Can I Get in Shape???

Something I was talking with one of my clients, Michelle Li, today was that you have to have patience because getting in shape takes a lot less time than it does to get out of shape. You may have not worked out for years and possibly gained 10-20-30 pounds, but the good news is, it will take less than half that time to get in to the shape you want.

Take Bo Dean for example, he was 350 pounds, had high blood pressure and Type II Diabetes when he came to me. It took him 10-20 years to get to that unfortunate stage of his life. We have been working together for a little over a year and now he is at a fitness level he has never been in his entire life. Not to mention, his blood pressure is great and he doesn't take anymore medicine for diabetes because he no longer has it.

Take Parker Stevens for example, he came to me with an injury that caused him to have several surgeries to repair the damage. You would think he would never be the same. Well, I have worked with him to a stage where his knee feels better than it ever has in his life. He has been able to bike a 50 mile race and is able to not only run 5-10k's, but a 1/2 marathon.

These are just a few examples of the many clients who are getting results with me, but the point of the story is that if you feel like you are at a point in your life where there is no turning back or that you will never ever get in the shape you wish you could....YOU ARE WRONG!!!

Depending on what your situation is, it could take 6 months to a year to completely change your life around. Don't hesitate for a second or ever think you are at the point of no return. That is rubbish and I can prove it to you!

If you want to get a taste of what it is like to get on the road to a better you, contact me and I will give you a free fitness consultation. There is no obligation to buy personal training, but it is important to find out where you are with your fitness and where you can go.

Best Wishes and Happy Training!

Adam Freeman
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com
(704) 293-0845

Wilmington Downtown Rotary Club

As a fellow Rotarian, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Downtown Rotary Club yesterday. It was so amazing to share fitness tips for others to living a better heart healthy life. One of my amazing clients, Joe Owen, is a member at the downtown Rotary Club and had invited me to be the guest speaker. It was such an honor! Bo Dean, another wonderful client and one of my best friends ended the session with such an inspirational story of his success through this journey.

When preparing my speech, it was even more shocking to me to come across some of the scary statistics our world has when it comes to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Did you know that more than 2200 people in America die every single day of CVD? That is 1 death every 39 seconds. On top of that, 1 out of every 2.9 people die from CVD.

It is crazy to know this is the world we live in, but all it takes is baby steps to help you live a healthier life. There are 168 hours in a week, do you think you can find three hours to exercise? Most of us work 8+ hours a day to make our jobs successful, why can't we take three hours a week to make our health successful.

It doesn't take much, just small changes to our exercise and our nutrition to make a huge difference down the road. Don't try to do it all at once. You can make small changes ever so often and before too long, big changes will occur.

Here are some of the photos from the Rotary meeting...

Joe Owen, an amazing man and leader of our community!

Me speaking in front of 150+ members of the Downtown Rotary Club.

Bo Dean sharing his amazing success story & bringing tears to everyone's eyes.

Best Wishes & Train Hard!!!

Adam Freeman

New Direction = Brighter Future

I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have taken a new direction in life and this new direction begins with Crest Fitness. Thanks to Nick and Wanda Kentrolis, owners of Crest Fitness, who both have made me feel at home and for doing such a great job keeping this hometown facility running strong since the 80's.

I am honored to be a part of such a great team and look forward to the direction we are going. As I stated in my recent post, it takes baby steps to reach your goals. We all have goals and we all strive for a better future. With all my heart and soul, Crest Fitness and those who share a common bond with this hometown gym, I am going to help change lives starting with one member at a time.

If you have ever thought of changing your life through health and wellness, come see us and take that first step to reaching your fitness goals. We promise to make exercise fun and definitely rewarding. There are members from all ages and sizes, so never feel like you aren't welcome. Open the front door and you will receive a gentle welcoming followed by a educational point in the right direction. Click on the link below to learn more about Crest Fitness.

All of us at Crest Fitness look forward to seeing you soon!

Adam Freeman
Nationally Certified Personal Trainer
Crest Fitness
AdamFreemanPT.com

Easiest Way to Lose Weight!!!

There are 18,000+ diet plans out there. If one of them worked, wouldn't there only be one? Yes, you can say that some work, but some work for certain people and God did not create us all as equals, so what worked for your friend may not work for you.

Here is the most simplistic way to lose weight. Grab a pen and a notebook and write down what you are eating, the total calories for that meal and then add up to total calories for the whole day. After doing this for a week or two, you will educate yourself on what meals have too many calories and which meals don't have enough.

The best way to found out how much you should be eating is to find out what your BMR is. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. Your BMR is how many calories your body burns on its own in a given day with out exercise. You can figure out your BMR here by clicking this link: BMR Calculator.

Now how do you figure out how much you are to eat? It's simple. Think of the Law of Thermodynamics. If your body burns more than it consumes, you will lose weight. It takes 3500 calories to burn a pound of body fat, so figure out between exercise and diet how many calories you should be consuming and from exercise, how much you should be burning. However, it is not recommended to eat below 1400 calories.

An example is: Joe's BMR is 2000 and Joe likes to eat, so we will allow Joe to eat 2000 calories. But...that means if Joe wants to lose a pound a week, he needs to be burning 500 calories a day through exercise. If Joe wants to speed up the process, he could either burn more than 500 calories in a day or eat a little less each day.

It is that simple! Good luck and....

Happy Training!

Adam Freeman
Fitness Director/Master Trainer - O2 Fitness Clubs

Baby Steps!

It has been many moons since I have written a post and it is about time to get back on track with my writing.

Just as people take time away from writing or doing the important things in their life, it is the same with fitness. Other things get in the way and the workouts become far and few in between and before long, the workouts stop altogether.

If you start to struggle with getting back on track, think of it this way. I want to make up for lost time and have about fifty posts written for all of you to read all the great stuff I want to share, but it is not going to happen like that. It takes one post (one workout) a day or every other day to make a difference in your life.

Don't try try to do it all at once or you are going to get burnt out. As I stress to all of my clients, it takes baby steps to make progress and to reach your goals. You can reach the top of the staircase without taking one step at a time and if you try to skip a step, you increase the risk of hurting yourself in the process.

So as I plan to write more and more posts to help motivate you or give you the knowledge to make a difference in your life, take one day at a time to exercise or do something that pushes your cardiovascular system. No....running to the fridge does not count as exercise. Ha!

Some ideas would be to go out and walk or do a run/walk. A lot of my clients want to start running since Wilmington is big on running. The best way to start without burning yourself out is to go for a jog and when you get tired, walk! When you feel up to starting jogging again, jog! Don't worry how far you go or how fast your going, just listen to your body. Over time as you rest and recover from the previous run, your body will adapt and before too long, you will be running more than walking and/or just running straight through your session. A session starting off should last no more than 30 minutes. Once you start running through a full 30 minute session, then you can increase your time or your speed.

Just remember....take it one day at a time and have patience. If it took you this many years to get out of shape, it won't nearly take you as long to get back in.

Happy Training!

Adam Freeman

Be a part of the "New" Newsletter!

Besides great fitness tips, awesome success stories and healthy recipes sent to you twice a month, I will be having a little fun with competitions to win some really cool prizes! How great is that?

Stay tuned for the first competition, but don't forget to submit your name and email below to get involved...that's all!

Sign up for my ''Get Fit'' Newsletter Today and Get Motivating Health & Fitness Tips along with Delicious Recipes and Exciting Success Stories.

Name:

Email:

Also, if you haven't seen the new website yet...go to: www.AdamFreemanPT.com

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

New Website

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to announce the arrival of my new personal training website. McColl and Associates here in Wilmington, NC has done a phenomenal job in helping me create the perfect site for my business. Louise McColl is not only a personal training client of mine, but a great friend indeed and has certainly been a blessing in my life.

You can visit the new site at: www.AdamFreemanPT.com

Also, please visit McColl & Associates at: www.McColl-Associates.com/

McColl and Associates not only can help you build a website, but help you with meetings, events, marketing, public relations and then some!

Please Vote - Best Of Wilmington!!!

Hello Everyone...

Bo Dean here!

PLEASE VOTE TODAY FOR ADAM FREEMAN, BEST PERSONAL TRAINER, FRANCES WELLER, BEST NEWSCASTER, WECT, PINE VALLEY MARKET...etc...(read more below) you don't have to fill in everything(just 25 things for your ballot to count..if you don't know the area..there are some suggetions below)..but please vote! They have given so much and deserve recognition!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Why the suggestions for the heart folks for the best of Wilmington?

Adam Freeman(best personal trainer), who's daughter Kayleigh passed from this world after 10 months of life, gave his services as a trainer for free to help pay it forward to help save more lives to create better heart health, promote awareness about heart disease and give to the community. Just this month he has given that gift to a new client for this year! This amazing gift keeps on giving and is such an amazing blessing!

Frances Weller(best news caster) hosted this year's heart walk event, has dedicated so much of her career to helping so many through her platform with media to health and wellness. She is the best at advocating through the heart association and pink ribbon for a better community and better health and wellness for all of us!

Louise McColl (humanitarian) was this year's chair of the heart walk..but what else has she not done as a community volunteer..fundraiser and advocate for our community. Talk about the best of Wilmington! And the heart association...best of the best to make a case for the #1 killer in our very own community..the biggest issue that we face in our own lives for health and wellness. The group that seeks to help us know more and be more about being healthier and helping others!

Ashley Miller (volunteer) is there anyting this woman does not do and has not done for so many in our community! She is now the liasion for the heart association locallly and still goes to and does everythign you can think of!

Why Pine Valley Market (best gourment market.caterer)? We need to lift up places that advocate and create healthy foods..that is why I love Lovey's as well..Tidal Creek....

My blog (best blog): http://bowilmington.blogspot.com/ to talk about paying forward the amazing gift that has come to me so that more will learn from this and follow this amazing journey...as I learn..I promise others will too!

how about (best event in 2010) the Gravely Commissioning as the biggest event in the area...it was Amazing!

(best non profit) This is a chance with Encore to recognize those who celebrate the best of Wilmington! Other non-profits:Coastal HorizonsWilmington Health Access for TeensWilmington Interfaith Hospitlaity NetworkCFCC foundationNew Hanover County Health Foundation SO much to celebrate

Best chain restaurant-Carrabas
Best Sandwich-McCallister's
Best Meditteranian-Pita Delite
Best Breakfast-Sweet and Savory
Best Fine Dining-City Club
Best Wait Staff-City Club
Best Atmoshphe-City Club
Best new restaurant-1900
best radio personality-Foz
best morning Show-Fox and Joycelyn
Best dentist-Sandra Miles
Best Fitness Club-02
Best Antique Store-Michael Moore Antiques
Best Real Estate-Intracoastal
Best Pizza-Incredible Pizza
Best Dry Cleaners-Hangers

Here's to a great celebration!

-- L.S. "Bo" Dean Jr.

10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination

When a person is bored or uninterested, certain tasks and projects can seem like torture! This feeling usually leads to procrastination, and procrastination often leads to guilt. Here are some practical ways to avoid these situations and overcome procrastination:

1. Recharge Daily
Be sure to get enough sleep and rest each day so that you have the necessary energy you need to accomplish your tasks.

2. Get a Friend Involved
It's harder to procrastinate when another person is involved. If you have a task you aren't looking forward to, invite a friend over to help you out. If you have errands to run, find a buddy who you can run errands with.

3. Reward Yourself
You're much more likely to complete that boring task if there is a dinner out or a new CD waiting for you when (and only when) the task is complete.

4. Do Things in Pieces
Procrastination often comes from feelings of overwhelm. Break tasks, even small ones, into steps so that they are manageable and provide you with a sense of direction.

5. Use Music
Turn on some fun and upbeat music and let it pump you up! 80s music and show tunes are often great pick-me-ups that will give you needed energy to tackle your tasks.

6. Don't Be Afraid to do 2 Things at Once
Don't be afraid to balance routine or monotonous tasks with something that is more likely to hold your interest. You can pay bills while you watch TV, or talk on the phone while cleaning up the house.

7. Delegate
Do you find yourself procrastinating on chores at home like cleaning and laundry? Or maybe paperwork at the office? Delegate them! Kids, cleaning people, laundry services, administrative assistants and more are all available to take some of those boring tasks off your list and free up your time for the stuff you'd rather be doing.

8. Prioritize
Perhaps you're procrastinating on a task because it's really not that important. Maybe you'd love to re-organize your book shelves, but never get around to it. If it sounds like a good idea but in the end it's really not that important to you, don't let it hang over your head.

9. Get in Touch with the End Result
Before you begin a task or project that has high procrastination potential, get in touch with the outcome. When the task is finished, what will that mean to you? What will be better in life as a result?

10. Just Do It!!
Don't think about it too much, just jump in and get it done!

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

FREE 7 DAY TRIAL

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Being Fit is a Gift to Others

Last week, a friend of mine was telling me about her 2 aunts. Both are about 60 years old. One aunt has always been athletic and fit and the other has always been sedentary. Now, at 60, the fit aunt is still active and the sedentary aunt is still sedentary – only she has trouble standing up from a chair!

After my friend told this story, I kept thinking about how much more fun the fit aunt must be to her family and friends than the sedentary one.

I feel that, although we think we do it for ourselves, being fit and healthy is a gift to our family, friends and the community in which we live. This is true in so many ways. Here's just a few of them.

For our Family:

For our spouses, we give them the gift of being paired with someone who looks good and feels good. Waking up everyday next to someone who has the energy and spirit to embrace the day is life enriching.

Does the "looks good" comment sound superficial? Think about this. How does it feel to be at a social function and know that the man or woman across the room receiving "attention" from people his/her own age (or even younger) is the person that chooses to be with you everyday? It feels good doesn't it? This feeling is a gift to our spouse.

Superficialities aside, we give our spouses many other gifts by being fit. Better sex and love making is a very important one! Fit people have more strength, endurance, energy and better blood flow. All these contribute to better sex…. Not to mention feeling good about our own body helps us to be freer with our partners.

By being fit and healthy, we increase our spouse's confidence in having a long and active life with us. A wonderful gift indeed!

For our children, we give them the gift of healthy, active parents. Having fit parents is predictive of our children being fit themselves. We give them the gift of being more patient and helpful to them because we have the physical resources to do so. We give them the freedom from worry that we will require hospice care while they are still young adults raising their own kids.

For our grandkids, we give them the gift of being able to play with them - I mean really play with them. How proud will they be to have such "cool" grandparents? We show them how important fitness is to living long, active and fun lives.

For our sisters and brothers, we give them the gift of being loved by someone who respects themselves enough to take extra good care of their body.

For Our Friends:

We give them the gift of having lots of energy for them. Cultivating good friendships on top of meeting family obligations requires energy – and being fit gives us the energy and health to "go the extra distance" with our friends at middle age and later in life.

For Our Community:

We remain healthier longer and don't place a burden on the health system. We remain productive, enthusiastic members of the workforce longer. After retirement, we have time and energy to volunteer our services and skills for worthy causes. We help younger people see and feel that aging is not something to be afraid of. We are able to help those who need us.

For Our world:

Every workout, every nutritious meal, every full night's sleep and every other way we take care our bodies is a gift to someone else. It's not about being selfish. It's about keeping the body healthy so that the mind and spirit can contribute to the lives of others better and longer.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

FREE 7 DAY TRIAL

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Is Cardio Working for You???

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.

Most of people who work in a cardio program do seven, ten or more hours per week, and still have fat in their waist to burn for a long time. But there are other people who look great with the same or with even a smaller lapse of time. Some researchers in Great Britain went insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.

The subjects exercised for 12 weeks, 5 times per week. That's a lot of exercise and it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, but it worked better in young men, who need the help the least!

If we analyse the results we'll find some surprises. The best subject lost 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, but the worst subject actually gained 3.74 pounds. That's an immense variance in fat loss terms.

So, these were not good news for the scientists. At least not for the ones that wanted to go home. They discovered there were 2 groups of people, they called them "compensators" and "non-compensators". The first ones were hungrier and consumed extra calories every day, whiping the slate clean in cardio results terms. So, they lost just small amounts of weight.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does, research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts. So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

The research of a professor in Australia (Professor Steve Boucher) has show that interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. If that hormone increases, causes fat-burning benefits like reducing appetite, among others.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

What you have to do is check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity exercise a go for your next workout program. Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity training.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

FREE 7 DAY TRIAL

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Fat Free Doesn't Always Mean Fat Free

The amounts of foods labeled fat free have infiltrated the market at every turn. Fat-free cheese, fat-free chocolate, fat-free ice cream, fat-free dinner entrees and other foods labeled fat-free have become regularly stocked merchandise in stores. These foods are indeed better for you. However, consuming these foods does not always result in a fat-free body.

The reason why is people believe that these foods are fatfree is because it says on these food labels fatfree and it even says; 0 grams of fat on the nutrition label on the back of the package. However, this does not always mean that the item is fatfree. This is because the fatfree label may not necessarily represent all the kinds of fat that are in a food.

This does not mean that all foods that say they are fat free are not completely fat free. It just means that you have to watch very closely on each food label to see exactly what fat has been removed from the food so you know exactly what to expect when you eat it. You also need to be aware of the types of fat that are contained in food as well.

The different types of fat that people take into their bodies include trans fat, poly and monounsaturated fats and saturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats and are the ones that are most used to fry foods and/or to increase the shelf lives of foods. These are the ones that are most likely to cause high cholesterol and to clog a persons arteries. These types of fats are found in a variety of foods.

Saturated fats are found in most meats, dairy foods, and eggs. They can also be found in certain oils such as coconut, palm, and kernel oil. These are the types of fats that are solid at room temperatures.

Trans fats are fats that have been made into a solid or a partial solid. Therefore, even though trans fats are considered unsaturated they have become a concern because they have a similar function as the saturated fats in many cases. As stated earlier they have the potential to raise a persons cholesterol level and to clog the arteries.

Any foods that have the ingredient; partially hydrogenated cooking oil or hydrogenated cooking oil are considered to contain trans fat. These should be eaten in very small doses. If not, these food substances can become harmful to ones health. Some types of foods that trans fat include crackers, cookies, snack chips, and fried chicken. It is also included in ingredients such as shortening, lard, butter, or hard margarine.

Trans fat is one source of fat, which until recent years, had not been included on food labels that say fat-free. This is one reason why food labels that say fat free might not necessarily be fat free. Therefore, be careful when reading fatfree food labels. You want to make sure that it says; 0 grams of trans fat and 0 grams of saturated fat, before you purchase the fat free item.

One other aspect of fat-free that you will need to consider is that carbohydrates that are not used up by the body turn into fat as well. Therefore, even though a food item says fat free on the package you still need to eat it in moderation.

One example of a fat free food that many people eat is pretzels. You cannot eat a whole bag of pretzels and expect to lose weight. The reason why is that pretzels may contain a high carbohydrate count. The more carbs you take in the more chance you have of having these carbohydrates turn into fat. This is perhaps one of the most important points to remember when choosing fat free foods and incorporating them into your diet.

Choosing to eat fat free versions of most foods can be very beneficial to you. The point is, however, to make sure that you remember also to eat a balanced diet. Not only that, but you need to have an exercise plan. Even if you eat less food you may not lose as much weight as you want to lose if you do not exercise.

For the best results, you will want to incorporate a balanced diet that gives you the nutrients you need from day to day. That means that you should have a specific amount of grains, meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and fats in your diet (the amounts of each vary depending upon which diet you follow). This along with a regular exercise regiment that helps you burn fat will benefit you the most.

If you follow through daily on a regular diet and exercise plan you are likely to lose weight and keep it off. In this case, fat free foods will benefit you and help you stick to your healthy lifestyle.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

FREE 7 DAY TRIAL

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Becoming a Success Story

Have seen those amazing body transformation success stories in the magazines?

You ask yourself, are these people for real? Did they really do that in 12 weeks? HOW did they do that in 12 weeks?

I will tell you exactly how those ultimate body transformation success stories are so successful, and this information dips well below the basic dieting and exercise information.

When most people venture onto a body transformation goal they outline the prefect plan and start it full force at the beginning of the week. They are die-hard, and by the middle of the second week they have usually burned out.

Sound familiar?

If your body transformation program fizzles out before you get it started, these 11 steps will be a great help and give you the advantage on your next body transformation journey.

Step #1 – The Primary Rule

Before you even get started with your body transformation challenge you need to set the primary rule, which is to set goals. If your body transformation process entails 12 weeks, break your goals down into a few short-term goals and one long-term goal. If you fail to take advantage of the primary rule, you may as well stop now.

Step #2 – The Closing Date

Along with writing out your goals you need to end your plan with a deadline. Everyone has a starting date, but very few write down a closing date, the actual date they plan to finish their program. If you don't give yourself a deadline to attain your goals you won't finish your program and you won't be a body transformation success.

Step #3 – Scheme of Combat

After you get your goals set in stone with a deadline in place you need to create a plan of action. This plan is the course you must take each day to ensure daily success that will take you to your ultimate goal.

An example of a coordinated plan is to write out exactly what you will do each day to make each day successful, such as eating 6 meals a day, drinking a gallon of water, working out, etc.

In your starting notes, jot down your scale weight, body fat percentage, body measurements, and take pictures of yourself from 4 different views (front, back, and each side).

Step #4 – Dedicate and Commit

Once you have all your ducks lined up, start your plan of action. Put it into full effect Monday morning. Follow it as outlined each day. Make your plan of action a part of your daily life.

Keep in mind that just because you have goals set and written, an action plan, and started your new transformation journey doesn't guarantee success. If you want to be a transformation success you have to stay dedicated to your plan of action.

This dedication isn't an on and off relationship, it's the whole kit-n-caboodle. You start fresh Monday morning and follow through each day 100%, no swaying, no cheats, just pure dedication and commitment. It's only 12 weeks.

Step #5 – Sneak a Quick Peek

After your first two weeks on your transformation program take your stats to see what changes have occurred. Is there a change in weight and/or body fat percentage? Have your measurements changed? Can you see visual changes in the mirror and how your clothes fit?

Note any changes, good or bad, and use that as information to tweak your program to keep you moving in the direction you want to go.

Step #6 – 30 Day Photo Shoot

After a full month of staying 100% dedicated to your plan of action take some more full body pictures of all 4 angels (front, back, and each side).

These 30 days updated pictures are ammunition to better tweak your program. Put them side-by-side to your starting pictures. Note any physical visual changes.

Step #7 – One Month Evaluation

Also, at your 30 day photo shoot, evaluate your one-month's progress. Check your weight and body fat percentage and measurements again. Note any changes.

After one month of being fully dedicated to your program you should have stat numbers and photos that give you good insight on how well you are doing on your program.

If everything is going according to your plan, then keep on that same course of action. If you are not transforming you need to modify and make changes to your diet or cardio.

Step #8 – If It Is Not Broken, Don't Fix It

A big mistake many people make when doing a transformation challenge is they "tweak" every few days if the scale is not showing them the number they want to see. Tweak your plan only when it's necessary. A tweak is a small change, not an overhaul of your program.

Step #9 – Excuse Me

If you want to be a transformation success story, stop making excuses such as "I cheated because it was my birthday," "I had to attend a luncheon," "my kids have (fill in blank) practice," "I went out and had a few drinks," etc.

These excuses are just that, excuses, and excuses are the path to nowhere. If you want to be a transformation success story, stop the excuses and just do what is required.

Step #10 – Can the Self Trash-Talk

NEVER talk or think about yourself in a negative sense. If you refer to yourself or pictures as "fat," fat butt," "fat a$" that's what you will become. No successful bodybuilder, figure or fitness competitor, or transformation success story refers to themselves as fat. They only visualize themselves in the shape they want to be in, and speak of themselves in a positive frame of mind.

You can absolutely alter your thinking to produce the results you want, but you have to think and speak in positive terms. Hoping for a fit body but thinking and speaking negatively is worthless.

Your mind is a powerful tool so use it to your advantage!

Step #11 - Repeat

Repeat steps 4-10 every thirty days until you reach your deadline or ultimate goal.

Conclusion

It's not enough to just want to transform your body, you have to have a passion for it. You have to have determination. You have to do what it takes even if you don't feel like it. Successes always go that extra mile to be their best.

Do what it takes every day and follow through on your program 100% every day you will be the one shining in the spotlight of victory.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

FREE 7 DAY TRIAL

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Weight Loss Tricks

This is a great article I read last night and wanted to share it with you all today:

Losing weight is about simple, common sense direction – and hope. A simple plan that works for you and hope that you can shed those layers and keep them off – not for the short sprint of a few weeks or months, but forever.

Losing weight is not about counting, measuring, fussing, starving, sneaking, or guilting. And it’s certainly not about depriving and proclaiming that you’re never going to eat your food faves ever, ever, ever again. Let’s get real – that’s not going to happen so why go there? Be reasonable with yourself.

Forget about what you’re going to “have to” give up. Think about what you “get to” add to your day. And that’s the first rule. Here are all three.

Rule 1: Add

Rule 2: Stop

Rule 3: Wiggle!

Sounds like a fun, new dance, doesn’t it? Add, Stop, And Wiggle! Well, a dance it is – especially when you wiggle into those pants calling to you from your closet.

Try these three rules on for that smaller size:

1. Add and fill up on the best-for-you foods first. The best-for-you foods: whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

- Breakfast: play around on with grazing on fruit all morning. Eat enough to fill you up – yes, more than one banana (if you don’t fill up on that morning pick-me-up and drop-me-down).

- Lunch: dive into a large green-leafy vegetable salad with 10 different vegetables (lettuce, spinach, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, red or green cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, radishes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado…whatever you like). Eat enough to fill you up. Dressing: water-based with no oil, no dairy.

- Dinner: eat in order – first salad, second steamed vegetables, third a more filling vegetable, like potatoes, yams, or winter squash. Then add one of your old-time favorites if you still have a hankering for it. Tricky, huh? You’ll automatically eat less of those not-so-good-for-you foods that sabotage weight loss and those good feelings about that special person - you.

- Snacks: fruit, cut up vegetables, and raw, unsalted nuts and seeds.

- Beverages: water and homemade fruit and vegetable juices.

2. Stop eating when your brain says you’re full – before your stomach begs for mercy. Yes, tough to do, but it gets easier with awareness and practice. Remember, your garbage disposal is replaceable – you are not.

3. Wiggle! Give yourself wiggle room – we all need that. Follow the 80/20 Rule. 80% of the time, follow the three rules. 20% of the time, eat what you want. No biggie. Just be sure you don’t wiggle too much – it shows.

So there you have it – Add, Stop, and Wiggle your way to those pants and feeling good about you.

Is there more to it? Yes, but we have to start somewhere so why not start by playing to that catchy new tune of: Add, Stop, and Wiggle.

So today, load up on those fresh fruits for breakfast, great big salad for lunch, and veggies first for dinner, and wiggle your way into those pants.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer, author of the weight-loss book, “Getting Into Your Pants,” is a chiropractor, speaker and expert in weight loss, diet and nutrition.

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Reading the Nutritional Label

If you are like most people then you probably glance at the Nutrition Facts label on foods once in a while. Maybe you check for the number of calories or fat grams that an item contains, or maybe you are watching something specific - like your sodium intake. Whatever the case, it has been proven that those who pay attention to the Nutrition Facts label end up eating healthier.

The more familiar you are with the Nutritional Facts Label, the more likely you will be fit and healthy.

Each Nutritional Facts label has been designed to quickly and efficiently give you all of the important facts about a food item. You just need to know what you are looking for. Read on as we break down the Nutritional Facts label into 6 important facts.

Fact #1: Serving Size
This small detail skews the entire label if you don't read it closely. An item may seem like it is only one serving, but the Nutritional Facts label will consider it to be 2 or 3 servings. If the label says 100 calories, but there are actually 3 servings, then you are getting a total of 300 calories. Pay close attention to what makes a serving.

Fact #2: Calories
Most people don't have the time to count every calorie that they put in their mouth - this is understandable. However, you probably have a pretty good idea about the amount of food that you eat each day. When you approach a new item, read the calorie totals on the Nutritional Facts label, and factor the new calories into your daily intake. Steer clear of high calorie items - especially in the form of snack foods.

Fact #3: Fat
By now you have undoubtedly heard that all fats were not created equal. Here is a quick 1-2-3 breakdown.

1. Limit your intake of Saturated Fats - this deadly fat contributes to heart disease.

2. Avoid Trans Fats at all costs - not only does it contribute to heart disease, it also raises LDL cholesterol (the bad one).

3. Focus on eating monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - these don't raise LDL cholesterol and can even help lower blood cholesterol.

As you decide what food to include in your diet, keep your eye on the type and amount of fat included in each item. Remember, all fats were not created equal.

Fact #4: Carbohydrate
Though zero carb diets are losing their momentum, you may have been influenced by the idea that all carbohydrates will make you fat. That is simply not true. It is true, however that some carbohydrates are healthier than others. In fact, medical experts think that excess consumption of refined carbohydrates (such as soda pop, white rice, and white flour) are one of the reasons behind the rise of obesity we see today.

Choose fibrous, complex carbohydrates over sugary, simple carbohydrates.

Fact #5: Protein
The fact stands that most of us are getting plenty of protein in our diet. The problem arises when we examine the source of this protein. Meats and dairy products that are high full of fat may be filled with protein, but they aren't the healthiest form of protein. Choose protein from lean meats, dry beans, poultry, and low fat/fat free dairy products.

Fact #6: The Good Stuff
Directly beneath the protein count on the Nutritional Facts label you will see the percent daily value of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron that the food item contains. These numbers are easily overlooked, but hold great importance to your overall health. The more nutrient-rich food items provide you with the greatest benefit per calorie. Compare food brands and choose the most nutrient-rich option.

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Healthy Shopping Tips

We all know that when we’re doing some grocery shopping, it can be extremely hard to find the right food for your healthy dinner recipes. Here are some tips you can keep in mind the next time you find yourself in the grocery store.

1. Shop in the Natural Health Food section of the supermarket to find better food choices. Always select the organic products whenever they are available.

2. Start in the fresh food section of the supermarket. In fact if you shop around the perimeter of the store you will end up making healthier food choices.

3. Because vegetables lose their vitamins and other nutrients very rapidly, buy only the freshest ones.

4. Quick frozen vegetables can be more nutritious than ‘fresh’ ones that have been on the store shelves for a few days.

5. Stay away from the canned goods whose contents are preserved in brine, oil or syrup. Go with those packed in water, but pay attention to the amount of salt or sodium in them.

6. Learn to read the product labels. Be on the lookout for terms like "hydrogenated" and "partially hydrogenated". The earlier it appears on the list the higher the amount or portion of trans fatty acids there are in the product.

7. Try to buy skinless chicken and turkey. If you do buy one with skin, make sure that you remove the skin prior to cooking. If you are buying beef, only buy the leaner cuts.

8. Since calcium is essential for your body, consume adequate amounts of dairy products or go with calcium-enriched beverages.

9. Keep the sugar content low when selecting products, being especially careful with dairy and drinks.

10. Avoid white flour based products like bread, bagels and spaghetti. Instead introduce in your diet the whole grain versions of these products.

11. Finding healthy snacks can be difficult. Watch out for the partially hydrogenated oils and sugar used in the coatings. There are protein bars and healthy varieties of snacks available in the health food section.

12. Fruits are high in vitamin C. Eat more melons such as cantaloupe if you are trying to lower your calories. Cantaloupe is not only high in vitamin C, but has plenty of beta-carotene that helps defend against diseases such as cancer.

13. For frozen dinners, buy the ones with low cholesterol, sodium and fat.

14. Don't go to the grocery store without a list, or if you are hungry. Being prepared with a list of food items will help guarantee that you’ll end up with more healthy choices than if you buy on the impulses of a growling stomach.

Keep these tips in mind whenever you are shopping for food. Grocery stores are full of healthy products for your dinner recipes; you just need to know which ones they are, and make a conscious effort to avoid the unhealthy ones.

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Music & Exercise

Starting an exercise program is hard enough, isn't it? No matter what you seem to do or how much you plan, it's never as easy as it looks. However, there are plenty of ways to help make your exercise time fly. One of the most popular ways to help your workout is to add a little music to your exercise plans. Here's what you need to know.

Why add music to your routine?

A lot of people will say that they like the quiet time of exercise, listening to their breathing, and checking their workout times. If you are not one of these folks then you need something to help make working out easier and more fun – like music.

Music helps you take your mind off of how hard your workout might be. For example, when you're off running or lifting weights, music can help you forget about the things that you are thinking about and focus on your favorite songs. This subtle distraction can allow you to focus on working out hard and strong.

When you add music to your workout routine, you can create a soundtrack for your success. Add your favorite inspirational music – think "Chariots of Fire" or the "Rocky" theme – to make you push just a little harder and make it to the end of your workout routine. Whatever music makes you feel strong and powerful, add that to your workout rotation.

How do you add music to your workout?

Before you can add music to your workout, you will want to realize that some preparation time is necessary. What you'll want to do is create compilations (mixes) of your favorite songs beforehand. For those of you that have digital music players, this is quite simple. All you need to do is create a play list by adding your favorite songs to a folder, burning them to CD, or playing them on your player.

What about the tempo of my music?

One of the things that you will want to keep in mind when you're working out is how fast your music is. While you want something that's faster in pace, you don't want to choose anything that's so fast that you can't keep up or you'll over-exert yourself. Some techno music can be a little too fast for light cardio workouts or strength training.

On the other hand you'll want to make sure that you're not including songs that are too slow either. Generally speaking, you will want to start with slower music for your warm up and stretching, then slowly build up the tempo of your music and then bring it back down again for the cool down.

This sounds too difficult

While this does sound time consuming, you can also find recommendations on many fitness sites and in magazines. These lists are already created to help you maintain a certain fitness pace, so they can be very effective. Or you might want to choose musical CDs and tapes that are specifically designed for working out at a certain pace – such as 80 bpm (beats per minute).

Music is the soundtrack to our lives; why not include it as the soundtrack for your workout? When you choose inspiring and fast-paced music, it can actually help you work out longer and harder – give it a try! Select songs that inspire and motivate you!

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Why Should You Warm Up?

Warm-ups help to reduce friction to joints and help to extend muscles. In doing this it is made possible to avoid injury and also discomfort and muscle soreness. If you push yourself too hard, you will still suffer from discomfort the next day. Warm-ups are not your free pass from exercise discomfort. It helps in reducing the chances of sprains while helping your body adjust to the demands from your exercise.

As you exercise your internal temperature will rise. If you do warm-ups prior to exercising your body will slowly raise in temperature as opposed to rising at an elevated rate, which can cause dizziness and possibly fainting. For the fullest most beneficial workout it is vital to warm-up prior to your workout.

Warm-ups are done to ease your body into the exercise routine. Thus, you are warming up your body. This is very similar to cooking in an oven. Using the analogy of warming up the oven before baking a cake, the same mindset applies to workouts: Warm up your muscles before working out. Gradually increasing your body temperature will give your muscles the chance to slowly dilate and increase blood flow through them with minimal if any discomfort the following day.

Warm-ups help to up your metabolic rate and your heart rate, while benefiting your respiratory system's ability. In doing this your body is able to better adjust to the workout you are preparing for. Joints will have reduced friction and this helps to lessen chances of sprains for demanding exercises.

The most crucial thing to note is that you should take good care of your muscles and joints as well as your cardiovascular system. This way, you can be sure that you will hit your peak performance with less risk of injury or sprains.

Warm-ups should not be fast and furious. They are done in order to slowly prepare your body for a more vigorous workout. A session lasting approximately 15 minutes is adequate. Begin with some stretches of the muscles that you will be using. If running is the preferred exercise, begin by walking before upping it to a jog before you run. A demanding exercise routine should be eased into.

Should you be playing a sport with the aim of burning calories, you can choose to do the same activity as a warm-up, only at a much lower pace.

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Transformation Video

Bo and I were training this morning and we thought it would be fun to share these two videos. Enjoy!

Bo - Before Video (350lbs)



Bo - After losing 100lbs



Way to go Bo! I am so proud of you. Keep it up my friend.


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Adam Freeman
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AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

In the NEWS - WECT Wilmington

For those who are not local, one of the biggest events for the American Heart Association here in Wilmington, NC was this past weekend. It is called the "Heart Walk" and it was a huge success.

When Bo and I first started our journey, it was all brought together by Kristi Tomey and Ashley Miller who both play a huge part in the Heart Walk, chaired successfully by Louise McColl (one of my other clients). They brought Bo to meet with me and all I needed to do was give him a few pointers and train him once a week for free, ONLY if he documented his journey to motivate and inspire others on his blog.

Well, after sitting down with Bo and seeing the project at hand...all 350 pounds of it, I knew there was no way this guy was going to reach his goals on his own. With multiple attempts in the past and always falling back in to bad habits, he needed the professional attention. So, I decided to train him 3 days a week until he reached his goal of 220 pounds and I am pleased to say....well, I will just let you watch.

Check out Bo in this wonderful highlight on WECT Wilmington!

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO
(NEWS Broadcast)

To watch the raw footage of the interviews from WECT

Click Here for Bo Dean's Raw Footage

Click Here for Adam Freeman's Raw Footage

If you would like to follow Bo Dean's blog or go back and read his amazing journey,

Click Here: www.BoWilmington.blogspot.com

For all of those who have lost someone close to you due to heart disease, please know that with baby steps, you can help make a difference in yours or someone else's life by starting an exercise program. If you can't afford a trainer to meet with you face to face, please know that my online personal training program is a phenomenal step in the right direction. Sign up for your FREE 7 Day Trial today to take that first step.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW!!!

Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Trainer/Online Fitness Consultant
O2 Fitness/New Life Fitness
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com