Winning an Uphill Battle

Losing weight and/or building muscle can sometimes feel like you are trying to fight an uphill battle.

That doesn't mean you will automatically lose just because you sometimes suffer setbacks.

Common setbacks include:

Sports injuries.

Not eating properly.

Not exercising enough or keeping to your scheduled routine.

Illness.

Getting distracted by work or family concerns.

Slacking off due to lack of motivation.

But just because you encounter a setback doesn't mean you should just give up and let things spiral out of control. You have to realize ahead of time that there will be setbacks and you have to learn to embrace the challenges given to you.

Nobody is going to blame you if something happens (eg. a funeral for a family member or friend) and then you slack off a bit. That type of thing just happens and is part of life. You take the necessary break and then you get right back to your routine as soon as you feel ready.

Many people on a weight loss regimen have slipped up / slacked off from time to time. Even the professional bodybuilders, athletes, etc sometimes fall behind on their schedule. Unfortunately sometimes due to lack of willpower it can quickly spiral out of control. Say for example you have one snack outside of your meal plan, it may be easy to say, "Well I already messed up today, so what's another?" This can turn into a truly self-defeating cycle and before you know it you're binging on doughnuts and have completely stopped exercising. That one day can turn into the whole weekend, and weekends turn into weeks. And you might not stop the cycle for months.

But if you realize ahead of time that you will make small mistakes then you can make those mistakes and keep on pushing forward despite the small setbacks.

The only way out of this is to get it together mentally and not allow little mistakes to chip away at your determination to make changes in your life. One, two or even ten bad days are nothing compared to the days in the year and beyond.

Yes, it can be upsetting to lose progress, especially when you have no control over it due to an illness or injury. We work so hard to achieve success, and then a loss of willpower or a lazy streak can really take away from the progress that we busted our butts for and our motivation will be sapped. Dwelling on the mistakes won't bring you six-pack abs however. The only way to feel better is to pick yourself up, and get started again as if nothing had even happened.

You are going to encounter speed bumps. Just run right over them and keep going!

Raw Egg Protein Shakes

Raw eggs are really good for you.

Two reasons!

#1. The egg whites are high in protein, the building blocks of muscle. Excellent if you're doing lots of weight lifting and cardio too.

#2. The egg yolks are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are one of the good fats that your body needs in order to give you lots of energy, boost brain power, etc. They make you both smarter and faster.

And the best way to eat eggs isn't cooked or fried or poached... its raw. And therefore you need a way to eat raw eggs.

You could simply crack 3 eggs in a glass and drink it down, Rocky Balboa style, but most of don't really like that idea. Squeamish taste buds.

So the next best solution is to make a raw egg protein shake.

You will need:

1. 1 or 2 Eggs
2. 500 mL of Milk or Soy Milk
3. 1 cup of Berries, or 1 tbsp of Chocolate Syrup, or 1/2 of cup of Ice Cream or Yogurt (preferably Low Fat)
4. A bowl or really big cup. I find a large martini shaker works well.
5. A hand blender.

Blend the eggs and milk first, then add your choice of flavouring. Berries works best, but if you don't have that available use chocolate syrup or ice cream/yogurt. Blend until there is no chunks.

Pour into a tall glass, drink and enjoy.

Done this way you will barely notice the taste of raw eggs and it is a very satisfying drink.

Makes a good breakfast after jogging but also good for an after workout snack.

Canola Oil Health Benefits

You've probably heard of the health benefits of cooking with virgin olive oil, but did you know that Canola Oil is also very good for your health?

You can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease by changing your diet, in particular by lowering your intake of saturated fats (which causes artery-clogging cholesterol levels) and by focusing your intake of healthier unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids.

By choosing heart healthy oils like Canola Oil, which is made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant, you can reduce your intake of unhealthy fats. Canola Oil has the lowest saturated fat content of any oil commonly consumed in the USA, at just 7%. By comparison, sunflower oil has 12% saturated fat, corn oil has 13%, and olive oil has 15%.

So yeah, if you thought olive oil was good, think again.

Although it's low in saturated fat, Canola Oil is very high in healthy unsaturated fats, plus its an excellent source of the omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic acid, and Canola Oil is higher in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other oil commonly used. These fats are particularly important in the diet because the human body can't produce them and they're used for higher brain functions and regulate energy to the rest of the body.

So whether you are frying an egg, making pancakes or baking a cake Canola Oil is the wise choice for a healthier meal.

Weight Loss Testimonial

The following was sent in via email. Congratulations on your weight loss!

"Dear Charles Moffat of Cardio Trek!

I live in San Diego California and I read your website every day. I started reading it about a month ago when I was looking for weight loss tips and a lot of the information on your website has been extremely usefult to me - even the weightlifting posts, even though I am not into that.

Since reading your website I have enacted a number of the tips from your site, including morning jogs (I only jog for 10 minutes, but I find it helps a lot), counting calories and tracking them in a journal, stretching and whenever I am bored I try out some of your frugal exercise ideas. As a result I've lost almost 10 lbs in the last month.

I am trying to lose weight slowly so I don't end up with loose baggy skin, and the prevention information on your site on that topic is very useful too.

I guess what I am trying to say is THANK YOU for offering lots of free advice on your website. I know I am not one of your clients, but I hope you will post my testimonial anyway.

Also one little question / suggestion, why don't you have more information about yourself on this website? A profile? I know a lot of personal trainers out there are egotists who love talking about themselves and are shameless self-promoters, but I couldn't find one single photo of yourself on your website and there is very little else about you. Maybe you are camera shy? Or maybe you're just not an egotist? Sorry if I seem overtly curious.

Thanks again!
Samantha K."

Hello Samantha!

I am happy to hear my writing has had such a profound effect on you and has been so useful to you. I too have an inspiration for my exercise - Sylvester Stallone and his Rocky Balboa film series, which he both wrote and starred in. If I were to ever meet Sly I would be sure to shake his hand and thank him for his inspirational films.

Plus anyone who can fit both Mr T and Hulk Hogan into the same film series deserves some kudos. Mr T was my hero when I was 5 years old.

Yes, its true I don't like putting photos of myself online, but I don't mind talking about myself. My interests include languages, traveling, freehand mountain climbing, cycling, archery, boxing, painting, photography, sculpture, fixing things, writing and perfecting various recipes in the kitchen. Truth be told if you Google the name Charles Moffat you will find a lot of information about my artistic career, my website design business, books I've written available on Kindle/Kobo and a lot more.

I don't like to talk too much about my artistic talents and other things on this website however because I feel it would distract from the purpose of this website, which is to promote exercise, healthy eating, and of course my personal training business here in Toronto.

I am planning to have a professional photoshoot done in 2013 which will be used to promote my talents as a personal trainer, but you're right, I am none too excited about being recognized on the street. I have already had my encounters with fame with respect to my artistic career and I have learned to value my anonymity online. (Because fans are crazy...)

I wish you continued success with your exercise goals and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year too! Let me know if you have any specific exercise questions and I will be happy to answer them and post the results.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat

Whey Protein Questions and Answers

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about Whey Protein:

#1. What is Whey Protein and where does it come from?

Whey Protein is one of two types of protein that comes from milk (the other type is casein protein). Whey Protein is made during the process of cow's milk being turned into cheese, wherein the whey protein is a by-product of the process. The great news is that Whey Protein is a rich source of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), containing the highest known levels of any natural food source.

Thus its good for vegetarians too, but not for Vegans because its made from milk.

#2. Do any other Foods contain Whey Protein?

No, its only found in the by product of the cheese making process. You can find different kinds of protein in other foods (especially meat). There are a variety of different foods that contain high levels of protein, but they're not as high in protein as you might think.

    Lean red meat (20% protein)
    Chicken/turkey (20% protein)
    Fish (20% protein)
    Eggs (6-10% protein)
    Cheese (10-30% protein, but also high in fat)

Thus if you get Whey Protein Powder you're consuming something that is often 50 to 90% protein, depending on the brand. You will need to read the label and possibly do some math to discover the exact percentage. eg. Six Star Muscle Professional Strength Whey Protein is 66.6% protein.

#3. What Types of Whey Protein are There?

There are 2 major types of whey protein:

Whey protein concentrate, which also contains some lactose and fat and is roughly 75% protein by weight. Its cheaper to buy whey in this form, but you'd better be feeling energetic and not be lactose intolerant.

Whey protein isolate, the purest form of whey protein has been processed to remove fat and lactose. Typically whey protein isolate is about 90%+ pure protein by weight, and this is the type commonly used in whey protein powders.

There is also whey protein blends, a mix of the above two, and is typically used for making protein bars and whey protein powders. A blended mix is slightly cheaper than pure isolate, but still boasts a good chunk of protein.

#4. What does Whey Protein do?

Whey protein provides the body with the necessary amino acids for muscle building, strength and recovery. Bodybuilders and professional athletes use whey protein supplements to help increase size, strength and speed up recovery times.

Whey is also easy and fast ingesting, meaning it gets to where it's needed in the body quickly. It is best used right after a weightlifting workout as it plays a huge roll in post-workout nutrition, when your body is in a catabolic state and needs a fast injection of protein.

Whey protein also works as an antioxidant to boost the body's immune system, helping to create a stronger immune system. The end results include: Increased lean muscle mass; Decreased recovery times and faster muscle repair; Reduced post-workout muscle breakdown; Increased metabolic rate.

#5. Are there any side effects?

None whatsoever. Its protein, a necessary amino acid that your body needs.