The weight displayed on your bathroom scale does not mean much when you consider the following:

• 60% of total body mass is water weight.

• Water retention is influenced by water consumption and salt intake.

• The less water you drink the more water you retain.

• Sodium is a sneaky substance. One half cup of instant pudding has 4 times the sodium of salted nuts (460mg vs. 123mg).

• The greater the processing the greater the sodium content. Read labels, canned foods, boxed mixes and frozen dinners are usually very HIGH in sodium while fruits, vegetables, lean meats and beans are very LOW.

• Glycogen is the fuel tank of stored carbohydrate in the liver and muscle tissue. Glycogen stores can fluctuate your weight by 4-5 pounds without changing your amount of body fat.

• There are 3500 calories contained in ONE POUND of fat. So it is therefore impossible to gain 5 pounds (17,500 calories) from one meal. When the scale goes up 3-4 pounds overnight it's likely to be water; glycogen and the weight of your dinner.

• The scale weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and fat. When you lose "weight" that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. Losing MUSCLE is nothing to celebrate about since muscle is METABOLICALLY active tissue.

• The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns while exercising. A lean body can burn up to 200 more calories per hour during aerobic activity than those with average body composition.

KEYS TO FAT LOSS

If you want to increase your lean muscle tissue and reduce body fat here is the list you must become familiar with:

• Perform weight lifting exercises

• Consume adequate amounts of complete protein each meal

• Get proper rest

• Stimulate your pituitary gland to increase hGH levels, eat low glycemic foods

• Keep your stress levels low

• Exercise in the morning on an empty stomach

• Balance your macro-nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and nutritional fats)

• Add interval training while doing cardiovascular exercise

• Take daily micro-nutrient supplements (vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants)

• Avoiding high glycemic

• Avoiding trans-fatty acids (potato chips and French fries), hydrogenated oils, and too much saturated fat.

• Eliminating refined sugars

• Eating every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar levels stable (use a meal replacement drink or snack between meals for convenience and increasing protein levels).

Your success in dropping body fat and increasing your energy levels starts with the understanding of these concepts. Take time to go over; memorize and incorporate these HABITS into your daily schedule. You will be AMAZED with the results!