Your internal thermostat that PREVENTS fat loss (how to fix it)

Even on the most scorching summer afternoon, the thermostat in your house controls the temperature. If you want it to be 70 degrees, you set the thermostat at 70, and voila, the temperature doesn't, and won't, deviate too far above 70.

And when it comes to your fat loss results, believe it or not, your most powerful internal thermostat isn't your metabolism. No, it's something far more critical to your success. I'm talking about your self image. You see, the image you have in your mind of yourself -- how fit you can be, how much you can accomplish, how successful you can become -- sets the bar for what you can and will achieve.

Whatever you set that image to be, it will never go higher.

Working in the fitness industry as a coach for more than a decade, I've found time and time again that the biggest limiting factor in the transformation process is what people believe about themself.

Unfortunately, most people have a negative vision of their life, or at least one that is very self-limiting. Many people believe they will only accomplish as much as their parents did, or that they're body will always look like the current image they hold in their mind of themself.

When obstacles arise, most people don't see themself as rising above or as a conqueror...instead they focus on the obstacle itself, and how unfair it is to be faced with it, instead of the immense glory and strength in overcoming it.

Think about the image you hold of yourself in your mind. Do you see yourself achieving everything you set out to do, living your dreams? Or do you feel that where you currently are is as far as you will go?

Do you see the body you're working toward, or do you see the body you've been trapped in for too long?

Even worse, do you see your life on the decline, instead of the incline?

What images are you creating in your mind today? If they are the wrong images, you'll never be able to rise above that internal thermostat until you change those images into the truth about who you are. YOU are special. You are unique. And you can change where you currently are for the things you set out to achieve.

You see, as humans we continue to achieve the standards we set in front of us. If as we look ahead we see nothing more than where we currently are, there's no room for growth, nowhere to go.

If the image in our mind is one in which our best days are behind us (perhaps the body we had back in our high school or college days), it's impossible to achieve more.

But if instead you expand your vision and paint a picture of yourself achieving big things, great things, incredible things...then and only then will you be able to change where you are.

Today, it's time we all reset the thermostat. Crank it up a few degrees, and start believing and reaching for more. Paint your next masterpiece in your mind; embrace it, believe it, and go after it. The picture you paint is the picture that you'll move toward.

Make sure it's the right image.

To your success,
Vanan

NEVER eat this salad dressing‏

In almost every case, you should steer clear of store-bought, packaged salad dressings. Simply put, the salad dressings that you find on the grocery store shelves are almost always filled with these fat-storing, health-damaging ingredients:

1. Denatured and trans fats. Most store-bought salad dressings are made with cheap, denatured and highly processed fats. If you see vegetable oil, canola oil, or soybean oil on the ingredient list, steer clear! These damaged fats can and will wreak havoc on your health and your waistline.

2. Excessive sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. Store-bought salad dressing is notorious for packing in loads of sugar, including the #1 worst form, man-made high fructose corn syrup.

3. Artificial ingredients, colors, preservatives, and sweeteners. These man-made, unnatural ingredients are found in nearly every dressing, but especially "light" or "low calorie" dressings. Marketed as healthy or as a good choice for those look to drop flab, these waist-expanding ingredients won't get you any closer to your fatloss goals, and it comes at the expense of your health.

Instead, try these 3 home-made, natural and delicious fat-burning salad dressing recipes for a flat belly:

Sweet & Creamy Avocado Maple Dressing

Ingredients:

1 avocado
1/4 cup Organic Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until creamy.


Tasty Green Onion and Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1 cup of diced green onion
1/2 cup of cilantro
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.


Fresh and Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup of raspberries
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender on low until well combined.


By swapping out what's in your refrigerator for these simple, quick and healthy salad dressings you won't sabotage your efforts to eat healthy with disastrous store-bought salad dressings.

Enjoy these for a flat belly!

Truth About Caffeine and Coffee‏

 





Are you consuming an unsafe amount of caffeine each day? The FDA thinks that you might.


If fact, I watched one guy almost overdose on caffeine last Friday morning.

Did you know that each can of Monster gives you 160mg of caffeine?

And did you know that according to the FDA, you should NOT consume more than 400mg of caffeine per day?
It's amazing how much caffeine people consume, and it's no surprise that the number of hospital visits associated with caffeinated beverages DOUBLED in the last five years (over 20,000 people per year go to emergency rooms because of energy drinks - crazy, right?)

So here's the truth about caffeine.

First, some caffeine is fine. And yes, some coffee is fine too. In fact, it's been linked to health benefits, and is even the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet (although that might just be pointing out how bad most American's diets are...).


The problem, of course, is with too much caffeine. From jitters to anxiety to those emergency room visits, the world is over-caffeinating itself to the point of addiction.


And while energy drinks get all of the bad press, do you know what one of the most dangerous drinks might be?


It's not Coca-Cola. It's a caffeine lightweight at about 50mg per can. Even a small Red Bull packs only 80mg.

Diet pills often provide a potentially nasty 200mg per serving, and often recommend three servings per day. That can be a BIG problem.

But it's coffee that can do you in all at once.


At Starbucks, a venti-sized brewed coffee exceeds the FDA's daily recommended limit with a whopping 415mg of caffeine. That said, a "short" 8oz cup provides only 75mg. So if you go to Starbucks, take it easy on the monstrosity sized beverages.


Personally, I've been trying to avoid all caffeine, and it's been weeks since I've had even a Green Tea.


But I still have MORE energy than ever before, thanks to my favorite almost zero-calorie beverage.

From Dr. John Berardi to John Romaniello...from Tim Ferriss to Isabel De Los Rios...and from Jason Ferruggia to lil' ol' me, CB, we all drink this.


You might even be able to give up caffeine because of the natural energy highs this beverage will give you.

Plus, it tastes great AND it tastes more filling.

So that rules out beer - LOL.

But it's not an "energy drink" packed with sugar, caffeine, and who-knows-what-other-dangerous-ingredients.

In fact, this drink is ultra-low in calories - WITHOUT artificial sweeteners - and is perfect for intermittent fasting, too.


It's literally the perfect drink for fat loss and higher energy levels.

NO, it's not water. And nope, not a protein shake either.

But it is the most important drink you can give your body for health and fat loss.

It's a Athletic Green Super Food Cocktail.

Eat 30% more of THIS nutrient for decreased bodyfat [ARTICLE]‏

A recent study from the American Dietetic Association revealed that even though two groups of individuals ate the same amount of calories, individuals who at 30% more of one particular nutrient sported lower levels of body fat while the other group was clinically overweight and/or obese. Ouch!

What's this magical nutrient? Well, it's found in foods like:

Apples
Pears
Berries
Beans
Avocado
Sweet Potatoes
Brown Rice
Artichokes
Sprouted Grain Bread
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Peas
Brocolli

And a ton of other foods...

The nutrient is fiber, and I highly suggest getting your fair share (~30 grams a day) 'cause it packs a ton of benefits like:

**slowing digestion and gastric emptying to support stable blood sugar levels and decreased insulin output (this means more fat loss)

**signaling the release of hunger crushing hormones supporting feelings of fullness and appetite control

**promoting weight control independent of calorie intake (as the ADA study revealed)

Basically, it's one of those super nutrients that you should be aiming to consume with every meal, and it's found in abundance in most fruits, vegetables, and whole grains...so stock up, and eat up!

Fiber is also a critical nutrient in helping you stay "regular".

You see, constipation is not simply "not being able to go", or only eliminating once a week...that's severe constipation. The truth is, a healthy digestive system should be eliminating after every meal.

Are you moving your bowels several times a day, once for every meal you eat? If not, you are suffering from constipation, which will cause a build up of toxins and undigested, rotten, putrid food in your digestive system.

This can make it much harder for you to lose fat while also wreaking havoc on your digestive system and overall health...really bad stuff. Just imagine all that rotted, disgusting food sitting there in your digestive system...yuck!

Do not eat this type of Bean(Super FATTENING)

While beans are actually one of the healthiest carbs sources out there, loaded with fiber and protein, there's actually one variety of beans you should be AVOIDING at all costs:

Baked Beans.

Fact is, manufacturers of commercial "baked beans" are completely RUINING this health food by piling in sugars galore along with a slew of artificial ingredients.

Many brands are now even including high fructose corn syrup and numerous other corn ingredients, such as corn starch, in their products...bad news!

For example, a 1-cup serving of canned "baked beans" contains more than 20 grams of ADDED sugar on average while the same 1-cup serving of regular kidney beans, pinto beans, red beans, etc, contains only a gram or two of naturally occurring sugar. BIG difference!

That said, when buying beans and adding them to your diet (which is actually a great choice), make sure to avoid commercial "baked beans" products and instead go with bean products that don't add all the extra junk.

Some great varieties of beans and legumes are:

Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Navy Beans
Lima Beans
Black Beans
Black-eyed Peas
Marrowfat Peas
Chickpeas
Butter Beans
Lentils

And there are even some natural packaged versions of the above listed beans and legumes that add a number of healthy and natural seasonings to spice them up a bit. The lesson here is to avoid "baked beans" in favor of the plain stuff (which you can then spice up at home) and when buying anything packaged, take a good, hard look at the ingredients and nutrition facts.

If it's got added sugar and artificial ingredients, skip it!