I was so happy to see that many of you took me up on my offer and asked me some very valid and interesting questions about fitness and weight loss.

Today I want to share with you the answer to Jan’s question as there were quite a few of you with similar questions and the answer to this one will help all of you… no matter whether you are a man or a woman – this is a great question and the answer will most certainly shed a lot of light for all of you.

Here is Jan’s question:

Jan: Hi Vanessa,

I’m a 38 year old guy and I’ve had a lifelong problem of having extra weight around my midsection.  The only way I can seem to get rid of it is by going on a very low calorie diet, like 1,200 calories per day.  However, I can’t sustain such a low calorie diet because it leaves me too weak to exercise and I also need energy to make it through my normal work day.

I normally eat around 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day, which gives me enough energy to make it through the day and to also exercise.  But at this caloric level, I can’t get rid of the weight around my midsection.  And my exercise routine consists of running and lifting weights four days per week.

I just seem to store the fat around my stomach area and can’t seem to get rid of it.  Do you have any suggestions or tips on how I can “trick” my body into getting rid of the extra weight?  My legs, arms, and shoulder areas are lean and muscular, but the flabby gut never seems to go away.  Any advice you could give me would be much appreciated. Jan

Vanessa: Jan, 1200 calories is definitely not enough for you and eating that little will definitely leave you with no energy and has potential to slow down your metabolism to a snail’s pace.

I suggest that instead of working on a daily calorie amount, let us calculate a weekly calorie amount and that way you can customize the amount of calories consumed on a daily basis based on the workload for that day.

For Example: You say you work out 4 days per week, so on those four days, make sure you eat between 2100 and 2400 calories and on the days when you are not working out, eat between 1500 and 1800 calories. That way you will always have enough energy to work out but you will still keep your calorie count for the week low enough to actually lose some of the fat around your waist.

If you do the math… at an average of 2100 calories 4 x per week and 1500 the other three days you are consuming 12 900 calories per week, whereas when you eat let’s say an average of 2200 calories a day that comes to 15 400 calories per week.

In other words you are still eating 2500 less calories per week and at the same time you are not letting your body settle into a routine so it keeps burning the calories.

I do not have details on your workouts but I would suggest that in stead of just running at a steady pace, add some interval training to your workouts twice a week by doing Hill sprints. Another way to incorporate very effective interval training to your workouts is by training with Kettlebells.

I have a great Kettlebell workout available on a two DVD set. It gives you everything you need to make huge gains. Strength wise, cardiovascularly as well as help you singe that fat off your body! Be prepared to get into shape really fast with kettlebells, even the UFC fighters train with Kettlebells these days. It is a tough workout, but Man… you’ll see the results fast!

I hope that helps you Jan.  You can play around with the amounts of calories you want to consume daily and come to a weekly amount. As long as you keep the weekly amount the same, you can tailor make every day’s eating schedule so it suits you best.

Ladies – the same goes for you… this will help you get rid of that excess fat around your hips and thighs while still allowing you to eat enough on the days you want to work out so you can still get the most out of your workouts. And try my Kettlebell workout.

Only ten minutes a day is already an amazing workout. You’ll see what I mean once you try it!

Kind regards

Vanessa Bader

P.S. Make sure to check out my Hot Burning Body Workouts. The best way to achieve fast and effective weight loss is to watch your calorie intake and plan it carefully as well as continue to work out! Sorry, there are no short cuts… but this is definitely the shortest and most effective way.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have with regards to fitness, exercise and weight loss and I will answer you to the best of my ability!  Let me help you reach your goals!  My biggest wish is for you to be happy and healthy!

You know how just a week ago I wrote to you and told you how important knowledge about weight loss can be. Because if you don’t know any better – how will you do any better, right?

So I have a classic story to tell you and it happened today at lunch. I don’t know, maybe you had to be there, but it was a true classic!

As usual we went up to the buffet on the ship, only today our comedian and ventriloquist friend Mike Robinson joined us for lunch… yes, he gave me permission to use his full name☺

Garin and I sat down with our trays of healthy lunch foods… we had our protein and veggies all nicely and colorfully spread out on our plates and our sugar-free raspberry jello for desert.

Mike sat down with two scrumptious looking cookies in his hand and I said: “Mike, are you not eating?  Did you eat  already?”

In all seriousness as he took a nice big bite of his first chocolate chip cookie, he looked down, patted his belly and said:  “No, I’m not eating, I want to lose this little belly” – hahahaha!

Now what is wrong with this picture. “Mike” I said, “You are not going to do it like that” pointing to the cookie he had left in his hand… and that is when the light bulb flashed on for Mike and he realized what he had just done and said and burst out laughing.

Choc Chip Cookies – No way to lose that fat!

Just like that, a lot of us know exactly what it is we should be doing, but we just don’t think… or on the other hand… maybe you don’t know.

Firstly and most importantly – not eating is NO way to lose your little (or big) belly… or hips, or thighs, or whatever your problem area is. And Secondly, substituting a whole nutritious meal with two cookies ain’t gonna cut it either.

In order to lose weight, you need to fuel your metabolism, and in order to do that you have to eat regularly… but what and how much you eat is also very important… right now I want to talk about the what rather than the how much.

Here it is – it is very easy!

Lean Protein like fish, skinless chicken, lean beef, eggs, soybeans.

Lots of Vegetables – all colors. The more color there is on your plate the better. Green, yellow, red

Fruit and fibre – eat at least 3 servings of fruit a day and feel free to add a couple of servings of whole grain to your daily diet.

Cut out or limit your starch and sugar intake. Starches are things like bread, Pasta, white rice and potatoes.

It is as simple as that!

Put down the cookies and eat something nutritious in stead… and for goodness sake – NEVER skip a meal!

Don’t do a Mike Robinson, that is no way to stay healthy and fit! Thank you Mike for the good laugh today! But my friend, fill up with the good stuff and get your metabolism working for you!

And oh… don’t forget to do your Hot Burning Body Workouts… to get even better results!

I know that getting yourself to the gym or taking out that workout video that you purchased and actually doing it can be rather challenging.  Most people don’t feel like working out because they feel like they do all this work for nothing – they don’t see results.

Others feel it is boring and just don’t feel inspired to get their bodies moving… but once you actually do, how do you get the most out of your workout? How do you achieve your goals, get the body you want?

Visualize the body you want

Yesterday while teaching a Pilates Reformer Class I reminded my class again how important it is to visualize the muscles you are working and how to associate the movement and the desired results of that movement with a vivid image.

Let me explain:

Your body develops exactly how you move – in the way that you work it.  So if your movements are short and heavy – you are actually developing short and stocky looking muscles. But if you work with long, extended motion you are developing a body that appears long and lean.

So if you work with full range of motion and you visualize the muscle group you are targeting, then go ahead and associate that movement with a long and lean visual in your mind. That way you will extend your body even further.

For instance – let us say you are doing body weight squats, or maybe even weighted squats… if long lean muscles are what you want, imagine your body as and elastic band from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes, and every time you extend upwards you want to stretch this elastic band as long as possible.

See how the band becomes thinner as it stretches longer. Now notice how your move your body differently if you keep this image in mind while doing your squats. I guarantee you will be moving with longer and more extended motion in stead of just bending and stretching your legs.

And the more vivid the visual in your head, the more your body will move in that way and the more effective your results will be.

Do not underestimate the power of engaging your mind in simple visualizations while you work out. Not only will you experience much better results but you will now have a much more challenging and exciting workout!

When teaching my Hot Burning Body Workouts I also guide you through the exercises by making use of imagery so you can experience superior results!

To your strength and success

Vanessa Bader

P.S. Visualize the body you want while you work out, as well as go about your day. Visualize how the body you desire will walk, stand and sit. The way you move determines the body you will have – so use your mental tools along with all the physical tools I give you and you will be successful!

Today I want to tell you more about why I think being physically active should be such and important part of your lifestyle.

Everybody is always putting so much emphasis on how important it is to lose weight… to look lean and ripped… and yes,it does feel good to look good, but there is so much more to it than meets the eye.

Let me share with you the main reason I religiously work out…

Don’t get me wrong… I do enjoy it when I am in great shape and I get compliments and comments from friends, family and even sometimes strangers but the main reason I keep up my workouts regularly and on a consistent basis is because I “feel” so much better when I work out.

When I go on vacation and I “make excuses” like: “Oh, I am on vacation and everyone needs a break.” I can tell you that after only 2 or 3 days of not working out I feel like crap!

I feel lack luster, and tired, and I literally feel ill… of course when I take a break from my exercise routine, I also tend to eat more junk, so that probably has something to do with it as well – hahaha!

You might find that strange. But I think anybody who knows how good it feels to be fit and healthy can identify with that. This is the one reason I find why exercise – once you get into it, can be so addictive, because you get hooked on that feeling of feeling great!

I know… it is all about getting started and about getting to that point where you feel Fantastic!  But if you just take a moment and think back at a time when you committed to some kind of physical activity… did you not immediately afterwards feel more energetic and happy?

Would you not like to feel like that most of the time?

Exercising regularly does not only help you look physically better and fitter, but to me – the most important part of regular exercise is the fact that it makes me look more radiant and feel more energetic and healthy!

Now there is a REAL reason to get back into the swing of things!  The Hot Burning Body workout is so much fun because I have made the exercises interesting and used really awesome music that will keep you wanting to move your body! You will actually enjoy your workout!

Personally, I prefer to work out on my own. Most probably because I have not had much luck when it comes to training partners, and usually I don’t have a lot of time, so I cram in as much as I can in a short amount of time. A training partner seemed like more of a distraction to me than anything else.

But yesterday I had a great experience – Yesterday on my way to the gym I ran into one of the dancers here on the ship and she was on her way to the gym as well.

My workout partner is usually my iPod, but she volunteered to work out with me. I only had an hour available but I agreed. I figured I would give it a go!

We had the best time! She kicked my ‘bee-hind’! We had a great time challenging each other with different exercises and the hour went by so quickly, but Boy, did I ever get a great workout in…

Now you see, the thing is, there are two types of training partners. The first kind is the great kind. That would be someone who inspires you to do better than your best, a person who likes to work hard and who knows how to influence you and encourage you in a very positive way.

Then there is the kind who I unfortunately had to deal with in the past. They seem real eager in the beginning, but then when it comes down to it, you have to practically beg them and drag them by the hair to get them to the gym.

Then once you get them there they try to talk you into going for coffee instead of working out… Now this is not the kind of training partner you want to be hanging out with, nor is it the kind of training partner you should be.

A lot of people like to work out with a friend or a partner and I say, Go for it… but make sure you choose a partner who will help you, encourage you and inspire you, and not someone who is going to drag you down and make you lazy.

At the same time – you need to assess what kind of workout partner you are, and if it is the latter then you better pull up your socks and make some big changes… because you don’t want to be that loser partner that drags your partner down.

It can be really fun when both of you work together, and when you start seeing the results – and you WILL see them, that is the biggest pay-off!

So if you like to train with a partner, make sure you choose him or her right and make sure you support your partner fully and wholeheartedly. If you do that, having a training partner can be a blessing.

In the Hot Burning Body Workout DVD’s I am right there with you as a training partner to inspire you and encourage you to do your very best, so you can get the greatest results!

Today is Independence Day here in the United States. So to everyone in America – Happy 4th of July

Now how about claiming independence for yourself? Let us look at what the word independence really means according to the dictionary…

Being independent means freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others. Now how about finding that freedom and independence regarding food, and taking charge of your body, your health and your own life!

Are you being held hostage by your own doubts and thoughts; by your low self-image… constant thoughts of lack of self-worth? Are you being hounded by constant thoughts of food? Do you feel like you have lost control of your body?

By Starting right away with a regular exercise program and by clearing out your pantry and your fridge of all the fatty and sugary foods that you very well know are no good for your health or your figure, you are claiming back your own independence.

Independence from the hold all that junk food has over you. Don’t let food rule your life… use your self-determination to let go of all those bad habits and start living all the good habits today. All it takes is for you to make the decision and then be committed to it!

With the Hot Burning Body Workout, firstly I give you a workout that is fun to do and helps free your body of aches, pains, stiffness and excess fat:) And I also provide you with a quick start guide that shows you how to manage your weight and your well-being through healthy nutrition.

Remember – if it is there in your fridge and your cupboard, well, then you are going to eat it… so start by clearing away all the temptations and you are well on your way to claiming your independence and freedom!

Exercise can be fun and should be a part of your daily routine, even if it is only 20 to 30 minutes a day.

You have the capacity to manage your own life and make your own judgments. Take charge of your body… and you take charge of your life!

Kind regards

Vanessa Bader

P.S. Don’t wait another day to claim back your life, your body, your independence – Get the Hot Burning Body Workout system and get that hot body you have always wanted.

Do I need to do Cardio? Which Cardio machine is the best, how much cardio should I do? These are some very frequently asked questions and I thought I’d address this matter today.

I will give you my thought on this subject in a nutshell.  And I am not just giving you thoughts but knowledge from personal experience. Experience from years of doing myself and teaching others.

Cardio is important… you want to keep your heart strong and fit. Now I am not against cardio 
equipment but you do not need any machines to get sufficient cardio exercise.  As a matter of fact, the best cardio vascular exercise can be done while doing resistance training.  Body weight exercises are by far the most effective and safest way to get your cardio training in.

In the Hot Burning Body workouts there are quite a number of exercises that demonstrate this fact. Take for instance the lunge combination. If I wear my heart-rate monitor while doing that exercise and I do the exercise up to speed, my heart-rate up to a 174 bpm by the time I start the second set.

Not to mention the lunges with leg lifts and a few others.  By the time I am done with those my heart rate is sometimes sky high – healthily so, and at the same time my legs and my abs and my arms and glutes are getting a great workout. 

When it comes to cardio equipment.  Each machine has its pros and cons of course.  If you have bad knees or ankles, or you suffer from lower back pain or weak back, I would suggest you stay away from the treadmill.  When walking and running on the treadmill there is a lot of joint impact and kneecap stress.  

If you are healthy, then the treadmill is OK but make sure you are wearing proper running shoes, they will
absorb some of the impact.  

As for the other machines, I think it is a good idea to change it up.  Cross training using more than one machine in your exercise program is a good approach because you get each machine’s benefits while minimizing its shortcomings.

The important thing is to exercise consistently.  Your general strategy for all cardio vascular exercise is to train four to six days per week, alternating intense and easy days.

But like I said before, if you do the Hot Burning Body workout four to six times a week, you will have no need for cardio equipment.  And you will quickly see which exercises gives you the most cardio vascular benefits.

On the days that you want to increase your cardio, just to a few extra repetitions of those exercises.

The Hot Burning Body Workout System is all you need to improve your Strength, flexibility, movement quality, coordination and cardio vascular endurance all in one!

Kind Regards

Vanessa Bader

P.S. I will soon have a circuit training Hot Burning Body DVD available for you.  This will give you the extra benefit of cardio vascular training and strength training in one workout.