Admit it – you too have spent countless hours at the gym doing “low intensity” cardio to burn more body fat.  

C'mon, it's OK, we've all wasted hours walking on a treadmill at some point.  Isn't that what all the magazines have told us for years "long, slow cardio is the MOST effective way to lose weight"?

And while I'm picking on treadmills, all the cardio equipment is the same –you peddle on a bike or "run" on an elliptical at a low intensity to have a minimal fat loss effect. 

Is that really worth it?  Is it better than sitting?  No doubt. 

Is it AS effective as ramping up the intensity?  Not a chance!

Several research studies support the fact that high intensity exercise is a more efficient way to burn fat and calories.

Check out this one small study that was presented at the Experimental Biology Annual Conference (and others support the results too).

22 subjects (11 men and 11 women) cycled at a high, medium, or low intensity.  The researchers measured their "fat burning" to see which was most effective.

The researchers learned that the max fat burning was the highest intensity exercise — near maximum effort — essentially the state you're in when sprinting.

Moral of the story: stop wasting endless hours doing some low intensity cardio—kick it up a notch to really see the results!

Keep in mind when we say "near maximum effort" it means different things for different people.

For some, that means walking a little faster for short "bursts" (every 30 seconds, with a 60-90 second "recovery")

For others, it's an all out sprint.  Or you can use a bike, airodyne bike, rowing ergometer, etc. Just go back and forth with "as hard as possible" to "active recovery."

Regardless of where you're starting, adding those short "all out" efforts will get you where you want to be more quickly.

We also encourage general movement — a minimum of 5 hours/week — in addition to these short bursts.

Give it a whirl — your results will skyrocket!

“…sweeteners could increase antioxidant intake … similar to the amount found in one serving of berries or nuts.”

That was the conclusion of a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. (Total Antioxidant Content of Alternatives to Refined Sugar, 2009, pgs 64-71).

Well, that conclusion is what I saw in one media report with the headline “is sugar the newest antioxidant?” 

We talked about how sugar makes you gain ugly belly fat.

But maybe there's an update — let’s look at this study to get the truth.

The researchers compared the antioxidant content of unrefined sweeteners as alternatives to refined sugar.

Unrefined:  raw cane sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, molasses, honey, and fruit sugars like date paste.

Refined: refined sugar (think white table sugar) and corn syrup
In the US, the average intake of added sugars is 130 g/day (or about 31 teaspoons per day).

Using that average intake (130 grams) as the “baseline” measurement, the researchers ranked the sweeteners below from highest to lowest levels of antioxidants:

1.    Blackstrap molasses (highest)
2.    Molasses, dark
3.    Date sugar
4.    Barley malt syrup
5.    Brown sugar, dark
6.    100% Maple syrup
7.    Brown sugar, light
8.    Brown rice syrup
9.    Honey
10.  Raw cane sugar
11.  Agave nectar
12.  White, refined table sugar (lowest)

Take home points:  When eating sugar, substitute those that are higher in antioxidants when possible. 

But of course the less of ALL sugars, the better.

Of course no sugar is a HEALTHY option or meant to replace other high antioxidant foods, like fruits.  

Read more about the dangers of added sugar

And these 3 pieces discuss artificial sweeteners

Are artificial sweeteners healthier than real sugar?

Is stevia a healthy alternative to sugar?

Is sucralose a healthy alternative to sugar?

I had my annual physical yesterday …

…including fasting blood work to make sure things are “in check.”

I’m anxious to get my Vitamin D levels tested – if you didn’t get a chance to read if you need to take vitamin D, make sure you check it out!

I’m also always interested in my lipid panel.  

So far it’s been a clean bill of health, but with my mom having genetically high triglycerides (to the tune of 500 mg/dL+, when they should be under 150 mg/dL), it’s important to make sure all is still on track.

Speaking of lipids – a recent study was published about egg yolks and HDL (known as the “good” cholesterol).

And that brings up the question: Do you eat egg yolks?  

It wasn’t long ago that yolks were the devil – and egg white omelets were all the rage – now egg yolks are back … and highly recommended from the Mohr Results Team.

While some still shun the yellow goodness in the egg, we know that egg yolks are fantastic for you.  

There has NEVER been a connection between eating eggs and heart disease.

And a recent study by researchers at the University of Connecticut supported the notion that eggs are fantastic for you, despite the high levels of cholesterol in them.

They found that after feeding groups an additional 640 mg of dietary cholesterol through egg yolks (about 200 mg of cholesterol/yolk) the plasma (in the blood) levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) were significantly higher than those who did not eat the additional dietary cholesterol from egg yolks.

I’ll let you know what my lab results are when I get them – I eat 2-3 whole eggs each day, so while my report is purely anecdotal, we’ll see how it pans out.

You see, while it was once though that eating dietary cholesterol meant it went directly to your arteries to form plaque, we now know that dietary cholesterol doesn’t play much of a role in plasma cholesterol…or heart disease for that matter.

In fact a study published in 2007 fed participants eggs daily, upwards of over 6 per week (so around 1 or more per day) and they concluded that “regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.”

Here’s the deal – the body makes cholesterol.  

So what basically happens when you eat dietary cholesterol is your cholesterol production slows.  

Or the reverse holds true – you don’t eat enough, which usually means way too little dietary fat, your body will do what’s called “upregulate” or make more to meet the body’s needs.

Outside of the cholesterol "concern," eggs are high in some nutrients that may be otherwise difficult to get in the diet – choline, which is great for brain health, carotenoids, which are important for eye health, and zeaxanthin, which is an antioxidant.  And those are just a few of the benefits.

Moral of the story: don’t throw away the yolks.  

Egg yolks provide at least 13 important nutrients – egg whites don’t offer much outside of protein and a few other nutrients. 

Dietary cholesterol is NOT the devil it was once thought to be.  
 

Weight loss seems so simple.

Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose that dreaded belly fat for good.

But ask any of the 50+ million individuals who are attempting to lose weight each year and they will tell you it is not that easy.

It's not just changing what you eat and exercising.

It feels like battle. After all, you are tackling the 10 year daily visit to the vending machine habit, the 20 year snacking while watching TV habit, or maybe the "dinner's not complete unless I eat something sweet" conviction.

If you want to kick those bad habits that prevent you from eating fewer calories overall and few quality calories, than you need to be prepared to understand and change your behaviors.  

To get you started, here are some pointers to keep in mind:

• Know yourself:  First, understand your motivation. Why do you want to lose weight? If you do not have a reason that is truly meaningful to you, than you will have a tough road to climb.

People who attempt weight loss because they feel they should, but aren't invested, won't be able to make the necessary permanent change in behavior. If you can't identify a reason, brainstorm.

Write down every possible reason why you want to lose weight, set it aside for a day or so. When you return to the list, write down why that reason is important to you (what will it do for you specifically).

When you've identified your top 3 and you feel strongly about them, it's time to get started. If you still struggle, put the list away and return every couple of days, adding answers and revisiting old ones until you have identified your reason WHY.

• Motivate yourself

Once you have identified the very specific reason as to why, hang onto it.

Make visible reminders. The reminders could be pictures of yourself, your kids, a swimsuit model hung in the kitchen, bathroom, etc., or the reminder may be a pair of pants you would like to fit into.

When you are feeling like giving up, try on the pants. Notice how they fit, where they are still tight, where they have gotten bigger. Now imagine what it will be like to fit into them again.

Take an index card and write one sentence summarizing your motivation. Carry the card with you.  Read it when your motivation wanes.

• Coach yourself
  

We are our own worst enemy.

Despite working hard at changing our behaviors and making efforts to make it happen, we subtly tell ourselves things like "I hope I can do this", "I've been good, I deserve to take a day off", or "I blew it today, I might as well write today off and start fresh tomorrow."

The problem with these thoughts is they are all negative.  Telling yourself you hope you can do this indicates uncertainty and that some element is not within your control. Remember weight loss is possible. Direct your thoughts positively and keep your motivation in sight.

• Reframe your mind
  

Put exercise in the same perspective as the rest of your life. A lot of people think of exercise as something extra in their lives; something that happens when they have the time. Treat exercise as though it's obligatory.

When you wake up each day, plan your exercise as just something else that needs to happen.

• Celebrate you!

Do you give your best to your job, your family, and your friends but never devote anything worthwhile to yourself?

Use these behavior changes as an opportunity to put yourself first. Remind yourself you are taking steps toward a healthier, leaner you. If you do not see changes in your body or on the scale immediately, be patient.

Fat loss WILL happen when you remain committed to your goal.

Calories DO matter, so you should have an idea of just how many you are eating if you want to be leaner, sexier, and stronger!  Click here to learn how food companies lied to us!

Life is about keeping things in perspective.

Where is your focus?

Where we are in Louisville, it’s pretty gray in the winter … more gray than sun.  And lately I’ve noticed more people complaining about the weather …

“It’s SOOOO gray, I just want to crawl back into bed…”

“It’s SOOO cold, I can’t leave my house…”

"I CAN'T exercise today, I NEED the sun for that…"

And so on.

But if you choose to live in this area, where it is always pretty gray in the winter, what is complaining about it going to do?

Surely won't change the weather.  Don't get me wrong, sun would be nice … but complaining about it won't make it happen.

It reminds me about people who are addicted to the news.

You turn it on and hear about the debt.  The unemployment is higher than ever.  Health care debates – one side thinks it’s the greatest thing in the world, the other thinks it’s going to be the end of the world.

I'm not saying you should be unaware of current events, but just curious how that helps YOUR future?

Take time for YOU – worrying about problems takes time away from creating solutions.

You likely have heard the story how many super successful people started their businesses in a “down” economy – Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and many others.

They didn’t focus on how everything in the world wasn’t going their way – they created their way!

How does this apply to YOU?

If you’re always focusing on “My body will NEVER look good…” or “I will NEVER be able to wear XYZ…” etc, then you’re right, you won’t.

Put on your blinders like a horse racing in the Kentucky Derby and forge ahead towards your goals.

You are the only person who can create your future — if you're waiting for the "perfect day" or "perfect time" to do something, it's going to be awhile.