Back in my “bigger” days when I weighed almost 250 pounds, I worked part time as a bouncer in the largest night club in Toronto, called The Guvernment.

Of course there were a lot of other big fat guys like me working as bouncers there also…

But there was this one guy, Steve, that I used to carpool with from time to time.  Steve was not only big and muscular, but he was completely ripped.  If I had to guess, I’d say his bodyfat percentage was around 6%.  Not only that, but he ALWAYS looked exactly the same.

We’d often leave work around 3AM, and hit up the McDonalds at Bayview and Major Mack.  I might try to be conservative and eat only a cheeseburger and a small fries(eating at McDonald’s is bad enough, eating a lot before bed is one of the easiest ways to pack on a lot of fat).

Steve always ordered the same thing: Two quarter pounders with cheese, a LARGE coke (not diet), and LARGE fries.  A couple of times he even ordered Chicken McNuggets IN ADDITION to that first order!

Now you might think that this was occasional thing for Steve.  I mean sure, it makes sense, I teach my success stories that they need to incorporate a cheat meal as part of their regular routine.  However, I have it on good authority that Steve ALWAYS eats like that.  As a matter of fact, I would say that he consistently broke every fat loss rule known to mankind.

He ate only two or three times a day, bigger meals generally, and usually ate at fast food joints and restaurants.  He almost never drank any water, but primarily fruit juices and pops.  And although he worked out regularly, he didn’t spend that much time working out…maybe about an hour, three or four times a week…And he NEVER did cardio.

How is that possible?

About 1% of the population possesses such amazing genetics that it allows them to be lean and muscular, NO – MATTER – WHAT!  Steve was one of those types.  Have you ever met someone like that?

BASTARDS.

I should mention that during this time I was trying to get leaner.  If I ate so much as two slices of organic, hand-milled spelt bread (my obsession at the time) with my meal, twice a day, my weight loss progress was slow and painful.  Steve was a great guy, but in truth, I hated him for that!

I was envious.  I cursed my slow metabolism!

Maybe you can relate.  It almost felt like “what’s the point?  It’s so hard for me to lose weight.  Maybe I’m just not destined to be lean.”  It was like my metabolism was working
against me.

The worst part is, it seems to get even harder as we get older!

As hormones change and our lean muscle declines it becomes more and more of a challenge to burn fat.  I became somewhat fixated on trying to understand how some people just made it look so easy.  I researched topics relating to metabolism and how our bodies burn calories.  That’s when I figured out that most of us effectively train our metabolism to work against us…

While we will likely never be a part of  that lucky 1%, each one of us can take control of, and dramatically raise our metabolism.  Here’s a few quick tips on how:

• Always eat breakfast (it’s like jump starting your metabolism)
• Always eat protein (protein causes your body to burn more calories in the act of digestion)
• Regular small meals (trains your body to burn calories at a faster rate)
• Find out which foods you like which are low-glycemic index (keeps you in the fat-burning zone)
• Find out which foods you like are anti-inflammatory (e.g. yams, fish, nuts, blueberries – improves metabolism boosting hormones)
• Drink water (encourages better utilization of fat calories)
• Shorter, more intense workouts (keeps you at a higher rate of burn long after the workout is finished)
• RULE #1: Always have a concern for keeping muscle as you lose fat (muscle burns calories!)

These are just a few general suggestions.  I’ve discovered many that will be very specific to YOU and YOUR BODY TYPE.

If you’ve ever felt like you have a slow metabolism, I understand, I used to think so too.  But the reality is that you can train your metabolism to work FOR you.

That’s exactly what our programs are designed to do, and they’re proven to work by our long list of success stories. 

Getting in great shape doesn’t have to be a slow and painful process.

You can, using the strategies we teach, turn back the clock and get back the metabolism you had in your twenties, maybe even your teenage years!

You may never be like Steve, but you don’t have to be like I was.  You can and WILL gain total control of your body by getting involved in our programs.

To Enhancing Your Metabolism,

Conor Kelly

P.S.  If you haven’t already taken advantage of your complimentary trial with one of our elite coaches, now’s the time to take action.  You have nothing to lose except your
sluggish metabolism.

Simply reply to the email that brought your here today, or call us at (416) 220-7883 and we’ll get you on the schedule.

With all due respect to my wonderful catholic upbringing, today’s blog is about the “7 deadly sins” of fat loss.

Deadly Sin #1: Eating late. Got the munchies? The calories we consume in the second half of the day or evening are the most damaging because you are less active and your body has no chance to burn them off.

Whether it’s cultural or just a bad habit, most people I meet, that struggle with fat loss, are getting the majority of their calories late in the day.

In my seminars I refer to this as the “Sumo Wrestler’s” diet – if enough of you leave comments below I’ll write another post just on that, because it really drives the point home!

Deadly Sin # 2: Skipping breakfast. BIG mistake. Skipping your breakfast, or any meal for that matter, is training your body to store fat more efficiently.

Breakfast is meant to “break” your “fast”. By not having it, you’re telling your body, “let’s keep fasting”! To which it responds, “Really? Then I’ll need to protect my fat stores so we can survive longer without food.”

By “protect” we mean “store more fat, more easily”. Not a happy situation.

Deadly Sin #3: Not drinking enough water. This one can be tough if you either don’t like the taste, or you don’t have the habit of drinking water. But, if there ever was a nectar of life, it’s good ‘ol H20.

It’s needed for so many functions in the body, and especially to aid in metabolism. Letting yourself get dehydrated is like putting sand in the gas tank of your fat-burning engine. You won’t get very far.

I recommend 2-3 litres per day, and if you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll need to drink more water to compensate.

Deadly Sin #4: Not getting enough sleep. I don’t know about you, but I definitely like my beauty rest. It’s not a coincidence that they call it “beauty rest” either, because it will help you burn more fat and look much better.

I appreciate sleep and what it does for me, that’s why I schedule that first into my calendar each week.

Seriously.

It’s that important.

Not only will getting enough sleep boost your energy and recovery from workouts, but it helps establish a healthy hormonal balance which is much more conducive burning fat. Plus, research shows there’s a strong connection between lack of sleep and bad food choices, or overeating.

The defense rests.

Deadly Sin #5: Sugar + Fat = Fatter you. Watch out for high glycemic index carbohydrates combined with (especially) saturated fats.

Pastries, cookies, muffins, bagels, bread and butter, even cereals and granola bars will put the kibosh on your fat-burning efforts.

That’s because sugars promote fat storage, and fat calories + increased fat storage equals, well, you get the picture.  We use a great visual which helps explain this at in our coaching sessions.  You’ll also learn how to sniff out hidden sugars on food labels.

Deadly Sin #6: Drinking Alcohol. Combine the same fat-storing properties that sugar has with a whole whack of empty calories, and you’ll start to get an idea of why alcohol is death to your fat loss program.

What makes it worse usually is the kinds of foods we combine with alcohol, the heavy dinners, or fatty pub fare.

Drinking your calories in general is not a good idea. Fruit juices and soft drinks will equally trip you up. More empty calories that are not at all filling…that’s called wasting precious calories! You only get so much, especially if your goal is fat loss, so make ‘em count.

Deadly Sin #7: Not planning ahead. Don’t get caught unprepared. The most convenient choice is not likely to also be the most supportive. Think ahead to where you’ll be and commit to preparing meals and snacks to bring with you. If that doesn’t work for you, we have a handy, healthy (and organic) meal delivery service that gets you the right meals, ready to eat. For more info call us at (416) 220-7883.

Bottom line, flying by the seat of your pants when it comes to meals and snacks is a good way to get fatter, faster. A poor plan is better than no plan, a good plan is better than a poor one, and a great plan is better than a good plan…or something like that. : )

Bonus Deadly Sin: Not dumping the “head trash”.  Ok, so there were only seven Deadly Sins in the Bible, but this is an important point.  The #1 thing holding most peopl back from having the body they want are the myths, half-truths, and self-sabotaging beliefs which they hold to be true (hence the term “head trash”).  I know because I used to think like that.  I was a fat personal trainer. 

It’s not that I didn’t know how to lose fat, I was just stuck in certain patterns of thought.  Most, if not 100% of your progress depends on your ability to develop new and more supportive beliefs and thinking patterns.  Dump the unsupportive garbage.  Our program is one of the few places you’ll learn how to do that.

You may thinking to yourself, “these are all lifestyle factors which have nothing to do with my exercise routine…”

That’s right. That’s exactly what they are.

Not that you couldn’t make major mistakes with your workout routine, but lifestyle factors and nutrition are “the big kahunas” when it comes to fat loss.

And these are the cardinal sins.

To Your Success,

Conor Kelly – EVOLUTION FITNESS – (416) 220-7883

Back in 2005 I was an overweight personal trainer.

That’s not a typo…I was fat AND I was a personal trainer.

You see, when I was younger, all I cared about was getting big and strong, even if it meant getting fat.  As a strong man competitor, my bulk served me, but as a retired competitor, which I was by 2005, it almost killed me. 

Lethargy, depression, and a brutal case of sleep apnea made it so I had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.  Try to imagine how I felt teaching my clients about healthy habits when I was so unhealthy myself.

I felt somewhat like I imagine a broke financial advisor feels; pretty low on self-respect.

I was living alone in a crappy basement apartment in Richmond Hill, waking up to the screaming matches of the family upstairs (even being woken up by a very friendly police officer on a couple of occasions). 

I was stuck in a low-paying job, with no girlfriend (and few prospects!), hating the way I looked, and having very little motivation to do anything other than my Saturday strongman training sessions.

A low point for me was when I had the cable guy in one day for some maintenance, and in casual conversation he asked me what I do…I told him I was a personal trainer, to which he replied: “aren’t personal trainers supposed to fit?”

Ouch.

I immediately sucked in my belly and adjusted my clothes, “no-no, you just can’t tell how lean I am ’cause my t-shirt is baggy…”

Riiiiiiight.

Deep down I knew his question, despite being a bit ignorant, was valid.  I wasn’t fit enough for my profession.

I think that many of the success stories that we’ve worked with have had a similar moment, have you?  It’s one of those moments when someone said something and you just went, “holy crap! Am I fat?”

It happened to one lady I had just started training when someone asked her what her due date was…NEVER a good thing when you’re not pregnant! 

I’ve since come to believe that idiots like this, as much as we can’t stand them sometimes, do serve a purpose.  They can force us to acknowledge things about ourselves we don’t like, and which we could change.

HERE’S THE BIG SUCCESS TIP:

When something like this happens, you need to learn to let it fuel your desire for change, AS OPPOSED TO letting it discourage you.  When you’re able to do that, the pain of your current situation will help you increase your focus, as long as you imagine and concentrate on what you love about where you’re going.

In other words, such an event is really an opportunity to re-focus; to turn our attention away from something specific we don’t want, and toward what we do want.  It’s a great indicator that you’re off track and need to make a correction. 

If you can develop the habit of pivoting your thinking whenever something happens that you don’t want, these things will empower you to become crystal-clear and laser-focused on what you do want.  When your focus is alligned with what you want you’ll achieve your highest productivity.  You’ll take charge and create more situations in your life that make you feel good instead. 

I know because this was the first time I reacted in the right way, and used the incident to generate positive energy for taking action.  Otherwise, you could end up feeling sorry for yourself, going through a bucket of Ben & Jerry’s, and you’ve only made things worse.

Our greatest successes in life come from acknowledging our failures, and learning from them.

In fact, I’m grateful for the challenges I experienced back then, as they’ve made me who I am today.  I LOVE feeling confident about the way I look and having tons of energy.  When you feel like a million bucks, it makes life a lot more enjoyable.  I also know that I’m never going back to how I used to be – no way!

I’ve been fat, and I can tell you with all sincerity, that I prefer being fit.

You too can achieve anything you commit yourself to achieving.  Success is not that hard.  In every possible endeavor, and for every goal a person can have, there is someone who started where you are today and achieved it.

Success with your fitness program is no different; it’s a learnable skill.  All you need to do is follow the trail of those who have gone before you. 

If my story resonates with you, then you can be certain you’ll love our programs.  They’re based on what I did to succeed, and since then, hundreds of our trainees have followed in my footsteps.  They’ve shed the pounds and feel much better.

I know what it’s like to not feel comfortable in your own skin.  I’ve been there.  I believe in you, and I know you can learn how to change your body too.

I look forward to speaking with you,

Conor Kelly

P.S. If we don’t already have you booked for your complimentary trial session, simply call us at (416) 220-7883 or reply to this email and we’ll get you on the calendar.

P.P.S. No machine has ever been built, at any price, that’s as intricate or as beautiful as a human being – you are worth a lot more than a million bucks!  Take great care of that machine, and it’ll take great care of you!

Doing more with less is the new economic paradigm.  Companies are looking for ways to boost productivity while simultaneously lowering costs.  One of the most direct routes to achieving this is to improve the wellbeing and satisfaction of your employees by empowering them to become healthier.  To clarify, despite the title of this article, you cannot simply “make” anyone healthier; you need to provide them with the resources and encouragement to help them take the next step.

When we work with individuals in our private personal training practice, they’re usually seeking greater vitality and energy, as well as the freedom to have more confidence and enjoy a more active lifestyle.  In companies, organizational health means lower health insurance premiums, fewer sick days, increased productivity, and greater job satisfaction.(1)(2) This is definitely a case where, what’s good for the individual is great for the team as well.  That’s why the next few paragraphs will detail five strategies to make your organization more vibrant & effective by helping your employees improve their health.

1.       Adopt a Culture of Health.   The success of health initiatives, like any other, begins with its leadership.(3)  In any organization, it’s the people at the top that are responsible for the company culture.  In our company we developed a “code of honor” which all employees, from the CEO down to the janitor are responsible to uphold.  This is not a set of “commandments” sent down from on high, or rules and regulations put in place by management, rather a guiding set of standards which we’ve all agreed on, and to which everyone is accountable.  One of the rules states that every employee shall “commit to personal and professional development”.  Why not implement something referring to personal health which once agreed upon, must be upheld?  If you’re clear that you expect a certain conduct, it will show up.  Creating a culture of high performance in your company begins with a priority on health. 

2.       Make It Fun.  Let’s face it, if it’s not fun, we’re not likely to do it for very long, are we?  It’s human nature.  Employee engagement is of the highest order if health initiatives are to succeed on a large scale.(3) A big part of the process of keeping your employees engaged with your wellness program is finding ways to keep it fun.  You could create a company-wide “transformation contest” and monitor progress over a period of several weeks.  You could create a buddy-system to help enhance accountability.  You could do team-building events of a physical nature, such as a sports outing, a fitness boot camp class, or group yoga.  All these can be outsourced quite easily and at a relatively low cost, to help protect privacy as well (employees might prefer their managers not know how much they weigh, for example). 

3.       Keep It Simple.   Simplicity and accessibility are key components to a successful initiative.  Success tends to happen when we remove barriers or obstacles to taking action.  You might consider any number of strategies that are proven to work, such as switching out the vending machines with junk food to healthier options, partial reimbursements to employees who purchase gym memberships or work out with a personal trainer, or having a day each quarter when you offer complimentary health screenings.  Anything you can do to bring greater awareness to personal health matters.  Consider adding showering facilities and lockers on-site for employees who exercise before, during, or after work.  In general, the more resources you can offer, the more likely you are to have people take advantage of them.(4)  A great suggestion would be to poll your employees to get ideas on what changes they would most like to see or most respond to. 

4.       Offer Education.  Education is the enemy of misinformation.  Most people want to do the right thing when it comes to their health, but they don’t know where to start.  There is so much conflicting information available, and it is a case of information overload.  Someone who is confused will not take action.  People are much more likely to take action on something they believe they can control.  That’s why it is so important to make good health education available to your organization.  Bring in experts to speak on different topics relating to health.  The “lunch-and-learn” is always a big winner.  I’ve done nearly 100 as a speaker in the last two years, and they always succeed in transforming the culture, especially if done consistently over time.  Make information and resources (contact info for gyms and different health professionals, audio recordings, webinars, books, instructional videos) available internally.  Again, the more you can do to make these tools accessible to everyone, the more likely your organization will be to comply. 

5.       Take Small Steps.  Like any major change, there is always an adjustment period involved.  Using employee feedback throughout this process is invaluable.  This allows the organization to redirect course quickly and identify what works, or how engaged people are.  Allow time for the necessary changes to manifest, but stay the course, as the potential benefits far outweigh any short term pain or problems that may occur. 

Engaging a group is not that different from working with an individual one-on-one.  The same principles apply.  Your wellness initiatives need to incorporate fun to be engaging.  Action steps needs to be straightforward and accessible to everyone.  You must begin with clear objectives and keep accountability high, or else old habits will creep back in!

In the same way people claim they “don’t have time” to commit to their health and fitness, some organization are unwilling to commit sufficient time and resources to employee health programs.  I urge you to challenge these sorts of assumptions.  The individual that is committed to their own health actually gains time by becoming more productive, and enhancing their ability to concentrate.  The organization that commits to health gains a workforce that is more productive and happier.  People are the “life-blood” of any successful venture, and just as healthy heart – which pumps more blood with every beat – accomplishes more with less, a healthy team acts to succeed at a higher level with less effort!

 References:

(1) Chapman, L., Proof Positive: Analysis of the Cost Effectiveness of Wellness, 3rd Edition. Seattle: Summex Corporation, 1996

(2) “Economic Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs”, HRresources.com

(3) “12 Case Studies on Innovative Workplace Health Initiatives”, Canadian Labour and Business Centre, November 2002

 (4) “The EAW Wellness Model”, Northern Arizona University, Office of Employee Assistance and Wellness, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011. www.nau.edu.org

About the author:

Toronto personal trainer and Evolution Fitness owner, Conor Kelly, is a leading speaker and one of Toronto’s most active supporters of employee health initiatives.  He has presented for over 60 companies in the GTA, including many of Toronto’s top corporations, such as The Ontario Ministry of The Attorney General, Maple Leaf Canada, and The University of Toronto.

His highly acclaimed “Stop The Confusion” lunch-and-learn talk is the definitive answer for empowering your employees to become more productive and enjoy better health by learning supportive eating habits, effective exercise techniques, and losing weight.

For more information on Conor Kelly’s lunch-and-learn talks click here.  To book Conor to speak to your group, call (416) 220-7883, email info@personaltrainerstoronto.com ,  or fill out our contact form at the bottom of this page.