A common, rare disease

I know that subject line sounds a little oxy-moronic, but hear me out.

You've probably never heard of Anton's disease. It is a rare condition where a person is unable to accept the fact that they are blind. They make excuses that they can see despite medical evidence telling them they're blind.

For example, when a doctor holds up 3 fingers in front of someone with Anton's disease, their brain will say, "I see 2 fingers." The doctor follows with "Am I wearing glasses?" And they say "No." When in fact he is.

The patient logically knows what the medical evidence shows - that they're blind. But the patient's brain won't acknowledge it and can thus "see".

It's basically a legitimate lie.

Isn't the brain interesting? Somehow the trauma this patient suffered from has left her blind, but the brain refuses to accept it.

That got me thinking. Aren't we all legitimate liars?

When I talk to people that want to lose weight, tone and firm their bodies, increase their energy, and ultimately feel better, I show them exactly how our program achieves those results. This process is based on sound, scientific evidence complete with real life proof. It is a logical solution.

But some people still don't believe. They say (usually to themselves) "That won't work for me because..."

Maybe they lost weight with Atkins and gained it all back. Maybe they bought a Buns of Steal machine back in the day and their buns didn't turn to steel. Or maybe they just had the wrong expectations.

Whatever it was, it has led them to believe it won't work. They are legitimate liars.

I can't argue whatever it was they tried didn't work. So legitimately they can say, "That won't work for me."

But I also can't deny the evidence on our program. Simply put - our 5 step system, complete with coaching, support, and accountability produces weight loss and fitness results. Period.

And the same goes for Anton's disease. They can't argue the medical evidence that they're blind. But their brain won't let them believe it.

Why is that?

Well, I'll leave Anton's disease for the medical experts. (Get to work Paul.;)

But when it comes to weight loss it's usually one of two issues.

1. Whatever they tried in the past didn't work because it was an incomplete solution, i.e. infomercial product, fad diet, "miracle pill" supplement, etc... OR
2. There was no support, accountability, and coaching.

Search as you may any "easy" solution likely won't work. The fact is losing weight and getting in shape is NOT easy.

Stacy just got back from a lot of travel and has been off of the program for awhile. Right now workouts are harder than ever. And she knows it (and hates it). She also knows it's gonna take a massive amount of effort to get back where she was.

If you need to lose 40 pounds, you know full well you didn't gain it overnight. You also know you certainly won't lose it overnight. It takes work.

It is NOT easy. But it is simple.

It's as simple as exercise and nutrition. If you're failing with your weight loss and fitness goals take a look in the mirror and see if you're (legitimately) lying to yourself. Try and find out why.

I'll bet if you do some digging you'll find out some pretty interesting things about yourself.

I'm here if you need some help.

To your fitness success,
Tim Chudy

Weight Loss: The Funny and Ridiculous ;-)

Happy Friday!

I'm going to keep it light today with 2 weight loss categories.

The Funny:

You'll notice the pictures below. All of them are advertisements for weight loss or fitness centers. All of them are pretty darn funny! And guaranteed to catch your attention wouldn't you say?









The Ridiculous:

This one is so ridiculous that it's almost funny. (Ok, it's not almost funny, it is funny.)

The newest weight loss fad to hit the marketplace is the K-E Diet. If you're tuned into the news it probably caught your attention.

The K-E Diet, also known as the feeding tube diet, is helping brides shed pounds right before the big day. You can lose up to 15 pounds in just 10 days following this doctor administered diet. And it really doesn't take much effort. The main complaint from those on it is explaining why a tube is running up your nose!

Seriously?!

Can you imagine trying to hold a (serious) conversation with someone that has a tube running up their nose and clipped to an IV bag on their hip? Sheesh.

I can't imagine what's next. Maybe something with aliens.

Hope this made you smile today. Have a great weekend!

Best,
Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

ONE Sentence That Can Change Your Diet

A friend of mine was visiting over the weekend and
we were hanging out with my new baby daughter Estelle. His eyes wandered over to my bookcase and he walked over and picked out a book from the bottom shelf.

"Every time I take a bite of food I think of a
sentence I read in this book."

Very curious, I asked which sentence.

As he thumbed through the book to find the exact sentence he said, "I don't always follow it, but seriously, every time I take a bite of food this goes through my mind."

Now I'm thinking this has got to be the most profound nutritional sentence ever!

"I got it, here it is."

"Within a year, virtually every cell which makes up your body right now will be gone."

Are you serious? You think about THAT every time you eat? Why?

"Well, it goes on."

"...your entire body is "re-created" every year. Out with the old, in with the new. Your skin, your muscles, even your organs are constantly degenerating and regenerating. It's going on right now."

It goes on...

"Now, what do you think your body uses to re-create itself? Where does it get the raw materials to construct new skin cells, brain cells, muscle cells, bone cells, new blood, and even a new heart?"

"If you guessed food, you're right. You see, in a very literal way, that old saying "You are what you eat" is true."

Ok. I can see how you think about that when you eat.

As I kept thinking about it, it made a lot of really good sense.

Think about it... if you knew you had to re-create your heart with the food you ate, wouldn't you think twice before eating a double cheeseburger and fries? Don't you think you'd be actively seeking out healthy food?

Of course you would! We all would be going for good wholesome nutritious food.

The beauty of it is that we have a choice. We have the choice to eat for life or eat for death. It sounds a little gruesome, but it's the truth.

Whether you've maintained a bad diet for 10 years or 10 days you can change it anytime at will. It's never too late to choose change.

If you're ready to change your ways and start re-creating a healthy, vibrant body call the studio to set up your nutrition analysis. Discover what you're doing - right and wrong, what to change, and how to change it. Call us at 314.909.9565.

Best,

Tim Chudy

P.S. That sentence is from the now infamous book Body For Life by Bill Phillips. Do you have a profound nutrition sentence that sticks out in your mind? Please take just a second and share it with others in the comment section below.

Attention Golfers: 2 Steps to Becoming #1 in the World

If you like playing golf, you're going to like this. And if you're competitive at golf, you'll like it even more.

You probably know Rory McIlroy is now ranked the #1 golfer in the world. His surge over the past year has been nothing less than phenomenal.

If you're familiar with his game, then you know he's got a great swing. Jack Nicklaus has called his golf swing "the most natural motion in the game today."

So if he has a great swing, how has he risen to such great heights?

Do you wanna know how he's done it?

It's just two words.

His fitness (strength and endurance) and his flexibility.

First, just look at his picture above. He's not the lanky teenage golfer he once was. He's taken his game AND his fitness to another level. He recently interviewed with Men's Health, but here's what he changed.

His girlfriend is professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, which happened to help his golf game . After seeing her workouts he was humbled. "They work so hard. That sort of made me realize that I could probably work harder, and gave me a little bit more motivation to go in the gym and hit more balls. It’s definitely paid off."

Rory began working with Lee Westwood's (#3 in the world) trainer, Steve McGregor, Ph.D. Steve basically hooked up Rory to sensors to determine where and when his muscles were firing during his swing. He discovered a lot of imbalances between his left and right sides and upper and lower body. He also had a weak core, low back, and glutes. All of those led to overcompensation in other areas.

He focused on single leg and arm movements and put a major focus on the lower body where your true source of power lies.

"I feel like I can hit it harder without losing balance. The length of my driver hasn't increased that much but I just feel like I don't have to go after it as much to get the length."

And if you think it's all exercise, you're wrong. He coupled it with healthy eating, a lot of chicken and broccoli. He ended up burning 6% of body fat. At his weight that's almost 10 pounds of fat!

You see, most golfers focus on the wrong thing to better their game. The simple fact is, golfing is
less about the clubs, the type of ball you hit, your swing, course, etc... It's more about your fitness (strength and endurance) and flexibility. Both of which you can start improving today.

Rory is a force to be reckoned with in the PGA. Although a win slipped away from him last weekend he will certainly be one to watch at Augusta.

"I want to burn calories and build muscle. Please help!"

Got this email from a lady "at her wits end":

I read your article in the January newsletter and
I’m really hoping that you can point me in the
right direction. I had lap band surgery in Dec
2009 with very little success. I originally lost
about 40lbs from my surgery to August of 2010. I
went from 293 down to 256 and hit a wall. Slowly
the weight started to return and my metabolism
slowed down drastically. I am now back up to 269
and at my wits end! I am very frustrated and
disappointed in myself. I honestly don’t know
where to start or how to get back on track.
My husband and I recently got a Y membership and
I’m excited about it, but I still don’t know where
to begin. I want to focus on burning the calories
and hopefully increasing muscle mass.

Could you please help me map out a plan to get
back on track??? Also, is it worth restarting some
sort of protein shake/supplement? I was on those
for a few months after my surgery and it seemed to
help, but now, I’m not so sure.

Thank you so much for listening and please respond
at your convenience.

Erica

My reply:

Erica,

First, thanks for your question. Being at your
"wits end" sounds terrible and I'll do whatever I can to help. But it sounds like you're ready to move forward. And that's an important first step.

It sounds like after your surgery you failed to do
one major thing... change your behaviors.

You see, whether it's lap band, HCG, PX90, or any
other fix, you not only have to change your
attitudes, but your behaviors too.

No one has ever called me without good intent. The
intent is always there. But it's after your
intent when things fall short.

And likely why you've gained back most of your
weight.

If you do not establish new and permanent
behaviors you will slowly start to slide back. Part
of our successful 'secret sauce' here at Fitness Together
is accountability and support.

You cannot fail with your intent to lose weight
combined with our structured program,
accountability to that program, and the support
along the way.

Surgery, diets, fitness dvd's, and the worst of
all, home exercise equipment all fall short with
behavior modification.

===end email===


I can tell you with certainty that buying a
treadmill will NOT turn you into a runner. (But it
makes a great drying rack for your clothes!:-)

When you're looking to lose weight, get in shape,
feel better, or whatever your goal is, make sure
your solution will help change your behaviors
and then support you with those changes. You can
accomplish both here.

To your fitness and weight loss success,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

Contrary to popular belief...

Contrary to popular belief the busiest time of
year for us here at Fitness Together is NOT
January 1st.

That mad New Year rush happens at big box gyms.

Starting today, January 23rd, however, is our
busiest time.

Why?

Because once people realize a gym cannot solve
their weight loss and fitness problems they call
me.

It takes 21 days to adopt a new habit. Since
roughly 80% of gym members don't actually use the
gym on a regular basis, they fail.

A gym or health club lacks accountability,
support, and guidance.

When most walk in to the gym they ask themselves,
"Now what?"

So that "solution" quickly fails.

The intent is there. Which is important. But it
lacks structure.

This is when we come in.

Our programs consist of the three core components
to weight loss and fitness results; strength
training, cardiovascular training and nutrition.
But what's more important is the accountability,
support, motivation, education, inspiration, and
customization. That's what really makes it a
successful program.

If you started a New Year's resolution or you're
trying to live a healthier life, we can help.

Download our info-pack and request a complimentary
consultation. You're not making a commitment to us
by doing so. Yet. But you will find out what a
program for YOU will look like and be able to
determine if it's the right fit.

Whether you call me or not, realize you must add
accountability, support, and structure to your
program if you want results. Joining a gym or
buying a fitness DVD will not solve your problems.

I hope we get the chance to help you.

Best,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together
314.909.9565 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 314.909.9565 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

P.S. Great games yesterday. I'm pulling for Eli's
second Super Bowl win!

P.P.S. There's no risk and no obligation to your
consultation. All I ask is you investigate, then decide.

10 Weight Loss Strategies That Work

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and
the University of Colorado set out to determine
what lifestyle changes were needed to lose weight
AND keep it off. They began an on-going study
called the National Weight Control Registry(www.nwcr.ws).

This registry does not list all of their test
subjects. In order to make it you had to lose over
30 pounds AND keep it off for a year. So they did
a good job qualifying success.

What they found was intersting.

And the numbers they compiled don't lie.

The findings are listed into 10 lifestyle changes.

Here are the 10 habits of these successful weight
losers:

1. 98 percent of registry participants reported
that they modified their food intake in some way
to lose weight. Ok, kinda obvious. But you must
change your eating habits in some way (i.e. fewer
calories) to lose weight.

2. Most registry members reported consuming less
high-fat dense food groups and more low-fat dense
food groups resulting in a lower daily calorie
intake and greater weight loss. Eat lighter and
cleaner. Stay away from fried, high fat foods and
eat more fresh fruits and veggies.

3. 94 percent of registry participants reported
increasing their physical activity. Again, kinda
obvious. More out, less in.

4. 90 percent reported exercising, on average,
about one hour per day. Note the difference of
activity and exercise. Yesterday a client ran 1
mile and also played in a basketball game. She
asked if the game counted for cardio. I said no.
Walking your kids around the block, golfing and
gardening are all activity. But exercise is
strength and cardio training. There IS a
difference.

5. 78 percent reported eating breakfast daily.
I'll venture to say they didn't eat donuts.

6. 75 percent of registry participants reported
weighing themselves at least once a week. The
interval can and should vary, but measurment of
progress is essential. It helps you stay
accountable and also provides motivation, which fuels your efforts.

7. 62 percent watched TV less than 10 hours/week.
More TV means a more sedentary lifestyle. Do you
know how much TV you watch? Try tracking it. I bet
you'd be surprised.

8. 42% of the sample reported that maintaining
their weight loss was less difficult than losing
weight. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Because I see this
mistake all the time.

In the beginning, when you're trying to lose
weight, you CANNOT afford to cheat. You MUST
remain committed to your program and keep the 'dial turned up'. Then, once you've reached your goal you can afford to cheat here and there. If you start to backslide you simply 'turn the dial back up.'

9. Nearly all registry members stated that weight
loss led to improvements in their level of energy,
physical mobility, general mood, self-confidence,
and physical health. I won't begin to list the
benefits of losing weight and getting in shape. You're smart, and I'm sure you know there are TONS of them. Life is better when you look good and feel good about yourself.

10. For those who did regain weight, weight regain
was due, at least in part, to failure to maintain
behavior changes. This clearly tells us "diets"
don't work. If you don't continue to pay attention
to your health and fitness you will backslide.


There's a lot of wisdom in these 10 strategies.

In the book Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, they
discuss how one guy solved a major
malnutrition problem in Vietnam back in the 90s. He did so by looking at the "bright spots" of other villages without the problem.

He didn't try to solve all of the other underlying problems; poor sanitation, rampant poverty, ignorance to nutrition, etc... He looked to the villages that did not have any malnourishment problems and followed their success.

You can learn a lot by finding the "bright spots"
and then implement them in your own life.

Stop trying to find more time - you'll never have it. Stop trying to set aside enough money - you'll never have it. Stop trying to fix other problems and issues. Make a few changes that other successful people have done and lose the weight.

In addition to the weight loss registry mentioned
above our very own Fitness Together clients, maybe
some of them your neighbors, are another place to
find bright spots.

Jan just joined the FT family and starts her training program tomorrow. She said her friend of the same age lost a lot of weight last year. "And if she can do it, by golly I can do it!"

Sometimes we need to see the possiblities. We need
the motivation and inspiration of others that have
gone before us.

I hope the findings from 5,000 successful weight loss subjects and that of your very own neighbors motivates you to create change in your own life.

To your weight loss success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. So maybe you didn't start fresh on January 1st. Big deal. It's never too late to get started. Jan, whom I mentioned earlier consulted with me 2 years ago! And she's just now starting. It's your time. Schedule your consultation now.