Stop Programming Yourself for Weight Loss Failure

“If you focus on results you will never change.
But if you focus on change, you’ll get results.” ~ Jack Dixon

That's my favorite fitness quote; it's even on Body & Soul's brochures.

So, are you ready to change?

Do you truly believe you can improve your health and discard fat? If not, you need to change that mindset.

Also, although some of you may find it “airy-fairy” thinking, I honestly believe that no one can have long term weight management success if they hate their body. The messages you send to yourself through negative self-talk become self-perpetuating.

“I hate the way I look”, “I’m as big as a house”, “I can’t believe I ate all that, I’m such a pig”, “My thighs are huge”, “I hate this jiggle under my arms”. If you say, or think, things like that about your body, you need to stop.

Think of the many positive things about your body. Are there particular features that you like? If necessary, could you run from a burning building to save your life? Can you take care of yourself, pick up your kids or grandkids, go dancing if you want?

Your body may not be the exact size you prefer but you are alive, not bedridden, and probably healthier than most. Be grateful.

Think about it. If we tried to run our cars on the same quality of fuel that most of us put in our bodies, they wouldn’t perform at all. And yet, you’re still functioning.

Have you ever tried to basically starve yourself into a certain size? Obviously, it didn't work or you probably wouldn't still be reading this. Declaring war on your body will cause it to fight back. How far would you get if you only put half a gallon of gas in your car? Your body is no different; it won’t perform at its best without adequate, high-quality fuel (nutrition) and proper rest.

Be grateful for your body, treat it well and your chance of success will skyrocket.

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Fat Burning Bodyweight Circuit Exercises

Get tired of doing your usual cardio or interval workouts? Whether you're an advanced or beginner exerciser, Craig Ballantyne has a great alternative to spice up your workout and get results. You can also use his suggestions while traveling or if you want to take your workout outside, like I did yesterday.


Fat Burning Bodyweight Circuit Exercises
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

When you travel, you worry about missing your workouts and eating poorly...So you must plan ahead for both (apples and almonds for planes, trains, & automobiles)...and bodyweight circuits for "no-equipment fat burning".

And while I have bodyweight exercises that are just as hard as the bench press and barbell squat in one of my bodyweight workouts, today we'll focus on replacing intervals with bodyweight circuits.

To do a bodyweight circuit...

a) Pick 3 lower body exercises

b) Pick 3 upper body exercises

c) Alternate between a lower and upper body exercise without rest, till you are done all 6 exercises

d) Rest a minute.

e) Repeat 2-3 more times until you are done 20 minutes

For example, this is a great circuit that doesn't need any equipment

1) Prisoner Squat (12 repetitions)
2) Elevated Pushups (8 reps per side)
3) Single-Leg Deadlift (10 reps per side)
4) Close-grip Pushups (As many reps as possible)
5) Jumping Jacks (30-60 reps)
6) Cross-Body Mountain Climber (12 reps per side)

Whew. That's pretty advanced...for a beginner, we'd slow it down like this and take some breaks between exercises...

1) Wall Squat (8 reps)
2) Kneeling Elevated Pushup (5 reps per side)
3) Lying 1-leg Hip Extension (8 reps per side)
4) Plank (30 second hold)
5) Jumping Jacks (5-10 reps)
6) Side Plank (15 second hold per side)

Safe travels, and of course, always check with your doctor before beginning a fat burning bodyweight circuit exercise program.

About the Author:
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

By Popular Demand - Another Workout for St. Jude

Everyone raved about the great workout they got during our last Workout for St. Jude so I'm having another. If you weren't able to participate last time and you live in the Lancaster, PA area, here's your chance to have some fun, get some vitamin D and support a worthy cause while getting a great workout.

Here are the details:

WORKOUT FOR ST. JUDE
Sunday, June 1st at 10:00 A.M.

Join me at the New School playground in Lancaster (on Columbia Avenue beside Clock Towers) for a fun and challenging group workout session.

Please spread the word among your friends, family and co-workers. The pre-registration donation is $10 per person ($12 that day) and it would be great if you’d also like to get sponsors. (Great but not necessary. If you do want to collect donations, contact me for a sponsor sheet.)

The workout will last approximately 60 minutes. Anyone 12 and older is welcome to participate.

I need to have an idea of how many people will be attending so please sign up in person at Body & Soul Fitness Studio or contact me at (717) 509-7777 or at Mickey at bsfstudio.com. (I'm trying to avoid the spambots getting my e-mail address so you'll have to replace "at" with @.)

If the kids in your life are healthy, show your gratitude by helping those who are not.

Hope to see you there!

Mickey Glick
Certified Personal Trainer
Owner, Body & Soul Fitness Studio

All proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where no child is ever turned away due to parental inability to pay and no patient’s family is billed for charges not paid by insurance.

True Sportsmanship

Senior, Sara Tulcholsky hit the first and only home run of her high school career but it wouldn't have counted without the unselfish act of players from the other team.

You've probably already read or heard about this true show of sportsmanship but if you haven't, take 6 minutes and watch this uplifting video. You won't be sorry.

Try It, You'll Like It

I strongly believe that if you're serious about getting results from your exercise routine, you need a solid plan. Cobbling together a training program from magazine articles and exercises you did in high school or college is not the way to fast, efficient workouts.

I've written often about Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training program for those who don't have access to Body & Soul and me. I actually use TT and I now base the programs I design on Craig's training principles. Not only does it work but I also recommend Turbulence Training because it's easy to follow. There are some great fat loss programs out there but some of them are overly complicated for the average Joe or Josie.

However, as worthwhile as I know Craig's program is, I understand the reluctance of some of you to buy products sight unseen over the internet (even with a money-back guarantee). If you're one of those people, I have a great deal for you.

Craig just started offering a 21-day trial of Turbulence Training for just $4.95. You get to read through all the info, visit the private TT forums with questions or for support from Craig and other TT members and try the workouts for 3 weeks. If you don't like the program, just let Craig know and he'll refund your money. Only at the end of your 21-day trial, after you've had time to use the workouts, will you be billed for the remaining $35.00 (if you haven't requested a refund).

There's no longer an excuse. For less than an automated car wash, a meal at a fast food joint or fancy drink at Starbucks, you can try out this great fat burning system. Check out all the details here.

Be Grateful For The Body You Have

I often tell the story of an elderly woman who attended aqua classes at a gym where I worked as a personal trainer. The woman used a cane and moved very slowly and with much effort. Unfortunately for her, the pool happened to be at the opposite end of the building, and yet, multiple times a week this woman showed up for class and slowly made her way back to the locker room and then to the pool.

She could have stayed home and read a book or watched TV. She could have rationalized that just getting to the pool was pretty strenuous and she could get just as much exercise from cleaning or gardening or something. She could have told herself that she was old and had so many physical problems that a few water classes were not going to make much difference. But she didn't.

I think of this woman often when members and clients speak with disgust about their bodies.You may not have the figure of some wafer thin movie star but are you capable of enjoying a walk around your neighborhood? Could you make it down your basement steps if a tornado was coming? Are you strong enough to pick up a baby? Do you breathe without the use of an oxygen tank? Would you be able to get yourself out of a burning building?

If you answered yes to those questions then I suggest that you stop programming your mind with hateful, counterproductive messages about your body. Stop focusing on what you don't have, be grateful for what your body is currently capable of and work toward improving it.

The vast majority of the people reading this are not physically incapable of getting stronger, dropping fat and being healthier. Some may have to start out more slowly than others but you can definitely make improvements if you are willing to make an effort.


Be grateful for what you have now while you work toward what you want.

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The Hierarchy of Fat Loss by Alwyn Cosgrove

If you are interested in dropping fat and have never read Alwyn Cosgrove's The Hierarchy of Fat Loss, do yourself a favor and do so.

The Hierarchy of Fat Loss