Here is a myth that permeates through the media, publications, and even among health care professionals and trainers themselves. In fact, some of the Mohr Results Team was presenting at a fitness conference last week in London -- and right next door, the speaker was presenting the exact opposite message! That can always be a bit awkward to say the least! But not when there's no doubt about the correct answer--and it's the one you're saying.

Here is the myth: exercising at a lower intensity burns more fat than exercising at a higher intensity because when you exercise at a higher intensity, you instead burn more sugar.
Alright, here is the most simple way possible to explain this.

1. When you exercise, your body burns a combination of fuels (carbohydrates and fat).
2. The lower the intensity, the more fuel that comes from fat. This is because fat requires oxygen to "burn" and when you start exercising too intensely, it becomes anaerobic (which means, without oxygen--hence your huffing and puffing for air).
3. As your intensity increases, your body starts to shift more towards using carbohydrates for fuel (think walking to running).
4. But, when you increase your intensity (walking to running to sprinting), you burn more calories per total time spent exercising.
5. You need to burn more calories to lose body fat.
6. Therefore, exercising at a higher intensity is the winner if weight loss is your goal. It does not matter if those calories come from fat or carbohydrates; it matters that you are using calories by moving more!

Here is where the confusion lies. #2 suggests that more fuel comes from fat when you exercise at a lower intensity. That does not mean you are burning more body fat -- you are not literally breaking down body fat and using it like gas in a race car. Fat as fuel and body fat are different. In fact, research continues to mound that higher intensity exercise is more effective than lower intensity exercise for fat loss.

Most people like to hear that low intensity exercise is better -- because it is easier! But it is not as effective. As Emeril says in his show, you have to "kick it up a notch."

In fact, saying lower intensity movement is better for weight loss is like telling someone sitting is more effective than exercising if they want to lose fat. Sounds goofy to recommend sitting for weight loss, doesn't it? But if the thought is that low intensity exercise burns more fat, let's take it to extremes and burn the most fat possible by sitting or sleeping. What a joke!

Of course weight loss requires smart nutrition to truly be effective!! Exercise in and of itself has little effect on fat loss -- when coupled with nutrition, the pieces to the puzzle start to come together.

PS: For the women in Louisville, it's time for you to kick it up a notch with your exercise and join the Mohr Results Boot Camp - the ultimate out of gym experience! If you truly want to kick up the intensity and get an effective workout--this is your answer.

PPS: A local radio show will be kicking off an initiative for this Boot Camp on Wednesday of next week -- and that means you have to secure your spot before we are sold out. Camp starts April 7th -- delaying gets you nowhere. Remember, you either do something every single day to get closer to your goal, or you do something to take you away from it. Make the best decision and finally achieve your goals!

Food labels can be tricky -- and are mainly there for 1 reason and 1 reason only: to sell you the food!! Companies are notorious for throwing words around like "zero trans fat, heart healthy, low sugar, no impact carbs" and so on, but, unfortunately, they care about 1 thing and that's their bottom line (surely not YOUR bottom!)

Let's take a look at a few examples so you can really be a savvy shopper and make the best decisions.
Kellog's Smart Start Strong Heart Antioxidants. Sounds fantastic, right? We know breakfast is important, so now you're "starting smart." Of course we all want strong hearts...got that. And antioxidants are wonderful for us, right? Well what more do we need? Apparently they thought we needed sugar too -- since there is more sugar in 1 cup of this cereal than 1 cup of Frosted Flakes!! And not just more, but nearly double the amount (14 g vs. 8 g). Now, granted, it also has 3 times the fiber, so it gets a thumbs up for that. But who would think a cereal with an amazing title like Smart Start Strong Heart Antioxidants has more sugar than a cereal with that tells you it's frosted right in the title? Here are two better cereal options: 1. whole rolled oats and 2. oat bran. Both have no sugar, are loaded with fiber, and are much less expensive than other packaged cereals with fancy marketing attached. And another hint: if there's a cartoon on the box, leave it on the shelf!
Starbucks No Sugar Added Banana Nut Coffee Cake. Now, c'mon, I know you didn't think this one was healthy--it's coffee cake. But you can't tell me there wasn't a glimmer of hope with the "no sugar added" preface, right? Sure, it's "healthy" alright -- 480 calories and 28 grams of fat healthy! To replace the sugar, they also added a WHOPPING 36 grams of sugar alcohols, which might have a very unpleasant side effect on the 'ol GI system, if you know what we're saying. Of course no one would go into Starbucks without a mocha, cream covered, super frothy double grande bla bla bla, right? Put the two of those together and you just got over 1000 calories of junky fat and even worse carbohydrates!
KFC trans fat free fried chicken. Alright, alright--now we're preaching to the choir (hopefully). KFC has followed the rest of America and taken trans fat out of their foods. You know what--it's still FRIED CHICKEN! Eating trans fat free fried chicken is like switching seats on the Titanic--either way, you're in trouble! But I have had many consumers ask me if this is OK more frequently because they took the trans fat out. It's confusing for consumers and companies love that!

If you want truly want to take control of your health, check out Grocery Shopping Made Easy: From Apples to Zucchini, where we show you the exact strategies to be healthier and lose fat, such as:

• The colors to avoid in the grocery store (hint, they make you eat more),
• The exact foods to choose and foods to lose,
• What to look for in the produce section,
• If organic REALLY is all it's cracked up to be,
• And much much more!

Labels: Mohr Results weight loss, trans fat, truth in food labels

We get a lot of requests for tips on eating healthy while traveling. Since we travel quite a bit, this is something we have had to perfect over the years. It is challenging, but it can be done.

1. First, plan ahead and pack non-perishables. Pack packets of oatmeal, wild salmon and tuna, energy bars such as Clif Bars, Luna Bars, Pure Fit bars, etc., and fresh fruit that can handle some jostling - like apples and oranges (bananas usually get damaged -unless you handle them with care). Prepare 1 oz bags of raw nuts and dried fruit (avoid fruit with added sugar). Portion single servings of protein powder into ziploc baggies. Include a shaker bottle, small tupperware container and a spoon.

2. Stock up on healthy perishables when you a)have a hotel room with a refrigerator or b)are traveling by car and can pack a cooler. Things to include would be yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus, and cut-up veggies such as carrot, bell peppers, snap peas. If you are traveling to a hotel with a microwave as well, stock up on frozen meals such as Amy's Frozen Burritos or Kashi frozen meals.

3. Minimize eating out. Try and keep all of your meals as similar to what you would normally eat at home. For me, this means I only eat one meal per day "out" at a restaurant. The rest of the time I rely on my stocked supply to put together meals.

4. Decide before you drive. Once you have picked the restaurant, decide what you will have. You can be an informed customer by looking up the nutrition information of the restaurant online. Or try http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/. Put in the address of where you are staying and search for healthy options nearby. When the restaurants are loaded to the page, click on the restaurant you would like and a list of healthier menu options appear...the choices are narrowed down for you!

Labels: eating out, healthy choices, healthy eating, traveling, vacation