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.

Please click the ‘like’ button below to share this with your family and friends!

I was talking to a friend of mine the other night, Tom Venuto, fellow "New Jersian" … and, no, Snookie did not come up anywhere in our conversation.  Tom is the author of the bestselling book "The Body Fat Solution" (that you can find in any major book store) and many #1 ebooks over the years as well.  Most notably, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.

While talking, of course the conversation went to training and nutrition, and Tom mentioned he had a great article to share, so today we wanted to give him the floor (or the blog) rather than reinvent the wheel.
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8 Reasons Why You Keep Falling Off the Diet Wagon
By: Tom Venuto

Clearly, we have an obesity problem in America and many other countries across our planet. Yet, I propose that we do not have a weight loss problem today. In case you’re confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics:

According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 years, about 80 percent of all ‘weight losers’ have regained the lost weight, and often gained back a little extra.

According to research by the National Weight Control Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent.

For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%.

This means that lots and lots of people have “successfully” lost weight. But not many have kept it off. Therefore, we don’t have a weight loss problem, we have a weight-relapse problem; we have a “not sticking with it” problem. Wouldn’t you agree?

In fact, the fall and subsequent weight-regain usually doesn’t take years. Many people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions within weeks. By the time the Super Bowl party rolls around, their diet is history!

If this is true, then shouldn’t we put more of our attention onto figuring out why you haven’t been sticking with your program, and what you should do about it? 

I put together this new list (below) of the top 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon.

Rather than worrying about the minutiae of your diet plan, like whether you should be on low carb or high carb, Mediterranean or Okinawan, vegetarian or meat eater, I propose that if you simply focus on these 8 issues, you’ll start getting more lasting results.

How? By being able to stick with whichever plan you decided was best for you! After all, even if you have the best nutrition program in the world – on paper – it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t stick with it in practice!

THE 8 REASONS

1. No focus: you didn’t set goals, you didn’t put your goals in writing, and/or you didn’t stay focused on your goals daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn’t put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

4. No Accountability: you didn’t keep score for your own accountability – with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn’t set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost “only” 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn’t plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn’t have a menu on paper, you didn’t make time (so instead you made excuses, like “I’m too busy”)

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, “I want it now” route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn’t suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it – 8 reasons why most people fall off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the solutions are clear and simple: focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com
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Tom has such a great approach to fat loss — down to earth, practical, and strategies that get REAL results!

He’s actually letting you try his bestselling ebook, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, for just $4.95

Make sure you check it out — pretty sweet deal for sure!

Eat to Win!!

Team Mohr

PS: The trial offer won’t be up for long — >>> Burn the Fat for just $4.95

PPS: There’s just a few weeks left until Beach Season *officially* starts >>> Look your best for beach season!

It’s not a pill.

It’s not a secret diet food.

Not a potion or a magic lotion.  It’s not a "cellulite melter" or a special "fat blocking" powder you sprinkle on your food.

Do you know what it IS, though?

It’s your picture.

In a bathing suit, sports bra and shorts … or anything you want that shows your current self.

I’ll warn you.  It can be shocking, particularly during the cold months of January when you’re normally bundled up in layers. 

But it’s powerful.  And if you want results, doing this one, simple thing … will help a ton. 

Here’s the next step. 

Post it somewhere so you’ll see it daily.

Your refrigerator.  Maybe the mirror in your closet.  Your computer or desk.

The key is you want to use this is a starting point.  A frame of reference to better yourself, whatever that means for YOU.

Taking this ONE first step is a huge step in the path to success.  And one that should be revisited every 4 weeks.

Go ahead.  Take it now, even if it is a little uncomfortable.  Every day it will be less and less uncomfortable and you’ll be THAT much closer to where you want to be.

Think you want a fat loss jumpstart to get you going … would be nice to end January 10 lbs leaner!

Alright, I’m going to admit something … a confession, of sorts.

…I LOVE food.

Even more, I love GOOD food!  Homemade, super tasty foods. 

Desserts?  Yup.

Ice cream in particular.  Good ice cream, like the milk shake I enjoyed the other day when my brother was in town … made with Bourbon Ball Ice Cream.  Yummmmm.

So, you’re thinking, THAT’S the easiest way to lose fat?  Enjoy all those good foods?

Not at all.

It’s not to keep those foods in the house!

Maybe that sounds too simple.  Something you certainly don’t need a PhD to figure out.

But while simple and certainly effective, it’s not always that straightforward.

Women say to us all the time "but these are in my house for my kids or my spouse." 

No one NEEDS these foods.  Someone has to buy them.

Don’t buy them and they won’t be there.  Just like me, you’ll eat the foods that are staring you in the face. 

So why did I start off by telling you how I love good foods and had a fantastic milkshake the other day?

Because the key is I don’t keep those foods around because I love them.  We went to a great local ice cream shoppe — The Comfy Cow — to get the milk shake.  When we came home, it was done.

And it will be awhile before I go back.

These are occasional treats, not everyday treats.  But when they’re staring you in the face day after day, they become everyday treats.  And everyday treats cause unwanted weight gain.

Mohr Results Bottom Line: Don’t overthink the fat loss puzzle — get the junk out of your house so you’re left with the better options to fuel your body to achieve the goals you want to achieve.

What if you went to your doctor and she wrote you a prescription for fruit and vegetables.

Or exercise.

It happened to my uncle.  His doctor prescribed exercise.  At lest 3 times per week.  And, interestingly, he wouldn’t give him a prescription for any medication (for diabetes) until he "filled" his first.

He now meets with a trainer 3-4 times per week.

Similarly, I recently saw a piece highlighting 3 physicians in Massachusetts who are giving "produce by prescription."  This group of physicians is passing out coupons for family members to use at local farmers markets. 

Pretty interesting and a very novel approach to trying to make small improvements in health.

While eating a little more fresh produce each day isn’t going to solve the nations obesity epidemic, it’s a great step in the right direction.

Interestingly, there are data that show that diet and exercise are MORE effective than popular diabetes medications.

So why is it that we immediately look to medicine when trying to "treat" disease?

The key to remember is that small changes go a long way. 

My uncle’s physician has it right — prescribe exercise.  The MD’s in Massachusetts do too — prescribing produce and giving coupons to encourage buying it.

While it seems like a novel approach within Western Medicine, 1000′s of years ago, Hippocrates said it best with "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

Medicine is merely a cover that won’t fix the underlying issue(s).

Exercise and smart nutrition are the

two "prescriptions" that can truly prevent disease.