Dear friends,

Please take a minute and click on the link here to my facebook fan page. I have over 14,000 friend here on bodyspace and just over 600 fans on facebook fan page. So here is the link  https://www.facebook.com/IamAmandaHarris/.

Thank you all for being such great friends her on bodyspace. I know you will like my facebook fan page I post there everyday! I hope to see many of you over there.