I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with food and family! This holiday season I want to challenge you to be extra generous with your time, money and resources.
In honor of that, I am very excited to share with you this contest I am doing and I need your help! So watch the video and pass this on to your contact list!
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Instructions:
1. Send the link to this webpage to your contact list to let them participate.
2. Sign up for your free gift at the top right of this website.
3. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54VWBbk6Wk if you want to make a video reply to this video
4. If you want to nominate a mom using this blog, click on the “Comment” link at the bottom of this page and post your reply. Please include: your name, contact info, and as many sentences and paragraphs as it takes to tell me why the mom you are nominating deserves the $500.
The contest will end Dec 21st, 2008 and the winners will be announced soon after.
-Drink moderately (no more than 1 drink a day if you are a woman; 2 drinks a day if you are a man)
-Don’t smoke
-Get involved in physical activity for 30 minutes each day
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Many people asked how I did at Fitness America www.fitnessamerica.com. If you didn’t hear already, I lost 27 lbs in 6.5 weeks. Keep in mind about 15 of those lbs was water. I placed 25 out of 52 (which was better than last year), I also placed 19th in swimwear, which I was please about!
A lot of fitness models and bodybuilders keep it a secret to how they prepare nutritionally for a show, but I enjoy sharing how I prepared. Keep in mind, I don’t necessarily recommend many of these strategies for the average person, but I think there are two important take home messages you should take from this video.
1. Prepare in advance: A fitness model knows EXACTLY what they are going to eat for many days in advance. They make a menu, and measure and cook the food, and then find a way to transport the food. Being prepared is so important for you as a mom. You need to know what you have to cook for the day, what you need to buy at the store, and if you are eating the same meals as your kids.
2. Know your body. I would say that about 80% of nutritional information and guidelines apply to everyone, but that last 20% is where you need to learn how your body responds. Some people might respond pourly to certain carbs, dairy, or fats. It is your job to make careful observations as to your exercise and nutrtional habits and how they affect how you look and feel. This doesn’t happen overnight, but be trying new things out and observe. It is great once you know how your body responds, because you feel like you are in total control over everthing.
Have you nominated that deserving mom yet to receive $500, you have two more weeks to do so. Visit http://www.dustinmaherfitness.com/index.php/2008/12/01/nominate-deserving-mom-to-win-500/ for more details!
Keep moving,
Dustin
I am a VERY laid back guy and my emotions don’t get very high or very low… it takes a lot to get me mad. But there has been one thing in the past couple years that has consistently gotten me irrate, I almost threw the remote one time at the TV while watching them. You know what I am talking about, those infomercial gadgets promising the world; in particular all of the abdominal machines out there that promise a lean sleek stomach for women and a ripped 6 pack on guys.
The thing that frustrates me more than anything is that they are selling millions and millions of dollars worth of this crap. People are so desperate to lose weight and look great naked that they become vulnerable to smooth advertising. These same people who are willing to spend $100-$200 on a cheap piece of metal are the same ones who won’t spend money to receive correct knowledge from a fitness professional.
Being a fitness professional and fitness model allows me to know the truth behind these infomercials and products. I understand how the body responds to exercise and nutrition. I also understand and have been part of the business side of fitness modeling and hiring for these types of shows. A few of my friends and acquaintances are on these infomercials and magazine covers. I can promise you that they didn’t get the great body and 6 pack with the product that they are advertising. They did it with years of hard work, careful eating and a few weeks of mini-starvation and dehydration before the shoot. If you didn’t see my last post check out the secret preparation of a fitness model http://www.dustinmaherfitness.com/index.php/2008/12/08/secret-pre-contest-diet-of-a-fitness-model/
I talk a lot about abs in my posts. I have been obsessed with “core training” and achieving a six pack since the age of about 15. I have studied abs for thousands of hours and could show you at least 200 core exercises, but now I know that achieving a great stomach has very little to do with ab exercises and more to do about nutrition and total body weight training.
I am not saying core training isn’t important… it is very important (I plan on releasing a core DVD at some point), have made a good career just helping people get a strong core and More on What Gets Me Steaming Mad!
If you haven’t heard about the new weight loss miracle supplement Acai Berry you must be living under a rock. Acai Berry has been featured on shows such as Oprah, CNN, ABC, and so on. With all the rage of late their must be an amazing amount of research to support their weight loss claims…. Right? Wrong! There is very little if not any data to support the claims made about Acai Berry and certainly no research to support the 30-50 lb weight loss stories that keep coming up.
Here are just a sample of some of the websites to be aware of:
http://my-acai-review.com/acaiberry/
http://www.ashleysweightloss.com/busting/
What is Acai Berry?
Acai Berry is a small dark purple berry that looks like a grape. It is found native in the Amazon near Brazil. It has a berry/chocolate taste. The berry contains high amounts of healthy fats and antioxidants.
It is the high levels of antioxidants, 15-30 times more than red wine, that has everyone excited. More on Acai Berry Weight Loss Scams: Beware!
Oprah has made it official. She is back over 200 lbs. I watch the show frequently (yes I am proud of this) and it is pretty apparent that her weight has once again sky rocketed since her 2006 weight of 160. At her current weight her BMI (body mass index) is 31.5 which put her in the obese category and at a much higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes.
She writes in her new January More on 5 Ways To Help Oprah Overcome Obesity
Marsue close to 200 lbs
I love my job! Seeing people realize goals that they only dreamed about is very fulfilling and uplifting for me. Improving ones self-confidence, self-image, and self-esteem is something that is hard to put a price tag on. I met
Marsue 9 months later at 117
Marsue awhile back at my grocery shopping tour. She was kind and quiet, little did I know that she had had a fire lit under her for the past few months. She was on a life transformation and I was fortunate to cross paths with her. She joined Fit Fun Bootcamp www.madisonbootcamps.com and continued her amazing journey. Each session I give her the heaviest weights, and the most progressed form of each exercise and Marsue quietly accepts each challenge I have given her. It has been amazing to see the physical transformation that has occurred in Marsue, some of her friends and previous acquaintences hardly recognize her now. The physical transformation is great, but I am sure if you would ask Marsue, the internal transformation is even more powerful! So here is Marsue’s story in her own words. If you are interested in bootcamps visit www.madisonbootcamps.com
“A little less than a year ago I was 185 pounds, had no energy, had daily backaches and after getting home from work spent many evenings in front of the television. I was miserable and had finally got it through my head that I needed to make a change. I started taking MMA classes at Karate America along with my husband and daughter. It wasn’t easy, but with a combination of setting a goal: ‘Lose weight and eat healthier’, exercise: ‘karate 4 days a week’, eating correctly ‘portion control and cutting out junk food’ and a good support system: ‘my husband and karate instructor’, I was able to loose 40 lbs in about 5 months. At that point I was feeling much better but wanted to take it to the next level. I was introduced to Dustin at a ‘Grocery Store Tour’ that was set up through karate. I started getting his emails, reading his blogs and when the Fit Fun Bootcamps started up in McFarland, found that I was hauling myself out of bed at 5:00 in the morning to work out and actually looking forward to it. It has been 17 weeks since I started the bootcamps. I have lost another 20+ pounds, lost 2 1/2 inches from my waist, have significantly increased my upper body strength, have tons of energy, no backaches and actually like myself again. Bootcamps have allowed me to make new friends and build a great support group while at the same time giving me individual attention , support and motivation . They work you hard, but it is well worth it. At 44, I am in better shape than I have been in since playing collegiate volleyball. I can’t wait to get to my next workout.”
If this story inspired you, please share it More on An Inspiring Weight Loss Transformation
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If you are like most moms, the region between the chest and knees causes you to lose the most sleep over. A big part of this reason is because this is where all the action takes place when you are pregnant. The abdomen stretches and the hips get wider. For some moms, the hips come back to where they were, but for many, the hips stay wider than before babies. I am not aware of any exercises that actually pull the hip bones together, but there is More on Killer Butt, Leg, and Thigh Workout
Jody at 171 lbs
Today I wanted to highlight a mom who has made an amazing transformation. I met jody less than a year ago, she was very bubbly and had tons of energy, but she was very frustrated with how her body looked after giving birth to 5 kids. She would always tell me, “Dustin, you need to get rid of this.” (She would point to her stomach and butt area)
She was like nearly every mom I meet, who gave, gave, and gave to her kids, but forgot, or chose not to take care of herself. She started coming to MamaTone and doing what it took to get there despite taking care of her small kids. Jody worked out extremely hard during last spring and started to see some good progress, but then summer came and she continued to workout well, but developed the attitude, “I am working out hard so it doesn’t matter what I eat.” This is a common mistake that many people make when trying to lose weight, they believe that exercise will burn so huge amount of calories and eating doesn’t matter. WRONG! Jody got stronger and fitter during the summer, but they weight didn’t come off nearly as fast. I then told her she needs to take it to the next level and get serious about her eating. She took the advice and began making separate meals for herself and preparing meals in advance. When she did this it was amazing how fast the weight came off. Literally every week I saw her she looked smaller.
So here is her story in her own words!
“When I went into deliver my 5th child I weighed 180lbs (I’m
Jody at 124!
5’3″). I know I know, I had a baby in my body, but it was the most I had ever weighed…even more than when I was pregnant with my twins! For whatever reason, and I’m sure I could come up with a ton of them, the weight was NOT coming off. By the time my baby was about 11 months old, and I weighed close to 170, I was frustrated and tired of not fitting back into my prebaby clothes (or any clothes in my closet for that matter). I accidentally ran across Dustin on Craigslist and his MamaTone class sounded intriguing. I met with him before signing up, took the complimentary class, and I was hooked! It wasn’t doing the same thing over and over again, but the perfect mix of cardio and weights (something I had never done before). The challenge was not only refreshing but most importantly, rewarding! Within a short period of time, my husband and I were noticing a difference, and my shame and embarrassment was melting away, literally! Dustin has always been extremely professional, comfortable, and encouraging. He’s the only person who has ever taken the time to show me how to do the exercises correctly, check up on me, push me, and get me to where I want to be. After 4 months of MamaTone classes, I lost 30 pounds and met my goal weight for October. Since then, I’ve lost another 10+ pounds while taking his Bootcamp classes. I have muscle More on How a Mom of 5 Kids Lost 42 lbs and Looks Better than in College
Curves, is it really all that it’s cracked up to be?…
I think everyone reading this has at least heard of Curves, but if not, here is a brief history. Curves started in Harlingen, Texas in 1992 and has exploded in growth, serving more than 3 million members and 10,000 clubs. The concept is a womens only, 30 min workout using a combination of hydraulic machines and cardiovascular exercises, which consist of marching in place on a wooden platform. Every few minutes the music stops and everyone is told to check their heart rates, depending on where they were at, they could either do their marching on the boards or rest during that time.
Curves is now declining and many of their gyms are shutting down. I get asked a lot about what I think of Curves, and sometimes I even have past Curves members coming to MamaTone.
Being a guy, it has been very difficult for me to experience a Curves workout… I have snuck into a couple Curves, but quickly was asked to leave. I have seen pictures and some videos inside of Curves and have a good idea what it is like.
I started out this blog post idea with the notion that I would completely bash it; however, after doing more research and talking with some participants I will only slightly bash it, and I will bring up many good qualities that Curves brings to the table.
The positives of Curves:
1. Curves is womens only, which tapped into a market of women who wouldn’t normally go to a gym. They aren’t judgmental and completely support each other; Curves’ motto: No make-up, no mirrors. More on Curves on Crack
