January - February 2007 Newsletter

I will keep this newsletter short and get right to the point. The vast majority of everyone you know who sets health and fitness goals will fail. 95% of those who diet fail. That few 5% won't even last 5 years. There are a few reason: the wrong diet, the wrong exercise, the wrong reasons, not setting goals the right way, etc...

It has nothing to do with willpower. The main point everyone seems to be missing is this -- success (in any realm) happens first in the mind. In order to be successful in health and fitness you need 3 things: the right diet, the right exercise program and most importantly, the right mindset. Even if you have the first two, if you don't have what it takes to succeed mentally, the best trainer and metabolically appropriate diet will do nothing for you when you lose motivation or get distracted or tempted by your 'friends' to eat something that will make you fat. DO you see what I'm saying? Yes, it can be simple.

I wrote an article and have abook coming out called 'Fat Loss Psychology' which details the whole process of setting and acheiving goals and exactly what people need to do to create the body of your dreams - keep your eyes open for an announcement soon, but in the meanwhile, follow these proven tips and YOU WILL SUCCEED.

The Secret - The Secret is one of 10 primary laws of our universe that has been idetified by modern science. Not the science you learned in high school or college 20 years ago. But cutting edge science which many people are totally unaware of. And if you live in NYC and have a high performance lifestyle / career, you shouldn't expect yourself to keep up to dayte with modern science.

There are laws that you and I are subjected to at every single moment. Understand how your world works and you will be successful in any endeavor. Its a fact. Its proven. Get The Secret and learn to appreciate the power of your mind in creating the life of your dreams! www.thesecret.tv or pick it up go to East West Books on 5th Ave between 13 - 14 street.


How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek. You might know who Paul Chek is unless you know me or work with one of the FEW in NYC. Chek Practitioners are the elite in health and fitness industry and there are less than 10 of us in NYC. If you ever took my famous Burn classes at Equinox, you are definitley familliar my Sucker-Free Fitness programs and hardcore attitude. I was so hardcore because there is so much nonsense being offered in teh fitness industry and peoplke were so accustomed to it and health clubs continually promote it and I just couldn't stand it! Get this book and you can by-pass all the crap that is offered in health clubs, gyms, magazines and TV. This book is considered the Bible of health and fitness by some of the leading experts in this industry and every person should have it for a few key reasons - there are questionairres to determine:
1 - Your unique metabolic type so you know what to eat
2 - Your unique exercise needs - there are 3 exercise systems:
a)Mind-Body/Wellness
b)Functional Fitness
c)Performance Training.

You can determine your overall stress level and learn valuable lessons about your TRUE state of health and fitness which helps you determine which exercise system is most appropriate for you at this time. You can then dive into several chapters of exercises, eating and stress management techniques based on your results from these questionairres. Both of these books are essential for anyone who wants to look, fell and function better!


Got Goals?
If there is anything that you want in life that is different than what you currently have (your body, health and fitness levels, career, income, lover, etc) - you must change. The first thing that must change is your mind. Study any of the world's leading experts in personal and professional development or the few elite health and fitness experts and they will all tell you the same thing - success happens in the mind FIRST.

The reasons people do not achieve their goals has NOTHING to do with will-power, not having enough time or any of the millions of excuses that you have heard or may think.

In order to create the health, fitness and body of your dreams - a lean, sexy, strong and well-defined body, radiant health and abundant energy levels, the resiliency to deal with long work days and jack-ass co-workers and still feel great, sleep well and wake up refreshed, energized and excited about your life - you must first get CLEAR on what you want.

1 - WHAT
GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU WANT. Not what magazines, TV, your parents or your boyfriend has told you you should look or live like, but what EXACTLY do YOU want to create in your life? Identify exactly what you want in all key areas of life - mental/intellectual, physical (health, fitness, toys or material posessions), financial, relationship and career. Most people are focused on what they don't want and they contunally attract what they don't want. This is where the Law of Attraction comes into play. Get clear on exactly what you want.

2 - FOCUS OF WHAT YOU WANT
I'm not saying focus on what you want, I am saying THE focus of what you want is critical.
Are you trying to 'lose weight' or 'improve your health'?
Do you want to 'lose'? Is your focus on 'weight'? The focus of your goals is critical. Saying 'I want to improve my health, strength, vitality and energy levels!' -or- 'I want to shed unnecessary body fat.' is much more conducive for success. The first examples are focused on what you dont want and based in negative emotions which will not inspire you.

What do you really want? You want the emotion that is associated with looking and feeling better, right? Focus on positive feelings, which are motivating.

Choosing goals that come from your heart and are based in positive feelings will create a healthy foundation on which you can build the life of your dreams. Take your time with this section and don’t be afraid to ask yourself important questions regarding your goals.

4 - GOALS or LIFESTYLE?
Goals have an end point. Success, however, is a direction, not a destination. You lose 15 pounds and then what? Where do you go from there? Choosing a healthy lifestyle where you exercise 3 days a week and eat to feel good as a goal allows you to do more, be more and enjoy life more and it is not only more rewarding, but more sustainable than just 'losing weight'. How you live promotes health and fitness. You only need to exercise about 3 hours a week to be healthy, fit and look fabulous. What you do the other 160+ hours is more important and impactful. The solution is in Lifestyle, not weight-loss.


5 - WHY?
This is a critical step to effectively achieving goals. Setting goals for the sake of setting goals almost always ends up in failure. Goals must be set in alignment with what is truly valuable to YOU. This will require some self-exploration to discover who you truly are, what your core values are and what your purpose is in this life. What is your purpose in this life? What are your physical needs? What are your mental health needs? Your scheduling needs? Your personal and professional space needs? What about family needs? Cultural or social needs? What is your spiritual phiolosophy? Do you know who you really are??? Once you have addressed these critical issues, you will then be driven to achieve your lifestyle goals. Losing 15 pounds so you can fit into your 'skinny jeans' is shallow, it will not inspire you to do what you need for the long-term to be happy and healthy.

6 - WHEN?
Any goal is just an idea untill it is written on paper - then it has power. Write out your goals and the reasons why you want them and make a realistic time-line to achieve them. What are your daily, weekly and monthly goals to achieve your new lifestyle? I am sure you have heard the saying 'Failing to plan is planning to fail.'

7 - DAILY PRACTICE
What is your daily practice? Writing down your goals is great, but it is not enough. YOU MUST TAKE ACTION EVERY DAY. You must review your goals every single day and be intimately involved with them on a regular basis throughout your day or it won't happen. Get excited about the body you are in the process of creating. Most people spent 30+ years living an unhealthy life ful of alcohol, soda, chips, pizza and ice cream and then expect to look skinny in a week or two?!?!? Come on now. Every single thing you do contributes to your future. You create your future one day at a time. Be patient and do not get discouraged. What will you eat today? When are you going to the gym this week? When wiull you walk to work instead of taking a cab or subway? What will you do differently today that will help you become the person you WANT to become?

8 - WHAT'S THE PRICE?
Ask yourself every morning - What must you happen for it to be ineviatble to reach my goals? What must you do every day? Every week? When will you go grocery shopping? What will you have to give up in order to achieve your goals? If you think you do not have to sacrifice something in order to be successful, you are only fooling yourself. You will have to sacrifice the the things that made you fat or unhealthy or unhappy in teh first place - the junky processed foods, hours of television, meaningless magazine reading or useless socializing or whatever it is that made yourbody something you don't like.

9 - USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
Use positive language and the present tense when setting a goal. It is better to say “I weigh a healthy, trim and fit 115 pounds” than “I want to lose 20 pounds.”

10 - SMALL VICTORIES
Give yourself credit when credit is due. Follow the 90/10 rule. Follow the principles you learn from us or in Paul Chek's book 90% of the time and plan the other 10%. If you eat 4 times a day, 7 days a week and follow this rule, how many meals can you 'cheat' and still get results? When you do something that makes you proud and happy, celebrate by doing something for yourself. Go get a massage, by some new clothes in a smaller size, get a subscription to Yoga Journal, etc

11 - SUPPORT
Creating a support network is a necessary step to success. Be very careful of who you tell your health, lifestyle and fitness goals to. Most people who are not fit and healthy DO NOT have the courage to do so and will judge you, criticize you or will encourage your failure with a smile and a seemingly 'harmless' joke. Introduce yourself to NEW co-workers or neighbors who go to the gym regularly or make new friends at the gym. Hire a CHEK Practitioner in your area or a personal chef or life coach.


These are some of the more important points to follow if you want to be successful in health and fitness. The real issue is IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. If you don't truly want success from your heart, it won't happen. So take these tips to heart and create a new life. Please let us know if you have any questions or success stories you want to share! All the best to a new year and a new you!!!!

Antonio & Francesca

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." – Zig Ziglar