10 Tips to Help You Get (and Keep) the Body That You Want

Myth: If I lift weights, I will get bigger.

Truth: No. No. No. No. No. Yes, momentarily (NOT PERMANENTLY), and then you will get leaner.

If you weighed 10 extra pounds, and were 2 dress/jean sizes smaller, would it matter what the scale read? No? Exactly!

When you start to work out or change your workout, your body begins to adapt to the new stimuli that it is experiencing. Your body will begin to redistribute it's weight. You will gain more lean muscle mass (yes, muscle weighs more than fat, hence the scale increase, temporarily). You will begin to burn more calories efficiently because of this lean muscle mass increase, both while working out and when not working out. Of course, you will be eating properly, which means little to no junk. All of this will lead to a drop in dress and jean sizes. Let's face it, at the end of the day that's what it's all about.

Myth: If I don't eat at all (or at least all day) I won't gain any weight.

Truth: Absolutely not!

When you don't eat regularly you will gain weight. Your body instinctively stores calories when you deprive it of food, because it doesn't know when it will get fed next; and obviously your body cannot trust you to keep the calories coming for it to keep burning them off. So, it starts to store them for you...in your hips, butt, thighs and abs. Preservation of life is way stronger than you think. You have now broken the circle of trust you had when you were eating regularly. The circle of trust is this: you feed your body smaller portioned protein and low glycemic carbohydrate foods regularly, every 2-3 hours, 5-8 times a day and your body will burn those calories continuously, using only what you need for energy consumption, and will keep you lean As soon as you deviate from the circle, your body turns on you like no body's business. Now you have to work 2-10 times as hard to get back into the circle. Here's a word of advice: Respect the circle of trust, and it will respect you. You will lose weight. It's counter-intuitive, I know, and it works. Your body is extremely adaptive and will burn more calories than you think.

Myth: If I do what Madonna, Giselle and Gwenyth do, I'll look like them.

Truth: Too funny.

If you DID what Madonna, Giselle and Gwenyth did, you would BE them, BUT, you're not. You are YOU. And, IF, you had a full time chef, round the clock nannies, and assistant's to take care of your life, you'd be able to find 2-6 hours A DAY (did you catch that)...A DAY, to train and eat properly to your body's and heart's content...just like them. Guess what? That's not you! Here's what you can realistically do: At least 3 intense workouts a week that comprise of weight training, interval training and core work for 60-90mins each workout; a proper nutritional food plan and supplementation. Hey, doesn't that sound like The Difference (www.rolandsemprie.com)?

Myth: Because I workout, I can eat anything I want.

Truth: Who actually believes that, except, ex-athletes rocking Buddha bellies?

Because you workout you have to even be more vigilant about what you put into your mouth. Proper nutrition and personalized food plan will account for at least ('at least' being the operative word) 60% of the results you want to obtain or are currently maintaining (and I am being very conservative with that number). The better you eat, the better you look. It IS actually true.

Myth: I burn calories while... I do laundry...bake cookies...walk the dog...go for an after dinner walk; or BECAUSE I HAVE KIDS.

Truth: I call bull...

Contrary to what many women's and parenting magazines say, doing laundry, baking cookies, walking the dog, going for an after dinner walk and running around after your kids are neither EFFICIENT nor EFFECTIVE ways of burning the calories. Level of intensity counts for everything you do, ALWAYS. If those previously mentioned activities are, unfortunately (except for the kids), your main form of cardio, make sure you elevate your heart rate to the level of what it would be if you were running on the treadmill. Otherwise keep your efficient, effective calorie burning to your workouts with your trainer, who can routinely increase the intensity of your workout as you improve.

Myth: "Who me? I got this body from Yoga and Pilates..."

Truth: Hah! As If!!!

Yoga will not give you the type of workout that will benefit your bones, so, do not ONLY do yoga. Pilates and yoga are great supplemental to your weight training and cardio regime, but doing only yoga or pilates without increasing/maintaining your bone density mass is only asking for trouble as you age. Either you don't eat; you have great genes, and eat poorly (good luck with that); or you are the biggest closet workout fiend on the planet, who after yoga class, hits the weight room and counts the calories you burn after killing it on the treadmill.

Myth: Wine is good for my heart, so, I'll drink it with dinner every night.

Truth: What-Evah!

Because certain studies say that 1 glass of wine is supposed to be good for your heart (part of The French Paradox), doesn't really mean that the ambiguity of that statement should be applied as gospel truth. Sound bites and statements taken out of context that are adopted as fact, actually do more harm and perpetuate more myths than are necessary. Think of alcohol as a fat.

I don't care how many studies tell you that it's ok to drink red wine for your heart or that it reduces your risk of heart disease - it's fattening. Also, what the studies don't tell you is that even consuming one large glass of wine a day or a pint of beer (which is considered moderate) has been linked with an increase in many types of cancers; breast, bowel and liver cancer being three of the many. Regular low to moderate consumption of alcohol increase your chances of cancers of the liver, breast, upper digestive tract, rectum and pancreas. Wine has resveratrol (from red grape skins) which is good and sugar, ethanol, excess calories, starch, oh, and, did I say sugar?

Alcohol is a drug that depresses the brain; it has zero minerals and zero vitamins. And besides, how many of us really have just ONE glass? Not worth it.

Myth: Running is bad for my knees.

Truth: I've got four words for you: GET-ON-THE-TREADMILL!

If you already have a condition, ailment, disease or injury which exacerbates the current state of your knees from bad to worse when you run, then, running is bad for your knees. The other 98% of you that use that excuse do not fall into that category. Anyone else with an excuse about running, suck it up and get your butt on the treadmill. There is no other form of cardio that will burn calories better and faster than interval training on the treadmill. Nuff said.

Myth: Dairy is good for calcium

Truth: Milk does NOT do a body good.

If you are Asian, Native American, African/Caribbean, American/Canadian, and even Caucasian (although not affected as much during childhood years; adult years will be more difficult), chances are you that you're lactose intolerant. Dairy is not the only way you can get calcium. Has anyone ever heard of broccoli, oranges, turnip greens, apricots, Dandelion greens, pears, prunes, Bok Choy, clams, sweet potatoes, Figs, Sesame seeds, mackerel, Tahini, Humus, almonds, most of the dark green, leafy vegetables, hazelnuts, shrimp, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chestnuts, salmon, sardines, oysters, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce?

I thought so.

Myth: If I have liposuction or a tummy tuck, I won't have to work out.

Truth: Invasive, painful and risky. Do ya feel lucky? Huh? Go ahead. Make some plastic surgeon's day...

If you don't ever have to go under the knife, DON'T. When the physicians and surgeons own regulatory body has concerns that procedures routinely performed by doctors, including liposuction and breast rejuvenation, may not be safe, why do it? There is no magic pill, procedure or gimmick that can get you the body you want, except consistent, disciplined, hard work. Burning calories efficiently and effectively through an interval, cardio style based, weight training regime that includes a proper nutritional food plan and supplementation to cover all of the repair, recover and replenishing needs of your body will do the job. Do that and you will never need a tummy tuck.

By Roland Semprie www.rolandsemprie.com

Roland Semprie
		About the author:
		Roland Semprie is the Founder of Roland Semprie Rosedale Inc (rolandsemprie.com). Roland is a Medical Exercise Specialist (MES), a Certified Earth Shiatsu Therapist (EST) with two advanced post graduate certifications, a Certified Fitness Consultant, a Sport Movement Specialist, an Infra-Red Non-Thermal Laser Practitioner, a Certified Acupuncturist, a Jade Stone Massage Therapist, a Certified Level 2 Kettle Bell Trainer, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in Canada and the U.S. and the only Fitness and Healthcare Professional in the world licensed to treat, diagnose and train others as a Doctor of SCENAR.
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