Weight Loss Made Easy with Your Phone?

Some people blame modern technology for the lack of activity so apparent in our society. After all, 100 years ago there were no computers, cell phones, and TVs that enabled people to sit on their butt 8-10 hours a day.

Back then, people were more active. They had to be.

But a recent 2010 study suggests that your phone – yes your phone – can actually help you lose weight!

Sounds crazy, I know but…

Bear with me for a second while I explain this.

Researchers in Finland studied 27 participants who used a “wellness diary” application on their mobile phone, which enabled users to track their weight over the course of 12 weeks.

As you would expect, the amount of physical activity correlated significantly with weight loss, as did different measures representing healthy changes in dietary behaviours.

The study’s results suggest that the mobile phone diary is a valid tool for observing weight management and related behaviours in helping people to lose weight.

So why was the application helpful?

Basically, it doesn’t matter whether you use a fancy application or a piece of paper, what matters is that you’re tracking your progress.

What you measure gets managed, and what is managed gets done.

This is a well-known secret to anyone whose achieved any degree of fitness or weight loss success.

When you track your workouts (such as the weight used, reps performed, etc…)

you are more likely to progress towards your goals.

Ask any fitness expert and then tell you exactly what their benching, squatting, or how many pull-ups they can do.

Because they keep track of it all!

Similarly, when you weigh yourself on a weekly basis and record your progress, you are more motivated to continue moving forward because you have a visual representation of your progress.

Plus, writing things down keeps you accountable to your goals!

So if you want to lose weight, grab a sheet of paper, write down your goals and start tracking your progress.

You’ll be amazed at how this ONE simple success secret will help you stay on track and reach your goals that much sooner!

Want to know how the fittest people on the planet get in such great shape?

Click here to discover their secrets.

Want to know how the fittest people on the planet get in such great shape?

Reference:Mattila E, et al. (2010). Use of a mobile phone diary for observing weight management and related behaviours. J Telemed Telecare. Jul;16(5):260-4.

3 Scenarios – Who Burns More Fat?

Guest Blog by Joel Marion

I twisted my bud Joel Marion’s wrist to drop some knowledge for my subscribers. For those of you who don’t know who Joel is he is one of the top experts in the WORLD when it comes to fat loss. He is also the author of the best selling book “Cheat to Lose”.

I was hanging out with Joel recently at an industry event in Orlando Florida. I personally witnessed him eating M&M’s, ice cream, cookies, etc…..

I always considered myself a very energetic person.

All my life I managed to workout everyday, work 8-12 hours per day which includes doing nutrition consultations, phone consultations, writing blog posts like this one, public speaking, continuing my education, and everything else that needs to be done to run a successful business.

Today I do all of the above PLUS I have an active 1 year old princess that takes after her great grandmother who is always on the go.

Since I am not getting any younger I need to pay attention to some “basic” principles to be able to keep up with this “new creation” who does not seem to ever run out of energy.

This is  a guest blog from my colleague Isabel De Los Rios.

The Best Diet Plan is NO Diet at all as a nutritionist, the most common question I get daily is “What is the Best Diet to follow?” My answer is always the same and one that shocks many people.

“The best diet to follow is to follow NO diet at all.”

How could any nutritionist wanting to promote health tell you not to follow a diet?”

Easy. I’m here to tell you that diets do not work.

They are one of the most common reasons people have such a hard time losing weight.

People are making the mistake of following a diet instead of following a delicious way of eating that will satisfy their hunger, their taste buds and help them reach and maintain an optimum weight and optimum health.

With all of the junk food, false advertising, and false information out in the world today, how is this even possible?

A delicious way of eating healthy that will help me lose weight at the same time?

Yes, this is possible for you once you are armed with the correct information.

The best diet is going to be one that you can stick to (for more than just a week), one that includes delicious food and one you are happy with, not to mention one that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Here are a few tips that will help you develop the Best Diet for you:

1. Only eat food you enjoy. Well Isabel, that would be just great, but I enjoy pizza and donuts and that sure doesn’t seem to be helping me lose weight. Yes, I agree. What I mean here is don’t establish a crash diet of cottage cheese and grapefruit if you absolutely hate those 2 foods. Healthy food does not have to be akin to bird seed. How about scrambled whole eggs in butter with your favorite vegetables and 2 slices of sprouted grain toast? French toast made from healthy bread, and eggs? A juicy hamburger or steak for lunch or dinner? How about making your own pizza from healthy ingredients? I could go on and on with a long list of delicious foods. The point is you do not have to eat like a bird or eat tasteless food to be healthy and lose weight. Find the healthy foods you enjoy and get creative with those. You will find you will have an incredible amount of delicious food options.

2. Do not go cold turkey. Rome wasn’t built in a day right? You do not have to change every single one of your habits overnight. Establishing one healthy eating habit each week or eliminate one “not so good” food every week. This will prove to be life changing in just 1-2 months. Not to mention it will eliminate any stress or anxiety you may have over changing all of your habits overnight. Start with the easiest one for you. How about drinking water? Can you replace your sugar drinks with water and just do that for one week? How about just cutting down on a few sodas and replacing them with water? One small step each week will make your transition simple and easy.

3. Do not go hungry. Another very common mistake I see is people starving themselves in an effort to lose weight quickly. The truth is you do not need to feel hunger in order to effectively lose weight. Actually, the contrary is true. You must give your body enough nourishment (good nourishment, that is) in order to see weight loss results. Make sure to feed your body consistently throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all important but so are snacks in between. Munching on things like raw nuts, fresh fruits and healthy trail mixes can really keep you from experiencing any hunger throughout the day and help control any cravings that may come up. Remember that the Best Diet you can begin today is an eating plan that does NOT resemble a diet at all. Tell people you had French toast for breakfast, chicken stir fry for lunch and a juicy steak with potatoes for dinner and they will wonder how in the world you are losing weight and looking great. Easy, I stopped dieting and found the Best Diet for me!