"But I tried everything.." x MTH Fitness Page on FB x FBI Video

You’ve been working out like crazy, eating “correctly”, watching your calories, etc – but you’re still not seeing results. Or are you just not doing anything at all, and still not seeing results. Go figure!
For a moment ponder these few questions, see how you would answer them…

(For those that train with me, this is a refresher)



1. How much rest/sleep am I getting?

Ideally, we need at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Studies have shown that 2 hours of sleep BEFORE midnight is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep AFTER midnight.
The earlier you go to bed, the better sleep you will receive. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “Early to bed and early to wise makes a man HEALTHY, wealthy and wise”.



2. How much water am I drinking?

You should consume half your body weight (lbs) in oz. So, if you weigh 200lbs you should be consuming at least 100 oz of water.



3. Am I too stressed?

If possible, avoid any unnecessary chronic stress (hubby/wife, boss etc). During periods of high stress your body produces a natural growth hormone called cortisol. Cortisol primary functions are to suppress the immune system, and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. These “nutrients” mentioned will pack on pounds directly in your abdominal area!!
Sleep deprivation (see above), caffeine, “burnout”, and even extended periods of commuting may cause increase levels in this hormone.



4. Am I consuming enough vegetables?

Look at your lunch and dinner plate. What portion of that plate are veggies? What portion is lean protein?
Ideally, ½ of our plate should be veggies, ¼ complex carbs, and ¼ lean protein. Lack of vegetables is a major reason why some of us are not reaching our fitness goals.


5. Do my workouts vary? Are they motivating? Are they with MTH Fitness?

If you do the same thing over and over- wouldn’t you be bored?? Well, your body feels the same way. If you’ve been doing the same workout, same reps/weights for an entire year or even a couple of months, most likely you will plateau. Your body needs to do different exercises, at diff tempos, on varying days, with varying intensities to continue to burn calories



6. Am I eating too frequently? (Controversial)

Yes, I know you’ve been told to eat 5-6 “small” meals throughout day. Does that work you? Most of time those that do eat 5-6 meals are eating too much altogether, and do not have proper calorie or nutrient allocations to eat properly. That may be too frequent.


Let’s think of our digestive system as if it was a car, but much more intricate. We have car A and car B. Car A is driven 6 times a day for 30 days and Car B is driven 3 times a day for 30 days. If you were to buy a car on day 31, which car would you buy?


Did your parents snack between meals? Were they overweight/obese? I remember be scolding for trying to eat something in the late afternoon and hearing, “don’t spoil your dinner”.


So, how often should we eat? Jan Kuzma, author of “Live 10 Healthy Years Longer” recommends we eat every 5-6 hours. She’s also a proponent of eating only 2 meals a day, and skipping dinner. Interesting…


If your answers to the questions are aligned to what’s stated, just keep at it. Goals are NOT built overnight. If you’re questions are not even near, you know what you need to do.



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In addition to the MTH Fitness Group on FB, there will be a MTH Fitness Page. The tips will be more succinct and should be updated more frequently than the Group. Feel free to “like” it, and to tell a friend/family to like it as well.



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I haven’t done a video in a while. So instead of going out Saturday night (whomp), I decided to put one together. It’s a video of one my clients that's currently training to join the FBI. You can find it MTH Fitness page.




Yours in health,
Marcus T. Hodge

Personal training, group training, and Fat Blasting Boot Camps.