Here is your newest issue of Fit Physique.

Here's a new bonus for you. You can get a one week shopping list and complete meal by meal menu, including all the info, carbs, fat, protein, etc. Right now there is a fat loss nutrition plan for men and women. Next issue, there will be muscle building plans available. Download the menu now at Fat Loss Menu Plan It's right this time. :-)

Don't forget to download your f'ree special reports if you haven't done so already. Go here to download them - Your Bonuses

Also, there is a link at the bottom to past issues of Fit Physique.

Next issue, I'll be asking you for the one fitness question you want answered. Then I'll be compiling the questions and answers for future issues of Fit Physique. So begin thinking of your question now.

Analyzing Your Lack of Fat Loss Progress

Here’s a short checklist of reasons that your fat loss progress may be stalling.

1) Too Many Carbohydrates.

This doesn’t mean you have to eliminate carbs from your nutrition plan. However, any additional carbs above and beyond those needed to saturate your muscles with glycogen have a good probability of being stored as body fat. Weight training does require a higher carb intake. But most people don’t train intensely enough for the amount of carbs that they take in.

2) Skip The Late Night Carbs.

Don’t believe the conflicting research. The fact remains, carbs eaten at night are less likely to be burned off as fuel and are more likely be stored as body fat.

Forego the pasta, potato or rice at your evening meals for lean proteins like fowl or fish, along with a side dish of veggies. Or enjoy your favorite protein shake recipe. Okay, maybe not your favorite if your favorite contains a lot of simple carbs, but you get the idea.

3) Improper Use Of Fat Burners.

Yes, some fat burners work. But even the one’s that do, burn very few calories in a day. You have to combine them with exercise and a proper nutrition plan. If you are eating too much, no fat burner in the world is going to help you. Bottom line, you have to eat properly and exercise to get the number on that bathroom scale to come down.

4) Wrong Breakfast.

Want to get lean and eat a lot? Chow down at breakfast. In the morning, muscle glycogen stores are lower than during any other part of the day. Your body is craving nutritious calories after a night of fasting.

5) Too Much Cardio.

What happens to the guy or gal who performs 1-2 hours of cardio a day? (We know you’re out there!)

They send their body into a tailspin, a state where the "starvation hormones" secreted by the body skyrocket (it’s your body’s survival mechanism, a response to too much exercise!) causing fat cells to try to hoard their energy!

Too much cardio will eat away at muscle tissue, causing your metabolism to slow down and your body to start storing fat. In other words, the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.

6) Never "Cheating" on Your Diet.

Once in a while you should let loose and give yourself a break from the rigors of dieting and scale watching. In fact, it’s helpful in losing weight.

That’s because continual dieting eventually leads to roadblocks where the body responds by slowing its metabolic rate. Strict dieting also takes its toll on you mentally, and can leave you feeling deprived.

That’s a bad combination! Taking in a couple of high calorie meals once every 7-10 days not only provides a mental break from dieting, but helps you side-step roadblocks by preventing the body from entering a starvation state where the metabolic rate slows.

You still need to be careful with the amount of food you eat when you do this. After all, it doesn’t take too much to completely wipe out that week’s progress.

7) Paying Attention to the scale only.

The scale is not the "end-all" measurement of progress. You also monitor a couple of other things, primarily energy and strength.

As I’ve said before, don’t go just by the scale. It can deceive you and frustrate you. Get yourself a nice pair of electronic skin fold calipers and keep track of your muscle gains and fat loss.

Skin fold calipers, along with the scale are a much truer indication of your progress.

8) Don’t get frustrated by a so called lack of progress. I received an email the other day from a man who wanted to thank me for the quality information I have provided to him.

He’s lost 100 pounds in the past two years and he didn’t think this was very good progress because of what he’s seen others do.

Stuff like this drives me nuts. He made phenomenal progress and should be extremely proud of himself and what he accomplished. Please people, don’t let the progress of others (especially those in ads) cause you to get frustrated with what you’ve accomplished.

Sure, you can use those outstanding results to motivate you but don’t let them make you think what you aren’t doing isn’t special. The media and fitness industry have created unrealistic expectations. Don't let it derail you from your goals.

RESOURCES: Check out these resources to help you start 2004 right. Fitness Resources

- Achieve Your Physique Goals

Did you reach your physique goals for 2003? If not, why not? And if you did, do you want to take your progress even further?

Now is the perfect time to check out Fit Physique. Start 2004 off right and make sure you achieve your goals. Don't let another year go by wondering what happened. http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/fp.html

"The book is outstanding. Great reading."

Mike Westerdal, CPT Critical Bench, LLC

"Gregg's entire book is awesome! It's filled with some of the best information you will find about losing fat and looking great. How could it not be? Gregg is one of the brightest fitness professionals I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Be sure to check it out "Fit Physique" at: http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/fp.html"

Jim Labadie, Certified Personal Trainer

www.yourfitnesscoach.com

It not only gives you a direct roadmap to help you gain muscle, and burn fat fast it also provides you with non-hype based, proven fitness information that you can apply in many fitness arenas.

Check it out at:http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/fp.html

Remember, Fit Physique is your newsletter and buildleanmuscle.com is your site. I welcome all feedback, questions, and comments. Let me know what you like, don't like and want to see in the future.

Check out the survey above. Email Gregg@buildleanmuscle.com or click on the email link at the bottom.

Until next time

Yours In Fitness,

Gregg Gillies Click Here To Contact Me Via Email