IT’S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!

The health clubs are always racking their brains trying to figure out why they have such a hard time keeping members coming back. Most owners would argue that cash flow and profit margins are the most important reason to retain membership. Yes, but what drives customers to these health clubs? These owners have lost touch with what matters most, the customer! Give the customer more than they expect and they will continue to do business with you. Selling a product or service is about people more so than numbers on a spreadsheet.

SINK HOLES VS. POTHOLES

I want you to think of this principle in your workout. You know it is very easy to get burdened down with all the details of an exercise and diet program. While guidelines are necessary, at times focusing too much on the numbers can and will set you up for failure. You may start to think all this counting calories, reps, and keeping track of heart rates are too much to accomplish. Unexpectedly, you start to lose sight of your goals and it becomes more of a job than a hobby or stress release. You may even quit exercising. This can be an immediate sinkhole for you.

IT’S BEING SOLD OUT!

The only way you will follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out. The military calls them “lifers.” These are people who are committed to something for the long haul. Are you a lifer? Could you be a lifer? A lifer has a sold out mindset. He or she realizes that there will be potholes to go through; there may even be a sinkhole up ahead, but they get through it or they go around the situation. It may take support from others, but it gets done. You may not be a lifer today, but you could be if you don’t make changes now!

DECISION MAKING

I was named Mr. Michigan in the statewide bodybuilding contest in 1988. When I competed in bodybuilding contests, it took me a good month to decide if I really wanted to go for that particular goal. The decision process was well thought out. I realized the days ahead would bring doubt, frustration, pain, and at times, humility.

I also realized it could bring many emotional setbacks. Was I willing to pay the price? Was I willing to change my behavior and lifestyle for the hope of a future benefit? All those thoughts had to be debated before the decision to move forward was made. However, when I made the decision to go forward, a switch was turned on that could not be turned off. I could not turn back. There is a sense of relief that comes with making a decision. Perhaps because once that decision is made, all the pressure is off. My philosophy is: “GOALS CHANGE, DECISIONS DON’T”

BEING SOLD OUT IS AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART!

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!

Twenty-two years ago, I attended college. Instead of studying, I wandered into a gym in the basement of the men’s dormitory. I didn’t have a bit of knowledge of how to begin an exercise program, where to go to start, or who to turn to for help. After about a month of blindly making my way through the steel machines, buffed bodies, and stinky locker rooms, something dawned on me. And to this day has kept me exercising all these years. I started to realize that whatever I was doing, it was going to impact my life more than I could imagine. Exercise and eating properly were not only going to change my life, but it was also going to propel me into making an impact on others. You can be motivated, but not disciplined. However, you cannot be disciplined without being motivated.

REWARDS BIGGER THAN LIFE

I understood there would be some good attitude days and some very bad ones. I knew some workouts would make me feel good and others where I never wanted to see a treadmill again. But, deep inside, I realized that just one more day could make a difference. For just one more day, I could force myself to eat good food. For just one more day, I realized this was not about my selfish attitude and me.

Each of you is different. You will put into exercise a certain amount of effort and everyone will get something different from it. You cannot just package good intentions and say, “If you do this or if you buy that, you will receive this in return.” It just doesn’t work that way. But, I will guarantee you this: committing to exercise and eating right will bring you nothing but positive and fulfilling rewards, both physically and emotionally. It could very well save your life some day. It saved mine!

A PROMISE THAT CAN NOT BE BROKEN.

I have bad days. I have good days. I have days I had wish I had never started exercising. I want fried foods some days. I eat fried foods sometimes. I want to take a vacation from it all. I take a vacation from it all. Yet, at the end of the day, some small voice inside reminds me of that decision I made many years ago. I can’t turn back even when I want to. I made a commitment to myself years ago: Never be afraid to ask for help and realize every day to focus on the big picture.

What about you? Are you going to sell out to being miserable, achy, low energy, and suffer from low self-esteem? Or are you going to make a meaningful decision to get in better health? Let’s do it together.

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To lose weight sensibly, you must first have an understanding of your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). To figure your BMR, take your weight and divide by 2.2. This will give you your weight in kilograms. Take this figure and multiply it by .9 (1.0 for men). Then, take this figure and multiply it by 24. This would be your BMR. So, if your weight is 200lb, divided by 2.2 your weight in kg is 90.91. Multiplied by .9 is 81.82. Multiplied by 24 is 1963.68. This figure (1963.68) would be the calories you would burn if you did nothing but lay in bed all day. Obviously you do more than that. A person who is moderately sedentary (at a desk all day with little or no exercise) can assume they’ll burn another 500 calories or so. Therefore, you would need to consume about 2463.68 calories per day just to maintain your weight.

Most people assume that to lose weight they need to go on a “starvation” diet. Nothing could be further from the truth and is the worst thing you could do. By “starving” yourself you always force your body to slow it’s metabolism down further. You know you are dieting but your body thinks it is being starved and will do whatever is needed to survive and what it needs to survive is to slow down the metabolism to conserve fat! You will lose weight but as soon as you start eating normally (and you eventually will) your body says, “OH! Now I’m getting more calories! I better store them as fat in case I get starved again!” At this point, your body will regain the weight that was lost and then add even more weight to protect itself from any future reduction in calories.

This is physiological fact. People do not want to believe this but it is a basic tenet of nutrition. Ask yourself this question: “Why am I still trying to lose weight over and over?”

The solution is not dieting. The solution is a lifestyle change. You must accept the fact that starvation diets are not a long term solution. Instead, simply deduct 500 calories from your maintenance intake. Try to stick to this program and make it a way of life rather than a quick fix. If you were the 200lb example as stated above, you need to eat approximately 1900 calories/day to lose weight sensibly.

Remember though that everyone is different and this figure is not etched in stone. You might find that you need to cut a bit more or less. It is something that needs to be adjusted to your body. The only “for sure” is that if you go on a starvation diet (1000-1500 calories/day) you will only set yourself up to fail in the long term.

Foods you must avoid while getting to your desired weight

1. All dairy except nonfat milk
2. All pork
3. All beef
4. All fast food, no exceptions
5. All alcoholic drinks especially beer
6. All candy especially chocolate
7. All processed, bleached carbohydrates-White bread, white rice, cereals, etc

Foods you can eat while getting to your desired weight

1. Chicken-Breast only, no skin
2. All fish
3. Lean, ground turkey
4. Pasta with small amounts of olive oil or sauce. No cheese or meat
5. Potatoes and Yams-Baked only with non-fat butter substitute or non-fat sour cream
6. Whole grain brown rice-Limited servings
7. Nuts, raisins-Moderately
Tip! Ask your friends to join your exercise program. Join a gym or a health club for a sport or recreational activity.
8. Olive oil, canola oil, most vegetable oils-Moderately

Sparingly, you can eat whole grain breads, oatmeal, yams, white potatoes, eggs. Use small servings for rice, etc (could fit in your hand).

No carbs 2-3 hours before bed. Eat veggies all you want. Fruit okay but not late in evening and only 2-3 pieces per day.

Meals should consist of primarily protein with a very small portion of complex carbs (brown rice, small serving of potatoes etc). Try to divide your total calories needed per day into 5-6 small meals rather than 3 large ones.

Eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours keeps you from stuffing yourself, keeps your insulin response low and helps increase your metabolism. Remember: A “meal” can consist of anything from a chicken breast with veggies to a nutrition bar and glass of nonfat milk. Each “meal” should be 1/5 to 1/6 of your total caloric intake for the day.

In Part 2 of this series, I’ll give you precise information on a sample diet for one day

GO FOR IT!!! STICK TO THIS AND MAKE IT A LIFESTYLE!!!

Mike Berg has been involved in bodybuilding and fitness as an enthusiast and trainer for over 20 years.

Visit his website for bodybuilding and fitness articles and Bodybuilding Supplements at http://www.milleniumfitness.com

Ah, the crisp cool breeze, the invigorating feel of the outdoors as the leaves start to turn colors, the sound of kids laughing on their way to school.

Fall is the time for new beginnings. New classes, new curriculum, new programs, new start. You’ve relaxed over the summer and now you’re ready to reach higher, push further.

You’re pumped. You’re excited about starting a new season. You’re ready to tackle new challenges.

There’s nothing like feeling the momentum of new beginnings. If you’ve been wanting to lose weight and get into amazing shape, why not use this momentum to your advantage?

Momentum is one of the most underrated factors in achieving a better body.

Momentum can give you what you need to start an exercise program, stick with it and reap major rewards.

As we all know, it’s very easy to do something when we feel excited about it. This is not a bad thing if you learn to use it.

This initial excitement does wear off eventually, but by the time it does, you could be so far ahead already, that maintenance is easy.

Why not use this initial excitement to kick-start your treadmill exercise program?

Plan a program that you can get excited about, something that will push you just beyond where you are at right now physically. Then go for it! Don’t wait until that excitement wears off. Do it! Live in the moment.

With that in mind, here are 3 steps to planning a treadmill exercise program that gets results:

1) Grab a journal or notebook and write down everything you want to achieve in vivid detail. How do you want to look? How do you want to feel? What would you like to fit into? etc.

Reread this vivid description at least once a day. By keeping in mind the end result, you’ll be highly motivated to push yourself further.

2) Start exercising and make notes on every workout session that you do. How long did you go? What was your perceived exertion? How many miles did you cover?

3) Review your workout session notes every week and then add something a little bit more challenging to the next week’s workout.

For example, if your average exercise time last week was 20 minutes – up your average time to 30 minutes. If your perceived exertion was 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 then up it to 7. Make these little adjustments every week and you will be progressing leaps and bounds towards your fitness goals!

Plus the inspiration you get from charting your progress will keep you going long after that initial momentum is fizzling out.

By following these steps and using the fall momentum to inspire you, starting a treadmill exercise program becomes both exciting AND easy. Learn to use momentum to your advantage and you’ll achieve more than you ever dreamed possible!

Kathryn O’Neill is chief editor for Treadmill Review, a consumer oriented website focusing on the home treadmill market.

For weekly best buys, sales and free treadmill brand reviews, go to http://www.TreadmillReview.net.