Eat less and exercise more?

If only it was as simple to drop weight (and keep it off) as the all too common advice given in this humorous video from Mad TV:

If you're one of the many people struggling with overweight, then I'm certain you've heard that phrase more than once - take in less calories and workout more!

As countless people have found out, this isn't quite the problem solving formula it sets out to be. And in fact, counting calories can cause you a lot of problems in the end (and not really make you lose weight after all)

A recent study and long term analysis from experts at Harvard University was carried out to find the the factors that influence weight gain. The study involved well over 120,000 well-educated people of both genders. All were considered healthy and not obese at the start of the study.

The results, in addition to diet, points to important things regarding exercise, sleep, watching TV, drinking alcohol and smoking. Not surprisingly at all - the things shown in the study goes hand in hand with what's taught and utilized within the 7MW program.

• It's a massive research project and you can read more detailed about it in the June edition of 'The New England Journal of Medicine' if you feel like it. Here are some of the major points:
• Exercise is undoubtedly a very important factor in controlling your weight
• There are definitely good foods and bad foods. Eating more of the good an less of the bad is instrumental in controlling the weight
• By being fairly active and ignoring diet, you can still gain weight
• Minor changes in your eating, exercise and other habits may result in quite substantial changes to your body weight over a period of years
• On average, participants in the study gained a pound a year - adding up to 20 pounds in 20 years
• Drinking your calories and eating french fries and potato chips have huge impacts
• Foods that resulted in weight loss or no gain when consumed in greater amounts: fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• An increased intake of dairy products, whether low-fat or full-fat (milk and cheese), showed a neutral effect on weight
• Weight loss was greatest among people who ate more yogurt and nuts, including peanut butter, over each four-year period. Like you'll learn in the 7MinuteWorkout program - you'll need fat to lose weight!
• The metabolism, which determines how many calories you "burn" at rest, was slowed down with the consumption of refined grains but stayed the same after consumption of whole grains. In other words - you definitely need fiber (again a 7mwo stable truth) and should cut down on the refined stuff!
• In general, people who were having less too few or too many hours of sleep a night tended to gain most weight
• Lots of TV watching = weight gain

Again - there are lots of other interesting things in the study as well, so you will definitely be better off by giving it a read.

Bottom line: Proper eating habits + proper exercising + enough sleep - excessive drink - soda = far better results. Want to see this in action? Join 7MinuteWorkout today!

Oh, and there's also more information on the subject of diet and exercise on the 7mw blog.

Workout without working out?

As you may know, the 7 Minute Workout program takes as little as 7 minute a few times per week - you can get it it done in 20 minutes per week...

Still, can you beat that? Like cut it down to zero? We all want to save time, right?

Well, if you want to do some sort of physical type of exercise - which by any stretch of the imagination will be required to get physical fit - then of course you will need to move that body :-)

And in that respect, I'd dare say you will have to search long and hard to come up with anything near the efficiency (and effectiveness) of the 7MW.

That said, you can really help your regular workouts with utilizing the gray matter we refer to as our brain - in some cases even quite substantially. Athletes have known about this for years, and they tend to refer to it as mental training.

And if you want to tap into that source of subliminal health and fitness and help push your fitness and workouts even further, then you might learn more about this great topic here:

Just remember, you can't totally rest yourself alone to a toned look - not that I know anyhow :-)

But hey, I'm not a fitness guru, so I'd really appreciate if you could give me some correction if you do in fact manage to think yourself to a six-pack without even getting off the couch. That would be awesome!

Weight watchers only?

One question that crops up on a regular basis is if 7 Minute Workout is simply a program for "these almost obsessed weight watchers".

So, is 7MW simply a program if you want to lose weight? No, it is not. I mean it is that, and so much more... Like here's a statement from a member, a karate instructor in good shape already: "Even as a 68 yr old karate instructor I can still feel the remarkable difference with the 7 minute workout program."

And to use myself as an example. I've been doing martial arts for more than 30 years and have part-owned and run a fitness center, but I have never experienced anything like the simplicity and effectiveness of the 7MinuteWorkout program! And as you can probably guess, dropping weight is not anywhere near a primary goal for me - building strength and increasing fitness is closer to home.

In the members area (and boy what a massive support group you'll find there!) you'll find a host other fitness buffs and experienced folks who have been around the huge fitness/workout block more than once! People who have been personal trainers, body builders, many people experienced in the martial arts like myself, nutrition experts - and many more...

As you will discover, the 7mwo program is perfectly suited if you wan to drop weight - put not only that. Gain muscle? Get fit? Tone your body? Increase strength? learn about proper diet and eating habits? You're good to go :-)

Low-fat dieting

The British paper express.co.uk recently ran a great article about the dangers of low-fat diet - something you really should be concerned about!

Health professionals in the UK is warning about how a huge number of individuals - probably numbered in the millions in the UK alone - are putting themselves at risk of serious conditions and diseases, like heart problems and cancer due to obsessive diets.

According to the British paper, doctors and other experts are warning that a continued counting of calories was a major time-bomb to our health.

Diets low on fat may often time lack vital minerals and vitamins and minerals, and being occupied mainly with cutting down on fat and calories can be a real serious issue for our health and well-being.

Fighting obesity

The following video shows the almost epidemic growth of obesity in the US. It is a little better in other parts of the world, but it sure is getting worse there too...

The sad thing (or good thing, depending on your perspective) is that most of this is quite easy to combat with some basic adjustments to the diet and training that is effective and easy to follow. The 7MinuteWorkout is perfect just for that - so simple to follow and really, really effective. And yes, it is really a seven minute workout...

Trying too hard?

Are you killing your fitness progress by trying too hard?

A lot of people are more than likely unaware to the fact that a major reason why they A. Don't get good results quickly enough, and B. May end up hating exercise and working out all together, is down to this:

Your workouts are way, way too hard! Yes, you heard me, you need to give yourself some slack here :-)

The image below from 7 Minute Workout is used with permission and shows an important fact about how long it really takes to recuperate.

As you can see, there are two stages or states here, catabolism and anabolism. Exercise naturally brakes your body (mainly muscle fiber) down - that's the catabolic part.

What is important in order to progress is the anabolic part. This is where you're body compensates and makes your muscles and body stronger. In other words, it's the time away from the exercise which provide you the benefits!

Working out - that's hard work

First I'll have to get one thing off my chest - the term "workout" ... what a terrible concept!

My guess is that you - just like me don't exactly fancy the though of working even more when you come home from work or school, right?

While the question "have you've been working out?" is deemed to bring a good feeling to anyone even remotely interested in getting in shape; the mere thought of actually working out is the opposite - it tends to bring about quite a negative emotion in many people. And why is that?

Well, my educated guess is that most people have a dislike to many workout routines simply because they have tried it and given it up. And why did they give up? Because of lack of will power? Definitely no.

A majority of people have either tried the wrong method to achieved their goals (like wanting to lose weight) or simply trained way too hard! Yes you heard me, too much...

Listening to all this personal trainers, fitness buffs and gym rats, you are typically led to believe that you will need to spend an hour or even more - several times a week- in order to gain muscle, get in shape, get fit, lose some weight and see some real results from your fitness regimen.  And this is where the real problem lies ... simply because it is not true at all.

Only 7 Minute Workout

Hi! Did you know that well known and highly respected Forbes magazine has pointed out the massive failure rate at traditional fitness centers and fitness programs?

And did you ever stop and wonder why it is so that the majority of people who take up a fitness program, abandon it shortly after?

I mean, isn't it kind of strange that so many people start up with all the best intents and defined goals of getting fit, building muscle, slimming down, losing weight, getting in shape and what not - and then abruptly quitting?

Until I became more educated about how the fitness industry in essence is failing its customers and what it really takes to succeed, I found this to be quite a puzzle. After learning more about it, it really comes as a surprise at all - just as it won't really be a mystery to you ... if you stick around just a little bit longer.