My Mom is a Real Dog (see her picture here)

I was never a strong student, just wasn't. Mathematics were confusing, science was impossible, and I wasn't a very godd spellar. In fact, I recall as a third or forth grader, sitting at the kitchen table crying my eyes out in frustration while doing my homework. Then I blurted out three of the most pathetic words in the English language:

"It isn't FAIR!"

"All the other kids are smarter than me, they don't even do their homework and they get better grades than me!"

Have you ever felt this way?

Life is just easier for everyone else.


My mother taught me a very valuable lesson that fall afternoon in 1984.

A lesson that still resonates and influences my actions today.
That afternoon she instilled in me her tough, Bulldog mind set.


As the oldest of seven children, she was handed nothing. She learned very quickly, if you want something............... work for it.
"Circumstances don't change - people DO!".

In this one conversation she taught me:

The way of persistence.

She taught me how to overcome lack of God-given talent by working harder, longer, and investing more.

My mother made it very clear - our individual talents enable us to progress at different speeds. The speed at which you move has no bearing on your ability to cross the finish line (reach your goal).

She taught me how comparing yourself to others is a loser's game. It doesn't serve you well. Very little joy in life comes from doing better than others. I can assure you, the happiest and most exciting times in your life have come when YOU were personally growing, developing, improving yourself, and when you were moving in the direction of YOUR goals.

The Bulldog approach - It isn't cute, it isn't sexy, but it is highly effective. I "bought in", - I did alright. It got me through school.

I was accepted into and graduated from a private high school. I even made the honor role (ok, it was only one semester).
I received a great liberal arts collegiate education. It took me 5 years to get a 4 year degree - but I did it, I earned my degree.

What about YOU?

Do you get frustrated to see others progress faster than you?

Do your friend(s), spouse, neighbor, colleague, etc. lose more weight than you with less effort?

Maybe it's time to rip a page out of the Bulldog book.

I've sat down with a lot of people. I've yet to meet anyone who's been able to change in a positive way by feeling sorry for themselves.

The people who do change - they do two things:

They make a decision.
They take ACTION!

Take action today!

Stay consistent!

Stay persistent!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mother's who have influenced our lives.

and most importantly.

Happy Mothers Day to you Mom.

I love you....

you dog, you.

Scott

Pictures of Me in my Underwear

Scott's my Name.... Destroying Evil is my Game!

Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s my brother Mark (Aqua-man), sister Connie (Wonder Women) and myself (Superman) spent many Friday and Saturday evenings saving the world from bad guys. We were awesome, we were unstoppable, "Aqua-Mark" handled sea, "Wonder-Connie"... land, and of course I kept the skies "friendly". Our reign didn’t last long, only a few years. My Dad finally pulled the plug on the underwear superheros when Mark and Connie started to show early signs of “development”. At the time I was upset, I was furious. I was convinced my dad acted out in jealous rage as “the Roos” didn’t come in his size. I’m over it now, I really am. Seriously Dad, I hardly spend much time or energy thinking about it anymore.

Now some 30 years later I still find myself freeing the world from evil (at least the people in my world). I no longer run around the house in my underwear (or do I?). I fight a different villain these days. The one that attempts to permeate your mind everyday. The one that thrives on ripping YOU off.

FEAR NOT!

I've come to save YOU!

I've come to free YOU!

With a head of broccoli in one hand, a turkey leg (grilled) in the other, I've come prepared to destroy evil! I’ve come to restore common sense. I've come to fight the "Fraudulent Weight Loss Villain". The magic shakes, the magic potions, the magic pills, the empty promises...

Here’s a piece I wrote back in 2004 titled “Don’t Do Carbs”. Notice how my message remains unchanged.

Generation Confused DON’T DO CARBS! No, do carbs! No, eat carbs and protein - but don’t eat fat! No just eat protein and “the good fats”! No, eat protein and carbs, but drop the carbs after 7pm! Confused? How could you not be? It’s official, we will forever be known as “Generation Confused.” Advancements in technology have presented a plethora of information. Unfortunately, credible information is hard to come by. When I speak to groups I bring along a picture from the early 1940’s of Jack Lalanne. Jack is really one of the ea rly pioneers of health and fitness. The picture depicts an extremely well conditioned Jack Lalanne (shirt off). My guess is that his body fat is around 6 percent in the photo. The point I make to the group is that the human body hasn’t changed from the early 1940’s to today. The endocrine system, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, and digestive system of the human body haven’t changed since 1940. As far as dietetics goes, protein and carbohydrates are still 4 calories per gram, alcohol is still 7 calories per gram, and fats are still 9 calories per gram. What worked in the 1940’s to change the body in a positive way, worked in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and continues to work in this year 2009.

Nothing has changed! Actually, I take that back, one thing has changed – the creation, marketing, and advertising of fraudulent weight loss products. As a society, sanity has been thrown to the wind. We are passing on good whole grains like potatoes, for products like sugar-laden candy bars packaged as healthy “protein bars”. People continue to avoid whole wheat bread like the plague but proudly shop for and consume beer based on its “net carbs”. Skipping meals is the norm; sending people to sugar/caffeine packed “energy drinks” just to get through the day. I know future generations will look back and shake their heads at our nutritional practices. Our lack of knowledge regarding nutrition is very similar that of smoking in my grandparents day.

I still remember the reaction of my siblings and I when my grandfather explained to us that his generation had no idea that smoking was detrimental to health.

Grandpa: “We didn’t know smoking was bad for us”.

Our response: “Come on grandpa, you were exhaling black smoke from your lungs.”

Grandpa: “we didn’t know any better.”

I can envision my grandchildren responding the same way.

Future grandchildren: “Grandpa, are you serious you were afraid to eat potatoes and whole grains but you ate candy bars packaged, advertised, and marketed as healthy “protein” or “energy bars”.

I’ll simply shrug my shoulders and respond – we didn’t know any better.

Freedom of speech is one of the greatest attributes to living in the Land of the Free. However it has also opened large doors for self proclaimed “experts” to deliver information lacking credibility to the masses. In fact, most so called “experts” have no expertise, advanced education, or track record of helping others like yourself. Believe it or not, the first book on battling obesity through diets was written in 1862 by William Banting. Banting created the book based on nutritional advice he received from his ear doctor, as Banting was going deaf. America was really exposed to its first diet book in 1961. The book Calories Don’t Count by Dr. Herman Taller sold over 2 million copies. Dr. Taller was indeed a medical doctor and he was an expert. The question is in what? Taller practiced gynecology!

Time ticks on and diet book after diet book rockets to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The tragedy arises when we realize that there are more so-called weight loss “solutions” today than ever in history, yet obesity is at an all time high.

Here’s my promise to you:

• I will remain committed to delivering the information most documented by scientific evidence.

• I will remain committed to delivering time tested, results-oriented information.

• I will remain committed to serving YOU!

Scott

P.S. In case you were wondering ……. you can have your carbs (and eat them too!).

WANTED: A Faster Metabolism!

Metabolism, what the heck is it, and how can I get a faster one? We hear people talk about their own. We see infomercials on TV, hear ads on the radio, and get bombarded by pop-ups on the net pitching us products, gizmos, and potions guaranteed to boost it.
You may believe you were dished a “bad one”. The fact is; if you are capable of eating and moving, you have the capacity to increase the speed of your metabolism.

First and foremost, what is metabolism? Metabolism is all the reactions that take place in the body that involve the transformation of energy. We also know it as the speed with which your body oxidizes (burns) through food.

Why has my metabolism slowed down and what can I do about it?
I am sure most of you are aware that resting metabolic rate or metabolism decreases as we age. Metabolism drops when muscle tissue is lost. Adults lose about one-half pound of muscle per year during their 30’s and 40’s. Even more disturbing the rate of muscle loss doubles to one pound per year in people past 50 years of age. Although the average American adds about 10 pounds of bodyweight each decade of adult life, this actually represents about 5 to 10 pounds less muscle and 15 to 20 pounds more fat. Researchers have found a 2% to 5% per decade reduction in resting metabolic rate attributed to decreased amounts of muscle tissue. You must understand that muscle is metabolism, it is the physical location on the body where fat is burned. You must also understand that resistance training is the ONLY type of exercise that can maintain muscle and metabolism as people age.

How much resistance is required to stimulate a positive effect on lean muscle mass and resting metabolic rate? A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, also covered by ABC NEWS, revealed that many novice gym goers don’t come close to pumping enough iron to change the shape of their muscles, or really get any metabolic boosting benefit at all. The study, done by exercise physiology professor Stephen Glass of Grand Valley State University in Michigan, was based in part on previous research that said people must lift no less than 60% of the maximum weight they can lift to increase the size of their muscles. For example if you were doing a biceps curl, 60% would be the amount of weight you could lift 15 times with the 16th repetition being impossible. Glass commented. “The intent is to lift to fatigue. Fatigue means you pick up a weight and you lift it until you can’t lift it anymore. That’s not the perception most people have in their day to day activities.”

In a test Glass conducted involving 30 novice weight lifters (17 men and 13 women) not a single person chose to start at the 60% mark. “When it comes to strength training, people need to know what is heavy and what is not,” Glass said. Glass did a similar study a few years ago involving aerobic exercise and learned that most participants were able to find a starting point at which the exercise would be beneficial. It was because things like walking, riding bikes, and climbing stairs are common, and most people can tell what the difference is between light, medium, and heavy aerobic exercise.

We know anybody capable of challenging their musculature with resistance is capable of increasing their metabolism. As noted before, muscle is the physical location on the body where fat is burned. FAT IS BURNED INSIDE MUSCLE CELLS. IF YOU WANT TO BURN FAT, OR “TONE UP,” YOU MUST BE CONCERNED WITH DEVELOPING, OR AT THE VERY LEAST MAINTAINING MUSCLE. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Fat is not. Fat is an energy source for the body but it uses very little energy. Muscles use energy. Lots of It! Each pound of lean muscle tissue burns 35-50 calories a day whereas bodyfat only burns about 2 calories a day. The metabolic boosting effects to resistance training go far beyond the workout itself. In fact after resistance training, resting metabolic rate remains elevated for up to 15 hours! The bottom line – the more muscle you have the more fat you burn while you rest, drive your car, or even sleep.

During the first appointment, I make it a point to educate a new client on the difference between weight loss and fat loss. The two are not the same and are in fact quite different. It is possible to lose weight and not lose fat. It is possible to lose fat and not lose weight and unfortunately the human body is capable of losing weight and getting FATTER! Yes, it is possible to lose weight and get fatter! Under my guidance, I’m quick to point out to my clientele that there are a million different ineffective approaches to losing weight. However, there are only a few fundamentals to building and increasing metabolism. Upon mastery of the fundamentals, improvement is continuous and ongoing. A shift in mindset from losing weight to building metabolism is often all that is needed for any and everyone to take control their body, physical appearance and metabolism.

Looking for ACCOUNTABILITY, GUIDANCE, DIRECTION, and RESULTS?

Give me a call: 330.665.8140 I'd LOVE to talk to you.

Looking for more GREAT fat/weight loss information? I highly recommend checking out Tom Venuto's best selling e-book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.