Just Walk!

Are you a regular walker?

I ask this because there are so many benefits that come from a regular walking program, especially if you’re trying to drop a few pounds.

Walking is by far one of the best ways to rev up the metabolism and get your inner engine burning fat more efficiently. You will no doubt stay in better shape and burn more calories. It’s also been proven that walking lessens the chance of becoming diabetic, it lowers the body mass index and also body fat.

We’ve all heard the experts over the years recommend people walk 10,000 steps a day. Do you know how far that is? Would you believe that’s equal to around five miles. Over an entire day, we take a lot of steps, but when you tell someone that they need to walk about 5 miles every day, it really seems overwhelming. In truth though, this is absolutely needed! We as an overall population sit down more than ever before. This means that the steps we used to get just walking around at work or at home half also been cut. So walking five miles a day seems to be needed even more.

Now the average runner runs five miles in about 40-50 minutes, so you can imagine how long it would take for you to walk five miles. Again, this just seems to be so overwhelming. So this is what we need to do…

Let’s simply try to do better than we have been doing up to this point. I’d love to make you go out and walk or run five miles every single day, because your health depends on it, however, you and I both know that’s just not gonna happen, is it? So let’s start with something better than what you’ve been doing.

If you are sedentary and have not exercised or done regular activity in over one year, simply start with a brisk walking program for 20-30 minutes four times per week. You can walk 2 hours out of the 168 hours there are in an entire week. DON’T TELL ME YOU CAN’T DO THAT! If that is what you are thinking, you are simply wasting your time reading this, and I’m wasting my time writing this to you.

However if you want to make one simple step towards better health, a walking program for 30 minutes four times per week is probably second on the list behind changing your eating habits. So doing this would be a fantastic start. I highly recommend sticking with this for at least one month, then by that time it will be time to bump it up to either a walk/jog combination or to add more days to your regimen.

If you have been in a regular walking program for a while now, at least one month, it’s time to step up your game to the next level. Move your walk into a walk/jog routine. It’s amazing how much better you will feel just moving from a walking program to a walk/jogging program. Your heart and lungs feel so much more open and healthy and you feel so much better throughout the whole day. Honestly it makes all the difference in the world. AND I DON’T WANT TO HEAR “I CAN’T RUN!” If you’ve been on a regular power-walking routine for at least one month, there is no reason in the world you can give me to not give a short walk/jogging program a try. After a month of good walking, you have built up your legs and joints enough to do at least one minute of jogging every few minutes. Just do it! You’ll be fine!

There are so many benefits of walking. It’s not just to get from point A to point B! Some of the major benefits of walking are that you decrease your risk of heart attack, helps you control your cholesterol, helps manage your weight, your risk of stroke is lowered, and my favorite is that it keeps your stress levels low. Just by being outside and looking up at the blue skies alone will decrease your stress. Do this for at least 30 minutes and you feel tons of stress leaving your body, every time!

So how do you get started?

That’s easy, put on some comfortable shoes, open your door, and just start walking. Here’s another hint I have for you… Try to never look down. Look up and see what’s going on in the world.

EASY WAYS TO STEP IT UP...

Use the furthest entrance into your workplace from your parking spot or bus stop, and walk through the building to your work area.

Don't stand, pace - when waiting for the bus, waiting at an elevator, etc. pace around in circles rather than just standing.

Park in the far back of the parking lot and walk further to the door.

Get off the bus a stop or two before your usual stop and walk the rest of the way.

Circle the room when waiting for meetings to start.

Take the stairs rather than the elevator, especially for one to three floors, both up and down.

When making a phone call, stand up and pace around as you talk.

When people want to meet for lunch, suggest you walk to the restaurant or take a walk after the meal.

Walk to the TV to change channels instead of using the remote.

During TV commercials, get up and walk around the house.

When doing errands, park in a central location and walk to your store destinations.

Return the shopping cart all the way into the store after grocery shopping.

Never drive through - get out and park and walk into the bank instead.

Walk the dog much longer.

When waiting for a train, plane or bus, secure bags and walk around.

Instead of going to a matinee, visit a park or museum.

Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC.

Consistancy Gets You the Results You Want!

Do you ever spend a day or two every now and then or every weekend, etc. eating or drinking way out of control? Or have you ever just canceled your training session without rescheduling it?

You see, most of my days are spend listening to stories of how badly people ate, and how passed out they were from drinking too much, especially at an "older, grown up age", and honestly I get sick just thinking about it. The bad part is people do this then come into their training sessions complaining that nothing seems to work, the weight just isn't coming off. Why is this workout so hard? Well, your body feels like crap because of the way you treat it. That's why. Just sayin!

Imagine if for only one month you avaoided red meat, ate every 3 hours, only had one alcholic drink a week, and never ever missed your training sessions. How do you think you would feel then? How do you think you would look? Do you think you would lose some weight? Do you think your cholesterol might be a bit better? What about your blood pressure?

Notice I never said to avoid functions or to avaoid a great outing with friends. DO THAT STUFF! Just don't act like a 19 year old college student at a frat party while doing it!

You want to make a change in your fitness level, your weight, your health? Then change your consistancy with the way you eat, drink and act! Think about it. In just one month of being consistant, think of all the good results you could have.

I had one person, a person that needs and wants to lose over 100 pounds, come in and on her warm up on the treadmill decides to go into a dead sprint for one minute...on her warm up. I asked why are you doing this? It's only a warm up, I said. She said... to make up for all the burgers, hot dogs, and beer she had over the weekend. I asked her... you think that this one sprint will help that? She said yep, cause I did it as fast as I could. REALLY? Is this really how people think?

No!!! How about taking a slow jog or even a fast walk for 20 minutes 4 times a week and do it for a month? That's how you're gonna burn fat off that body! Consistancy!!! It's not always about how hard you push for a short time. It's about being consistant over a long period of time. And I'm sorry, but even one month is a VERY SHORT amount of time.

Consistancy is the key! Pushing as hard as you can is great, however when trying to lose weight it's better to be consistant with everything you do, from eating to sleeping, avoiding certain foods and drinks, and not missing your workouts, strength trainings days or cardiovascular days. You simply have to be consistant. That does NOT mean be perfect by any means. It just means be consistant. Be good 6 days out of the week with your eating. Then give yourself a pass on the 7th day. Don't miss your workouts by any means. This means, if you miss a training day, you better take at least 10 minutes and do as many push-ups, squats, and planks as you can right before you go to bed! Don't miss it! If you missed one of your 4 cardio days, you better make it up on next day off!

Do you think Michael Jordan ever missed a practice? No! He was consistant! Do you think Tiger Woods ever misses a practice? No! He is consistant! Why do you think pro Basketball and Major League Baseball have 7 game playoffs? They want the most consistant team to be their champions! That's how they find the best of the best!

You want results, be more consistant!



Chad Cannon is the owner of the Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC.

Burning Calories at the Gym

"Calories burned" readings on gym equipment are only estimates, but they provide a pretty good measure, depending on how honest you are with your information.

You finish your workout on the treadmill and the machine reads 300 calories. But how do you know if that number is truly accurate? There's a good chance it's not.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Crunching the Numbers

At the end of your workout, most cardio machines provide you with the number of calories you burned. Keep in mind though that this reading is an estimate — and often an overestimate — and should not be taken as gospel.

"If you see that you expended 300 calories for a workout, there is probably about a 10 percent margin of error," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "The number you see on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, stair climber, etc., is just an estimate, but it is a relatively accurate estimate. It is based on what is called metabolic equivalents, or METs, which refers to how much oxygen your body uses." McCall says that one MET is equal to 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of your body weight per minute. This is the amount of oxygen your body requires at rest. When you work harder (e.g., when you exercise), your body burns more METs. "Your body has to expend energy to use oxygen. If you're running, your body needs more oxygen and your body spends more energy," McCall says. The cardio equipment at the gym uses information on the number of METs it takes to perform a given exercise, as well as your weight if you enter it, to give you an estimate of how many calories you burned. "It is more accurate if you enter your weight and your age than if you don't," McCall notes. If you are trying to lose weight, you may be particularly interested in finding out the exact number of calories you burned during your workout. "If people are really concerned about monitoring weight loss, the gym equipment is a good estimate, but the best estimates are going to come from heart rate monitors," says McCall. Newer heart rate monitors allow you to program in your resting heart rate and your age, and they use this information to give you a more precise estimate of the calories you expend.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Maximizing Your Burn

When deciding which piece of gym equipment will give you the best burn, don't count on the calories-burned estimates from the machine. In order to burn more calories, you simply have to work harder. So the best way to determine which piece of equipment will help you burn the most calories is by gauging how hard you are able to work on it — if you're not able to sustain a workout on the elliptical machine, for instance, use the treadmill instead. While you can use the calorie counters on gym equipment as rough guidelines, the most important way to maximize the number of calories you are burning is to find a piece of equipment you enjoy using and to use it often.


By Krisha McCoy, MSMedically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH at Everyday Health.

Chad Cannon is the owner of the Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC.

WHY? Why?

Ok, so I'm dying to know... WHY IN THE WORLD would ANY PERSON in their right mind, who wants to build a BETTER BODY and FEEL BETTER, LOOK BETTER, AND PERFORM BETTER, let alone lead a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life.... try goin' it all alone when there's so much help available today?

I mean, as you probably know, the best way to succeed at anything is to model the success of others who've walked the path from where you are now to where you want to go...

I mean check out all these people who have successfully transformed their body’s from the help of a fitness coach here at Shaping Concepts: http://www.blufftonpersonaltraining.com/success_stories.htm

…and I've never seen so many out of shape, overweight, and/or obese people that totally need to change their ways or there might not be a tomorrow, try to go it alone! These people should be following the Model of Success! Click Here To View the Model of Success.

Let me put it this way... I don't know of too many people who have successfullyreached their target by trying to do it without the help of others. And I certainly don't know of too many people who have successfully lost a bunch of weight without the help of a highly successful fitness training business... I'm sure there's a FEW out there who've had some decent success without any outside advice, instruction, guidance or input... but these people are the exception and DEFINITELY not the rule.

And in today's world of ever-changing weight loss strategies, and technology... having the most cutting-edge "up to date" information from the best of the best is CRITICAL to your success. That's why I HIGHLY recommend you do yourself and the future ofyour health a GIANT FAVOR and learn from the all star experts, who are literally the "best of the best" in the fitness industry when it comes to successfully transforming your body.

THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFO IS AT A MAJOR DISADVANTAGE TO THE PEOPLE WHO DO!

The info shared in our consultation alone is enough to gain the knowledge you’ll need to get started in the correct path! In fact, applying just one little habit learned from us will mean you make your investment back in terms of time and money many timesover. And what's cool is, HUNDREDS of tips, tactics and strategieswe share with you, and you'll have access to ALL of it.

So, why in the world would any person go it alone when information and help like this is available making your journey from where you are now to where you want to be as short of a journey as realistically possible.Instead of zig zagging like crazy to your goals, wasting precious time on things that don't work... doesn't it make sense for a person to do whatever it takes to get from Point A (where you and your dream body are now) to Point B (to owning your dream fit and healthy body) especially when presented in way that makes implementing these strategies as "brain-dead" simple as possible.

If getting help in your body transformation from the world's top experts on fitness & nutrition makes a HELLUVA lot more sense to you than going it alone, and playing"hit and miss" with the future of your health and life…And if you'd like access to the top experts in the industry to show you EXACTLY what to do to succeed in your transformation in 2012 and beyond.... then here's your opportunity to get started NOW!

Chad Cannon is the owner of the Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC.

Three Ways To Work Off the Christmas & New Year Flab

Okay, so 2011 is done and gone by the way side. It was what it was, so now let's move on! You might have put on some extra pounds in the last year, especially over the past month and a half during the holiday season.

Here are three ways for you to work off that flab that you are fed up with and no longer want on your body.

First, exercise is key. In order for you to lose fat and not muscle you must get a combination of resistance training and cardiovascular training in at a minimum of three times per week. A simple Burst Training routine will take care of both of those at the same time. No need to spend hours on the treadmill. No need to spend hours on strength machines. Just a 30 minute burst training routine will benefit you more than any other workout I know when it comes to burning fat off your body.

As a fitness professional, I highly recommend everyone do this in a professional setting, such as a group class, or in a personal training setting, simply for the accountability alone. I offer a 21 Day Trial to try it out. Most places have a trial of their own. Take advantage of these.

Second, proper eating is vital when it comes to losing fat. There are two main things I look for nutritionally. One, are you eating breakfast? This is by far the most important meal of the day because it gets the metabolism reved up and burning more calories throughout the entire day. Without breakfast, your metabolism is at a snails pace. Two, are you eating every few hours throughout the day? Your metabolism will slow down if it does not have enough fuel to burn those unwanted calories. You wouldn't drive a car without putting gas in it would you? Simply eat every three hours all day long starting the moment you wake up.

Third, even if you are eating perfectly all day, everyday, you are still not even close to getting what your body needs to maintain a quality of life you want. This is why you take supplements. I'm not talking weight loss pills, or fat burning diets drinks. I'm talking about supplements to support your healthy eating habits. I highly recommend AdvoCare supplements because they are in my opinion the best products on the planet. I have them in my studio, I use these products everyday, and my wife and kids even use AdvoCare products. Use them. Your body will thank you for it. Read my AdvoCare story here: http://www.advocareconcepts.com/

Do these three things to burn off last years flab, and get your health back in check in 2012. Don't wait! Start now!

Come in to Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center for your very own 21 Day Trial!

Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC.

Die Fat or Get Tough

• Fat people eat for pleasure...Fit people eat for health




• Fat people believe diets don't work...Fit people believe people don't work




• Fat people are waiting to be rescued from obesity...Fit people know no one is coming to the rescue




• Fat people eat emotionally...Fit people eat strategically




• Fat people give into cravings...Fit people prepare for cravings




• Fat people are controlled by food...Fit people are guided by vision




• Fat people believe there's a hidden secret to being healthy...Fit people know there is no secret




• Fat people are afraid of being fat...Fit people aren't afraid of anything




• Fat people expect weight loss without pain...Fit people know everything has a price




• Fat people see food as their enemy...Fit people see food as their friend




• Fat people make excuses for being fat...Fit people know their is no excuse




• Fat people see exercise as a chore...Fit people see exercise as fun




• Fat people expect results without change...Fit people expect results through personal growth




• Fat people believe they can always start over on Monday...Fit people know Monday is never coming




• Fat people are motivated by fear and security...Fit people are motivated by love and abundance

These are just a few of the differences in thinking of two completely different types of people. Die Fat or Get Tough - 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People by Steve Siebold is one of the best books I've ever read. This book really tells the absolute truth about how the thinking is completely different in the two types of people.

I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to lose weight as it might just spark a different type of thinking in you than you've had in a long, long time.

Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Studio in Bluffton, SC.

One Thing Everyone Must Do To Lose A Large Amount Of Weight

There is one major factor that I think everyone must do in order to lose a significant amount of weight. It doesn't have so much to do with burning calories, although it does burn many calories. It has nothing to do with eating correctly, although it does make you eat significantly better. It has everything to do with self confidence and taking control of your life. Once you do this one thing, then do it again, and again, then accomplish something you never thought possible, all of the sudden your life goals change, your weight loss journey doesn't seem so hard anymore. Doing this just changes every aspect of your life.

What is it? It's not running, as many of you might think. It's doing something totally out of your comfort zone, such as a 5k road race or a 10k. Even a half marathon, or a full marathon.

If you've never done a road race and want to lose a good amount of weight, you've got to stop thinking about the weight loss and start thinking about changing your life, and getting out of your confort zone. Guess what? Doing a 5k road race, just finishing it, will bring you a sense of satisfaction you've never felt before, thus a new start to a new life.

Even if you walk the whole thing, which many people do, you will get so much out of completing it. There's really nothing like it.

Watch this video of how one person changed his life around. It all started with one step...



I will be starting a Shaping Concepts running club very soon called the SCRunningClub. Who wants to join me in changing their lives?

I'll be sending out more information very soon about my running club. In the meantime... get up and go for a run.


Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Studio in Bluffton, SC.

Bathing Suit Season Is Just Around The Corner

Don't get stuck in a corner thinking it's too late to look good in a bathing suit this summer. It's not too late at all.

With a little hard work and good will power, the average weekly weight loss for women is 2 - 2.5 pounds, and 2.5 - 4 pounds for men. Think about how much weight you could lose in just one month of sticking to it. Now think about two months. You could be down 16 - 30 pounds in just 8 short weeks, right when bathing suit season hits.

How much different will your body look after dropping 16 - 30 pounds? My guess is a lot different.

I know, I know. You're saying right now..."I just don't know where to start". Let me tell you where to start...

First off, get off your you behind, and stop looking behind you. What's in the past, is in the past. Nothing effects you losing weight except what you do now, and in the future. Forget what happened yesterday. Do these three things for the next 30 days and see what happens:

1. PowerWalk for 30 - 45 minutes Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday.

2. Do 30 repetitions of each of these execises (Body weight squats, toe or knee push-ups, walking lunges, tricep chair dips, and bicycle abdominals) on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday.

3. Eat breakfast, lunch, & dinner, each with a handful of a protein, a handful of complex carbohydrate, and either a handful of fruit or vegetable. Then eat a protein only snack between the three meals.

Just doing those three things dosn't seem like that much. That's because it's not. But here's the key factor in all of this that will get you those weekly results you are looking for...

BE CONSISTANT

If you are consistant, the weight will drop off like leaves on a tree in the fall. And then you WILL be ready for the bathing suit.

Chad Cannon is a weight loss expert and the owner of Shaping Concepts of Bluffton.

The Biggest Factor in Weight Loss

Alright, let's pretend you're driving across the country. You know you cannot do it in one day. It's going to take more than just a day right? Right! And it's going to be long, drawn out days in the car, where you will get stiff and very uncomfortable, because that's what happens when you sit in a car for a long period of time. Sooner or later it's just very uncomfortable.

So what you normally do is plan on stopping every couple of hours for a few different reasons. First, to loosen up those legs and move around a little. You've got to get that blood flowing again before you get back in the car for another few hours. You also usually refuel not only the car, but also yourself. The car obviously cannot go anymore unless you fuel it up. You will not stay awake unless you fuel your body with energy foods.

So every few hours, you keep doing this, stopping, loosening up, refueling. Then since you know you cannot make it across the country in one day, you have already planned on stopping for the night in a hotel. You planned this. You already knew you were going to stop and rest. You knew it was going to take more than just one day.

So you were okay with the distance you drove that day, and knew you had more to go tomorrow. Again, this was in the plan.

You did what you could that day. Then moved on to the next. You didn't try to get across the country in one day, because you knew it was impossible.

So why do we, as a population, try to deal with health related situations so fast. It's impossible to lose 200 pounds in one day. It's impossible to lose even 20 pounds in one day. Why not be happy with our efforts for what we did that day and know that we have to do more tomorrow.

My point here is that we need to think of weight loss in small steps, one day at a time, knowing that there are more days to come. It's going to be a long drive. Weight loss doesn't happen in one day. We need to stop being so disappointed when we don't lose 20 pounds each day.

I want you to think of TODAY, not tomorrow, knowing there will be tomorrow, but just get through one day at a time, doing all that you can TODAY.

Stop thinking about losing 200 pounds, and start thinking about losing 2 pounds...TODAY!

Stop thinking about the big picture (Stop looking at the map of the entire country). Just look at what you can do to be as healthy as you can be TODAY (pick a spot on the map only 8-10 hours away as a stopping point to find a hotel and rest).

The biggest factor in weight loss is not looking too far ahead, and doing what you can today!



Chad Cannon is a Weight Loss Expert and owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Studios in Bluffton, SC.

Losing Weight Is Not Easy, But It Is Simple

How much of getting a tight tummy is
cardiovascular training? How much is Abdominal work? What about nutrition? How much of having a nicely toned stomach depends on what you put in your mouth? And does working out the rest of the body have anything to do with how sleek your six-pack is?

I have a saying I've used quite a lot over the years...

It's not easy to lose weight, but it is simple.

I know that talking about doing all that I mentioned above seems like a whole lot to do in order to lose weight, but in actuality it really is not. Losing weight is simply this...

• Eat healthier than you have been, and do it every 3-4 hours in smaller amounts until it's bed time.
• Do a combination of resistance training and cardiovascular training 3 times per week, and do it consistantly forever, not for just 3-4 weeks.
• Do a little more cardiovascular exercise (walking) on the off days of resistance training.
  It doesn't have to be 2 hours. Just 30 minutes will do more than you can imagine for trimming the tummy.

Now there are other little things that will help you too. I mean specific stuff with nutrition, and interval training, and other things, but really, just keep it simple. Simple works.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Make it fun, and realize that just because you might not like exercising now, doesn't mean you will later after you do it for a while. You might actually begin to like it.

Lastly, be willing to change. Because losing weight is all about making changes.


Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts in Bluffton, SC. He can be reached at chad@shapingconcepts.com

De-Jiggle Your Middle - 5 Ways To Help This

Don't you hate it when you jump up and down, and all you feel is "jiggle" in the middle? I hate that feeling. Yes, even I know that feeling. I used to know that feeling...up until I started doing these 5 things on a permanent basis.

1. Stop eating out. Limit it to once per week. This way YOU have control over what is in your foods. When you eat out, you never really know how it's cooked.

2. Eat every 3-4 hours no matter what. This will increase your mtabolic rate substancially! Any longer than that without eating automatically slows down the metabolism and makes you gain fat.

3. Start eating every meal/snack with both a protein and a complex carbohydrate. The protein will help make those muscles stronger so they will burn more fat at a higher rate. The complex carbohydrate will give your system and your muscles the energy it needs to keep your metabolism burning at a high rate.

4. Do at least 3 days of resistance training each week. Each time must include all the main muscles in the body.

5. Do cardiovascular activity (no, yard work does not count...I don't care what you say!) at least 3 days a week of at least 30 minutes. No Matter What!!! Get it in!

There you have it. Once I incorporated those 5 things, and started making it a part of my lifestyle on a consistant basis, there was no more jiggle in the middle. I'm not just saying this to try to convince you to do it. I actually did this. I made the concious decision to do these things and it has worked great.

P.S. Notice I didn't say anything about cutting out this or that in my diet. It's not about what you "cut out", but more about what is needed to be added.

Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts in Bluffton, SC, and is known as the low country Fat Loss Expert. He can be reached at chad@shapingconcepts.com

Losing Weight With Carbohydrates

To LOSE WEIGHT you must reduce carbohydrates! UNFORTUNATELY this is what people all over our great nation believe is to be true, but are VERY WRONG! Most people cut down on bread, cereals, and sugars, etc.

Many of these are very important energy sources which your body consistantly needs. Plus, if you cut down on carbohydrates, which by the way is cutting calories (not a good thing when trying to lose weight!) you will lose weight, but you will also be shrinking yourself. This is because tissue won't be replaced and repaired the way it should. ONLY when the body has enough carbohydrates will it allow protein to build new tissue. When reducung the amount of carbohydrates, protein is used to provide energy which in tern leads to tissue losing the ability to repair and rebuild.

Foods that contain larger amounts of refines sugars and starches (bad carbohydrates) promote a sudden rise in blood sugar levels, providing an immediate source of energy that is spiked by insulin and is rapidly followed by low blood sugar levels. This can cause more craving of more bad sugars, fatigue, dizziness, nervousness, and even headaches. In this ongoing process the body surpresses other nutrients that are very essential to everyday living, which results in becoming obese. Most diets are high in refined sugars (bad carbohydrates) and low in vitamins and minerals.

Most carbohydrates with white flour, white sugar and polished rice are lacking the essential Vitamin B you get from good carbohydrates, which comes directly from the sun.

Eat carbohydrates for more energy, resulting in a higher metabolism, but only the good carbohydrates!

Chad Cannon is a speaker, author, fat loss expert, and owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Studios of Bluffton/Hilton Head, SC.

How Long Have You Tried To Lose Weight?

If you have quit in any weight loss program before then you must listen to what I have to say in this video!!!

The True Secret To Weight And Fat Loss

There are many secrets to losing weight and body fat. I could list pages and pages of sectrets to help in accomplishing this. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to say it's doing cardio. I'm not going to say it's proper nutrition. I'm not going to say it's resistance training. I'm not going to tell you what you already know.

What I am going to do is tell you the one and only true secret to weight and fat loss. It's a key factor that most people forget to even think about. It's the one thing that will absolutly keep you from failing. It's the one thing that will make your weight and fat loss goals certain and absolutely attainable.

What is this great secret?

Here it is... and it's BIG!

Stop talking about it and go do it!

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studio in Bluffton, SC. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Boot Camps.

Do It For Your Family

You know many people decide to lose weight and become healthier for many different reasons. Most people do it for thenselves, which I do recomend most of the time. However, I strongly encourage you to not only do it for you, but for your loved ones as well. You do want to set good examples for your family. You do want to see your kids get married. You do want your grandchildren to know who you really are, not just through pictures. And you do want to live your life to the fullest being able to go on vacations with family, to be able to keep up with friends and live a full life.

Do it for yourself, but think of your loved ones as well and how much they want you around for a very long time.

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Boot Camps.

You Can Be The Next Biggest Loser?

If any of you saw The Biggest loser Fanali last week, you saw some amazing things. You saw Helen win the grand prize losing over 100 lbs. and is down to a total weight of 117 pounds. She looked awesome! You also saw Gerry, who passed out the 1st day and is lucky to still be with us, win the at home grand prize. Gerry lost 54% of his body fat, threw away all his meds and is now the happiest man on Earth. Honestly, you can really see how happy he truly is.

Both these people, along with the rest of them that lost a lot of weight, are an inspiration to us all. I have had many people come in my studio this week for the initial consultation saying if Gerry can lose that much weight as bad as he started out, why can't I lose the 30 pounds I need to lose? That's why they came in to see me. It's inspiring!

However it's NOT realistic for you to lose that much weight that fast. I don't want to discourage you, and I'm not saying it cannot be done, because look at what those people did. I want people to realize that these people lived at a camp. They worked out 6-8 hours everyday with at least 3 hours of cardio everyday. Most people have families they need to take care of, jobs they need to go to, everyday chores to do. There simply is not enough time in the day to work out that much with the normal lifestyle. As the contestants on The Biggest Loser lose about 6-15 pounds per week, that would not be very realistic for you and I. If you are losing 1-3 pounds per week you are doing great! That is realistic.

The biggest thing most people don't realize is that it truly is a lifestyle change. If you want to rid your body of fat, CHANGES have to be made. Nutrition being the first. This is the biggest change of all. However it's a lot easier than most think. It's many small changes, not drastic changes all around. And exercise is a necesitty with weight loss. Those people didn't have to have skin taken off, because they were toning their muscles with all the resistance training. If they only did cardiovascular training and lost 100 pounds, there would be lots of skin hanging around.

It truly takes a lot of effort and help to lose weight properly in the healthiest way. It takes good nutrition with healthy supplementation. It takes cardiovascular exercise and it takes resistance training. The Biggest Loser is a great show and I recomend everyone watch it. Learn the tips they give. Realize what it takes to lose that much weight, and realize how happy these people are after the effort the put forth for a few short months.

You can do it too!

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Boot Camps.

A 19-Year-Old Man Died After Using Hydroxycut!

Hydroxycut Health Danger!

As I've discuessed many times before, there are so many BAD weight loss products out there for YOU to waste your money on and think you will get good results. Well here's a great result from the Famous Hydroxycut...DEATH!

FDA Recalls Hydroxycut due to severe Liver Damage!

Hydroxycut is now linked to at least 1 DEATH and dozens of reports of serious health problems...

Some of the health problems associated with the Hydroxycut products include
jaundice, elevated liver enzymes (an indicator of potential liver problems), seizures,
cardiovascular disorders, rhabdomyolysis (a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure) and liver damage requiring liver transplant.

Overall fourteen Hydroxycut products, marketed as fat burners, low-cost diet aids, and energy enhancers, are being recalled voluntarily by the manufacturer after the FDA received 23 reports of serious liver injuries ranging from jaundice to death.

The FDA announced the recall last week at a news conference.
The recalled products include:
· Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
· Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
· Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
· Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
· Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
· Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
· Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
· Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
· Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
· Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
· Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
· Hydroxycut 24
· Hydroxycut Carb Control
· Hydroxycut Natural

At the news conference, Linda Katz, MD, interim chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said the agency urges consumers to discontinue use of the Hydroxycut products. Not affected by the recall are Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products.

The 23 reports of adverse effects include liver damage, elevated liver enzymes (which indicates potential liver damage) and liver damage requiring a transplant. A 19-year-old man died after using Hydroxycut. "The death occurred in 2007," Katz says, "and was reported to the agency at the end of March 2009."

"Hydroxycut products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts," Katz said. The FDA has not yet determined which ingredients or doses are associated with the liver problems, according to Katz.

Other reported health problems include cardiovascular problems, seizures, and serious muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis) that can cause kidney failure.

Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent organization that evaluates dietary supplements, has been testing Hydroxycut products. He hasn't issued a report on them yet.

Cooperman agrees it's difficult to pinpoint which ingredients are to blame. "The products contain many ingredients,'' he says.

The FDA advises consumers who have any of the products involved in the recall to discontinue use immediately and return them to the place of purchase. Though not all the recalled products have been linked with serious liver-related adverse reactions, the company agreed to recall the 14 products, according to the FDA.

So just in case you were thinking about getting some Hydroxycut, you might want to think twice.

As many of you know I use and even sell nutritional supplementation myself (AdvoCare). I researched my products and company very thuroughly before getting involved. I have met and talked with all the scientist, that have over 170 years of experience and are the best in the world. I stake my reputation on those scientists and the products I take and sell. So, yes there are good supplements out there, but there are many bad ones as well. Do your research!

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Boot Camps.

Simply Breathing

You’ve all seen it…The muscle head wanna be in the meat-head gym that throws the weights around and grunts so loud you can hear him from the showers. You know what I’m talking about. Did you ever wonder why they grunt? Well I’m gonna tell ya!

You see the one’s that grunt were never taught how to properly exert their energy through breathing therefore are having trouble with the exercise because of that. I understand that they are most likely trying to push around too much weight and that would force them to grunt a little. However, if they were to calm down and focus on the movement, and breathe normally, like they were walking down the street, pushing that same heavy weight would be much easier.

Inhaling during the easier part of the movement and exhaling during the tougher part helps the body relax, and when the body is relaxed is can exert more energy. Try it. Get on the floor, do as many push-ups as you possibly can, even on your knees if you have to. Once you get to the point of failure breathe very easy outword as you push yourself up and breathe in slowly as you go back down and I bet you can knock out a few more reps. Go ahead, try it.

Now you know how to breathe properly while exercising. WOW! Who would of thought?

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Get Sexy Boot Camps.

What ESPN taught me...

So I was catching up on a little Sports Center over the weekend as I try to do at least once every week to see if any new NFL trades have happened, any new baseball players failed steroid tests, see how Tiger was doing in his comeback, and many other things. I happened to see a poker commercial (only on ESPN!). Even though I can’t stand card games, this particular advertisement caught my attention. It said something like…They all start with the same odds. That got me thinking about the life in weight loss and how, for the most part, we all start with the same odds when it comes to losing weight.

Some people need to lose a lot, some a little. Most people have chosen to eat unhealthy and not exercise, which is why they are in that position in the first place. Most people need to decide one way or the other which path they will continue to go down.

For the most part, everyone that needs to lose weight has gone down the same path, the wrong and unhealthy one for many reasons. But my point is that most people did the same thing. All those people now have the same odds in choosing which path to go down next. I’m not talking about circumstances now. I’m only talking about the odds they have to choose which path to take. Everyone has the same odds. Either choose the same path that got them where they currently are, or, choose the healthier path and make a life changing decision.

We all started out with the same odds. I know which one I chose for myself. Which path will you choose?

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Get Sexy Boot Camps.

It's a First Ever in Shaping Concepts History!

I’m honestly wondering if the population in the U.S. has completely lost its enthusiasm for losing weight. Well, let me take that back. I wonder if as an overall population people just don’t want to put the effort into losing the weight correctly anymore. There are now so many other ways to lose weight these days (unhealthy ways) yet the one that everyone knows is the healthiest way to lose the weight, the one way that everyone knows will help the body feel and look better, has almost gone by the way side. You know the way I’m talking about; eat healthy and exercise.

As I mentioned before, here at Shaping Concepts there has been a first. That first however is not a good one. I’m certainly not happy about it. Maybe it’s me. Maybe people just don’t care about taking care of themselves any longer. I’m not sure what the deal is. I do know it completely HAS to change.

You see we have plenty of clients here at Shaping Concepts. At the beginning of each day, our books say we are completely full. However, this is the honest to God’s truth…We have had more cancelations in the last 30 days than we have had training sessions. I’m honestly lucky my doors are still open. Now I don’t want people to come in for me, so I can keep my place open for business. I want people to come in on a regular basis to lose weight, and take care of themselves, keep their medical bills down, and just feel good about themselves. I personally couldn’t live with myself knowing I took the easy way out. But that’s just me.

And don’t tell me it’s the economy. That’s a bunch of…BS!… People are canceling to take trips and going to great places, meanwhile when I do see them once in a blue moon, I hear…”I just can’t seem to lose any weight.” Well guess what people, you never will if you keep stopping! Working out once every two weeks isn’t going to do CRAP. I personally workout at least 5 days per week. I don’t do anything real hard. I do some cardio mixed in with my resistance training 3 days per week and add 2 days of easy cardio on two other days. Each one of these last less than 20 minutes usually. Oh, and I watch what I eat as well. Yes, I cheat every now and then, but I make little sacrifices here and there. It’s not hard! So why are people sacrificing their own health then complaining about how bad they feel all the time? I don’t know, but I’m going to do something about it. My profession IS FAILING! And as a fitness professional I got in this business 20 years ago to make a difference, so I guess it’s time I need to go do that. Cause I apparently have done a horrible job thus far as an overall big picture. Yes, I’ve changed many lives around, but as a population, it’s not looking good.

So what do I do about this? There are many things I could do. There are many things I need to do. Then there are many things I should do. I have to figure out the things that will make the most profound statement. Give me your opinion on what you think I should do to change this lazy minded – take the easy way out epidemic. I’d like to hear all your ideas. Remember , I’m looking to change the overall population, not a few people here and there.

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker, author, and founder of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a FREE no obligations trial of his Shaping Concepts of Bluffton Fitness Programs and Get Sexy Boot Camps.