Reforming Michael Masterson

By Yarixa Ferrao

Ben and Jerry's ice cream late at night. That's one of the bad habits Michael Masterson developed last winter [2007-2008]. The result of this indulgence? He ended up 19 pounds over his ideal weight.

I discovered this little secret back in February [2008]. And let me tell you, it was a big relief. I'm a professional trainer, and I'd been working Michael pretty hard. Plus, Michael practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu several times a week. Not to mention that he knows his stuff when it comes to fitness and nutrition. So when he stopped dropping body fat and started gaining weight, I was stumped.

Once he confessed the ice cream habit ... and his tendency to enjoy a more-than-occasional dinner filled with high-glycemic, complex carbohydrates (like pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes), I knew he was ready to change. (You have to admit you have a problem before you can fix it, after all.) And I knew exactly what to do to help him quickly and efficiently burn off the extra pounds.

In six weeks, he lost 15 pounds and dropped from 23 percent body fat to 18.5 percent. That's a loss of 13 pounds of pure fat!

Good for Michael! And it's good for you, too. Because if you have a few extra pounds to lose, I'm going to be teaching you a few of the little tricks I taught Michael that you can use to get your health back on track.

Here's the first trick: Recognize that your habits need to change.

It's as simple as that. If you're eating potato chips or cookies as a snack every day, recognize that you need to stop if you want to have the body you dream of. If you aren't exercising enough, recognize that you need to make a change in your routine.

That's it for today. But check back tomorrow, and I'll teach you another little trick - an exercise routine to help you get back into shape.

It's Good to Know: Minimum Credit Card Transactions

You've no doubt seen these signs at your local market, convenience store, and other businesses: "No credit card transactions under $10." Merchants post them to avoid paying the credit processing fees that eat into their profit margins on low-dollar-amount sales. But, guess what? The merchant agreements they have with Visa, MasterCard, and Discover do not allow this practice. Mention it next time you're denied at the register.

(Source: The Consumerist)

Word to the Wise: Colloquial

"Colloquial" (kuh-LOH-kwee-ul) - from the Latin for "conversation" - refers to informal spoken language.

Example (as used by the 19th-century historian John Richard Green): "The abandonment of ... poetic diction for the colloquial language of real life."

__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2421, 07-30-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.