Will I come back from my honeymoon fat?

I hear this all the time..."I'm going away, so I'll have to put my workout on hold until I get back".

That's usually the point when I realize that this person is not going to ever get in shape, no matter what I do, especially not anywhere in the near future.

It's the making of excuses for not being able to workout while traveling that truly separates those who will achieve their ultimate fitness dreams, and those who will continue to be disappointed with the way they look and feel.

For those who really want to get the body of they desire, they WILL find a way to get in a great workout, regardless of the circumstances.

I'll use myself as an example here...

Most of you know that I am currently on my honeymoon in Hawaii. I've had a lot of my clients ask me if I am going to be working out while I'm on my vacation - after all, you only get one honeymoon, so why not just sit back, relax, and enjoy it right?

My answer to that...

Of course I'm going to workout!

At this point in my life, working out is not looked upon as a chore, or something I have to just 'get done'. I actually enjoy it, and I really, really mean that. While I'm working out, AND during my workout, I have a great time. My body craves the expenditure of energy. I feel revitalized, fresh, and incredibly alive.

When I don't workout, I feel like crap.

I get antsy, irritable, and anxious. I simply do not like the way I feel when I can't get a good workout in.

So why would I want to spend three weeks lying on a beach and feeling horrible?

Of course, I'm logging my fair share of time lying in the sun, but I also make time to get a great workout in too.

In fact, in the past week or so, I've actually watched my bodyfat percentage go DOWN just from the different workouts I've been experimenting with while I've been here. And this is with no treadmill, no weight machines, no exercise ball, no bands, no nothing. Just a stretch of open beach and myself, and 20 minutes.

This is incredible...I'm actually going to come back from my honeymoon in better shape than I left!

So what I'm getting at here is that you don't need access to a gym or any fancy gym equipment to have a great workout. In most cases, you can do incredible things with just your own bodyweight, even for an advanced trainee.

The most important thing to take away from this is that you need to make working out part of your daily routine - just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower - regardless of where you are in the world or what is going on in your life.

And when you feel stressed out beyond all belief and feel like the world is coming down around you...

...THAT is when you need it most!

So no more excuses, get out there and have a great workout! Start now, and in three weeks you'll be looking at a leaner, more attractive, and healthier you!

For those of you who want to follow along at home, here is what my exact workout routine has been since I arrived in Oahu:

Warmup
200 yards sand jogging

Cardio
6 Intervals of 100 yard sand sprints + 6 100 yard recovery laps
12 x 100 yard sand jogging laps

Bodyweight Training
Rock Squats - 10 reps, 3 sets
3 Point Sand Pushups - 15 reps, 3 sets
T-Pushups - 12 reps, 3 sets
Rock Sand Slams - 10 reps, 3 sets
Plank + Elbow to Knee - 12 reps, 3 sets

Cooldown
100 yards easy swim

RD

Can you eat halloween candy and still lose weight?

Hope you had a great Halloween. I actually spent the entire weekend
at a conference for Kinesiologists in Vancouver, BC.

But that didn't stop me from carving a pumpkin!

(In the photo from left to right, that is my brother's, my wife's, and mine on the far right.)

Anyway, as usual, the conference was filled with great speakers and I learned a lot.

I got to meet with some top experts in the field of human performance
and conditioning, and spoke personally with the trainer of celebrities
Jessica Alba, and Hugh Jackman. I also met with Roger Takahashi, the
strength and conditioning coach for the Vancouver Canucks.

Additionally, I attended a presentation from one of my old professors who is now
heading some fascinating research into genetics and what is called
'gene doping' for the 2010 winter Olympics here in Vancouver.

I learned something very interesting from Dr. Rupert, and it might
surprise a lot of you to know that there really isn't a 'fat gene'. So those
of you who have been blaming genetics on your physique, sorry, that
excuse no longer works!

Anyway, I will be posting some great tips that I took away from this
weekend sometime soon, but today I wanted to address something
that is probably more important at the moment.

And that is...

What do you do with all that Halloween candy?

Now I'm not going to be a Drill Sargent and say that you can't have
any of it, (but good for you if you have been able to resist!),
however, there is definitely something you should NOT do.

If you have Halloween candy lying around, you might be thinking,
'it's okay just to have a little bit here and there, as long as I
don't pig out', right?

No, no, no!

Do NOT do this.

I'm also not advocating binging and eating as much as you can all
at once and making your self sick either.

What I do recommend is allow yourself two days to have a moderate
amount of candy, then throw it out, or give it away.

The problem with having a little bit each day is that it puts your
body into a constant state of "fat storage mode", making it impossible for you
to lose any weight, even if your calories are kept very low.

The reason for this is a little hormone called insulin. When you eat
anything that contains sugar or starch, your body releases insulin to
gobble it up. The problem is, insulin can be a dirty little bugger
when it comes to fat loss because it likes to store body fat.

The more insulin you have rushing through your system, the more body
fat you are likley to store. Also, if you have insulin flowing through
your system all day (like when you take a piece of candy here and there
throughout the day) you are in a constant state of fat storage mode,
and there is no hope for you to lose any weight at all.

So even if you are watching the rest of your diet, fat loss is futile
if you are constantly eating sugar (even if it's just a little bit).

You had your fun, you've enjoyed a few pieces of candy, and now
it's time to toss it, give it away, or burn it. I don't care how you
get rid of it, but it ends today.

Get back on track, and get the fat falling off again!


RD