How to lose 100 or more pounds

Props to Heather Davis. She has lost 110 pounds. It's a story many would like to live. She didn't follow a gimmicky diet or or sign-up for a quick fix fad. She did it with a good plan, hard work and perseverance.

Here are ten tips she offered in a CNN story that you can use to help you on your journey.

I like all of these tips. I use variations of nearly all of these in my weight loss program. One that I haven't used but will incorporate immediately, Tip #8, keep an item of your "big" clothes as motivation. That's a great idea!

Congratulations Heather!

1. Never let anyone tell you "You can't." Yes, you can.
2. Get as much social support as possible. Going to the gym with others is fun and motivating.
3. You will not be the biggest person in the gym and everyone will not be staring at you.
4. Some thin people in the gym used to be really heavy and they will applaud you.
5. Lose weight for you. Not because someone else tells you to. Also, know when to stop losing.
6. If you lose your way (fall off your diet), get right back into the saddle and try again.
7. Keep a calendar. Mark off every day you exercise and eat right. You will see the days rack up, and it will make you proud.
8. When you do lose weight, save one item from your heaviest weight. Look at it when you feel discouraged and you'll see how far you've come.
9. Don't let friends or family derail you. If you don't want to eat something, it is OK to politely decline, but don't go crazy. You don't want to be "that person" at the lunch table.
10. If you want cheesecake or a sweet treat -- eat it in moderation. Don't deprive yourself of anything or you will get discouraged.

How Powerful is a Boot Camp?

First, you need to get into my boot camp. Today is the last day of the first week, but you can still register - right up until next Friday!

Second, If you're skeptical of the results you can get from a Boot Camp, read this article.

Finally, the best Boot Camps are fun, challenging, rewarding and most importantly, get results. Exactly what you get here.

Why Women Should Lift Weights

January 07, 2008.

From a recent article posted in the San Jose Mercury News by Melinda Sacks...

I took the liberty of highlighting important benefits in each of the points. The benefits of weight training are numerous and this article does a good job of highlighting some of the more
important ones.

Even though this article is geared toward women, the same benefits listed apply to men. So you guys don't get off that easy.

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Researchers say that most women who exercise still spend the majority of their time doing cardio, often ignoring the benefits of weight lifting. But unless a doctor advises otherwise, weight lifting can provide enormous advantages for most women, according to studies from such institutions as the Mayo Clinic, Harvard and Stanford universities. As with any new physical activity, check with your doctor if you have any health issues.

Here are the top 10 reasons sports medicine doctors and fitness experts agree weight lifting is good for you:

1. By becoming physically stronger, you will make routine tasks easier and safer to perform, from carrying heavy groceries from the car to picking up the kids.


2. Weight lifting will help you lose body fat and gain lean muscle. As this happens, your body mass decreases, your resting metabolism increases, and your clothes will fit looser. For every additional pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 30 to 50 more calories a day. Weight lifting is often touted as a proven way to keep weight off as women age.


3. Women don't need to worry about bulking up as they get stronger. Unlike men, women do not have enough testosterone to build bulky muscles. Men have 10 to 30 times more of the hormone than women.


4. The risk of osteoporosis goes down as you gain muscle strength. Weight training can increase spinal bone density significantly in just six months.


5. Risk of injury decreases when you are stronger. You will be less prone to everything from back pain to arthritis to depression.


6. It's good for your heart. Lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health and higher levels of "good cholesterol" have been found to be the side benefits of regular strength training, according to numerous studies.


7. The risk for diabetes declines because weight training has been found to improve the way the body processes sugar.


8. You can start weight training at any age. Research has shown that even women in their 80s can still build muscle strength.


9. Weight lifting can improve mood and fight off anxiety and depression. One Harvard study found that after weight training for 10 weeks, those suffering from clinical symptoms of depression felt better than those who received only counseling.


10. For women in middle age, strength training can help prevent the predictable metabolic sluggishness that often occurs. Many say it is not dieting, but weight lifting that is the true secret to keeping off middle-age pounds.

I will comment on one thing. In the opening paragraph, the author suggests that a majority of women spend their time doing cardio. I believe this is true. In my humble opinion, walking on a treadmill for 30- to 60-minutes is like Chinese water torture. You're better off cranking up the intensity and going for a shorter period of time.

And don't get me started on the benefits of slow-cardio and fat burning.

It simply isn't a good use of time in a world where we're all busy.

Off the soapbox...

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On Friday I mentioned a new service debuting today. You can find more info on that and other services we offer guaranteed to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

• Looking for a trainer? You found one here. But what if you don't live in or near Sugar Land. What if you are really serious about achieving your goals this year but are hesitant to just hire any old trainer? I don't blame you! What if you're nervous about joining a gym and just want to workout at home?
  

  The answer to all of those questions and more is my newest service, BSFC Remote. When you sign-up, I'll design a workout program specific to you. It will be based on your current abilities and the goals you want to achieve. It will include a daily schedule for weight training, cardio and stretching. Every activity I give you will have illustrations showing you the exact beginning and ending position. Additionally, each activity will have a text description "talking" you through performing it. These two things ensure you will perform the exercises safely and properly - leading you right down the path of success. It's a step-by-step guide to reaching your goals. As if that weren't enough, you'll have unlimited email support throughout your program. Have a question? No problem, shoot me an email and I'll get back to you.

  I know it sounds good and you're ready to go. That's great, but you better sign-up today. I'm having a serious special on this program. A limited number of spots are available and when they are full, I'm raising the rates. So get yours today for an amazingly low price!

If you're like most Americans, you want to get in shape this year. I can't think of a better option than BSFC Remote (unless you want to train with me in person).

• Don't forget, the day after tomorrow (Wednesday) is the free webinar on living, looking and feeling younger. I'll be covering all the keys you need to unlock a more youthful body. But, you can't get those keys without registering. Click here to learn how to live, look and feel younger.
  
• Don't forget #2. Next Monday (January 14, 2008) is the first day of class for my 6-week Boot Camp. Imagine reaching all of your weight loss goals by the middle of February! You can do it with this Boot Camp. In six weeks you will do more for your health and body than you ever thought possible. You'll burn fat, get stronger and leaner, get rid of those aches and
  pains, have more energy, and more. Like I said last week, if you live within 10 minutes of the SW Freeway and Beltway 8, you are making a mistake by not signing up. There is an AM session and a PM session, so I've got your morning and afternoon workout covered. We start January 14 and spots are limited (and filling up fast) so if you're ready to change the way you feel and the way your body looks, sign-up today!

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That's all for today. Make it a great day. I'll see you soon. Until then, break a sweat today. It will do your body good.

Brian

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Links for you:
Live, Look and Feel Younger
6-week Boot Camp
BSFC Remote

How to Look, Live and Feel Younger

11 Steps guaranteed to get you there!

How do you feel right now?

• tired?
• soft and mushy?
• sluggish?
• bloated?
• unable to focus?
• no drive?
  

Why do you feel this way? Is it just the natural aging process? Should you live through your 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond feeling tired, taking prescription medication and feeling this way?

Is it acceptable to forget where you put your keys? Is it acceptable that as you age, you get soft in the middle and gain weight? Is it acceptable that as you age you wake up for 2-3 hours every night, exhausted but unable to fall back asleep? Is it acceptable that you take prescription medication to feel better? To stay more focused? To increase your sexual desires and appetite?

These things aren't acceptable to me. But how many people do you know live this way now? What about you? Do you live this way now? Is everyday like this? Is it acceptable to you?

I know it's not acceptable to you and that's why you are here!

You can learn all the secrets to maintaining youth and vitality in a FREE web-based seminar I'm holding on January 9, 2007, at noon CST. Yes, I said absolutely FREE. You'll also get great stuff just for sigining up.

How do you sign up?

Simple. Just go to this website and enter your first and last name and email address. I'll take care of the rest.

See you there.

Don't Forget: Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at noon, CST.

Sign-up here: http://www.briansekula.com/antiaginghouston.htm.

Secrets to losing weight and looking great.

Our new weight loss program can do exactly that for you. GUARANTEED!

Wouldn't it be great to look and feel the way you want? Wouldn't it be great to feel light, lean and strong? That is exactly what you will get with our new weight loss program.

It's a 3-month program that includes everything you need to accomplish these goals. It's also unique from your standard weight loss program. First, when you are done, you will have all the tools you need for lifelong success. That is a major disadvantage with other programs. When you're done, you're on your own. Not with us, you'll have all you need for long-term success.

Secondly, we have teamed up with a local doctor and developed a blood test that is included with our program. This blood test looks at markers for cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and hormonal imbalances. We use the results to help shape your program. We also show you how our program has improved your profile - it's powerful information. And you can't get it anywhere but in this program.

Finally, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee. If you follow our program and don't get results, we'll refund your investment. Pretty simple!

So while you are trying to decide how to set your New Year's Resolutions, why not invest in a program that is guaranteed to work? Why not invest in a program that has more than any other program you can find?

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Why exercise is good!

Exercise is good. Inflammation in the body is bad! - it's significantly related to a whole host of cardiovascular diseases.

The most frequently measured biomarker of inflammation in the body is C-reactive protein (CRP). High levels of CRP indicate high levels of inflammation. Essential fatty acids (Omega 3's, for example) are known to reduce inflammation - so eat some fresh, Wild Salmon today :-). Other foods known to reduce inflammation are fresh fruits and vegetables, like berries, grapes, celery and avocadoes (there are more but that's a quick list). Green tea has some anti-inflammatory characteristics too.

Fitness has been shown to be inversely related to CRP, the more fit you are the less CRP in your bloodstream. What hasn't been very well understood, however, is the mechanism that's in play. For example, if you are highly fit and have low CRP levels, is that because you are fit or are the habits of living your daily lifestyle (ie, diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy doses of essential fatty acids) causing your low levels of CRP.

This study attempted to answer that question.

What they found was that exercise was a significant contributor to low levels of CRP. They looked at sympathetic and parasympathetic tone. The former increases heart rate, respiration, substrate utilization, etc... when you start exercising, while the latter brings these values down, back to resting levels once you stop. Their main finding was a direct relationship between parasympathetic tone and CRP, which means the longer your body takes to get back to resting levels, the higher your levels of CRP. And, conversely, the quicker your body gets back to resting levels, the lower your levels of CRP.

So exercise is good for reducing inflammation in the body. Chalk up another one for the good guys.

Understand this, exercise is good but higher intensity exercise is even better. If you want to work on your body's ability to recover, than do some interval training or other form of high intensity training. It can be cardio, weights, agility drills, anything really, the higher the intensity, the harder your body has to work to recover. Over time, it will recover more quickly and decrease your overall level of inflammation.

So, really, go out and break a sweat today! here in Houston today, that won't be too hard :-)

Dr. Brian


PS. If you need some guidance on your exercise program, sign up for one of our FREE newsletters. If you are a golfer and want to knock 4-5 strokes off your game, get a copy of the Golf Fitness Boot Camp, you can even download it to your computer right now! It will improve your game and the inflammation in your body.

What's the best way to lose weight?

So glad you asked!

There are many ways to effectively lose weight, some better than others. But for most of us, at least according to this study, your plan should have some accountability.

The study compared formal weight loss programs (diet and exercise only) to those that had a meeting/group component included, which they referred to as dietary counseling. Weekly meetings helped participants understand what their bodies were going through, how to deal with setbacks and learning to live a new lifestyle.

Those in the counseling group lost 10-15 pounds and kept it off for approximately 1 year, significantly greater weight loss and long-term success than diet and exercise alone. Now I know what you are thinking, only 10-15 pounds? I want/need to lose 25, 50 pounds or more. That's not the point. The point is they lost weight and kept it off for a year.

If you need to lose more and participate in a program that only helps you lose 15, is that failure? I think it's a darn good success story and gives you all the confidence you need to keep going.

Again, the main point is that they lost weight!

But why?

It's the social support aspect of the dietary counseling. When you have weekly meetings, you're more likely to stick with the program. Encouragement from others within the group builds confidence. These meetings also have someone participate that's "been there, done that." Their experience alone is invaluable. Finally, should you ever miss a meeting, someone will be there to ask you why. If your excuse is lame, the guilt alone can be enough to get you over a hurdle.

Back to the title of the post. Is this the best way to lose weight? On an individual basis, maybe - maybe not. For most people, weekly meetings (counseling, inspiration, motivation - however you want to label them) work extremely well for long-term success.

Remember, losing weight and then gaining it back is not the ultimate. Keeping it off is.

Have you been in a program like this? What are your thoughts? Have you tried, tried and tried to lose weight, only to have a little success and then fall back to the old habits?

We can help. First, sign up for our fitness center newsletter BSFC Monthly. It's absolutely free and comes with nice bonus gifts for signing up. Plus, each month it's loaded with all sorts of good information on fitness, diet, health and exercise.

If you live in Houston or pass through the SW part of town on a regular basis, our Fit Heart Membership is just the ticket for you. The benefits, amenities and services associated with this membership are absolutely second to none!

Until next time, break a sweat today and eat some fruits and vegetables!

Dr. Brian

Why do they do this?

"Scientists in Indiana are reporting progress toward development of low glycemic and slowly digestible starch, a form of starch that would be less apt to cause the spike in blood sugar - and perhaps sharp hunger pangs - that many individuals experience after eating bread, baked goods, and other high-carbohydrate foods."

The rest of the summary can be read here.

My only question is why?

I can understand the need for people to consume healthier foods - particularly than those listed in the quote above. But what if we just ate less of that food and more fruits and vegetables, healthier meats and drank more water? What if we just ate grains as they grow in the field?

Look in your pantry. Foods in plastic bags and carboard boxes are loaded with things that used to be good, healthy foods. Take enriched white flour for example. Out in the field, its a perfectly healthy and natural food.

To end up as a cake, bread or other food, it gets processed. The problem with processing is that it removes the good stuff, mainly the fiber, vitamins and minerals. As the end-product food stuff, it's a plain-old, bland, quickly digesting starch.

Now, based on the objectives of these scientists, a new, more slowly digesting starch is being manufactured. And they're making progress. I don't know if I should jump for joy or just ask the question: "What is wrong with this picture?"

If we have a perfectly healthy food, process it and turn it into something that is not good for our digestive system, why do we want to further alter it so that it is better for our digestive system? Before you answer, think about the steps being taken to make the food better.

Is this coming full circle or am I just missing something completely obvious here? Please enlighten me!

Is your testosterone low?

A recent study presented at the Endocrine Society Annual meeting suggested that males over 50 with low testosterone had a 33% greater risk of all-cause mortality than those who had higher levels of testerone. Low testosterone was identified as the lower-limit found in healthy young males.

The study followed 800 men for 18 years on average, a large sample size for a very long period of time. The low testosterone group had the following characteristics:

• higher levels of inflammation markers, which contribute to several forms of cardiovascular disease
• larger waist measurement (greater than 40 inches)
• metabolic syndrome - low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugars and hypertension.

Over the 18-year period, men in the low-testosterone group had a 33% greater risk from all-cause mortality than the normal / high testosterone group. This is a stout finding given the characteristics of the study, indicating that even if problems exist in methodology the results are likely portable in more controlled studies.

So what does this mean for you? If you are male, over 50 and taking prescription medication for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and have a waist over 40 inches, get your testosterone levels checked. If you aren't taking medication for anything listed above but have any of the symptoms below, get them checked too. Preferably by an MD trained in Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy. The synthetic hormones cranked out by big pharma just don't seem to work as well.

Other symptoms of low testosterone include:

• reduced quality of sleep
• easier to lose your temper
• lack of drive
• reduced sex drive
• significant decrease in muscle mass
• significant increase in body fat

The symptoms above can happen from time-to-time but persistent appearances indicate something beyond the natural aging process.

If you notice these symptoms, the best thing you can do is, again, have your testosterone levels checked, start an exercise program and modify your diet.

Answering this research question

Reading this summary, I felt an urge to blurt out: "No blank, Sherlock!"

A recent study published in JAMA, a leading pillar of medical research dissemination, compared low GI diets with low-fat diets on insulin secretion in high insulin secreters.

On the surface, this appears to be a legitimate research question. Insulin is related to glucose metabolism and given the current state of obesity and type II diabetes in America, this might be something we should know.

However, most people in the medical fields should intuitively know this. The glycemic index of any food indicates the level it raises blood sugar when consumed. The higher the glycemic index, the higher the blood sugar response. For example, twinkies rate rather high on the glycemic index. Consume two or three of them and your blood sugar will spike.

At least for a while. In response, your body will release (secrete) insulin to bring it back down to normal.

If you are a high insulin secreter, you're either type II diabetic, pre-diabetic or have a non-lifestyle related condition effecting your ability to metabolize blood sugar. You have to secrete more because the insulin you do release is becoming more and more insensitive to blood sugar. When this starts happening, the amount you secrete increases just to get your blood sugar back to normal. Over time your ability to regulate blood sugar becomes difficult and you become type II diabetic. For more info, go here.

But back to the study...

All markers of cardiovascular health were improved following low GI diet when compared to a low-fat diet. Again, this makes perfect sense. You're not obese or diabetic because you eat a low-fat diet of whole, natural foods. You're obese or diabetic (even if you eat a low-fat diet) because you are consuming overly-processed foods - cardboard boxes and plastics bags. The fat they contain is not healthy (trans fat) and to increase palatability (here) and shelf-life, sugars and preservatives are added.

The end result is a low-fat food that has a high GI, which increases insulin secretion when consumed. And the cycle continues...

I'll conclude by saying that as a former academic, I'm well aware the importance peer-reviewed publications play in the tenure process. So in some ways, I understand why this paper was published. Without knowing all the details, I can only hope this paper was part of a larger study with these data points already collected, making the question easy to answer.

Until next time...

The fallacy of "fat-burning" zones and low-intensity exercise

Press Release 1: Walking not enough for significant exercise benefits.
Press Release 2: "No time to exercise" is no excuse, study shows.

By most publications, walking is the most popular form of physical activity. And why not? It's easy to incorporate walking into your daily routine. You can make a concerted effort to take the stairs rather than the elevator, walk down the hall to speak with a colleague rather than emailing or phoning them, or even take a quick 10 minute walk on your lunch hour.

For the longest time, many health-related organizations trumpeted the healthy effects of walking on cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, mental disorders and weight control. In fact, Shape Up America has dedicated a large part of their mission to their 10,000 steps a day program. The main message of this program (and others like it) is to accumulate 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) each day and your health will improve.

But are we missing something?

"Generally, low-intensity activity such as walking alone is not likely to give anybody marked health benefits compared to programs that occassionally elevate the intensity," says Dr. Vicki Harber, lead author of the study in the first press release.

Their study compared traditional exercise (using treadmills and stationary cycles) at a moderate-intensity with the 10,000 steps a day program, where subjects accumulated 10,000 steps per day.

The most significant finding was that fitness levels in the traditional exercise group improved at a rate 2.5 times that of the 10,000 steps per day group.

A separate study confirms these findings.

One group followed an interval training protocol while the other performed continuous, moderate-intensity stationary cycling. Over the study period, the interval training group trained for a total of 2.5 hours while the cycling group trained for 10.5 hours.

The results?

No significant differences in health or fitness markers between the groups.

"The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar adaptations induced by two such diverse training strategies," says Martin Gibala, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.

My thoughts
People in the service side (personal trainers, coaches, instructors, etc...) of the fitness industry have known for a long time that harder exercise provides better results. Those doing research on physical activity and health (I used to be one of them) realize this too. However, those doing research also understand that a continuum between the benefits of exercise and the intensity of exercise exists.

So much of the American population is completely inactive that getting up and following the 10,000 steps per day program will provide health benefits, which explains the major campaigns. But it's important to realize too, that once you leave the "couch potato" behind, increasing the intensity of exercise will do more (and in a shorter period of time) than simply walking. So the continuum is getting people off the couch to doing something and then getting them to do more.

All of this leads us to walking and "burning calories." Earlier I mentioned a few of the reasons why walking is the most popular form of exericse. I intentionally did not mention fat loss (although I mentioned weight control, which is a completely different issue). You can readily verify the tie-in between walking and fat-burning zones by reading magazine headings, talking with any un-informed trainer or reading the "charts" in the fitness center or on the treadmill.

What do the headlines, trainers or chart say (or show)?

That fat-burning zones are of lower intensity than "cardio-training" zones. This may be true for "in-the-moment" metabolism, but completely off the mark in every other regard. Higher intensity exercise burns more calories, can be done in a shorter period of time and provides better health benefits than "fat-burning" zone exercise.

There is a ton of research to suppor this claim but the health conditions that receive the most benefit from higher intensity exercise are cardiovascular diseases. These include hypertension, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and obesity.

Your take home message
Don't give up on walking!

Instead, replace some of your walking with higher-intensity exercise. Make your body huff-and-puff a little. You'll be better off in the long run.

Isn't it better to get the same (or better) results in a shorter period of time?

Of course it is. That's why working out harder is better than the alternative.