Way before I became a Personal Trainer for Tracy, Ca I had a problem…

…a BIG problem…a 36lbs of fat on my gut problem!

After spending my college years in beautiful Chico, California living on a diet consisting mostly of Double Whoppers with fries, Pepperoni Pizzas 3-4 nights a week (no, I’m not joking) and giant burritos I packed on all of those 36lbs.

And, when I tried to lose all that fat I tried a number of things I had read in my favorite bodybuilding and fitness magazines but sadly none of them really worked.

It took me a number of years to finally get the fat off and actually keep it off (I hated when I would lose it then gain back 20 lbs shortly after).

I was thinking about if I only knew then what I know now how much faster I could have succeeded in losing belly fat.

I realize there are 5 things I would NEVER do even if I only needed to lose 15-25 lbs:

1. I would NEVER do long, boring cardio workouts in my ‘fat burning zone’

Not a chance because aside of it being just plain mind numbing there’s too little by way of results you get for all the time and effort you put it.

On top of that your body adapts quickly and you actually burn less fat which means you have to keep doing more and more cardio just to keep up.

2. I would NEVER eat anything other than high-quality organic meats, poultry, fruits and veggies

When it comes to losing fat all we ever hear about is calories, calories, calories…But, low calorie, low-fat, low-carb and all these other calorie based diet strategies only produce short-term results at best.

Most people who use these types of diets end up gaining back all the weight they lost plus a few extra pounds.

The truth is that the calories matter very little and are not the real reason for our inability to lose fat. It’s all the hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and other harmful toxic substances that are being deliberately put into the foods we eat.

Yeah, even many so-called ‘healthy’ foods.

3. I would NEVER drink less than 1/2 of my bodyweight in ounces of quality water every day

When you consider that nearly 70% of our bodies are made up of water and every chemical reaction inside of us depends on water it’s easy to see how not drinking enough water can keep you from losing fat.

Another thing I failed to realize years ago is that most of the time we feel hungry we’re really dehydrated. In fact, most people only put back about 60% of the water they lose per day, are constantly dehydrated and don’t even know it.

4. I would NEVER do isolated body-part workouts- Unless you’re a bodybuilder trying to pack on the beef those comfy-cozy machines at your gym are doing you a great disservice to your fat loss efforts.

If you want to turn your body into a fat incinerator the best exercises are BIG BANG movements like squats, push-ups, pull-ups and lunges. They use more muscles and burn more energy which = MORE fat loss.

5. I would NEVER restrict or count calories, measure foods or track points

I can’t stress this enough that it’s not the calories or the carbs or the fat that’s the problem it’s all the toxic garbage that’s being put into our foods and the contaminated soils our fruits and veggies are grown with.

In fact, the participants on my 90-Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge not only lost unwanted pounds but the inches melted right off without EVER counting or restricting calories or nutrients.

So, those are the 5 things I would NEVER do if I needed to lose fat all over again.

Give ‘em a go and see for yourself just how quickly you’ll dump that unwanted fat.

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Imagine a month ago when you didn’t think we were going to see much of a summer this year with all the rain and wind we had in San Joaquin County.

Suddenly, summer is here and you’re sure wishing you had taken your diet and workouts a bit more seriously so you could bask in the warm weather showing off a body you’re proud of rather than covered up in those old baggy ‘fat‘ clothes.

If only there was a way to get the body you want this summer rather than waiting for next year.

You’re probably thinking you’d need some kind of magic genie to pull that off, right?

Well, let’s do the next best thing shall we?

I’m sure magic lamps are pretty scarce these days so grab a water bottle and rub it 3 times…

…Now, open the bottle and out of the top he comes…

…POOF!

Your magic fat loss genie has appeared and he has decided to make your wish come true.

The magic fat loss genie says if you’re stuck in a fat loss rut right now wishing you could get the lean, toned body you want while there’s still time this summer here are 3 things you MUST do that will shape you up in less than 30 days:

1. You MUST use fat loss principles rather than strategies- There are far too many fat loss programs around today to know which ones work and which are a waste of your time.

The only programs that really work are those that follow proven fat loss principles.

However, most simply offer strategies that may work for a short period then they stop and you end up right back where you started–or worse a few lbs fatter.

Strategies are things like: low carb, high carb, low fat, no fat, low calorie, high protein, liquid diets and the like.

These are the programs that offer a ‘miracle‘ solution…something that’s ‘hidden‘ or a big ‘secret’ that they claim you don’t know about…the truth is that there is no big secret and you’ll only end up frustrated and searching for the next ‘miracle‘.

Principles on the other hand produce consistent, predictable results and stand the test of time. Principles are not just concepts or theories that sound good; they actually work in real life.

2. You MUST use more effective exercises than cardio- Cardio is so overused and yet doesn’t produce great results. If you doubt me then take a look around your health club next time you’re there and peek around the cardio area.

Notice the ‘regulars’ who you see there all the time. They’re easy to pick out because they’re always doing the same cardio workout, on the same piece of equipment for 5, 6 or even 7 days a week.

But, look closely and ask yourself if their bodies have really changed in the past 3 months…

How about the past 6 months…

How about in the past 12 months…

The fat loss genie says NO!

The reality is that cardio is most effective only during the first few weeks and then your body adapts by burning less energy and less fat.

No doubt, cardiovascular conditioning is an important fitness component however there are much more effective ways to get your cardio in without wasting the endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Don’t be afraid to change things up by using different methods such as resistance training workouts with dumbbells, bands, stability balls, sand bags or your own body weight.

3. You MUST not use high repetitions unless…- The typical resistance exercise routine for ‘toning’ and ‘shaping’ usually involves lifting light weights for 15 or more repetitions.

However, the truth is that frequent high repetition training actually leads to muscle growth and is not effective for burning fat. Yep, you read that right.

So, don’t be afraid to use heavier weights and work a bit harder.

Finally, It’s important to get the direction you need from a reliable, proven source- It’s important to understand the feedback you’re getting from your fitness program but unfortunately the messages you’re getting from your body are difficult to decipher.

This leaves most people to just guessing as to whether or not their program is really working…until too much time has passed and they figure out what they’ve been doing for months hasn’t produced the results they wanted.

Then they’re left starting from scratch over and over and over.

Look, if you want results then you MUST seek out credible sources like coaches who have achieved the fat loss results you want and who have helped others get those same results consistently over time.

It’s the fastest (and shortest) road to success.

Listen to the magic fat loss genie…your wish has been granted!

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As Lathrop’s leading personal trainer I pride myself on helping my clients to get their fat loss results really quickly and with the least amount of fuss and hassle.

Well, recently I’ve been working even harder at delivering results and have developed a brand new program called the ’28 Day Fat Loss Jumpstart’ that my I’ve used to get amazing fat loss results in record time.

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