We were at the park with Ella the other night and were talking with another set of parents while our daughters played together.  As we continued to talk, the conversation came up of how we manage to fit in exercise with Ella…and how will we with another one on the way.

This particular couple already has 2 kids, both under 3.  And both, admittedly, have struggled to maintain their own exercise habits.

Now we’ll be the first to admit, having kids certainly throws a little wrench into the mix … it makes eating healthy and exercising regularly a bit more challenging, but certainly not impossible or out of the question when you have a strategy in place.  What used to be our normal routine is now dictated by an almost 2.5 year old.  And again this will all change in a few weeks for us personally. 

It doesn’t mean exercising is impossible until your last kid turns 18 and you’re an empty nester.  And even if you don’t have kids, similar challenges exist — you’re working longer hours, don’t want to get up an earlier to exercise before work like we do in our Louisville boot camp and simply struggle to make time.

What we shared with them at the park is exactly what you’re going to hear today …

…it’s something we’ve learned and adapted over the last few years since Ella has been around.  Our goals certainly shifted — years ago I would train twice per day — lifting once, some type of cardio or sprints later on.  Kara did the same when she ran more often; lifting in the morning and then running in the afternoon. 

But basically we now get in and out of the gym or wherever we’re working out as quickly as possible.  We call it the "Power of Less."  Interestingly, in the book the 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, he coined the term "minimum effective dose" … same idea.

…how little can you do and still get the best results?  In other words, less is more (or is it less is MOHR?).

Ferriss points to the example of boiling water.  Boiling water is boiling water.  It doesn’t get "more boiled" with greater and longer heat.  

We’re not trying to get people to move less; we’re trying to be practical in our recommendations because at the end of the day, spending as much time with Ella as possible is a lot more important than spending as much time as possible working out. 

One example of getting more done in less time is changing the intensity of your workout.  We can do 10 hill sprints in 20 or 30 or so minutes…very challenging workout that puts a lot of demands on many muscles of our bodies.  Or we can go out for a walk each day, do that for about 60 minutes, barely elevate the heart rate or work muscles with any type of intensity and not get close to the same results.

Does this mean walking is bad?  Of course not…and we DO often do that stroll just to get out of the house.  We’re not necessarily even doing it for the sake of exercising, it’s just better than sitting around watching TV and it’s a great way to break up the work day and take a break from staring at a computer.

But let’s go back to that minimum effective dose … or what we say is the "Power of Less."

Maybe it means you have to bump up the intensity of your workouts to get more in less time. 

The Power of Less works for nutrition, too.  In fact we talked about it the other day when we suggested you STOP THINKING.  There’s 15 million different ideas, diets, and tips out there … focus on ONE and you’ll get results rather than flip flopping daily and believing every single thing you read. More on this to come in the future…

It’s where less is more.  And where LESS will get you BETTER results. 

The Power of Less.  Agree?


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Wow, last the blog suggesting "stop thinking" to truly transform your body really peaked the interest of a lot…over 120 "likes" on FB and a handful of comments.  Glad it struck a nerve.

It’s time to bring up another hot topic in the world of nutrition.

How many meals to eat for the BEST results.

There’s a general consensus that eating smaller, more frequent meals is best for fat loss and general health.

You’ll be more full.

You’ll better control your blood sugar.

You’ll better control your hormones.

And, at the end of the day, this means you’ll lose more fat and keep your muscle.

But it is TRULY that simple?  If you eat the same number of calories spread out through multiple meals vs. eating just a few meals/day that magic bullet for fat loss?OK

This question was part of my PhD dissertation … and now more current research has looked at this same thing.

A friend from the University of Missouri — Dr. Heather Leidy — published her research in the journal, Obesity, asking this very question.  And Heather is no stuffy lab scientist who barely knows how to spell the word exercise.  She IS a smart scientist, but feels right at home in the gym training as well.

So let’s quickly look at her publication. 

3 meals.  6 meals.  What’s best?

In this small study of just 27 overweight or obese men, subjects were assigned to "high" protein diets (25% of their calories) or regular protein diets (14% of their total calories).  Then, they were also divided into 3 meals/day (~5 hours apart) or 6 meals per day (2-3 hours apart).

The higher protein group DID report being more full throughout the day, in the evening, and later at night.  This isn’t surprising as there’s no doubt protein is more filing than either carbohydrate or protein. 

But, interestingly, the group randomly assigned to eat just 3 meals per day reported feeling more full than the group eating 6 meals/day. 

Hmmm, this is interesting.  For years and years, lay audiences, magazines, etc have suggested smaller, more frequent meals is the BEST approach.  Now Dr. Leidy’s research suggests otherwise.  Maybe the smaller, more frequent feedings is more than it’s cracked up to be.

What do you think — leave a comment on the blog?  Here are our thoughts…

Mohr Results Bottom Line:  There is actually very little data on this topic as a whole.  Eating smaller, more frequent meals isn’t always feasible for people who are at the office or have less "freedom" throughout the day to make smart food choices.  We do encourage the use of great snacks — like raw nuts and fruit, for example — but the overall diet quality seems to be the biggest issue more so than the frequency of eating as a whole.

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It seems as if there are stories and questions that we never hear the end of…

Will carbs make me fat?

What’s the BEST exercise for fat loss?

Does THIS fat burner work?

How do I burn more belly fat?

And, finally … one that just came up again this AM … is it OK to eat whole eggs or should I just eat egg whites?

There’s usually the concern about cholesterol.  Then fat itself. 

So it’s time to revisit this and HOPEFULLY put an end to the myth that egg yolks are bad.

Here’s the deal.  The yolk has all the cholesterol and fat.  That is correct.  It also has ALL the nutrition! 

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

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

A 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.

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.  

When you eat dietary cholesterol, 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 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.

Research shows eggs boost weight loss!

Another recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity fed subjects an egg based breakfast (2 eggs/day) or a bagel based breakfast for 8 weeks.  It’s well known eating breakfast boosts fat loss.  This took it one step further.

Their findings?

Those eating the egg based breakfasts had a 65% greater weight loss and 34% greater decrease in their waists.

 Sold on the yolks yet?

 3 Take Home Points:

1. Egg yolks provide at least 13 important nutrients – egg whites don’t offer much outside of protein.
2. Dietary cholesterol is NOT the devil it was once thought to be. 
3. Eggs may boost weight loss when compared to a same calorie carbohydrate heavy breakfast

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The diet tips, tricks and strategies are coming fast and furious this time of year…

The official "start" of beach season is just days away.  I’ve heard some in the fitness industry refer to it as "Judgement Day."  The day when pools and beaches open and bathing suits come out.

Not to build too much around this time of year … but it is interesting how our blog and associated fat loss questions have been on fire lately.  Surely there’s a connection.

But what if the advice you’re reading is steering you in the wrong direction?

Here are 3 REALLY common diet tips that you need to ditch NOW.

1. Losing fat means eating low fat.  This one couldn’t be further from the truth.  We’re not suggesting loading up on fat is the way to go in lieu of other foods, but focusing on QUALITY is the key.  Low fat diet does NOT equal low body fat. 

   Low junky fat (trans fat, processed saturated fat) should be drastically limited, but rather than just eliminating those types of fats, we suggest replacing them with much better alternatives, like fish and fish oil, olive oil, and canola oil.  Even mix in some coconut oil if you want a healthier saturated fat.  But remember that LOW fat eating doesn’t mean LOW body fat (or health)!

2. Eating salads means you’ll lose weight.  Incorrect.  This too has gotten a bit out of control and we hear it ALL the time. 

   "Well, on another diet, so I guess I’m back to salads everyday." 

   Can salads be a great option?  Absolutely.  But, they can also literally destroy your goals.  Pick up a salad at Chilis, Olive Garden or most other restaurants and you could be topping the calorie scales at 1000+ calories.  Just like before, the key is quality.  Salads with croutons, cheese, bacon bits, and creamy dressing … not really a recipe for success.

3. Nuts are too high in calories so are bad for "dieting."  Couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, research shows that eating 1-2 oz of nuts per day HELPS with weight loss!  The key is portion control and nuts are easy to overeat, so stick to just a handful a couple times per day and you’re good to go.  Here’s a better trick — stick with in shell pistachios because cracking off the shell slows down how quickly you can eat them, which automatically helps with portion control.

There you have it — 3 diet "tips" that need to be ditched immediately.

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When people think about what it takes to lose weight, the first thought is usually "I have to give up my favorite foods" or "Well I can’t eat that anymore." 

But what if you shifted your thinking from wondering what you have to give up to thinking about simple swaps to boost fat loss and health at the same time.

Weight loss shouldn’t mean mindlessly eliminating calories.

Living off 100 calorie snack packs for the sake of lowering calories is not a smart way to lose fat.

But we’ve seen it over and over again from clients who tell us all they need to do is eat less if they want to lose weight permanently.

Smart weight loss isn’t just about cutting out calories.

It’s about replacing junk calories with better food choices.

A 100 calorie bag of Chips Ahoy is a heck of a lot different than 100 calories of apple slices.

Calories are the same.  Of course quality isn’t even close.

So since the argument has come up a lot about all calories being equal, here are 5 Simple Food Swaps to Boost Weight Loss.

1. Swap avocado for mayonnaise.  Cut open an avocado, mash it up, and use it in place of mayo.  Both are high in fat, but the quality is very different. 
2. Plain rolled oats for granola.  You’ll save calories here — some brands of granola have double the calories of rolled oats and are usually loaded with a ton more sugar. 
3. Pistachios for potato chips.  For the same 1 oz (about a handful of nuts or small bag of chips) you get about the same calories, but a whole lot of fat burning, metabolic boosting, and nutrient goodness.
4. Whole eggs for egg whites.  Calories are more with the yolks and so is the nutrition — use whole eggs for more protein, more vitamins, minerals and to help boost weight loss.
5. Cauliflower for potatoes.  Steam cauliflower, mash it up, season it like you would potatoes … simple way to pack on the nutrition, yet slash the calories without changing the flavor. 

There you have it — pretty simple, very straightforward.

If you want some more ideas, there’s a new cookbook out that has 250 tasty (and easy) recipes.

>>> Metabolic Cooking <<< — pick it up for 52% off here

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