New Years Fitness Quick Tip #1

Track Everything!

Take a before picture. 

Two most important measurements from a fat loss standpoint:
1.)Measure your waist (at the belly button) .
2.) Measure your hips (at the biggest point). 

If you're a guy, measure your arms and your chest.

Get your body fat percentage measured, either by a personal trainer (caliper "pinch" test) or by a DEXA scan.

Start a food journal.

Get a food scale.

Start a workout journal.

If it's important, it must be measured if you want phenomenal results that shock your friends.

You don't really know what's going on if you don't measure and keep records.  Without records and measurements, you're in the dark.

If you keep records and know what is going on, you can make really, really informed decisions about your fitness.

That knowledge is power.

All of my clients who get awesome rockstar bodies keep a food journal. 

All of my clients who get amazing results have me keeping records of their workouts and their measurements.

You want an awesome body?  Start measuring and keeping records.  It's totally the next level.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

Josh is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM-PES), and currently studying the Corective Exercise Specialist (NASM-CES) course.

© Joshua Hillis 2007

Comments

[Smith]

Hi friends, A fitness trainer can assist you by discussing what you want to achieve from your efforts. Some people want to lose weight, some want to gain their body weight, and others want to build their muscles.

[Allison]

I am a 25y/o woman 123lbs and 5'4. My husband uses protein supplements and drinks muscle milk in the morning. Would that be benificial for me? I am trying to get really lean, and eat a lot of protein and few carbs? I don't want to bulk up, so I wasn't sure if muscle milk and other protein shakes were made for women who want to get lean.

[Joshua Hillis]

I'd go with Muscle Milk Light.

You can evaluate for yourself though - keep a food log and look at your total calories and total protein for the day.

Ultimately, you want to keep control of your total calories.

Also, you want to have a good breakfast that includes protein.

Muscle Milk Light may be the way to go, but keep in mind that lots of these things are pretty obvious if you are tracking your total calories.

Normal Muscle Milk, has 350 calories, which for most of my female clients is a lot for a shake.

Don't worry about getting "few carbs". Worry about getting high quality carbs - like fruit, brown rice, oatmeal, ect.

The number one concern is total calories.

Next is getting enough protein and weight training.

Third is working on the quality of your food. The more processed it is, the lower quality it is.