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Why do Most People Give Up on their Fitness Goals?

A valued reader emailed me:

Hey andre, i’ve been following your blogs for a long time now, honestly I want to get fit and all the health benefits of nutrition and exercising. But sadly I’m one of those people who has been inconsistent, but I made it a mission that this time onward I would stay consistent.

My regular work out right now (for 4 weeks), is doing P90X strength workout videos 3 times a week (every other day) with pull up bars, dumbbell up to 20 lb. And I would jog on the days I don’t work out. Even trying to keep my consistency, I still miss a work out or not jog on days i should during the week.

Getting started is easy… sticking with it isn’t.

We’ve all been there. We felt that we needed a change in our lives and for a week we do a really good job at it. But then slowly our bad habits start kicking in again and then we end up losing all that progress we made.

You need (the right kind) of Motivation.

Motivation can be described as the reason you do something and inspiration is the stimulation that compels you to become motivated.

Inspiration is motivational.

So the best way to get motivated is to focus on that which inspires you.

I am inspired by people who take it to the next level. Each video below demonstrates strength, discipline, and using goals for advancement.

You will notice that each competition is part of a greater movement relating to human ability. For example, whereas gymnastics and calisthenics are art forms which requires mastery over one’s body, strongman and powerlifting are more about brute strength over heavy objects. And in bodybuilding, you train only for aesthetics and appearance, but in crossfit you train in order to complete exercises against the clock.

I believe that anyone interested in a healthy, balanced lifestyle can gain value from every physical discipline. When you feel inspired by another person or a way of movement, consider the type of effort and training required for that person to get to such a point of accomplishment.

1. POWERLIFTING

2. STRONGMAN

3. BODYBUILDING

4. OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING

5. FREE RUNNING

6. GYMNASTICS

7. CROSSFIT

8. CALISTHENICS

GOAL SETTING

Have clear goals: it is the #1 form of empowerment.

The Fun is in the Training itself.

Eventually you realize that getting a six pack abs for the sake of having six pack abs is unsatisfying and boring.

However, when you are able to look forward to the time you spend training, you know you’ve reached a good spot in your goal setting. You should have fun while lifting weights and exercising… and if you’re not having fun, then you’re not doing it right.

Focus on realistic goals. Then set mini-goals, and then set mini-mini-mini goals. For example, a very minor goal might be “I will eat 1 cup of broccoli today” and that’s all you focus on. At the very moment that you consume 1 cup of broccoli, you will have attained a level of success, which will lead to greater levels of success. It will open the doors for whatever you want to achieve in your fitness goals.

When you are inspired, You become inspirational.

I know it because I see it.

People who glow of inspiration are the very people who inspire others, without even trying. The reason I blog is because you inspire me. I am dedicated because my gut feeling has me moving forward more days than not. I hope that you find the inspiration that has meaning for you, and to GO WITH IT!

If you want it, go out and get it.

You just gotta know WHAT you want!

Physical Fitness by Dre Weightloss Now
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How to use a Weighted Vest for Accelerated Fat Loss Results

Does anyone use a Weight Vest?

Many individuals and organizations recognize the benefits of using a Weighted Vest.

  • Football teams
  • Fire Fighters

They have to be ready at any time.

  • Infantry
  • Basketball players
  • Olympic athletes
  • People seeking the best results in least time

The Benefits of Weighted Vests

All of the benefits derive from the fact that you are carrying an additional load, and therefore the body is stressed to adaptation.

1. Burn TONS of calories. FAT LOSS MANIA?

It increases metabolic rate both during and after activity. More importantly, you can burn tons of calories from FAT. If being lean and conditioned is your goal, a Vest will help.

2. Improved Core Strength

The core is more than a place where you find Six Pack abs. Actually, a strong core is necessary for the good kind of force and power in sport. Aside from that, core strength is related to the health of other joints in the body (in particular your lower back). Did I mention abs?

3. Enhanced Bone Density with Regular Use

This is exciting to me! The proof is out there — people who regularly engage in load bearing activities can make improvements in bone density. It’s important for people of all ages to promote a healthy skeletal system.

Using a Weighted Vest

Training with a weighted vest is all about your goals. For people in high level athletics, you should seek out resources beyond the scope of this blog. But for Fat Loss friends, read on.

My Weighted Vest Fat Loss Strategy

Goal: Increase overall physical condition and decrease body fat % in a sustainable way.

Plan:

  1. Take a morning 2.5 mile walk at least three times a week.
  2. Empty stomach aka “fasted cardio” to maximize body fat as a source of metabolic energy.
  3. But I will consume an amino acid supplement (BCAA’s) in order to preserve lean mass.
  4. Stop by Starbucks to get caffeinated.
  5. Finish the 2.5 mile walk and consume morning breakfast before work.
Discussion:

Ready to roll!

  • A 270 lb man burns 350+ calories during this trip.
  • That is how much I weigh with the vest on.
  • With two months of usage, the vest alone could burn 3 lbs of body fat, not even considering nutrition.
  • If the Vest actually boosts metabolic rate beyond standard calculations, the fat loss should be greater.

This is an investment in pure conditioning.

Everything I do with the Vest will make me more efficient and powerful without it. This is taking it to the next level. Stay tuned for more…

Physical Fitness by Dre Sports & Athletics Weightloss Now
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When Diet Food Just Isn’t Enough

How many Diets have you been on?

Go ahead. You can take a second to count now.

I’ll always remember my 8th grade crash diet that lasted for a week and ended with nearly a gallon of ice cream.

Help is on the way!

Because…

Diets can be sooo unsatisfying…

New research suggests that your expectations play a physiological role in the release of hunger-satiating hormones.

In other words, if you believe and expect that a meal will satisfy you, that meal will have a significantly greater chance of actually satisfying you — regardless of its content.

Food restriction is unnatural and psychologically taxing

Imagine yourself in the times before civilization — even before agriculture. Lets say you have been wandering the land for days without food and suddenly you stumble across an abundance of bright, firm, and deliciously sweet fruit.

You will indulge… as you should.

“If you try to serve that for dinner, I’m going to Andre’s instead!”

Food was never meant to be limited. In reality, our bodies are extremely powerful digestion machines. The fact that we can process “edible substances” such as candy, highly processed foods, and overly refined foods is remarkable in itself.

Maintaining healthy weight is all about your mindset of food.

I am highly active, but I never restrict myself.

Some people might think that because I opt-out of eating ice cream, that I am restricting food. This is not the case.

The reason I don’t eat ice cream is because I purposely save room for foods that are nutrient dense. If I ate ice-cream, I no longer would have an appetite for greens and veggies.

It’s an opportunity cost. By consuming high-sugar-substances, you literally LOSE the opportunity to consume healthful foods.

What kind of Loser do YOU want to be?

Live life with an Abundance Mindset

Some people talk about the Law of Attraction. Creating a reality for yourself which attracts an abundance of wealth, health, friends, and love. Whether or not this can apply to your life, the simple “Abundance Mindset” can seriously help you get weight loss results FAST.

Open your arms and accept the gift of abundance

It’s always about the Possibilities — never the restrictions.

If you laid out all the food that I consume in a day, it’s like a bountiful feast for medieval royalty! Shall you be a guest in my kingdom?

“I’ll drink to that!”

There are so many colors, textures, and pleasures attached to the food that I welcome into life.

For example, please visualize:

  • Organic Red bell peppers complimenting fresh Alaskan medium-rare broiled salmon over a bed of rainbow chard.
  • Avocado displaying it’s creamy green beauty with broccoli florets resembling mini trees of life.
  • The sweet pungency of a Walla Walla onion lightly fried over high-smoke-point tropical cooking oil adding a moist crunch for the sensation of a dinner guest.
  • Aromatic Chamomile/Ginger/Tulsi Tea steaming wonderfully on the side, acting as a digestive aid and healing beverage.

Forget the middle man.

You take responsibility for yourself. There’s no tricks, gimmicks, weight loss powders, pills, or laxatives that can save you from the inevitable adipose tissue.

Only realizing the limitless possibilities of food will allow you to obliterate that last bit of body fat on your lower stomach and thighs.

You’re nothing without a Taste for Improvement.

Similar to practicing your hobbies and advancing in your career, developing a palate for healthy foods can be achieved by discipline and persistence.

My “ah-hah” moment came when I realized that not only could I reduce body fat with natural foods, but that I would cure my ailments in ways the doctor’s never imagined.

Endless possibilities to Fuel your amazing body (you deserve it)

Now every single day is an experiment with fresh food combinations, fresh culinary herbs, and different preparation methods.

If all else fails, try eating half of a wild salmon every day and you may start seeing results immediately.

Stay tuned for more…

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion Weightloss Now
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Health.com author Reveals the 51 Fastest Fat burners

Does Knowledge Burn Fat?

Like any other tool, it’s how you use it.

A recent article drew my attention, claiming to be sharing 51 Fast Fat Burning Tips.

Here’s some samples:

2. Crank it up early. Working out harder during the first half of your workout and taking it easier during the second burns up to 23 percent more fat than doing the opposite, according to a study from The College of New Jersey.

So focus on the Big Basic exercises (like a squat or pull up) with the most intensity.

This guy knows how to crank it up early

The goal is to improve in the Basic exercises. Focus harder on the early lifts, because you will burn more fat later on.

5 to 7. Lift dumbbells … slowly. More muscle equals mega metabolism boost. Strength training can help you trim major fat, research reveals — and doing super-slow (versus normal speed) reps increases strength by 50 percent.

People with muscle burn more fat on a day to day basis. Lifting slowly helps during a portion of the exercise.

I only do the eccentric portion of the exercise at a slow pace. It helps to gain muscle.

But, for the true strength gains speed is a requirement. A high intensity, an exercise can activate TONS of High Threshold Motor Units.

My own intensity is one of Central Nervous System (CNS) proportions.

I seek to activate it. Nerves, neurons, blood vessels. Fueled by over 70 trace minerals in minute amounts, it is virtually only limited by willpower.

For strength and life, Passion is more than what you think you know.

14 & 15. Lift first, nix the rest. Doing strength training before cardio can torch more fat than cardio alone. And if you do one move after another without pausing, “you’ll see more gains in strength and muscle mass,” says Dr. Pierre Manfroy, M.D., consultant for the book “100 Ways to Supercharge Your Metabolism.”

So true.

Have you noticed certain people suffer from excess cardio syndrome? Bodies tend to atrophy when stressed by long slow steady cardio.

Can you tell which guy lifts weights?

Don’t let it be an ego thing. Focus on the form, and feel the movement.

So get a warm up, hit the weights, then do cardio.

People would be amazed at the results from just a few sets and reps of the Basic exercises prior to cardio.

25. Have an omelet. Eating two eggs for breakfast while dieting will help you trim more weight and body fat than if you ate the same amount of calories noshing on a bagel, scientists say.

Egg.

The Egg is a Vitamin and Mineral powerhouse.

These nutrients promote optimal function of all systems in the body. From the brain, nerves, and lean muscle…

Seek the Egg for nourishment.

48. Go mental. People who visualized themselves training a specific muscle boosted the strength in that muscle group, researchers found.

Going mental is so rewarding. It’s another way of daydreaming.

You imagine a scenario in which you achieve completeness.

I concentrate so deeply. My breathing. Feeling every moment of it.

Using that knowledge

Then I do it.

The brain is a most powerful tool for fitness.

For more, see the full list.

Weightloss Now
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5 More Weight Loss Quick Tips

The Holiday season is just about done…

And you may be noticing the consequences of imbibing holiday booze with all those potatoes.

Oh my...so many potatoes.

I’m with you, man.

So you can do it alone or we can do it together.

Let’s turn up the furnace.

Santa has his own Christmas wishes...

Lets light the fire in the metabolic sense.

We want to burn off the fat you gained over the holidays because over time fat will accumulate and cause more trouble down the line.

Maybe you want to look good too, and that’s fine.

So here’s some quick TIPS for Weight Loss after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Years.

Quick Fat Loss Tip #1: Throw out the Junk food, literally just WASTE IT!

I want you to waste your food! Just the really bad stuff.

If you have any leftover pies, ice cream, and egg nogg, go ahead and throw it down the garbage disposal.

Wasting junk food helps us lose. Lose weight.

You don’t need it. Wasting food can be good because these are empty calories. They’ll do more harm than good.

Savor your last bites, and throw the rest away. Do it now.

Quick Fat Loss Tip #2: Up the Protein

It’s almost guaranteed that your muscles are filled to the max with muscular stores of glycogen from carbohydrate consumption. In other words, if you consume more carbs, it will probably only be added as bodyfat and you don’t want that.

Note to self, do not google woman eating meat ever again.

There are quite a few benefits of protein when it comes to burning fat:

  • Essential feel-good amino acids so you don’t feel like eating more junk
  • Low glycemic index, so it won’t cause a spike in blood sugar
  • Fulfilling and filling, so you don’t keep eating
  • Acts as building blocks of muscle, meaning you could potentially increase glycogen capacity and therefore can handle carbs better.

Lean proteins like chicken, fish, turkey, cottage cheese, eggs, and whey will help you burn fat into the New Year.

Quick Fat Loss Tip #3: Sleep it off

Research shows that people who get less than five hours of sleep will gain more fat than those who get seven hours of sleep or more.

Aim for eight hours a night. Don’t eat within an hour or two before bed.

Sweet dreams.

Sleepin' for the Metabolisms

Quick Fat Loss Tip #4: Boost Fat-Burning by Drinking Water

Drink water. And lots of it.

While excessive quantities are not indicated, most people who struggle to lose weight are not drinking enough water.

Just keep sipping on water throughout the day.

If you are hungry, drink water first. Then eat.

Drink water within 15 minutes of waking up.

Life-giving and soothing too.

The fat sure is going to be upset when you start burning it all off by drinking more water.

Quick Fat Loss Tip #5: Fish Oil and Vitamin D

These essential nutrients are quite deficient in the average person.

Without enough Vitamin D, you may feel depressed during the cold season. Thats no good.

Meanwhile, Fish Oil helps your body deal with carbohydrates in an appropriate manner, among a plethora of other benefits.

Fish Oil also keeps skin well hydrated, while D wards off depression

Aside from fat loss, the key point here is that you’ll FEEL better.

Go Forth, you crazy Metabolic Fat burning Machine!!

These simple tips can make a world of difference for both Fat Loss and Wellbeing.

If you’re down to put in a little effort, choose just one or two of these tips to incorporate as part of your lifestyle.

No need to make a complete life change overnight.

Drink to Fat Loss

Just be you, and be you better.

Best to all.

BONUS Tip: Make it a Green Tea day

Green Tea is loaded with antioxidants and other components that support healthy fat loss. I think the tea tastes great unsweetened and can noticeably improve wellbeing in drinkers.

With Green Tea and water, you’ll really be flushing your cells of fat and toxins.

This cute Chinese girl appreciates your newly-bound 6 pack.

Cleanse your body, cleanse your soul.

Peace!

Weightloss Now