They say variety is the “spice of life.”

But it seems that when it comes to food, “boring” is the way to go.

I’ve just come across a 2011 study published in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition that suggests being boring with your food choices can help you lose the kilo’s. [1]

For this study, researchers set out to investigate long-term food habituation in obese and non-obese people.

So we’re on the same page, let me give you a brief explanation of what habituation is.

Simply put, it’s when a repeated action no longer produces the same result.

A quick example… do you drink coffee?

If so, you can probably think back to the time when you tried your first cup of joe. Chances are you felt jittery, and maybe even felt your heart beat a little faster.

But if you kept on drinking coffee, chances are you felt that kind of reaction less and less. And you’ve probably noticed that the more coffee you drink, the more it takes for you to stay “awake” and get the effects of the caffeine.

This is habituation. Your body’s receptors become less responsive to the caffeine, so it takes more of it to get a response.

So this study wanted to see what happens when you’re exposed to the same food, again and again.

The researchers in this study recruited 32 women.

Half were obese and the other half were not. They were randomly divided into two groups:

Group 1 was the “Weekly Group.” This group of women participated in once-a-week experimental food exposure. This lasted for five weeks.

Group 2 was the “Daily Group.” They participated in the same experimental food exposure for just five consecutive days.

During the experimental food exposure sessions, the women were asked to complete a series of tasks, after which they were given a 125-calorie portion of macaroni and cheese.

The women were allowed to complete more tasks in order to receive more food, with no limit placed on how much more food they could “work” for.

As you may have guessed, the “Weekly Group” increased their total caloric intake by almost 30 calories a day.

The “Daily Group” decreased their caloric intake by 100-calories a day.

Also, it’s important to note that there were no significant differences in how obese women responded versus non-obese participants.

This study suggests what many of us have suspected… making the same food choices on a regular basis will help you eat less!

Sure, it might be a little boring. But if your goal is to lose weight this coming year and get in the best shape of your life, it might be worth your while.

Plus, if you analyze most people who successfully make a dramatic physique transformation, you’ll find that the majority of them eat the same foods day in and day out.

Once you’re in “maintenance” mode, then you can go back to putting in a little more variety and mix things up accordingly.

I’ve got a real treat for you today. Have you ever wondered how you’re supposed to make those last few stubborn kilo’s of fat come off?

Well, the solution is pretty simple — although a little backwards (you’ll see what I mean once you know what it is).

Everyone faces it at one time or another…

The dreaded fat-loss plateau. That’s when things are going great, you’re making progress and then BAM! — your body leaves you scratching your head, wondering why it won’t budge that last little bit.

Today, I’d like to give you a fun little “trick” that works with your body’s biochemistry. This trick helps get your body moving in the direction you want it to… a fitter, trimmer YOU!

Ready to say goodbye to those last 5 or so stubborn kilo’s that won’t come off?

Great. Let’s get started…

The key to losing that last bit of fat has to do with a hormone called leptin.

Right now, you’re probably thinking, “lepti-what?”

Let me explain.

Leptin is a fairly recent discovery as far as hormones go (it was first discovered in 1994).

It’s main job function is as a ”starvation hormone.”

Basically, when you’re body senses it’s starving, leptin kicks in. It sends a signal to your brain that tells your body to be VERY hungry and start eating like a bear.

It also lets your body know that it needs to hang on to fat at ANY cost. So the majority of the calories you eat are then programmed to go to fat storage during this “starvation” phase.

Once your body reaches what it thinks is equilibrium, leptin tells your brain to stop eating and stop storing fat. Then it shuts off — only to be awakened once starvation mode kicks in again.

So leptin acts kind of like a fat “thermostat.”

When your body senses it’s starving and it’s not getting enough calories like it’s used to getting, leptin kicks in to make you hungry and get you to eat. Once you’ve had enough, it shuts off and tells your brain to give you the “full” feeling.

Now here is how it’s responsible for stalling your fat loss efforts…

When you’re dieting, the calorie deficit causes your body’s leptin levels to plummet, triggering the starvation mode. It then sends the signal to your brain to be hungry and hang on to fat at all cost… (do you see where this is going)?

So your own body is working against you — especially if you’ve been dieting for a while and reached a plateau.

How do you break it?

You have a cheat meal, once a week. Eat ANYTHING you want for this meal. Hamburgers, fries, pizza, ice cream… whatever you’re craving.

Now, don’t make yourself sick. Don’t binge eat. Eat plenty, but when you’re full, stop.

Cheating like this raises your leptin levels naturally. Leptin then sends the signal to your brain that everything is “a-okay” and allows your body to start burning fat freely again.

Also, make sure your cheat meal includes plenty of carbs. Research suggests that leptin levels and carb intake are somehow closely linked together.

By eating plenty of carbs, you ensure that your leptin levels rise naturally.

So there you go. The simple act of cheating and having whatever you want once a week could be just what you need to lose that last little bit of stubborn fat!

Want to Lose that Stubborn Body Fat Like Eli May?

Click here for your free consult and get started today! ($87 Value)

Today Brisbane Personal Trainer Chris Tuck will show you how eliminating just one ‘food’ from your diet can do wonders for your health, fitness and fat-loss efforts.

In your kitchen right now lies one ‘food’ that can be wreaking havoc on your waistline and health.

It’s practically guaranteed you have this in your refrigerator and cupboards now as you read this.

And multiple studies have shown this one ‘food’ can be a cause of poor health and weight gain.

It literally is in practically everything.

What is it?

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS for short.)

Manufacturers use HFCS in everything — including bread, soft drinks, juices, “health” bars, chocolate, salad dressings, jam, tomato sauce — even beer!

The reason is that’s its cheaper to produce than real cane sugar. Plus it’s easier to transport.

You already know sugar isn’t good for you or your fat loss efforts. But HFCS takes things to a whole new level.

Mainly because its hidden in foods you think DON’T have sugar.

As you already know, eating sugary foods spikes your insulin levels. Constantly elevated insulin leads to things like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Pizza is one of the worst foods for this.

But the sugar in HFCS isn’t the only reason you want to stay away from it.

It can directly affect your health.

For example, HFCS is bad on your liver.

In one study published in the Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, rats were given HFCS in their diets.

The result?

The rats developed livers similar to those of raging alcoholics!

In short, HFCS caused the rats to show signs of Cirrhosis of the liver.

Bottom line: Whether your goal is health, fitness, a better body or all of the above, we here at New Farm Boot Camp recommend you avoid HFCS at all costs.

Here’s a few starting points:

Check the label. No matter what you buy at the supermarket, make sure you check the label. If it indeed contains high-fructose corn syrup, it will be in there (probably towards the end).

Avoid “low-fat” foods. Surprisingly, most health and low-fat foods are laden with HFCS. This is because since they’ve removed the fat, they have to make it taste good. The answer? You guessed it. HFCS! Remember, the least processed food is, the better it is for you and the harder it is for your body to turn to body fat.

Drink only water. 99.99% of all soft drinks, sports drinks, juices, etc. WILL contain HFCS as the main sweetener. Not only that but these are a source of empty, useless calories that will go straight to those hard-to-lose areas. Stay on the safe side and drink good old H2O. I also suggest you should drink it filtered and at room temperature for energy and vitality.

Eat minimally-processed foods. Chances are that if it comes in a box or bag (or some other kind of packaging designed to make the food last longer) then there’s a VERY good chance there’s HFCS in it. Instead, stick with foods that haven’t been processed (Hint: if it’ll go bad in 2 – 3 days then it’s a good bet that it’s minimally processed).

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, staying clear of high-fructose corn syrup will help tremendously.

Do it for your fitness and your health.

One more thing …

If you want to transform your body once and for all, then make sure you claim your FREE Consultation (a $75 value).

To get started go to http://newfarmpersonaltraining.com.au/free-consult/

What is Brisbane Personal Trainer Chris Tuck’s “Weird” Tip To Eating Less At Every Meal?

Well, one of the toughest parts of staying fit is sticking with your nutrition plan.

That’s why today I’d like to give you the secret that will automatically have you eating less before every meal.

You’ve heard it time and time again…

To lose weight you have to eat less and move more.

Exercising more is easy. You just get off your butt and workout. What better way than with a Brisbane Personal Trainer as well.

Where most people have a problem is saying “no” to delicious food that’s bad for your waistline.

Well, I just came across a fascinating study that reveals a simple technique that could have you eating less at every meal (even if you’re about to eat your favorite food, like chocolate, for example).

I like to call it the imagination diet.

Here’s the scoop…

A study at Carnegie Mellon University took two groups of people.

One group was told to visualise eating 30 M&Ms and putting 3 dollars into a washing machine. The other group was told to visualise putting 30 dollar coins into the washing machine and then eating 3 M&Ms.

Then, the researchers told the volunteers to eat some M&Ms out of a bowl that was placed in front of them, in preparation for a “taste test.”

After each volunteer, they weighed the bowl to see how much the volunteer had eaten.

Here’s where it gets fascinating…

The group that visualised eating 30 M&Ms ate HALF as many than the group that visualised eating 3.

To make sure this wasn’t coincidence, the researchers performed the experiment four more times with other people.

And in every single trial, the volunteers that visualised eating 30 M&Ms ate HALF as much.

According to the lead researcher, “Merely thinking of a food does increase our appetite for the food, but if we perform the mental imagery that would accompany its actual consumption, this kind of thought actually decreases our desire for the food.”

So how can you use this to reach your fitness goals?

Anytime you feel like cheating or having a kind of food you know you shouldn’t… try visualising eating  it 30 times first. Make the experience as real as you can.

Chances are, you’ll find yourself eating a LOT LESS! (while still enjoying it just as much).

Or better yet, you’ll find that the craving for it went away completely.

As you know, nutrition accounts for about 90% of your success. So go ahead and use this tip as often as is necessary!

One more thing – If you’re serious about taking control of your health and physique, then make sure you take advantage of your FREE Consultation with a Brisbane Personal Trainer (an $18.90 value).

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up, go to http://newfarmpersonaltraining.com.au/free-consult/

Today I want to talk to you about one of the things that makes “sticking” with a healthy eating plan so hard -

CRAVINGS!!

We all get them from time to time… and when they hit, watch out!

Cravings for lots of folks can be the end of them when it comes to nutrition and dieting. But new research shows us how we can help tone down cravings by NOT skipping one simple “thing…”

Nothing can derail your best diet efforts faster than caving into a craving.

That’s why the more you learn about what causes them and what you can do to ward them off – the better off you’ll be.

Recent research suggests that skipping one important meal can cause you to cave into cravings throughout the rest of the day.

Can you guess what that one meal is? (I’ll wait…)

Breakfast!

Now before I give you the details of the study, it’s important you understand what causes cravings in the first place.

Psychological factors aside, the primary “driver” behind cravings is the hormone ghrelin.

High levels of ghrelin in your stomach tell your brain to be HUNGRY. When ghrelin levels are high, we tend to overeat because we can’t seem to get enough.

Likewise, when ghrelin levels are low, we feel satisfied. Similar to how you feel AFTER you’ve indulged in the food you were craving.

So in this study, researchers recruited healthy individuals who were NOT obese.

Here’s how they set up the experiment.

Participants were asked to come into the lab on three separate mornings.

Each time, they were say in front of a display that contained pictures of fatty foods (think cake, chocolate, burgers, pizza, etc) or healthy foods (veggies, salads, fish, etc.) Then, as they looked at each picture they had to rate how appealing that food looked to them.

Now here’s where it gets interesting…

One third of the participants were asked to eat breakfast before arriving. Once they were at the lab they were injected with a saltwater (placebo) solution 40 minutes before they looked at the screen with the high calorie and low calorie foods.

Another third of the participants were asked to skip breakfast before arriving at the lab. They were still given the saltwater solution 40 minutes before looking at the food pictures.

The final third of the participants were asked to eat breakfast before showing up. However THIS time they injected them with the hormone ghrelin 40 minutes before looking at the photos.

To keep everything controlled, the researchers did not know whether they were injecting the subjects with saltwater or ghrelin. Also, the subjects weren’t told whether the injection was saltwater or ghrelin.

So what did the researchers find out?

For starters, when subjects had breakfast and were injected with the saltwater they preferred the low calorie foods.

When subjects skipped breakfast and were injected with saltwater, they preferred that fatty foods.

And for the kicker -

When they ATE breakfast and were injected with ghrelin, they found the high-calorie (fatty) foods more appetizing.

The lesson to be learned?

DON’T skip breakfast. Doing so may be the equivalent of injecting yourself with the “hunger” hormone ghrelin. And that means more cravings throughout the day.

And by the way … if you’re serious about taking your health and fitness to the next level, why not take advantage of your FREE Nutrition Consultation. (an $87 value)

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up go to  http://newfarmpersonaltraining.com.au/free-consult/  

I’ve just come across some pretty impressive research that can help you lose more fat AND build muscle at the same time.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but the science speaks for itself.

Want to supercharge your fat loss efforts?

Just use this one incredible mineral and you’ll be able to burn more fat, keep more muscle and have an easier time staying lean and toned.

You normally get this mineral in food… but nowhere near enough. And, if you’re working out on a regular basis, chances are you’re deficient in it.

That’s because exercise causes the body to lose most of it. What mineral am I talking about?

Chromium!

Simply put, chromium plays an important role in your body, as far as maintaining stable sugar levels. But as research is pointing out, it can do a whole lot more…

For example, a study published in the Journal of Animal Science gave a large group of pigs a chromium supplement. Nothing else was removed or added to their diet. The end result was a SIGNIFICANT reduction in weight and an increase in muscle mass.

Another separate study done at the University of Kentucky found the same exact thing. They gave pigs chromium and the result was an increased percentage of muscle and a decreased percentage of fat.

Okay, so now you’re probably thinking, “That’s great for pigs. But what about for humans!?”

Well, the good news is chromium has the same powerful fat-burning, muscle-building effect on humans.

Australian researchers took two groups of people. One group was given a calorie-restricted diet. The second group could continue eating whatever they normally eat, but were given a chromium supplement.

The researchers studied both these groups for 6 months.

Of course, the calorie-restricted group lost weight. But the surprising thing was that the folks taking the chromium supplement lost just as much weight!

What’s more, they actually had a slight increase in muscle too. And here’s the kicker… when they gave chromium to the group that was starving themselves thin, they increased their muscle mass, without gaining extra fat.

How’s that for one little amazing mineral?

So if you aren’t already, you SHOULD take chromium to maximise your fat loss efforts. Our base Multi Mineral/ Mega Antioxidant supplement the Essentials contains a high dose of this mineral.

Before I started using the Essentials, I was someone who felt terrible most days. I was low in energy as I’d wake up every morning tired and have naps in the afternoon.  I lacked mental clarity, which made it hard to make clear decisions about my life. At the time, I was also training to do a marathon but was getting poor gains in endurance. I’d tried other multi vitamins in the past but with limited results.

Then I met a lovely lady called Myrna who suggested I try the Essentials.

Since taking them, I now have that feeling of all day energy and vitality, something I haven’t experienced since I was young. I jump out of bed every morning and no longer have to nap in the afternoon.  Even when I eat unhealthy food I bounce back quickly after taking them. They’ve made me more feel focused, which I has had a very positive effect on my personal and business life. I completed the Gold coast marathon, and really I believe the Essentials helped me to stay fit and healthy to do so in under 4 hours.

Click here to check them out.

So train hard, eat clean and take some chromium if you want to start seeing some incredible, mouth dropping, head-turning results!

Cold enough for ya?

Winter is officially here! This is often when people get a head start on the summer body by implementing a training program now.

But there’s one thing I want to make sure I share with you before you go out there and start working up a sweat. It could end up saving your life (literally).

We all know that it’s important to stay hydrated when we’re working out.

This is critical, especially if you’re working in a high intensity exercise. But here’s what you probably didn’t know…

Drinking too much water can also be bad for you, even deadly!

Let me explain…

For years we’ve been told that dehydration kills. And they’re right. If you don’t drink enough water while you’re outside working up a sweat, you may end up in the emergency room.

But it’s also a mistake to drink too much water. In fact, it can be more common to drink too much water, since most of us are thinking it will protect us from dehydration. Unfortunately, drinking too much water can lead to a condition called hyponatremia which means that your sodium (salt) levels are too low.

That’s because you get exposed to a double whammy — you lose sodium through the sweat you’re working up… and all the water you’re drinking dilutes the sodium in your bloodstream.

Common symptoms of low sodium levels include a foggy head, nausea/vomiting, lightheadedness, dizziness, seizures, and in severe cases fainting or death.

So how much water SHOULD you be drinking?

Well, you’ve got to strike a balance. You want to get enough water so your body won’t get dehydrated, but not so much that you’ll dilute your sodium levels.

The magic number to shoot for (according to experts) is no more than 240 mls every 20 minutes. That’s 720 mls or 3 glasses every hour.

Also, a good indicator of whether or not you’re properly hydrated lies in your urine. If it’s too yellow, you’re most likely dehydrated. It should be close to clear when your body has enough water.

So go out there. Have fun. Work up a good sweat. But just make sure to drink enough water to keep your body healthy and happy!

Winter time is right around the corner!

This is the time when most folks start putting on the kilo’s as they eat to stay warm etc..

You’ve only got a few more weeks before it’s officially there.

That’s why today I’d like to give you a tip that will get you lean, shredded and in swimsuit shape, in preparation for next summer, faster than you ever thought possible.

Have you ever wondered what those models on the covers of fitness magazines do to get in such great shape?

They eat right and exercise, that’s for sure.

But there’s a secret dieting trick practically ALL of them use to get such great results.

It’s a simple technique called carb-cycling.

As the name implies, carb cycling is when you vary your carb intake throughout the week.

Now, before I go into more detail about HOW to cycle your carbs (for fabulous results!), it’s important you get a quick and basic understanding of WHY this works so well.

First I need to tell you about the hormone leptin.

Leptin is the “Starvation” hormone that was discovered around 1994.

When your body is starving, leptin levels go down, and send the signal to your brain to make you hungry and eat as much as you can to get back to your normal calorie and fat storage levels.

During this time, leptin also tells your body it’s NOT okay to burn fat. Instead, it tells it to do whatever it can to store as MUCH FAT AS POSSIBLE!

Crazy, right?

Here’s what happens next…

Once you eat enough calories, leptin levels rise, and tell your body it has enough. It also tells it things are “a okay” once again, and it’s now okay to start burning fat, since there’s no risk of starvation for the time being.

Now, how does changing how many carbs you eat affect leptin and your metabolism’s ability to burn fat?

Scientists have discovered a DIRECT link between leptin levels and carb intake. The more carbs you eat, the more leptin levels rise.

The less carbs you eat, the less leptin you have floating around in your blood stream.

So what these fitness models do is start out by dieting and restricting their calories.

They start to lose fat. But if they keep eating the same amount of carbs and calories week in and week out, they’ll hit a “wall” or plateau where their body doesn’t want to give up the fat (this is thanks to low leptin levels).

So to trick their bodies into burning more fat, they cycle their carbs.

For example, maybe the first 4 days are spent eating low-carb… eating things like chicken breasts… small amounts of brown rice, broccoli and all that other fun stuff).

Then for two days, they’ll eat what they’ve been eating, but add pasta… or bread… plenty of fruits, or even chocolate and ice cream, for example — to increase their carb intake.

After those two days of “high” carbs, they go back to eating the way they did the first 4 days.

Changing up your carb intake like this keeps your leptin levels from dropping too low… and keeps your body’s metabolism in a “fat-burning” state, so you continually see progress, instead of hitting that dreaded plateau.

So here are the basic principles of carb cycling. These are just general guidelines. You’ll have to tweak these and experiment with them until you figure out what works best for your body and metabolism…

1. Eat your normal calorie-restricted diet.

2. Do this for 3-4 days.

3. Then for the next day or two, significantly up your carb intake. This can be done by having your cheat meal this day… and by increasing the amount of carbs such as fruits, rice, oats, potatoes, etc.

4. Go back to “normal” eating

Try this out for the next three weeks and no doubt, you’ll be well on your way to looking AWESOME for summertime.