Tips For Making Your New Year's Resolutions STICK

Happy New Year!

As you probably know, at the start of every new
year Americans seeking a better quality of life
will make a healthier lifestyle and losing
weight among their top resolutions.

It's almost a given. The holidays give you an
added guilt trip and all then it's time for
a resolution. What perfect timing.

Since most people try to adopt a healthier
lifestyle and lose weight for the new year, AND
most people drop those resolutions somewhere
between February and June, I thought some tips
for making those resolutions STICK would be helpful.

Allocation: You cannot expect to make ANY change
with your health, fitness, or weight without
setting aside time. Joining a gym only gives you
access to a facility. It won't help you lose
weight. Buying the newest bestselling diet book
only informs you about the diet. It doesn't prevent you
from eating junk food.

You must block out time, and preferrablly set
appointments, to take the needed action. When
it comes to exercise, accountability is the
biggest secret. For diet, it's preparation.

Priority: Everyone has priorities. Usually family
and work rank at the top. If you don't make your
resolution a high priority, it will quickly fall to the
bottom of your list.

So what's more important than your workout? I'm
not suggesting to miss your daughter's piano recital.
But because it's during your normal workout time, it
doesn't mean you should skip it all together. You must
reschedule. Our clients that train in the morning are
always the most successful with their schedules.
Obviously not much can pop up at 6 o'clock in the
morning. Well, other than more sleep. But who needs that.;-)

Measurement: There are no overnight success
stories when it comes to weight loss. No one just
loses 100 pounds. You lose 100 pounds 1 pound
at a time. Once you have your big picture, chunk
it down and measure often. At Fitness Together we measure once a month. Seeing progress stimulates your motivational engine. As momentum builds, your
confidence grows, commitment gets stronger, and this
entire process gets easier.

On the flip side, if you are going in the wrong
direction you can quickly realize it and change
course. Measuring your progress will ensure your success.

Don't rely on yourself: Let's be honest, sometimes
you just have a sh@*#y day. Everyone has them.
It is on these days that a coach and motivator
help pick you up and keep you on track. Don't go
it alone. There's no sense in that. Get a coach. (For
more info on our coaching programs click here)

Numbers: Don't make 10 resolutions. You won't
stick to 'em. Make 1 good one. Or if you're
feeling really determined make 3. But don't
overload yourself. You'll overwhelm and burn out.
One successful resolution is better than 5
unsuccessful.

Commitment: I have a saying, "If you're
interested, you'll fail. If you're committed,
you'll succeed." Only you can decide if you really
want to be healthy, lose weight, and feel good
about yourself. Doing so for others, by pressure,
or any other false pretense will result in
failure. Commit. But ONLY because you want to.

Print this out and post it where you can see it daily
along with your written resolutions. You're chances of
success will rise exponentially!

To your health and fitness in 2011,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. If you'd like help getting fit and healthy, losing
weight, feeling good, and making 2011 your best year ever
then request a consultation here.

"3 Holiday Strategies and 1 Heckuva Sweat"

Before I dive into the formula we need to address your 'Holiday Indulgence Factor'. Because it's different for everyone.

You must first determine your starting point. If you need to lose 40 pounds, you're 'Holiday Indulgent Factor' will be less than someone needing to lose 10 pounds.

If you need to lose weight, sacrifices must be made. And indulging during the holidays will be one of them. So, for some, it might be best to skip the parties, throw out the cookies, sip on light egg nog and look forward to ringing in 2011.

But if you do allow yourself to indulge, then follow this formula.


3 Holiday Strategies

It's time to party! Between work, social, religious, and other groups you probably have a few Holiday parties to go to. I have a buddy who goes to at least 8 or 9 every year! Sometimes there's no way around it. Follow these 3 strategies to make holiday parties your friend, not foe.


1. Eat before you go.
Nothing new or fancy here. Just DON'T go to a party hungry. Failure is for certain! Eat a healthy meal with lean protein and veggies 30-60 minutes before the party. You'll have a chance to satisfy your sweet tooth with something small, but you won't go overboard trying to make a meal out of bon-bons.

2. Drink one, then drink another.
No, no, no. Not another in quantity. Another in type!;-) Have a tasty libation, but switch to water or club soda with a lime afterwards. Do this with every other drink. Pace yourself and drink moderately. Remember, everyone makes fun of the company drunk. No one really wants to be them.

3. Be Balanced.
If you know you have 3 parties this coming weekend, don't go out for a burger and fries everyday at lunch. Nutrition isn't as easy as 'banking' calories (this is one of the flaws with the Weight Watchers point system). But during the holidays it's not a bad strategy to follow. Eat a couple of light meals on Saturday before your big Holiday party. Be balanced and don't go overboard every chance you get this season.

I assure you these 3 strategies will prevent the average holiday weight gain. But we're not finished with the formula.

Now it's time to work up one heckuva sweat. Go sweat your butt off! Go get after it. I'm not talking about walking the dog or reading a magazine on the stationary bike. Go hard, go intense. Go chase your kids in the backyard. Go wrestle with them in the snow. Do a high intensity interval on the elliptical. Do something. And do it hard.

I remember one of our clients had a T-shirt that said 'Go Animal or Go Home!'. That's good to keep in mind as you work up your sweat!

And if you really want this to be effective, do this before and/or after your party. Get your metabolism cranking and burn off the extra sugar and calories.

Put this formula into play. I'm certainly going to. And I'm also going to eat the cookies my trainer and his girlfriend made!:-)

Happy Holidays,

Tim Chudy


P.S. Do you have any other holiday fitness or weight loss tips? I'd love to hear them and so would the others reading this blog. Post them below.

P.P.S. John started the Holiday Kickstart last week. His wife Connie is jumping on the Fitness Holiday bandwagon tomorrow. That means it's not too late for YOU!

If You're Over 40, Do This EVERYDAY

Warning: This post is NOT intended to be medical
advice. This is simply based on an interpretation
of a study. Please see my disclaimer below my
welcome message in the right hand column. As
always, consult your physician before taking any
medical advice. Now that we got that out of the way...

I bet you know taking a daily aspirin will
help prevent some cardiovascular incidences. That's
SMART prevention. But new evidence shows aspirin having a much greater
benefit than preventing a heart attack or stroke.

A long term, low dose aspirin has shown to
dramatically cut the risk for a wide array of
cancers. This new finding published in
The Lancet comes from a fresh analysis of 8 studies
and over 25,000 patients.

The scientists discovered these results while
initially looking for the protective potential
on cardiovascular disease. However, as the
patients were tracked, up to 20 years after the
initial study, more cancer preventing benefits
were found.

Overall cancer death risk plummeted by 21 percent
for those taking a low dose aspirin. At 5 years
out death due to gastrointestinal cancer dropped
by 54%! Furthermore, after 20 years of a low dose
death risk dropped by 10% among prostate cancer
patients, 30% among lung cancer patients, 40%
among colorectal cancer patients, and 60% among
esophageal cancer patients.

Those in their late 40's and 50's stand to benefit
the most and can likely lower your risk of death
from cancer. If you're over 40 I would talk to
your doctor and get on this pronto.

I've talked with a lot of people over the years
that are afraid of either heart trouble or cancer.
This study is good evidence a low dose aspirin may help both.

To your health,

Tim Chudy

P.S. You know what also has been shown to prevent
heart disease and cancer? Exercise. It's the best
cure-all you can do. And we can help you. More
info here.

Inspiration from Hollywood and a Catholic Nun

If you think you're old, think again.

Sister Madonna Buder became the oldest female to
complete the famed Ironman race last year at age
79. In fact, they had to create a separate age
bracket for her! She just wrote a book, 'The Grace
to Race' and will be featured with 16 other
triathletes in a book honoring them and the
Triathlon sport.

Very impressive. And hopefully inspiration to you.
I know most of the readers of this blog are
younger than 80. If Sister Madonna can do an Ironman,
then certainly this is inspiration to accomplish
some of your goals. It's amazing what a little
shift in perspective can do.

Moving on to Hollywood...

We have another Hollywood weight loss story. A
simple trip to the check out line at the grocery
store will reveal dozens of these stories every
month. With most being hype, I felt this one
was instructive and inspirational.

Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon
Osbourne, has always struggled with her weight.
She recently donned a red bikini showing off her
new hot body. Not only has she lost weight, but
she's fit and healthy too.

Her weight loss has not been easy. Her mother had
gastric bypass and Kelly had considered that as an
option. But ultimately she knew that wasn't for
her.

"I was looking for a quick fix or a pill I could
take. I even thought about getting the band on my
stomach. My mother had that surgery and I watched
her lose a lot of weight. But we decided it would
be better for me to try and slim down naturally."

To date Kelly has lost 50 pounds.

She credits her Dancing with the Stars partner for
turning her onto her new lifestyle. "He made me
eat turkey burgers and salads and explained to me
that a high protein, low carb diet would keep me
energized. Then I started losing weight and
realized, 'Oh, it's true what they say; diet and
exercise really work!'"

Kelly has realized that it's not easy losing
weight. "At first it wasn't easy. It hurts so
much. But when you walk out of there, you're like,
'I can't believe I just did that and my body looks
this good.'"

I expect Kelly to keep her weight off. I say
that based on her response to seeing herself in a
bikini on the cover of Shape magazine. "It was a
bit of an emotional roller coaster because I never
thought that would be me or I'd ever look like
that." Emotion is the fuel that feeds your fire.
And it's a must have when committing to
your goals and accomplishing them.

I also get the sense she's caught the exercise
bug. It happens to most people when they make such
a significant transformation. Debbie, one of our
clients in Des Peres comes to mind. She comes into
the studio 5, if not 6 days a week for training
and cardio. She caught the bug long ago and
has lost 52 pounds! Probably more since I last
looked. Her bug bit so hard she's gearing up to
become a trainer!

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday. No nutrition
advice from me today. Enjoy your time with family,
friends, and food. But come Friday, be sure to get
back on the wagon. ;-)

By the way, it's not too late to start your
Holiday Kickstart Program. Sue, Jeanne and Angie
all started yesterday. Sign up now before the
holidays come and go.

To your holiday health,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together


P.S. A couple weeks after the diet pill Meridia
was pulled from the market, the FDA shot down
another weight loss drug called Lorcaserin. This
one had "marginal effectiveness and cancer
occurred at higher than usual rates." Gee, that
one sounds great. If you want to lose weight, burn
fat, and boost metabolism withOUT pills click
here.

Fitness Together Team Update

I'm early and late with this post. You'll quickly
notice the svelt trainers in the pic.

That's Ezrah Reed and Ashley Johnson. They are the
Fitness Together Team Bodybuilding and Figure Champs!

Ezrah competed in his second contest and took 1st
place in his weight class and 2nd place overall.

Ashley caught the Figure bug earlier this summer
and stepped up her training. She took 3rd place
alongside other Missouri veterans.

Great job Ez and AJ!

In other trainer news, our very own Barb Honchak
has been selected to participate in the first
Ultimate Women Challenge, a women's MMA reality TV
show.

Barb is a professional MMA fighter in St. Louis
and trains at Fitness Together in Des Peres.

You can get more info and see Barb's bio at the
website: http://www.ultimatewomenchallenge.com

They're keeping her pretty tight lipped about all
the details, but I'll be sure to let you know when
I find out more.

We've had a lot of heat and humidity this summer so I'm looking forward to the beautiful weekend ahead. Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Stay active,

Tim Chudy

P.S. Feel free to leave comments below for Ezrah, Ashley and Barb. I know they'll appreciate it.

Nutrition Quiz: What are the two most important times of day to eat?

Time to test your Nutrition IQ.

Give this some thought. When do you think your
body needs nourishment? What's the most important
time?

If you can make sure you eat the right foods at
these two times, you'll greatly enhance your
bodies metabolic process which will help you burn more fat and have more energy.

Before I tell you the answer I want to tell you about a very interesting commercial I saw on TV the other day. It was a commercial for Kashi cereal.

Their entire angle to sell more boxes of cereal
was PROTEIN. "As much protein as an egg...now in a
bowl." An egg has 6g of protein, a serving of
Kashi has 9-13g.

To my knowledge, no company has ever made a
comparison for cereal like this before. And my
guess is it will work. But regardless, it's a smart thing to do.

Why? Because ALL cereals are a bowl of sugary crunch. Yes, Grape Nuts is a better option than Frosted Flakes. But you're still only getting
carbohydrates from both. And that's not a good way
to start your day. Kashi is clearly differentiating themselves from the rest of boxes in the aisle.

Notice Kashi didn't take a diet angle like Special
K or others. That's why I like it so much.
They are appealing to a smart consumer. Someone
that knows it's about exercise AND nutrition and not some 6 week crash diet. That type of strategy will create long-term, loyal Kashi fans.

So, the quiz question: What are the two most important times of the day to eat?

I just gave you a big hint with the Kashi commercial.

Breakfast and post-workout are the two most
important times to eat during the day.

Breakfast is where you 'break' the 'fast' your body goes through while you sleep. So an ample amount of carbs, PROTEIN, and a little fat is essential. A complete, balanced meal like that gets your metabolism revving and keeps you satiated longer.

After your workout is very important too. You've just depeleted your bodies energy stores and now your muscles are screaming for nutrients. The right nutrients will help you recover quicker. And this is why we recommend Physique to our clients.

So remember, pay close attention to what you eat for breakfast and what you nourish with post-workout. Doing so will increase your metabolism, burn more fat, and increase your energy!

To your health,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. If you didn't know the answer, maybe you need to increase your Nutrition IQ. Request a Nutrition Consultation with me to educate yourself and get on a plan that works.

USA Today, Rush Limbaugh, and CBS News are all talking about this.

If you pay attention to the daily news headlines
your eyes or ears probably caught this story.

A recent poll taken by Nutrisystem asked what women and men would give up for weight loss and the results are quite telling. Some of the sacrifices people would make astonished me! Take a look at the chart to the right.

If you saw this in the news then you noticed
sacrificing sex for weight loss was the lead
headline. As they say, sex sells. But the survey
went beyond sacrificing your love life.

--Only 35% of Americans fall into the 'healthy
lifestyle' category on the index, by making
healthy food and portion choices and by exercising
regularly.

--30% of Americans fall into the 'unhealthy
lifestyle' category and have dieted an average of
20 times in their life, using five different diet
plans!!!

--35% of Americans have dieted an average of six
times in their life, using two different diet
plans.

--Nearly 1/3 of Americans (29%) have tried dieting
over the past eleven months, and more than half of
Americans (51%) have dieted within the past two
years.


Most of this does not shock me. According to
Consumer Reports, the diet industry has the
greatest amount of dissatisfaction than any other
industry they have researched.

Think about this for a second. Most people that go
on a diet will be unhappy. Yet they'll continue to
diet throughout their life.

Does that make any sense?! Not to me. But if a
diet doesn't work, I could see why one would
continue to search for a solution that does.

This survey also found that dieters have a hard
time with losing weight. Almost all dieters (93%)
find at least one aspect of their dieting plan to
be challenging. The majority (71%) said they are
not able to control cravings. And 64% found
portion size an obstacle to their success.

Dieting has become an uphill battle for Americans.
Dr. Bruce Daggy, a nutritional biochemist summed
it up well, "...many Americans are willing to make
extreme sacrifices to lose weight, but they
eventually give up on their goals because they
don’t know how to reach them."

So with this in mind I have 2 very simple
components for you to look for when you start a
diet.

1. Support and Accountability. If you know it's
going to be hard then why would you not have
support and accountability included in your
program?

Don't go it alone! Get help. We're professionals
for a reason. When you have a toothache, you go to
the dentist. When you need a will, you call a
lawyer. Why not hire a professional for your
health?

And as far as accountability goes, do yourself a
favor and don't ask a spouse, friend, or loved one
to hold you accountable. Save your relationship.
As a newlywed I can attest to this. Your
relationship will get in the way of your program
and results. Have a neutral third party hold you
accountable to your program.

2. A Guarantee. Any 'expert' can talk the talk.
Especially if they're talking from behind a TV
screen or page from a magazine. But talking the
talk without walking the walk is weak and callow.

Any program worth trying should have a guarantee.
If not, at least find out who else has been
successful with the program. And I'm not talking
about airbrushed models or celebrity endorsers.
Ask for references and testimonials. Real life,
average Joe's.

Of course my program has both of these components.
I wouldn't stress the importance of them if they
weren't a part of my own program, right?;-)

Reread some of the stats above and ask yourself if
you fall into the majority. Then think about
a year from now. Then think 3 years, and 5 years.
Who do you want to be? How do you want to feel?

If you want to prevent the dissatisfaction that is
so rampant among diet plans and video workouts,
then it's time to give me a call, 314.863.7799, or send me an email. Our program is time-tested and proven. And I can guarantee it.

To your success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. This is your life we're talking about. It's
time to stop the diet nonsense and follow a
program that works...for life.

P.P.S. I'd be happy to give you references of real
live clients. Or you can always visit our website
and check out our success stories.

P.P.P.S My Mini-Poll. Since I'm not one to say losing weight or getting in shape is easy, I'm not going to poll you on what you'd do or give up. So I'll ask you this...
How would you reward yourself (what would you do, where would you go, etc...) when you accomplished your ultimate fitness or weight loss goal? Post your answer in the comment section below.

P.P.P.P.S. Don't be shy! Post your response now. (And I swear that's my last P.S.;-)

ANOTHER Hollywood Weight Loss Success Secret

My blog post last week was about Drew Carey's 80 pound weight loss. I revealed his fatal flaw to lasting results. Nonetheless, he's doing a lot right.

But this week John Goodman has lost a reported 100 pounds! And he has done it the RIGHT way.

Let's talk about how he did it.

His Turning Point

"It's been constant. It's always been in the back of my mind. It just ate at me the whole time. That may be part of the reason I shoved food in my mouth so much. That satisfaction."

When John got a role in Santa Clause he said enough was enough. But he finally wised up and didn't set the ever-futile New Year's resolution. He hired a trainer and got on a program.

Whether you have a specific turning point or not, you MUST decide enough is enough.

His Nutrition

"I had to clear out my own house first. It was built on a bad foundation."
"...But also fresh vegetables, lean protein... I'm not a real hard-on about keeping strict calorie counts. I know what's in my wheelhouse, what I can eat and what I can't. And I'm satisfied eating it. I cannot tolerate sugar. I crossed over to the diabetic side, but I can't tolerate it anyway because it creates hunger."

Spot on John. First fix the foundation. Get rid of the crap. Now he's getting protein and cutting the sugar. Very important. And if you notice his nutrition is supportive to his exercise.

His Alcohol

"Alcohol is alcohol. I'm an alcoholic. I would drink no matter what. That's just part of being an alcoholic."
"...and the big key was drinking."

Goodman has cut out alcohol completely. The problem with alcohol is not the calories or how many carbs are in your beer. That's marketing hype.

Alcohol inhibits your metabolism. And your metabolism is your body's process for burning the fat. If you want to lose weight and get in shape, cut out the alcohol.

His Identity

This is very important and I probably don't give it as much attention as I should. I've talked to men and women over the years that feel as if their weight helps identify themselves. If your weight helps identify you, i.e. being the 'big cuddly bear' or defines you in any way, then YOU WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT.

I'm not being a cold s.o.b. here. I'm being honest. How you define yourself will dictate how you think, act and live your life. I identify myself as being a healthy guy. Will I always be healthy? Yeah, I probably will. I may eat a donut from time to time, but I won't let myself become grossly unhealthy. Because that's not how I define myself.

So if you identify yourself with being 'the big guy' or in some other way with your weight; you won't lose it. You might lose some for a period of time, but you WILL gain it back.

So... on weight being apart of his persona and being worried about losing his weight and having people perceive him differently in the acting realm...

"Hey, that's too bad. I'll scream and cry when I'm in the unemployment line, but that's really secondary. I am what I am. I can act at different weights. It's a miracle I was hired at all for a lot of these jobs."

Don't let ANYONE tell you who you are and what you can or can't do. Ever!

His Exercise

All cardio John?

"This time we mixed in strength training with resistance bands. They're great for me because I can contract and release slower, and that builds up better muscle for me."

"I was doing a job in New Orleans twice a week called Treme. I was only working a couple days a week. I wanted to treat this other thing (exercise) like a job--to get healthy."

This speaks to how much he's exercising. I wish more people took their health and fitness as serious as John has.

His Effort

Does he like it?

"I do. I'm still a sucker for highs, and I get those endorphins. It's just a feeling of well-being. I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm doing what I should be doing. I feel good. I'm hopefully extending my life. Before, I didn't care."

Being fit, firm and strong; able to handle stress or any situation that comes your way; not just looking good, but feeling good... that's when you have it all. That's when life is at it's best!

But I can't adequately describe to you what being fit feels like. That feeling must be experienced.


There are a TON of lessons to be taken from John's weight loss journey. I hope you pick them all up. Of course the 80/20 rule will apply to these lessons.

Many will read this and say, "Well, he's a Hollywood actor, with money, and time, and blah, blah, blah." And those people won't do a thing. They'll stay the same. Stagnant. Inactive. Unchanged.

The other camp will take this as another success story (yes, I have given you others) to model and motivate and make a change in their life. What you do is your decision. But I hope you decide wisely.

To your weight loss success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. You can read his Men's Health interview here.

P.P.S. If you would like more information how we can help you with your own personal health and fitness, request a consultation here.

Or, if you're not quite ready but would like more info, get our complete info-pak here.

The good and bad of Drew Carey's 80lb weight loss

I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show. I thought he and that tall skinny guy, Ryan Stiles were hilarious.

Drew took over Bob Barker's place as host of the famed Price Is Right. Earlier this year he decided to lose the weight he's carried for so long. To date he has lost 80 pounds!

You can read the full article on his weight loss here.

I'm going to breakdown the good parts of his program and then reveal his fatal flaw.

Let's start with the GOOD.

"I was sick of being fat on the camera."
Believe it or not, this is good. If your current situation is not making you sick, then you're likely OK with it. Just because someone may need to lose weight or improve their fitness doesn't mean they want to. A lot of times a heart attack, starting medication, or just a trip to the doctor can spur taking action. For Drew it was sick of being fat on camera.

"I'm not diabetic anymore. No medication needed."
Obviously good. Type II diabetes is growing more and more and it's controllable with diet and exercise. Drew has conquered this one.

"I don't drink anything but water."
Although not totally necessary, it's a good step. Alcohol, soda, energy drinks loaded with sugar will all slow down weight loss results.

"Lots of cardio...at least 45 minutes of cardio."
The third leg of the 3 Legged Stool of Body Transformation. He doesn't mention anything about strength training, but I would guess he is doing some. But cardio is just as important. And he's certainly doing it.

"(Losing weight) was easy because once you see the results, then you don't wanna stop."
There is no greater force than your own momentum. Once you get the ball rolling it picks up speed and gets faster and faster and faster. Soon you don't want to stop. And losing weight becomes a heckuva lot easier!

He wants to lose weight so he can "be looking that great at 86" like his predecessor Bob Barker. "I'd love to be able to play with him (his stepson) without getting tired, enjoy my life and watch him grow."
As I told a group of Enterprise employees I spoke to yesterday, you must start with goals, motivation, and commitment. Drew clearly has his 'reason why' down. He wants to see his stepson grow up, and live a healthy, enjoyable life. Retiring with health problems is no way to grow old.

There's no denying Drew is doing very well with his weight loss. But as I mentioned, there is a FATAL FLAW. Did you find it?

"No carbs...not even a cracker. No bread at all. No pizza, nothing. No corn, no beans, no starches of any kind." If you guessed this was his fatal flaw, you guessed right. Whether he's doing Atkins, South Beach, or some new and cool Hollywood diet we don't even know about, he will soon fail. You can't expect to stay on a diet by eliminating one of the macro-nutirents(carbs, protein, and fat). They are ALL essential. It's not about eliminating them but balancing and controlling them to support you and your exercise program.

Mark my words, he will gain his weight back. I won't say how much or how long, but he will gain it back. That's my prediction.

I imagine he goes to some good restaurants and dinner parties. And sooner or later his craving for a donut or carbohydrate treat will cause him to crack. And that will be the start of a slippery slope. It's just a matter of time.

That doesn't discredit his hard work. I just hate to see people work so hard and invest so much with the wrong solution. I hope you're not making the same fatal mistake.

If you would like to see a real, tried and true, permanent way to lose weight and get in shape then request a consultation. If you're not ready to start but still want info you can download our complete info-pack.

Have a great weekend!

To your health,

Tim Chudy

Weight loss pills... Does this one work?

What would you say if I promised you easy, no
effort weight loss? Just take this pill, and POOF!
you drop the pounds.

Sounds great, right?!

But what if I followed that promise with a range
of possible side effects including memory
lapses, suicidal thoughts, and heart palpitations?

"Hold it Tim! That doesn't sound so great."

The pharmaceutical industry continues to search,
(yet it will never find) for an answer to weight
loss in a tiny little pill. Their latest effort is called Qnexa.

I could save them millions of R&D dollars if they would just ask me whether these weight loss pills will work or not.:-)

But they won't. Because there is BIG business in
weight loss pills. Wall Street analysts say any drug with modest results could become a blockbuster. So I assure you pharma execs will stop at nothing to develop 'that' drug. Even if it has side effects such as sucidal tendencies.

The FDA panel's chair, Kennth Burman said this
about Qnexa, "Some of these side effects are
serious and could be life-threatening and must be
weighed against a relatively modest weight loss."

If you stop and think about that, we've taken
weight loss to a whole other level. We've gone
from side effects like gas, bloody stools, and
cramps (remember Wow! Chips with Olestra) to
sucidal thoughts. It's madness! People will soon
be deciding whether to risk life-threatening side
effects in order to lose some weight.

Don't fall victim to the weight loss pills... to the diets... to the HYPE! Be a smart consumer. Anyone that needs to lose 20 pounds knows they didn't gain it overnight. And you certainly won't lose it overnight. At least not safely and permanently.

Go with what's been tried and true. Exercise and
nutrition. Sure, it won't happen in a week or two.
But the time and effort you put in will help you
discover a body and a person you haven't seen in
awhile. Take the first step and start today.

I would love to help you. You're welcome to request a free session by clicking here. I'll show you what a program would look like for you and help you start losing weight and getting in shape the right way. Oh... and I promise the only side effects will be looks from the opposite sex and questions on what your 'secret' is!:-)

I hope to see you soon!

Tim Chudy

P.S. Whatever you do to lose weight, please do it safely. If you're unsure seek out a professional. Call your doc or a fitness trainer. Trust them. Not the big weight loss companies.

P.P.S. I don't expect you to trust me right away. I believe trust has to be earned. You can see what our clients say about us and then request your fre.e sessions here.

A Learned Weight Loss Lesson

I emailed this lesson on Father's Day and totally skipped posting it to the blog. So excuse the timliness of it. But I think the lesson is worth the tardiness.

First, I want to wish all of the dads out there,
especially my dad, a Happy Father's Day. We're
blessed and thankful to have you in our lives.
Second, I have a weight loss tip for you today.
And appropriately, it's a tip I learned from my dad.

My dad was the one that spurred my health
kick. He bought me my first set of weights.
He'd make me a healthy lunch for school. But most
importantly, he taught me health and fitness by example.

He went to the gym a minimum of 5 days a week. He
would always make sure we had veggies with dinner. Don't get me wrong, he would still bring home donuts on Saturday morning, but all in all, he was a healthy example to follow. And that's the tip I want to share with you today. Learn by example.

I bet I can guess how successful you are with your
weight loss and fitness goals by taking a look at
the examples you follow.

Those examples will influence your actions and
behaviors. They will have the greatest effect on
you. Sometimes whether you choose it or not.
For instance, wouldn't you want to follow the
example of someone that's been successful
with weight loss versus someone that hops
from one diet to the next always struggling to
keep the weight off?

The examples you have in your life will utlimately
influence your actions.

I am the man I am today because of my dad. He
didn't sit me down one day and say, "Tim, this is
how you be a man." Not at all.

But I did learn how to work hard. I did learn how
to treat a lady. I did learn how to sacrifice. I
learned all of this from his example.
You can learn the same way. Doesn't matter if it's
weight loss, fishing, or sewing. If you
watch, observe, and follow a good example, chances
are you'll be just as good.

Good examples are a great way to learn. Take some
time now to think about the examples you have when
it comes to your weight loss. Are they good examples to follow? Will they help you move closer to your goal? If not, I suggest you find others to follow. If you need a good example to follow come spend a week with my team and I. We'll quickly show you the path to weight loss!

To your weight loss success,

Tim

P.S. If you don't have a good example to follow or have been unsuccessful with your weight loss click here for a consultation. I'll give you info on our programs and show you why Fitness Together is a good example to follow.

A disease that affects everyone. Yes, even you.

Let me get straight to the point. Because it’s likely you experienced the symptoms of the disease I’m talking about over the holiday weekend.

I’ve been a proponent for ending this disease my entire adult life. It hits home with me. Maybe because it’s deadly. It won’t necessarily take your life. But it will take your quality of life.

I’m talking about the ‘Disease of Decision’ as it relates to your health and fitness. Sometimes it’s not obesity, diabetes, or cholesterol that affects our lives. Sometimes it’s just our own daily battle of choices.

I bet you had a decision to BBQ this weekend. To eat, drink, relax and enjoy the time off. You also had a decision to have a couple of cold Bud Lights and eat those delicious store bought cookies. And a decision to exercise with the time off. Or to do something active with your family.

What decisions did you make?

I won’t lie to you, decisions are not easy. No one wants to go for a jog when you have a good excuse to eat and drink. And pushing yourself as hard as you should or working out for as long as you should, that’s tough too.

But your decision doesn’t lie in what you should do. That’s the easy part. The real decision lies in what you want with yourself and your life. If you want to live well, to really get all you can from life, then decisions such as exercising and passing on cookies become easy. If you want to stop gaining weight and fit into the pants you still have in your closet, then those decisions aren’t a second thought.

The remedy for the ‘Disease of Decision’ is having a Reason Why and a clear focus on your goals. When that is at your foundation it eliminates the dis-ease of deciding what you should do. It’s already been decided.

Take this and call me in the morning

If you suffer from the ‘Disease of Decision’ try this… Sit down tonight and write out the reasons why you want to lose weight and get in shape. Give this some thought. Is it because you want to make it through a day without being so doggone tired? Or maybe you just want to look good again, or be able to age well and play with your grandkids. Whatever it is, put it down on paper. Set a clear vision of how you want your life to look in terms of your health and fitness. Make sure you have laser sharp focus. Then call me.

Seriously, call me.

Your Reason Why is the first step to a better you. The second involves putting together a program that works for you. I can help you do that. I cannot however, help you decide to DO IT.

So sit down tonight and find your reason why. Write out a few goals and why they’re important to you. Then call me tomorrow or click here. I’ll answer any questions you have and give you an overview of our programs.

I want to help you dial this in. No more excuses. No more putting this off. Get started today!

To your fitness success,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. As bad as the ‘Disease of Decision’ can be, don’t let indecision get you. Not deciding at all is worse than saying yes or no. If you’re not ready to lose weight then tell yourself that. When the time is right you’ll be primed to decide yes and your commitment will be stronger.

A Mother's Biggest Problem (But this is not just for mom's)

I received an email from one of my mentors
last week. He was using the problem I'm
referring to in a different light. But
immediately I realized it's the biggest problem
mother's face. Here's what he said...

"Author and motivational/self actualization guru,
Larry Winget, has a book out that I recommend to
you. It's called "No Time For Tact." Great title.

In the book he shares 365 daily nuggets of wisdom.
It's good stuff. His July 2nd nugget says:

"I believe in selfishness. The best way for me to
serve others is to selfishly serve myself well.

When I take the time to feel good physically, I do
a better job. That requires some selfishness.

When I do what I want to do, I am better at it,
and the better I am at what I do, the better
others are served by what I do.

It is possible to give so much of yourself away
that you compromise the quality of what you have
to give."

Sean (his business partner) uses the airplane
oxygen mask analogy to describe this, and it's an
accurate way to think about it.

"If you're traveling with small children, put your
mask on first THEN help your children with
theirs."

Because if you can't breathe, you can't help
anybody.

VERY serious advice that cannot be overlooked for
long or you *will* pay the price."


I think he's spot on. But this is THE biggest and
most common problem I hear from mothers.

I firmly believe we'd be lost without our mothers.
They always put themselves on the bottom
of the totem pole and serve others first.

But it shouldn't be that way. And it doesn't have to be
either. I just finished meeting with Jennifer Janson. She
trained with us last year and came back in to get get
re-started.

Jennifer runs her own 'company' of 6 at home. Plus
her husband. When she went on hiatus from FT, she
realized that going it alone and doing it on her own was
not realistic. Too much distraction. Too much room for
error. Too much time. She was better when she had
a disciplined and structured exercise routine. It was time
for her. No one else to think about. No one else to tend to.

FT helps leverage her health and fitness. And she
knows her family is better served because of it.

This is even more important with your health, your
fitness, and your weight loss. You will serve
others better (spouse, kids, friends, etc...) if
you serve yourself first.

How to be effectively "selfish":

Plug these into your calendar first:

- Your personal down time
- Your workouts
- Your nutrition
- Your sleep

And then be discplined about
honoring and protecting that time. Will it
be perfect? No. It never will be. But you
can certainly strive for it.

If you are married, have kids, work a lot of
hours, there are always others to tend to. It
takes discipline and commitment or your time can
soon fade away.

Gotta guard against that - at all costs.

To the Mom's out there,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you think this is only applicable to mothers
you're sorely mistaken. Make sure you take time
for yourself, your health, your fitness, and watch
your care for others improve!

P.P.S. Would you like help being 'selfish'? Would you
like a way to leverage your health and fitness? See
how Jennifer does it by clicking here.

Are you making these fitness mistakes?

You may have caught my segment on KMOV's
Great Day St. Louis on Monday. If not, you can
see the 5 common fitness mistakes
I revealed to Matt Chambers.

Check it out below. #2 is a biggie. Watch for it
with 4:45 remaining. Also, Julia demonstrates
one of my favorite exercises. Can you guess which
of the three it is?



Did you watch the video? Are you making any of
the mistakes I mentioned? If you are, we can help.

Request a health and fitness consultation and get
your body back once and for all. Not quite ready for
it? Then you can download our info-pack here.

Tim

Getting Fit with Carol Daniel of KMOV's Great Day St. Louis

Did you make a New Year's Resolution?

Statistics tell us 95% of people have stopped or dropped their resolution by now. Great Day invited me on to share 5 tips to making your health and fitness program successful. Be sure to pay attention to a big secret at the 4:25 mark.



Hope this helps. If you'd like to schedule a consultation and see how we may be able to help you reach your health and fitness goals, click here.

I look forward to meeting you.

Tim

"How To Lose 3 Dress Sizes In 10 Minutes" (You won't believe it!)

I hesitated to title this post with that quote.
I thought you might think that's me making that
claim. But I assure you I'm not.

I was probably just as shocked as you to see that.
I saw it on the back of a minivan driving into the
studio today. Call Harriette for more details. Or
to tell her she's blowing smoke!:-)

3 dress sizes in 10 minutes is really what we want
isn't it? We want immediate results. Our entire
society is built around speed. Everything is
faster. From computers to kids growing up.
It all happens fast.

But fitness results are not. It takes time to lose
weight and get in shape.

One of the most often asked questions I get is,
"How long will it take Tim?" That's the
question everyone wants to know. But usually it's
not what you want to hear.

It's why my finace dislikes fitness. You may know
she's a chef. She loves planning, preaparing,
and cooking a meal. Lucky me:-) But her final
result is instant. At the end of all that work
her meal is complete. My taste buds are wowed and
there's a big smile on my face. She see's the
result.

It's different with fitness and weight loss.

Your fitness and weigtht loss takes time. A long
time for some. As frustrating as that may be it's
just the way it is. And I have to continually
remind Joella of it. She's looking for immediate
results. She expects to change after 2 workouts.
But it just won't happen.

What are your expecations? I mean, really and
truly, when are you expecting to look and feel
good? One month? Three months? One year?

It's different for everyone. But I'll
try and give you a better idea.

When it comes to fitness the body works through 3
phases. Neural, muscular, and lipogenic. (That's a
fancy word for burning body fat.)

The first phase, neural, is what I like to call
your initial hump. When you start an exercise
program you are in essence adding a stressor to
the body. (Ironically this stressor helps decrease
stress.) In the beginning it's hard. The weights
feel heavy and wobbly. You sometimes feel akward
and unsure, and overall weak.

As you begin to
workout you actually breakdown your muscle before
you build it. Lactic acid builds up in your
muscles and causes soreness. Ah yes, the dreaded
soreness. Sometimes you find out about muscles you
forgot you had. Or maybe you didn't even know you
had them! Walking up and down stairs, squatting to
the toilet, and other daily activities can become
gruelsome. This inital hump usually lasts about
two weeks.

The second phase is muscular. After your body gets
past neural and systemic changes you'll begin to
build muscle. You start to feel stronger. You'll
notice increases in your energy and your
metabolism starts to raise.

I love this phase. And it always reinforces how
important strength training is for you. Because
lean muscle contributes so much to your body. Your
metabolism increases, your energy stokes, you
start to firm up and notice lines in your arms and
legs. You're looking and feeling good like you
should!!

With the increase in metabolim and lean muscle
leads you into the last phase. Body fat burning.

This is where it counts. This is when you're
turning your body into a machine. You metabolize
calories like a well oiled piston. It just
cranks!!(Hence my favorite saying, "Crank it!")

You use up needed carbs, protein, and fat. Food
becomes fuel to your body. No longer do you eat
just because but it has an entire new meaning!

It takes roughly 12 weeks to go through these
phases. Some may go through them quicker. Some
slower. If you have 40 or 50 pounds to lose, it
will take you longer. If you're looking to lose
that last 10 pounds you might do it 8 to 10 weeks.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There's one more thing.
Your body goes through these phases with one BIG
catch. Your diet! If you're diet is not supportive
to these phases then you will slow the process.
You can't out work a bad diet.

Set yourself up for success. Don't put 'Lose 3
dress sizes in 10 minutes' into your mind. It
won't happen. Give yourself realistic expectations
and set incremental goals along the way. Enjoy the
little victories and you'll have one BIG victory
at the end.

To your fitness success,

Tim

P.S. If you'd like to know more about realistic
expectations for your fitness and weight loss
goals and a program to get you there, request a
f.r.e.e. fitness and weight loss diagnostic
consultation here. Or if you'd just like more info
on our program you can download our info-pak here.

Getting Into Shape with KMOV's Great Day St. Louis

I opened an email yesterday and it said, "The
greatest gift, for you or a loved one, is the gift
of a healthy, vibrant life."

I thought that was pretty cool. And so true. My
fiance and I have committed to maintaining a
healthy and fit life. Because we know when you
don't have to worry about your health, when your
health works for you and not against you, your
life is so much better. Richer. Fuller. Plus, by
marrying me she doesn't have much choice.:-)

I was on the set of Great Day St. Louis this morning
and talked with Carol on making your resolutions stick.
And it has nothing to do with exercise!

Watch this video now. Make sure to listen to the secret
of success at the 4:25 mark!

http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis/Getting-Back-Into-Shape-80072617.html