One of the most common methods for faster weight loss is to stop eating at 6pm or three hours before bed, which is actually just another silly rule that we should consider breaking or at the very least – modifying.

You can, you can’t, you can, you can’t. Jeeeeesh. When will it ever end?

I know. I thought the same thing until I looked at the research and applied it intentionally on my own body and some of my private clients for the last several months.

And I’ll be the first one to admit I promoted NOT eating before bed for years to all my clients. After all it was part of the “rules” of weight loss I was just supposed to follow.

Yet, I ALWAYS wondered about this rule because back in 1998 I dropped my body fat levels from 20% to 5% in only 90 days, yet I was consuming 75 grams of carbs every night before bed!

Even worse yet, these carbs were in the form of maltodextrin and dextrose! Two of the highest glycemic (insulin spiking) carbs you can find.

I know I was a lot younger, but how was this possible based on everything we’ve been taught about losing weight and burning fat?

Before you give me a double face palm, hear me out. Once you see “how” it’s done, it will all make sense.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was always consuming these high glycemic carbs about 1 to 3 hours AFTER my workouts, which means my body was still using those extra carbs to replenish glycogen (muscle energy) and recover from intense exercise.

In other words, my muscles would actively “suck up” these simple and complex carbs (and protein) and automatically limit fat spillover because of the post workout metabolic effect on metabolism.

Research proves your metabolism and muscle will do the SAME thing.

This is why it’s actually “ok” to eat BEFORE bed. Even carbs.

New research also indicates that cutting out carbs late at night is just another way of reducing calories. So it’s really just another method of “calorie-cutting”.

I’m not saying to go “pig out” before bed. But I wouldn’t worry or fret about it. In fact, if you’re working out late (like I used to do) eating carbs before bed could actually help you get better results.

And even if you’re not exercising a couple hours before bed, I would still make sure to get some high quality protein and friendly fats an hour or so before bed to feed your muscles and keep your body in an anti-inflammatory anabolic environment.

Remember, EVERY fat loss plan (in one way or another) is designed to burn off more calories than you’re taking in. Avoiding carbs and other foods late at night or before bed is just another sneaky way to cut calories. Plain and simple.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t take into consideration healthy choices or hormones, but regardless – it’s still the facts.

Now if you’re skeptical about this post, I don’t blame you. It’s hard to accept something that’s been pounded into our heads for so many years is now a myth and not true.

So if you’re questioning the science and the research, my friend Roman dug up a few of the studies about this so-called “rule” and why you shouldn’t be afraid to break it.

It’s all inside a new free report he put together. If you haven’t grabbed it yet, click the link or image below and go look on page 16 to see what I’m talking about:

Why it’s “ok” to eat BEFORE bed (even carbs) <== find the research on page 16

BTW…there are 4 MORE DIET “MYTHS” exposed inside this FREE report. And if you want an easier way to live leaner, I highly recommend you learn how to bust these myths.

“Break” these 5 diet rules = faster fat loss <== Free PDF Expires Soon

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you had a hard time keeping an open mind reading today’s post, consider this. Obesity rates continue to rise and over 90% of all people who try to lose weight -  gain all or MORE of it back in less than 12 months.

Additionally, the research and real world results can’t be denied.

The study Roman cites inside this New Free Report will blow you away. The experimental group who ate almost all their carbs right BEFORE bed lost more weight than the group who spread it out over the entire day!

Shocking for most, but I wasn’t surprised at all.

I learned how to stay extra lean a long time ago. Just look at what 90% of the population is doing, and do the exact opposite.

In other words, if the masses are ziggin’, then I’m zaggin’. Never follow the herd. THAT’S how you can stay lean – forever.

Here’s to breaking the rules,

Shaun

Yesterday, when I gave you 9 lean lessons you can learn from a caveman, I let you know I’d be back today with why a caveman would add white rice and white potatoes to his plan if he was lifting weights or doing intervals.

But first, let’s discuss why other rice types are considered to be more healthy than the white stuff.

Why We’ve Been Told To Avoid White Rice

The main difference between white and brown rice is the processing and nutritional content.

In her best selling Diet Solution Program, my fitness friend and nutrition expert Isabel De Los Rios breaks it all down and gives you a complete crash course.

Basically, only one layer (the outermost) is removed when producing brown rice. When white rice is produced, everything is removed leaving only the starchy component.

This means pretty much all of the key vitamins and minerals in white rice are lost including the fiber. All of this is important when we’re trying to eat healthy balanced meals and keep blood sugar stable throughout the day.

However, there ARE times when all we care about is the pure starch.

This is especially true if we want to promote a healthy metabolism and burn more fat.

So sit back, relax, and let me explain young grasshopper.

When and Why You Should Intentionally Eat White Rice
(and other white starches)

As I discussed in yesterday’s article, today’s fake manufactured foods like concentrated fructose/sugar, high omega-6 vegetable oils, trans-fats, and even gluten wreak havoc on our systems and promote the storage of belly fat. And they definitely weren’t part of a caveman’s plan.

So obviously, removing these items from your plan will immediately help you get rid of more lower stomach fat.

But what about the pure “white” stuff? (Meaning food not contraband of course. Haha.)

You see, even though white starches like rice and potatoes really aren’t caveman foods, they provide the purest, most natural source of glucose than any other food.

In fact, glucose is one of the oldest evolutionary fuels on the planet. We use it as an internal fuel source and it’s the building block of foods that date back to the caveman days.

Now if you’re a sick diabetic, this isn’t going to apply to you because you have insulin resistance. So your best bet to lose weight is to simply cut out pop and white bread and you’ll probably lose a boat load of weight your first few months as long as you’re eating healthy and exercising.

But if you’re healthy, your body knows how to process and use glucose.

So if you’ve been losing weight and consistently strength training, over time you dramatically improve your insulin sensitivity.

This means as you start to lose weight and get leaner, your metabolism changes.

And when this happens you gotta “get smart”, which means you have to customize, tweak, and adjust your plan as to fight adaptation and keep your metabolism happy and burning fat.

This is when the pure white starches from nature will help you build muscle, boost metabolism, raise thyroid output, keep leptin levels in check, improve the free testosterone to estrogen ratio, and burn more lower stomach fat.

So along with lean protein, fibrous veggies, and friendly fats, white starches from nature should consistently be a part of your plan if you’ve already lost some weight and you’re exercising consistently.

They serve as awesome anaerobic fuel and promote anabolism, which helps with glucose metabolism, protein synthesis (absorption of protein), and muscle growth.

Also, many times the pure amylopectin starch found in the white stuff is less problematic than a starch containing gluten or lectins that you get from whole grain / whole wheat foods.

All of this means one thing: increased fat burning and a healthier metabolism. Ok, two things.

White starches (from nature of course) should serve as a primary source of anaerobic fuel and for creating anabolism, which ultimately equals better performance, a healthier metabolism, and faster fat loss.

Just make sure you do three things:

1. Time them properly

The best time to consume these pure glucose polymers from rice or potatoes is in your post workout anabolic window of opportunity, which is anywhere from 1 to 3 hours after high intensity training.

2. Prepare them properly

Steam your rice (don’t fry it) and bake your potatoes.

Unfortunately, chicken fried rice and a loaded baked potato (yummy!) aren’t part of this strategy. Save them for your cheat day.

3. Combine them properly

Always combine your post workout white starches with a hefty serving of lean protein and always limit your fat intake in your post workout meals. After a workout is the one time of the day we want to spike insulin (the storage hormone) to help shuttle nutrients to our muscles. White rice and potatoes will automatically help you achieve this desired effect.

This means you can workout in the afternoon, come home and eat white starches for dinner while burning more fat. Wow. Who woulda thunk it!

Just remember, during other times of the day the less “starchy” rice types (brown, black, long grain, etc.) and lower glycemic yams or sweet potatoes (rather than white potatoes) might be a better choice to keep insulin stable.

But I wouldn’t over analyze it. As long as you’re combining your starches with high quality protein, fibrous vegetables, and friendly fats you’ll be good-to-go!

And if you’re consistently performing high intensity exercise (sprinting, bursting, weight training, bodyweight circuits, etc.), go ahead and tear up those white starches.

They do the body good.

There you have it. Another fat loss myth – BUSTED.

But we’re not finished because I guarantee there are a half dozen OTHER “so-called” healthy foods you’re consuming that might be making you store more belly fat.

If you want to get a whole crash course on exactly what types of foods to avoid and which ones to consume, just check out this free video from my fitness buddy Isabel De Los Rios.

==> Avoid THESE Foods to Burn More Stomach Fat <== Free Video

I’ll admit that I don’t agree with Isabel on her views about white rice (you’ll see why in my next blog post), but when it comes to making food choices and creating a fat burning lifestyle, there’s nobody better.

Make sure you drop a comment and hit the “like” button for me if you got something out of today’s post. And don’t forget to share this with friends and family. The fitness truth is the gift that keeps on giving!

Have a great day,

Shaun

P.S. I’ll be back in a few days with Part II of this post and we’ll look at the total opposite end of the spectrum. It’s an article called, “5 Rices That Fight Belly Flab”.

In the meantime, go check out this video that uncovers a laundry list of foods we think are healthy, but actually block our fat loss.

==> Avoid THESE Foods to Burn More Stomach Fat <== Free Video

What’s up!?!

This week I’m going to deliver some awesome tips to help you burn more fat and make yourself a lot healthier by using strategies from the “caveman’s” perspective.

Whether we realize it or not, we can learn a lot from our ancestors about getting and staying lean in an “all natural” way.

In today’s world full of microwave dinners, fast food, smoothie bars, and food factories that spit out protein bars it’s very easy to fall into a trap of convenience.

And it only takes a little common sense to realize that God designed a world that provides everything we need to survive and thrive from an animal, plant or tree.

Now before I get started, I wanna let you know that every time I post stuff like this, a few of the tips always get people riled up and it creates some controversy. Whatever. I’m used to it.

But it’s mostly because these individuals have no clue about what REAL nutrition is all about.

In fact, anytime I have a client get to a sticking point or trying to lose lower stomach fat, I just pull out these “caveman” tips and have to spend a half hour trying to convince them why this is necessary.

Then, a couple weeks later - “BAM!” they’re feeling great and losing fat again.

So whether you’re trying to be more healthy while shedding some unwanted pounds or trying to get rid of the last bit of stubborn fat, this article will help you get there a lot quicker – in an “all natural” way.

Here we go…

1. Eat more red meat.

Sounds crazy right? Wrong.

Believe it or not, as long as it’s “grass fed”, red meat is one of the healthiest foods we can eat for fat loss. It’s high in omega 3 fatty acids (friendly fats) and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has been proven in multiple studies to help us burn more fat and build more lean muscle.

It’s also one of the highest quality proteins you can eat.

Additionally, our mouths have incisors for an evolutionary reason, which is to tear flesh from the bone, not to find the center of a tootsie pop!

Stay away from grain or corn fed beef and fake factory foods. They’ll make you sicker and fatter. Grass fed beef may cost a little more, but it’s worth it. More and more grocery chains are offering organic and grass fed choices now, which is making it easier to find.

2. Eliminate processed foods.

No shocking news or controversy here.

Almost all processed foods are just a conglomeration of nasty ingredients like sugar (and/or high fructose corn syrup), trans-fats/hydrogenated oil, too many omega-6 vegetable oils, wheat or flour-based starch, refined sodium (salt), artificial ingredients/sweeteners/chemicals (obesity additives).

EVERY one of these ingredients is unhealthy and promotes storage of stomach fat. This tip alone can do wonders for fat loss.

3.    Eliminate all cereals and gluten-containing grains – especially wheat.

A large percentage of people have some degree of intolerance to the gluten in wheat and other grains. The biggest problem with wheat is that it’s found everywhere in the average western diet.

Whether it’s breads, pastas, bagels, and so-called healthy wraps, wheat is     everywhere. The biggest offenders are these so called healthy cereals.

I never eat cereals when I’m trying to get lean. Never.

Many of my clients feel much better, eliminate health problems, and burn fat a lot faster when they cut out wheat and/or gluten containing grains from their plan.

4. Eliminate almost all fructose.

Ditch high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), any processed food with fructose as a sweetener and sugar (which is just a mix of fructose and glucose). I also recommend you cut out all fruit juices and dried fruit.

I personally love fruit, but I limit its intake when I’m trying to get lean. One or two pieces of whole fruit a day shouldn’t be an issue. Try to consume it post workout and stick to lower glycemic fruits like berries or fruits that help with insulin stability like grapefruit. Or better yet, just cut it out and see what happens.

5. Make lean animal protein the foundation of your diet.

These complete proteins will help you burn more fat through the “thermic” effect of food and digestion, prevent muscle loss, and have a host of other benefits.

It’s obvious if you think about it. As humans, we can go months without carbs (not recommended obviously), but we would literally die if we cut protein out of our diets.

Additionally, since we typically manipulate carb intake when leaning up, we need to get those missing calories from some other place. Lean animal protein (and friendly fat) is the best way.

Shoot for 1 gram of animal protein per pound of lean body weight if you’re actively exercising. This will keep your body in an anabolic environment to help promote muscle gains and fat loss.

Many times it can be difficult to meet the daily requirement of protein on a daily basis. That’s why it’s always important to use a high quality protein powder to fill in the missing gap.

And don’t be fooled. Not all protein powders are created equal. Almost all over the counter protein powders have a very low “bio-availability”, which mean they don’t get absorbed properly. Look for a whey protein powder that’s cool temperature processed and has “all natural” sweeteners like stevia instead of sucralose.

6. Cut out all trans fats and/ or hydrogenated oils.

Not going to elaborate too much here. The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

You should know by now this stuff is the devil when it comes to our health and weight loss. It will make you fat and sick. Even if you’re trying to gain weight, you should avoid this crap.

7. Reduce omega-6 consumption.

Omega 6 oils have been steadily increasing in our diet over the years (especially in the west) because of convenience. Vegetable oil is the main culprit and it’s in everything. As a result, most of us have become way out of balance.

In fact, it’s typically recommended to eat a 20:1 ratio of omega 6s to omega 3s. This is a disaster waiting to happen because it will cause serious inflammation inside your body. Top fitness and nutrition experts now recommend a 3:1 ratio. Obviously this is a HUGE difference.

By the way, over 50% of arterial plaque is polyunsaturated, while only 20% is saturated fat. In other words, saturated fat is not the evil culprit people once thought. Food for thought.

8. Increase omega-3 consumption.

One of the safest and most effective ways to reduce inflammation and increase fat loss is through consumption of more high quality omega 3s.

You can achieve this through wild fish, grass-fed beef, and krill oil.

If you’re not up to speed on Omega 3s, just check out all the research my friends at Prograde have done and you’ll quickly discover why this supplement and / or foods containing it are a must.

I also highly recommend you watch this brand new short presentation by Dr. Walsh (from Prograde) to see first hand HOW Krill reduces inflammation in your body.

This is cutting-edge stuff that no one else is talking about and it will assist you in burning more fat immediately.

==> HOW Krill Oil Can Reduce Inflammation <== Free Video Presentation

9. Cut back (or cut out) dairy foods (btw: eggs are not dairy).

Anytime I’m getting lean (aka – cutting) I limit my intake of dairy, especially milk, cream, cheese, yogurt. These foods are fine when you’re just living healthy, but I still recommend limiting them when losing weight.

I’ve had many clients cut out dairy and immediately notice faster fat loss and eliminate headaches, bloating, indigestion, and even sickness.

Keep in mind that unless your dairy comes from directly from a farm using grass fed practices, almost all the quality ingredients in dairy is completely destroyed during pasteurization. That’s what makes it so hard to digest and creates other unwanted symptoms.

I also highly recommend you check out the film Food, INC. to learn more about your food choices. VERY enlightening.

As you can see, every single one of these tips is exactly how a caveman would have lived. They didn’t have big farms and factories spitting out healthy cereal, tofu, and fruit smoothies.

They ate animals, plants, and trees. And they weren’t overweight or obese. Remember, the fewer ingredients a food has listed on its label, the healthier it’s going to be.

Give these tips a try if you’re trying to lean up and not making progress. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much better you’ll feel AND how much easier the fat will fall off.

Do me a favor and hit the “like” button below and I’ll be back in a few days with why a caveman would add white rice and white potatoes to this plan if he was lifting weights or doing intervals.

Make sure to share this with friends and family who could benefit too.

Have a great day,

Shaun

Today I have a cool new exercise trick for you that involves steady state cardio, but it makes intervals and bursting MORE effective.

But first, I wanted to welcome over 250 new people to the GL-12 community that were referred by my good friend, Mike Geary. Many of you know that Mike is the Internet’s #1 fat loss author and I highly respect his views on health and fitness.

So “congratulations” to all the new members who took action and downloaded my brand new *free* report called The 14 Day Stubborn Fat Protocol, and “thanks” to Mike for sending them our way.

Welcome to the club! We’re excited to have you on board.

Ok, on to today’s new trick. Many of you know my opinion of slow-go steady state cardio. Most of the time it’s practically worthless. But I’ve recently discovered this cool new exercise trick that involves “slow go” cardio.

This approach is based on the same philosophy of my new 14 day lower ab fat sequence, but it has a new spin on it.

I know how stale and boring old-school cardio (and even intervals) can get at times (yawn), so it’s vitally important to keep it fresh. And even more important is making sure it’s effective while preventing any plateaus to keep the visible results coming.

Here’s how it works.

As you probably might know, when you perform intervals or bursts, your body will release all kinds of fat burning hormones called catecholamines.

Catecholamines are “fight-or-flight” hormones released by the adrenal glands in
response to stress like high intensity exercise. They are part of the sympathetic
nervous system (SNS).

These hormones will eventually convert to dopamine, to norepinephrine, and epinephrine, which ultimately forces the release of free fatty acids.

In other words, these catecholamines help break apart stubborn fat into the blood stream.

This is a pretty sweet deal, UNTIL a process called “re-esterfication” takes place and all-of-a-sudden your body starts re-storing the fat you just released.

And unless you know how to “burn off” these free fatty acids you could very likely be a victim of “re-esterfication. This is where the steady state cardio exercise trick comes in to help you burn off this “residual” fat that’s floating around in the blood stream.

Here’s a sneaky way to take advantage of this environment.

1. Warm up for 5 minutes (lowers insulin, prevents injury, increases blood flow).
2. Perform five 10 to 30 seconds intervals (bursts or sprints) with about 30 seconds to a minute recovery in between to help bread apart and release stubborn fat.
3. Walk slow for 5 minutes while the free fatty acids pour into your blood stream.  Now you’re in the perfect spot to burn off these residual free fatty acids that are floating around.
4. Perform five to ten more 30 – 45 second bursts (to keep the body releasing hormones).
5. Now it’s time for the steady state cardio trick. Make sure you walk or slow jog for 2 to 5 minutes in between each burst to burn off all the residual free fatty acids.
6. Cool down for a few minutes at the end.

The entire workout should take about 30 minutes.

IMPORTANT: This is an advanced technique and should only be done 2 or 3 times a week max. IF you go crazy and try this everyday it will backfire. You’ll over train, possibly get injured, and your body will end up fighting against fat loss.

This how you can use old-school slow, boring cardio to prevent “re-esterfication” and burn off more stubborn fat.

Pretty cool trick.

I go into much greater detail about how this entire process works and give you two other strategic bursting protocols in my brand new *free* report I put together for you.

==> The Stubborn Fat Protocol (SFP) <== No email required

The human body is sometimes a weird and wacky and it wants to hang on to fat with all its might. That’s why techniques like this are so important. It will prevent you from “re-storing” all the fat you just worked so hard to release.

This especially happens if you’re trying to get rid of lower Ab fat, or what we usually refer to as “stubborn” fat.

That’s why I through together this report for you. So you can avoid plateaus and keep your body burning fat in the right areas – instead of burning up muscle or suffering from “re-esterfication”.

Make sure you hit the “like” button and share this with everybody else who’s trying to maximize their results. Also, go ahead and drop a comment below if you have a question or you have any feedback.

Enjoy the FREE stuff and have an awesome weekend!

Shaun

 

Right Click and Save As To Download==> The Stubborn Fat Protocol

You heard it right. I truly do “hate” New Year’s.

Well – kind of. It’s really a “love-hate” relationship.

And after 12+ years of teaching fat loss to thousands of people I’ve identified 4 valid reasons I absolutely despise New Year’s.

I hate them ALL. Every. Single. Reason.

Why?

Because they all require some type of sacrifice.

And they also require consistent EFFORT and PLANNING. I know. NOT what we want to hear, but it’s the harsh reality of the world that we live in.

And if you want this to be your “best” year ever, it’s on you.

So here they are. FOUR reasons I hate New Years.

Reason #1: You HAVE To Set MEANINGFUL Goals!

You’ll never hit a bull’s eye if you don’t know what you’re aiming at or what direction your headed.

Pretty much every single person that I’ve ever worked with has told me they want to “lose weight” and “tone up”. But they never drill down deep, get to the heart of the matter, and set a specific goal that gets them excited enough to follow through.

Abraham Lincoln once said: “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

I couldn’t agree more. Especially when it comes to weight loss. The problem? Most people don’t even know how to set goals properly, let alone achieve them.

Why should we even bother setting goals in the first place? Here are a few of the many reasons:

1. Goals serve as a road map for us to live by.
2. Goals give us a sense of purpose and fulfillment every day.
3. Goals are guaranteed to improve your overall quality of life.

There’s a specific formula to use when structuring your goals. It’s called the S.M.A.R.T. formula. If you’ve never learned about this formula, here’s a quick overview of how it works:

• Specific. Break them down. When, where, what time, how much, etc.
• Measurable. You can’t track if you don’t consistently measure. Tracking and measuring equals consistent progress.
• Action-oriented. They’re always based on some type of action.
• Realistic. You need to make sure you stretch and push yourself out of your comfort zone a little, but make sure you’re not unrealistic. Otherwise you could self sabotage your goals. This is different for every person.
• Time-bound. (with a deadline) 1 year, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, etc

This is the same exact formula I use with all my premium fat loss coaching clients. We help you set specific, measurable goals and of course, deadlines to meet those goals.

We also track your results every single week just in case we need to re-evaluate and adjust your goals.

“You’re either regressing or growing, nothing stands still – so block off some time now to set your goals!”

Reason #2: You HAVE To Find REAL Motivation!

One of the most powerful ways to get motivated and follow through is finding your big “why”. Your reason “why” typically goes much deeper than something physical like, “I want to lose weight, feel better, and fit into my skinny jeans again.”

It usually involves some type of emotional triggers; things like relationships, self esteem, or even serious health challenges. Most of you know my story by now, but for our new followers, it was my relationship with my daughter…

I wanted more than anything to actively be a father and consistently be a part of my daughter’s life. In fact, it became the motivating factor that allowed me to be selected as a Grand Champion 1st Runner-up in the now famous Body for LIFE™ contest.

I ended up losing almost 20 pounds of fat while simultaneously gaining 5 pounds of lean calorie burning muscle in only 12 short weeks…all while cutting my exercise time in half.

Honestly, the physical transformation pales in comparison to what happen to every other area of my life. I’m happy to report my daughter is now 19 and we have an awesome relationship. This is the REAL reward.

It also serves as just a small example of what can happen to you when you’re given the right motivation. Finding a powerful enough reason “why” is how you can easily break through exercise and nutrition procrastination.

You have to know “why” you want to reach your goal. If you don’t, you’ll never commit 100% and you’ll will wimp out the second the going gets tough.

So ask yourself why is it so important for you to finally “tone up” and “lose weight”. How is this going to improve the quality of your life?

How will you feel? How can you take all of the newly found confidence and energy to inspire your friends and family to do the same!

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or follow a crash diet. You just have to plug into a proven system and stay motivated enough to follow through.

“There are two ways to learn – Mistakes and Mentors. Following a mentor is much, much easier that the insanity of making the same ole’ mistakes.”

Reason #3: You HAVE To Follow A PROVEN Plan!

Sorry, showing up to the gym or getting on a treadmill isn’t going to cut. It never has. You NEED strategy. Bummer – I know, but you can’t just “show up” and expect a breakthrough. It’s all about having a proven plan to follow.

So once you have your goals set and you’re motivated, you have to follow a proven plan. It’s not about reinventing the wheel. Just look at who has been successful and mimic their behaviors.

Simple. Not easy – but it truly can be simple.

One thing I learned years ago is that more is NOT better when it comes to exercise.

I recommend about 4 to 6 hours of exercise a week – max. That is only 3% of your time.

And if you knew you could invest 3% of your time to automatically increase the rewards and focus ten fold in every other area of your life, would you commit?

Of course you would! And if you can’t commit 3% of your time to reaching your goals then you probably aren’t ready to commit.

Next, you have to use a plan that addresses every aspect of fat loss.

Most folks will try to eat right, but skip the workouts. Other people exercise like a machine, but eat like crap. Still others will completely leave out strength training, which is one of the most important aspects of fat loss.

In other words, cardio/intervals, strength training, or nutrition all by themselves won’t do diddly.

It’s the SYNERGISTIC approach of using all 3 of these things consistently that really forces your body to feed on ugly body fat and allows you to build habits that last for 2012.

Always remember that nutrition will always give you the most bang for your buck (there are times, where nutrition can easily add up to a whopping 75% of your total results).

In other words, you also have to commit to changing your eating habits. SHOCKING – I know.

Sometimes when life gets hectic, you can slack a little bit on workouts, but you’ll never see visible fat loss results unless you’re consistent with nutrition.

“Half of getting what you want, is knowing what you have to give up to get it.”

REASON #4: You HAVE To Use An Accountability System

In my 20+ year journey as both an entrepreneur and fitness expert, I have struggled with the balance between my passion for fitness and my desire to succeed in business and my personal life.

I’ve had times where I’ve failed miserably and I’ve had times where I’ve accomplished things I never thought were possible.

Soooooo…what was the difference between the successes and failures?
One word: ACCOUNTABILITY.

Everyone needs someone to be accountable to. It’s one of the secrets of the fat loss journey!

To illustrate my point, just look at the true definition of accountability and let it resonate for a minute.

ac•count•a•bil•i•ty
-noun
the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.

REAL accountability is the key to taking your results to a new level and finding a healthy balance between your personal life, your business life, and a fat loss lifestyle.

In order for you to be successful in business, you have to hold yourself accountable to certain daily tasks and/or large projects.

When it comes to being a parent or a mate, we also hold ourselves accountable to spending time with our children and our significant others.

If you don’t have accountability, your business and financial life will suffer right along with your relationships and family life.

The same is true with exercise, nutrition, and your health.

Most people fail with keeping the weight off because they lack an accountability system. One thing we highly recommend is letting everyone you know, (family, friends, co-workers) exactly what your goals are and WHEN you’re going to reach them!

Be careful. There are few negative people in this world…and they move around a LOT.

In other words, I recommend being very selective with whom you decide to share your goals. Invest your energy and time with people who support your goals.

This will definitely hold you accountable because every time you see them the first thing they are going to ask is how are you doing and have you reached your goal yet?

The Final Analysis

There will never be a perfect time in your life to begin developing fat loss and fitness habits, but New Years is sometimes a painful reminder of the sacrifices necessary to make 2012 your best year ever.

The best thing you can do is seek and find an accountability system that best fits your personality.

I have all kinds of unique tricks and techniques to accelerate your rate of fat loss – BUT…the best one is the one that you’re willing to make a commitment to and be consistent with.

Most programs and diets out there will get you at least some results, if you stick to them.

If you’ve followed our blog for any amount of time you probably know by now that our workouts are unique, fun, and based on science, but if you don’t commit and stay consistent they will only take you so far.

Anybody can find a nutrition plan to follow and a workout to do.

The real secret is to find a place where they motivate you, inspire you and help you become the best you that you can be.

Everyday I wake up with this one goal in mind.

There’s a bazillion ways to skin the cat. After you follow the steps above, it’s all about EFFORT and how much you are willing to give of yourself!

Maybe you can do this on your own. But I can tell you from experience it’s way more fun with the support of people who care along with a proven system to follow.

And once you make the decision, your goal is already achieved! It just hasn’t arrived yet!

Getting the body you want and the healthy lifestyle you desire is more important than ever in today’s busy world of information overload. It’s the ability to figure out what’s going to get you to your goals fastest – and then learning how to say “no” to all the other scams and quick fixes.

Always remember: “There is no gain without pain.” (Benjamin Franklin)

It isn’t just about having a plan…it’s about following through.

And this stuff works on every person who decides to take action.

I call these people 3%ers. Who are the 3%ers? People who follow the 4 steps above and actually get off their lazy you-know-what and do something.

But sometimes it hurts because you have to delay selfish gratification. I wish I could tell you it was easy. That it works OVER NIGHT.

Or…that you could just “pop a pill”.

Or you could eat pizza and ice cream all day. Ya, that’s what I wish I could invent; “The Hamburger and Ice Cream Diet”.

No planning. No work. No sweat. Easy-Cheesy.

That’s why I HATE New Year’s.

Because whether it’s your body, your health, or ANY area of your life – “easy” doesn’t exist.

And it never will.

And because you and I both know that it’s impossible to get the body of your dreams without effort AND the right strategy, it’s mandatory to take an “inside out” approach.

Happy New Year!

Your friend and coach,

Shaun

Introducing…The Creatine Phosphate System

In Part I & II of this series on Advanced Interval Sequencing™, I introduced you to 2 systems that actually “feed” each other to enhance the fat burning effects of your cardio workouts.

First, I talked about why you NEED slow boring cardio at least one time per week. We call this sequence the aerobic/endurance A/E (aka – steady state) system.

Second, I revealed the system that most people totally ignore – the Threshold system, which is responsible for preventing “adaptation” or plateaus.

Today I’m back with Part 3, the creatine phosphate system, which ties it all together and can literally explode your results – when it’s applied properly.

This sequence reveals an approach that is FAR superior than traditional interval training, but very few understand how to “access” the hormonal benefits of this system properly.

This is the second anaerobic energy system and it fuels maximum and near-maximum efforts such as sprints or metabolic bursts.

Only tiny amounts of creatine phosphate are stored in the muscles, so this energy system cannot support efforts lasting much longer than 10 to 30 seconds.

This type of intensity and workout tends to burn more calories per minute than all workouts of lesser intensity. As you probably already know, they also keep the body’s metabolic rate elevated for hours after the workout.

Aerobic and threshold exercise can cause a similar “after burn” effect, but it is not as pronounced.

However, this does not mean you should do only sprint-intensity cardio workouts if your goal is weight loss and you have limited time to work out. Bursting and sprint workouts are too stressful to perform more than two to three times a week, and remember, they’re only effective when they build on an aerobic foundation.

Sprinting or bursting workouts are also an excellent supplement to strength training because they condition the same energy system and develop the same muscle fibers.

After some practice, you can put a greater emphasis on this type of training – but you must “build” up to it.

Just click the play button above and I reveal ALL the details about how this works and how you can use it to save time and TRIPLE your fat loss.

There are a few BIG lessons you’ll discover about your long term fat loss in today’s video.

Yes – it’s THAT important.

Now that we’ve covered all 3 Advanced Interval Sequencing™ systems, here’s how you can turn this philosophy and approach into a “lifestyle” so your results are actually guaranteed.

Just click the link below and grab your risk free hard copy DVDs of the newly released 24/7 Fat Loss system from my friends Joel Marion and Craig Ballantyne.

As soon as you place your order, just send your receipt to support (at) get leanin12.com and we’ll instantly “hook you up” with my FREE bonus:

Advanced Interval Sequencing™ Guide – PLATEAU BUSTERS.

==> 24/7 Fat Loss Hard Copy DVDs + PLATEAU BUSTERS (Free) <== 2 day sale

==> 24/7 Fat Loss Hard Copy DVDs + PLATEAU BUSTERS (Free) <== TWO days only

I Take This Stuff Personal…( The Circle of Life)

So many people place such a priority on making money or pursuing things for personal gain that they forget how to maintain optimum balance in their lives.

I’m so passionate about today’s post that I even created a *free* pdf for you to download (see below) so you can measure, track, and apply this technique to live a better life.

If you’re anything like me, sometimes life gets a little hectic and out of balance.

This is usually when exercise and nutrition slip to the bottom of the “to do” list and the next thing we know it’s 10 pounds later. Yikes!

Let’s just look at all the areas we have to pay attention to on a daily and weekly basis.

• Family and Relationships
• Love Life or Marriage
• Health and Fat Loss
• Career, Hobbies, or Passions
• Mental / Education (Personal Growth)
• Money and Finance
• Spiritual Growth

Gets me overwhelmed just looking at the list. You?

This is something that typically affects everyone. In other words, if you breathe and have a pulse, you probably struggle with balance in your life.

Welcome to the reality of today’s fast moving day and age.

What if there was a simple, 5-minute exercise that you could do to get your life right back on track?

Today, I’m going to share a very powerful little tool you can use to automatically keep your life balanced.

We call it the Circle of Life, and it’s a great “wake-up” call for a lot of people.

But first, I want to focus on the one key area that will positively impact and fuel every other area.

What is it? Health and Fat Loss.

If you give your health and your fat loss consistent attention, several things will happen – automatically.

1. You’ll create more time in your schedule for the other areas.
2. You’ll have more energy and focus to serve the other areas.
3. You’ll always maintain a P.M.A. and avoid P.L.O.M. (Poor Little Ole’ Me) disease.
4. You’ll live longer, feel better, and exude unstoppable confidence.

We have found over the years that the discipline and energy you use to make time for your health and fat loss will automatically move into the other areas.

Most people think the exact opposite.

They say:

“I don’t have time to exercise.” Or
“I’m an emotional eater.” Or
“I don’t have enough energy or motivation to follow through” Or
“I’ll start next week.” Or
“I’m just not into it right now.”

Sound familiar? Puuuleeeease don’t fall for this trap.

Make exercise and healthy eating a priority and your life will become MORE balanced…not LESS.

It’s a weird phenomenon, but it works. EVERY. TIME.

Ok, back to the Circle of Life.

You’re gonna love this…

Here’s how it works.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each of the key areas of your life on the Circle. (See video above.)

The number 1 means you’re failing miserably and not giving that area any attention.

The number 10 means you’ve achieved everything you want to achieve in this area you’re giving it your full attention.

Personally, I’m never a “10” in any area because I should always be improving.

In other words, if you’re a “10”, it should mean that you’re dead because you’re either regressing or growing. Nothing stands still.

Here’s your download. Just click this link, print this bad boy out and make copies.

Click Here and Download Your Very Own Circle of Life

Now, let’s talk about how it works so you can instantly improve your quality of life.

After you’ve rated yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, connect the dots.

You’ll automatically see where your circle is off-balance and you can arrange your schedule to give the neglected areas the attention they deserve.

We recommend that you use this tool at least 4 times a year to give yourself a check up from the neck up.

No matter how hard we try, some areas will always be out-of-balance a little bit. It’s the nature of the beast.

BUT, just by using this tool you can track what’s going on before your life gets out of control.

It’s one of the secrets of the journey!

Now it’s comment time. Here’s what I need you to do.

1. Let me know what area needs your attention.
2. How do you keep your life balanced?
3. Anything else that you like about this post…

Be your best,

Shaun

P.S. Don’t forfeit your soul for things that don’t have eternal value. USE this tool. It works!

Now Is the PERFECT Time To Try This…

Welcome back!

In today’s short, eye opening video you’ll learn all about Sequence 2: Threshold.

A “hidden” metabolic system to help you access, release, and burn more stubborn body fat.

And since the holidays are right around the corner, NOW is the perfect time to try this Advanced Interval Sequencing™ approach.

You see, by using the sequencing technique in today’s video you’ll force your metabolism to burn a combination of glycogen (carbs) and fat, which prevents exercise “adaptation”, creates more of an overall calorie deficit during and after the workout, and helps prevent the boredom that we associate with traditional cardio.

Here’s A Quick Summary of the Science:

When using the Threshold system you enter anaerobic glycolysis, where glucose is broken down for energy without the use of oxygen.

This process is faster than aerobic metabolism, so it can support higher-intensity efforts. However, glycolysis produces metabolic waste products that inhibit muscle contractions, resulting in exhaustion.

The aerobic system can use these waste products as fuels, but when exercise intensity crosses a certain threshold, wastes are produced faster than they can be used. They then accumulate in the muscles, which begin to “burn” and feel weak, and pretty soon you’re pooped.

Working out at an intensity level that is slightly above this threshold also carries significant benefits. To begin with, it simply enhances the cardiovascular benefits that come from aerobic training.

But by adding threshold workouts into your program, you can continue your progress and prevent plateaus.

Threshold workouts are also very effective in transforming body composition.

They burn calories at a faster rate than aerobic workouts, so they represent the “middle of the road” when it comes time-efficiency and exercise.

IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that threshold workouts are only beneficial when they build on a base of aerobic training (Sequence 1: Aerobic/Endurance A/E, aka – Steady State).

For more serious exercisers and athletes, training in the Threshold Sequence greatly enhances the body’s ability to recover between short, hard efforts in a workout or while performing sequence 3 intervals (revealed on the next blog post).

This allows you to do more advanced workouts and get a more pronounced effect from them.

Hence, the term I’ve coined Advanced Interval Sequencing™.

Just click the play button and I’ll give you all the details and reveal exactly how you can apply this sequence.

Lastly, I’ve developed an entire manual based on this approach. And when you grab 24/7 Fat Loss through my link below…I’ll instantly hook you up with my brand new guide: PLATEAU BUSTERS: Advanced Interval Sequencing™

An 8 Week Progressive Exercise Guide Strategically Designed To ATTACK And Burn Stubborn Body Fat.

==> 24/7 Fat Loss + PLATEAU BUSTERS FREE <==

Just send a copy of your email receipt to support (at) getleanin12 and we’ll hook you up with my brand new manual.

In the next blog post, I’ll be back with Sequence III: The Creatine Phosphate System. By far, my favorite one!

Thanks for reading this post! Make sure you “like” it and leave a comment and let me know what you think…

Instantly Yield FASTER Results from Your Exercise Efforts…

Hey everybody! Hope you’re awesome.

Today I have a short presentation, which shows you how to instantly yield FASTER results from your cardio and/or interval approach.

Simply put, this tried and true technique forces the release of massive amounts of free fatty acids into the bloodstream and melts them off through an advanced protocol that’s scientifically proven.

Additionally, did you know there are actually 3 DIFFERENT metabolic systems you can “access” with your cardio workouts to consistently overcome exercise adaptation?

Best of all, this unique approach will help you “target” lower belly fat (the muffin top, pooch or keg), lower back fat (saddle bags), and even hip and butt fat (the dreaded pear syndrome).

I’m sure you’ve heard by now (cuz it’s all over the interweb) that 24/7 Fat Loss is officially “live”, and when you grab it through the link below you’ll also get my brand new Advanced Interval Sequencing™ guide, Plateau Busters for FREE!

Yes…I’m trying to bribe you, but it’s an ethical bribe loaded with value

24/7 Fat Loss + Plateau Busters <—- click here for the latest and greatest in fat burning science

Let’s quickly touch on how my new Advanced Interval Sequencing™ is different and why it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.

So here’s the dealio…

Plateau Busters is an 8 Week Progressive Interval Sequencing™ Guide Strategically Designed To ATTACK and “Burn Off” Stubborn Body Fat.

How is this different?

Just take a look at what you’ll get inside my new guide:

• An introduction to the most advanced and powerful fat burning interval protocol on the planet: The Ultimate Cardio Sequence 2.0 (along with the original game changer – The Ultimate Cardio Sequence 1.0)

• My Ab Targeted Cardio (ATC) workout (NEVER released to the public until now) which is strategically set up to increase blood flow so you can burn stubborn fat from the stomach area while working in synergy with Interval Sequencing™

• 24 workouts set up in a specific order to yield the fastest results possible from an 8 week interval program

24/7 Fat Loss + Plateau Busters (*FREE*) <——— click here

You’ll also discover exactly how to access the 3 metabolic systems I touch on in today’s video to overcome exercise adaptation (aka – the dreaded exercise and diet plateau).

I can assure you; this is unlike any type of interval training you’ve ever tried before.

The final result after 8 weeks: Defined upper (and even lower) abs and a lean toned stomach. I’ve been using this strategy with my local clients here in Michigan and the results are blowing people away.

So right now you can get your hands on Advanced Interval Sequencing™ for FREE when you grab 24/7 Fat Loss risk free through this link:

24/7 Fat Loss + Plateau Busters <——– huge value – click here

Just forward your receipt to support [at] getleanin12.com and we’ll instantly “hook you up”.

And “hey” – if you decide 24/7 Fat Loss is NOT for you, THAT’S cool too!

At least watch today’s video and share it with everybody if you “like” it and I’ll be back in a few days with more details on this sneaky approach.

Enjoy,

Shaun

P.S. I’m pretty damn proud of this new guide and a LOT of research and real world in-the-trenches application went into creating it for you…so do yourself a favor this holiday season -

KEEP the weight off.

24/7 Fat Loss + Plateau Busters <——– Burn de stubborn fat!