Fit Tip

Fitness Q&A

Q: It seems that there is so much conflicting info on training your abs, can you clear up some of the common myths and outline what I should do for the best results?

A: Good question. First, here's a list of the top Myths about Abdominal Training that you  should avoid at all costs...

1 - There's no such thing as Spot Reducing - Endless crunches will not melt away the fat from your midsection. It just doesn't work that way. And despite the "burn" of high rep ab exercises, you barely burn any calories while doing those endless crunches. Your fat burning time is best spent elsewhere on more effective "cardio" training.

2 - The Abs are a Muscle and should be trained as such. You don't need high reps and lots of sets to work your abs. This just leads to over training.

Success Quote of the Week

Healthy Recipe

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

- 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 (5-6" diameter) Portobello mushroom caps
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, mozzarella, 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil, rosemary, pepper and garlic.
2. Using a spoon, scoop out the gills of the mushroom caps and remove the stems and discard.
3. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush the soy sauce mixture on both sides of the mushroom caps.
4. Grill the caps, starting with stem side down, for 5 minutes on each side or until soft.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato and cheese mixture into each cap, cover and grill for about 3 minutes or until cheese has melted.
6. Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Info (per serving):
Calories: 85
Fat: 3.5 g
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Protein: 6.5 gz

 

Fitness Article  
(we appologies for having published part 2 of 3 out of order in our last issue so in this issue we are providing all three parts as one)

"Programmed" to fail? Wow, that's pretty strong language, isn't it?

No. Not at all. In fact, most of us don't have a clue how programmed we really are, how much we're "running on automatic," and how a huge percentage of our life today consists of "acting out" what we were programmed to do so many years ago.

Between the beliefs foisted upon us by other people (parents, relatives, teachers, ministers, siblings) literally from day one, and the daily / lifelong barrage of media info-noise. Our worldview, our cultural values, and even our sense of who we are—all are the products of forces that were virtually 100% beyond our control. Sad to say, most of us have never had a truly "original" thought in our lives.

So, even though we were created with a tremendous capacity for success, achievement, and living a truly awesome life, we also were—literally—programmed to fail.

If you're like most people, you are living what has been called a "second-hand" life—just plugging along, day to day—and from cradle to grave—believing, thinking, and doing things you have been externally programmed to think, believe, and do.

And all the while convinced it's "your" life you're living.

Why am I hammering on this point? Because, until we grasp how little control we've really had over own lives so far, we'll never understand (a) the damage that's been done to us without our knowledge or permission,(b) the importance of un-doing that damage, and (c) the tremendous power we have to do so.

You just don't know it yet.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that this can be heavy stuff to think about, and maybe scary to look at. But the first step to activating your great powers is to understand why you haven't been able to so do in the past.

Who you are right now—who you have been all your life—is the product of outside forces that may not have had your best interest at heart, and may have caused (accidentally or deliberately) great damage to your budding self-image, self-esteem, and self-confidence when you were too young to fight it or even know about it.

As a result, most of us just don't have a clue who we really are, let alone who we could be. So our own magnificent potential may never be revealed—to ourselves or anyone else. Instead, we're trapped in a needlessly unhealthy body, living a needlessly unhappy life that we don't really love, and may not even like.

We never even understood the problem, let alone how to fix it. And all because of the thoughtless, careless, mindless actions of the people around us—who themselves may have been going cluelessly through life. And so it goes, from generation to generation. No wonder that the world is in the mess it’s in. No wonder our lives are in the mess they’re in!

Yet through it all, we suffer in silence, hoping we can make it through " just one more day." Is that really living? I don't think so.

But what can we do about it? A whole lot more than you may think!

In the second and third installments of "Born To Win...But Programmed To Fail," you'll learn the secret of improving your life to a level of health, energy, and happiness you may not even be able to imagine right now. So stay tuned!

FREE FITNESS EBOOK - Compiled in this e-book are the top 10 best Success Quotes, Fit Tips, Motivational Articles, Healthy Recipes and Fitness Articles, 100% FREE!     Learn more? Click here

 - Part Two –  

You are not free! If you are to succeed at weight loss—or at life—this is something you must understand!

Our lovely national anthem notwithstanding, you are not now—and never have been—free.  You may believe you are free, but in reality, you are farther from free than you can probably imagine.

You may believe you have freedom of choice, but in reality you have virtually no choice at all—at least, not yet. The truth is that you are running on automatic! Your programming started at birth, and continues to operate to this very day. Just like the computer in your den, you are programmed to respond mechanically and automatically to the world around you, according to the beliefs that were programmed into you so long ago.

As a result, you are literally operating on "auto-pilot." Just like the cat that comes running every time she hears the electric can opener, or the dog who goes nuts when he hears the his owner's car door slam, you are programmed to do. . . whatever it is that you do.

You are, in effect, simply a unique collection of learned, habitual behaviors—some of which are helpful, and some of which may be extremely harmful, or even deadly. The worst part is that you don't have a clue what has been done to you. You live in an illusion so convincing that you can't even see it. (Think Matrix, but without the technology.)

We like to tell ourselves that “ignorance is bliss.” But I ask you—is your current programming creating a blissful life experience for you?

This is what you get for being born into “the devil's own back yard.” Or as Joni Mitchell put it in her song, Woodstock, you are “…caught in the devil’s bargain.” This is your earthly legacy. This is the world's gift to you. You don’t need to like it—but you absolutely need to know it!

Please understand: None of this is your fault.  But it is your reality. And if anything is going to change, it's going to be your responsibility.

The good news is that you CAN be free! But there a few things you will need to do to get there. First, you will have to take a proactive role in the process. You will need to actively become the programmer. You will need to accept responsibility for the future direction of your own life.

* * *

OK, now that there is (hopefully) no doubt in your mind about what the problem is, Part Three of this article will reveal to you the solution. Your solution. Because the happy truth is that whatever was learned can be unlearned. Whatever was programmed can be reprogrammed. And best of all, whatever damage was done can be undone!

Now, nobody can do it for you. But you can definitely get help doing it. If you're truly willing to stop being the victim of your own past, and start playing an active role in creating your own future, then the sky really is the limit!

If you've had it up to here with the body (and the life!) your "old programming" has created for you so far, stay tuned! Next time we'll get in to some solid and specific techniques for getting your hands back on the steering wheel, reclaiming control of your life, and charting the course that will finally take you where you want to go!

 - Part Three –  

The wonderful, liberating truth is that no program within you can be created, implanted, sustained, or deleted without your personal consent—no matter how long ago (or how unconsciously) your consent may originally have been given. YOU are always the programmer. It is true that external influences (parents, teachers, peers) have played a powerful role in steering you toward or away from certain beliefs.

But are those outside influences all-powerful? Definitely not!

For example, if I told you to jump off a tall building, would you do it? I think not.

If your parents had told you to, would you have done it? I think not. What if your parents had told you to eat poison or broken glass? Would you have done it? No way. However, beliefs and suggestions that were not so "obviously" destructive could and did make it past your childhood radar. And they still live in you today!

So what's the solution? How do we fix the mess we're in?

Well, let me ask you a question: Have ever argued or disagreed with your parents? Your professors? You boss? Of course! Was that a good thing? Maybe. But was it a good capability to have? Absolutely! You were not put here to live your entire life operating on "OPP" (other people's programming).

Next question: Why did you argue? What was the real point? You argued because you believed that you had a right—even an obligation—to do what you considered to be in your best interest.

And you know what? You can still do that today—right now! You can still argue with and replace any belief or program that doesn't serve you and make you happier and/or healthier.

Yes, your old programs are now habits. But that's all they are. They are NOT "life sentences! 

Never Forget: YOU Are Still The Programmer!

OK, now having said all that, I want you to forget it. All of it. Why? Because I have a "cheat" for you—a "Cliff Notes" kind of shortcut to success!

What if you didn't even have to change your old beliefs? What if you could leave every one of those old, self-destructive beliefs intact—and just add a few new ones?

Do you think that might take some of the stress and struggle out of winning at weight loss, fat loss, fitness, or whatever healthy goals you have? You'd better believe it would! In fact, it would end the inner struggle completely.

No struggle, no battle. No battle, no losers. If you can't lose...well, how can you lose?

This Is The Ultimate Secret Key To Success!

It begins by understanding—by admitting—that we are just as programmed as the computer on our desk. Do you have a problem understanding and/or admitting that?

Do you know anything at all about computer programs? Have you ever heard of a “subroutine?”  A computer subroutine is a tiny little program that is "tacked on" to a larger program to perform some specific function when called upon to do so.

And that's the other key to success. A subroutine doesn't run all the time, only when needed. On a computer, it might have the job of totaling a row of figures or sending out a report as needed. But in your programming, the new subroutine will do something that's very useful to YOU.

Remember, you're going to create only one new subroutine. Its purpose will be to serve as a "detour," a new behavioral path, at exactly the time you need it—when you would otherwise be doing your compensatory eating, blowing your diet, bingeing, or doing whatever other habitual behavior you know is messing you up.

Basically, what you'll do is to create a healthy new behavior option AND make sure you actually use it when you need it.

While we don't have room to go into a huge amount of detail about the process, the first step is to become very conscious about is your current "bad behavior" program. In other words, what are you thinking and saying at the precise moment you start doing what you know doesn't work? What is your internal dialogue, your inner experience?

This is your point of power—and here's how to use it:

To stop losing and start winning, you will only need to do two things. First, you will design an alternative replacement behavior that you will "activate" whenever you see or feel yourself "slipping" into your habitual unhealthy actions.

Second, you will use your own awareness of your slipping to AUTOMATICALLY activate your new, healthy behavioral subroutine.

That's really all there is to it!

No Stress, No Struggle, Nothing Complicated About It!

Will you "get it right" on the first try. No, Grasshopper. But then, you didn't get your "bad" behavior solidified on the first try, either—did you?

You WILL succeed, but you need to not be in a hurry. What you DO need are practice, patience, and persistence—the "three Ps" of success.

I know from my years as a coach that you CAN do it. WILL you do it? That's totally up to you. But if I can help in any way, I sincerely hope you'll let me know.

And remember, thanks to GHF, you're entitled to a free 30-minute "sample" coaching session. People tell me find this "freebie" more valuable for weight loss than most things they've paid for!

For details, just e mail me at DrFrank@CoachFrankSmoot.com or call me any time at 540-567-2050.

Yours in total health,