The Best Fitness App [Controversial], Fitness App

What's the Best Fitness App?

It’s not what you think...

As one of central Florida’s most respected and sought after fitness experts, I get a lot of questions about which app is the best for weight loss, getting in shape, keeping track of nutrition, and the list goes on. I’ve done my own research on the subject right here at Winter Garden Yoga and I’ve done my fair share of reading up on which fitness app is the best.

The bottom line is I know which app guarantees the greatest results. My answer will shock you and it will be hard to hear, but I assure you that if you use this app, your chance of success will improve by 66%. (Billy Beck backed up this statistic in his own research as a top personal trainer and motivational speaker. See his video below for details.)

My fitness app of choice…

· Will give you immediate and actionable feedback

· Will keep your goals in the forefront of your psyche

· Will let you know instantly when you should eat

· Will let you know instantly when you should exercise

· Will let you know instantly if what you’re doing is working

· And so much more…

But first, an experiment in pain

In Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Mr. Ramsey tells of an experiment that a credit card company tested on consumers. The company wired up the participants to various clinical machines that would test heart rate, brain waves, body temperature, etc. During the experiment, the volunteers would pay for a transaction with cash or with a credit card. The amazing discovery was that each time someone reached into their pocket to fork over the dough, the clinical outcome was pain. Crazy, right? The credit card company discovered that paying with cash was actually painful. The other, equally, amazing discovery was that each time someone paid with a credit card, the pain was much less. And if the participant swiped their card it was less painful still.

Why was that? Because there was a big disconnect between the consumer and their money when they used their credit cards.

I believe it is the same for fitness apps

When you use a touch screen to track what you’re eating or what you’re doing for exercise, I believe there is the same disconnect between you and your health habits. After all, YOU’RE not eating a piece of chocolate cake, YOU’RE just entering the data into your app. Believe me, it’s a lot less painful than owning up to a bad choice and putting it in writing.


Embrace the pain

The pen is mightier than the app.

Yes, it will be painful. But as the Buddha said, “Suffering is the greatest teacher.” Get out a pen, a paper journal, and write down what you’re doing. When you commit to this, you will be triggering multiple neural pathways.

Number one: Visual. When you write down your habits, you will see what you’re doing.

Number two: Tactile. The act of writing makes you an active participant.

Number three: Audible. When you read what you’ve written, you may say to yourself, “I can’t believe I ate that!”

And as any college student will tell you, the more pathways you activate, the more likely the information will stick.

I know what you’re thinking

“But my app________________.” This objection will echo in the annals of the fitness industry right along with “But what if________________?”

My apologies, I digress.

But my app…

· Tells me how many calories I burned

• No it  doesn’t. It’s an assumption based on a general math problem. No one knows how efficiently you burn calories unless you, specifically, are in a clinical environment.

· Tells me how many calories I consumed

•  No it doesn’t. It’s an assumption that what you’ve entered matches EXACTLY with what you’ve eaten. It’s a guess at most.

· Makes it easy for me to___________________

•  No it doesn’t. Your app disconnects you from what’s really going on.

Believe me, your mirror will tell you more about your health habits than your app ever will.

So what’s the best app?

You guessed it (although your probably don’t want to hear it), pen and paper wins hands down… every time. Period.

"...all of the research I have seen had participants write in a journal" ~ Billy Beck

When you begin to write in your fitness and nutrition journal…

· You will improve your chances of success by 66%

· You will be in good company. WGY’s most successful participants (Marita, Gloria, Janis,)  use pen and paper

· You will connect, deeply, to your goals

· You will save money because pens and paper are way cheaper than technological gadgets

Simply stated, if you want to put your journal to good use, if you have the desire to make positive changes in your life, and you believe that Winter Garden Yoga can help you. I invite you to contact us or call us for a free, no obligation consultation. You have nothing to lose because your results are guaranteed. Be among the 100s who have lost weight, gained strength, gotten toned, and reclaimed their lives. Call or contact us today!

PS: Check out Billy Beck’s video here.

The One Single Simple Solution, Fat Loss

It's hard to believe that Winter Garden Yoga will be open four years come October 9, 2014. During that amazing course of time, I've had the honor of working with a very diversified group of people. My long list of clients includes: doctors, business managers, stay at home parents, athletes, non-athletes, you name it.

The incredible thing that all of these folks have in common is a simple question: "What does it take?"

What does it take to make serious, permanent, and positive changes? I addressed this in a previous blog post. But I'd like to share with you another simple and powerful way to make things happen. The good news is... it is easier than you think.

A common conversation I have with folks goes along these lines...

"I'm trying to get out of my 'funk' and get fit again. I’m trying to tone up and prepare for my wedding (or my class reunion or pretty much fill in the blank)."

These are all valid goals. And the good news for goals like these (and pretty much any other goal), there’s a 100% success rate.

You read that correctly, 100%. There's just a tiny little caveat...

You must show up!

Take this familiar scenario for example:

8:30am and Saturday morning's Power Yoga class has come and gone.

This person just couldn't get themselves out of bed and over the hurdle of showing up on a Saturday morning to take the first step to becoming the best version of themselves... it’s interesting, instructive, and we can learn from their failure.

You must show up!

Your power is in showing up.Every decision you make is either moving you in the direction of your goals or away from your goals. There’s no neutral.

By allowing your internal resistance (your reasons, your excuses, your stories) to hold you back, you simply don’t show up. And not only are you farther from you goal, you will actually move away from the very thing you are trying to achieve.

To sum it up, this person is not exactly where they were on Saturday. In fact, they're further behind and it's because they didn't show up. Their rationale to not show up is stronger than ever now. Their goals are much further away than they were previously.

“The failure to act is much more often the product of inner, emotional resistance than external resistance. To move forward you must give up your story, whether it is excuses about your childhood, lack of education, your 'bad luck', your un-supportive family, your low metabolism, where you live, etc". ~Dan Kennedy

Compare that to the successful story of someone who did show up...

She wants to lose 15 pounds, while toning and strengthening her entire body. She wants to be confident, energized, and feel good about herself again.

During our consultation, we discussed where she is now, where she wants to be, came up with an action plan, and got her up and running. Her first yoga class is scheduled for Saturday morning at 8:30am.

She showed up!

Look at the astonishing difference showing up made for her. She’s been eating better for 2 days and she’s been to yoga twice. She's already feeling fantastic and looking forward to next week.. and all of this because she showed up.

There’s power here!

These VIPs showed up! ...and continue to do so...

Marita lost 26 pounds just by showing up!

Bridget lost 25 pounds and has kept it off for 2 years because she shows up!

Lisa is more toned and stronger just by showing up!

I want to encourage you to condition yourself to do what you say you do, to be where you’ll say you’ll be, to think the thoughts that will move you forward and not backward.

Remember:

• There is no neutral decision
• Show up
• Be positive
• Move forward

Let today be the day you let go of your history, your story, and the negative circumstances that hold you in place.

The magic is in that single powerful action... showing up... and showing up again... and again... and again... and again...

Let this be your day.

Winter Garden Yoga is a world renowned yoga studio recognized for providing a unique form of functional yoga instruction (TM) that gives you a toned, pain-free body that leaves you feeling great whether you’re currently flexible or not.

Unlike ordinary yoga studios with packed classes that over stretch and leave you feeling lost in the crowd, our services focus on strength, mobility, and nutrition all wrapped up into a caring, supportive, family-like environment you’ll call home.

Contact us or give us a call at 407-579-9889 for a free, no obligation consultation ($87 value) to find a package plan that is perfect for you. Just be sure to show up ;)

I also want to give special thanks to my friend and fitness expert, Dave Fannin for the idea of this blog post.

This is Nuts!... Literally, Healthy Eating

We have five core values at Winter Garden Yoga: Value, Integrity, Consistency, Compassion, and Expertise. Each and every one of our instructors (including me) hold ourselves accountable with this powerful checklist. Recently, Janis, shared a great story with me and I asked her to share with the rest of the world. I think it is important because it shows that Janis lives up to our Core Values... Integrity and Consistency really shine through in this story.   

"...week 4 without Coke or fries! You have no idea how BIG this is for me! I've been very focused on Brian Friedman's [VIP exclusive ebook] "How to Get the Best Results." I'm a high energy person who tends to become hypoglycemic. I tend to pack 2 days of errands into a 3/4 of a day, run out of energy, get the "shakes" and next thing I know, I'm consuming Coke and fries. Not any more!

Winter Garden Yoga Instructor, Janis Dey, packs her own healthy snacks when she's 'on the go'...
and she's 'always on the go.'

"By reading, Brian's ebook, I realized I was lacking sufficient food and especially protein. Now I eat better before I leave the house and I bring 'Brian approved snacks' and water with me--AT ALL TIMES! Pictured is my container of organic pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews. I selected larger seeds and nuts because they travel well, can be eaten while[on the go] and because they shut off my "shakes." Yes, I need more protein and good carbs. The water really quenches my thirst & seems to give me a fuller feeling in my stomach. It works for me!

"Not only has this stopped my "drive-thru habit" and saved me money, I have lost the 5lbs of my Holiday weight gain! (Yes, my family was here from South Africa for the holidays and we had the time of our lives, so don't judge, LOL!) I am also proud that this new way benefits my body, mind and Spirit! Try it yourself!

"Thank you, Brian Friedman and all my Winter Garden Yoga friends, who reach out and encourage us all to better ourselves through the sharing of our stories!"

Janis walks the walk and talks the talk. That shows integrity.

What are you waiting for?

Isn't it time to do something for you and you alone? Are you ready to be just like Janis? Are you ready for your own life changing transformation? Are you ready to develop life changing habits?

Call us for a free, no obligation, consultation at 407-579-9889 or contact us now! We guarantee your results!

All the best,

Brian

Call

Send SMS

Add to Skype

You'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype

The doctors said I couldn't, Winter Garden Yoga said I could

As the owner and director of Winter Garden Yoga, I am truly fortunate and absolutely blessed that I can help a wide variety of people achieve a wide variety of goals. This is Sheree's story in her own words. Her eight week journey began with a painful, immobile shoulder.She was advised to quit coming to her favorite yoga class and her daily chores were a painful experience. After working together, privately, Sheree has recovered 95% and is virtually pain free. Sheree is still working to maintain and possibly improve her results. 

Here's Sheree's story...

"Last July I returned home from vacation with a sore shoulder which I blamed on carrying around a heavy day pack loaded with water bottles, camera, etc. I decided to give my shoulder a break and skipped my yoga classes for several weeks.

"I was still feeling a lot of pain and my mobility was limited, but thought I would push through it and start back anyway, but learned very quickly that power yoga was no longer an option for me, and there were some poses I could no longer maintain in the beginner yoga class. 

"My day-to-day activities were being affected also – simple chores like hanging up my clothes or drying my hair. Feeling frustrated, I sought medical help and was diagnosed with arthritis in my shoulder.

"The orthopedist explained what he was seeing, said this was common for someone over 50, recommended I quit the power yoga class, and had a physical therapist come up with a course of exercises. 

"After completing 8 weeks of the recommended [physical therapy] exercises I did notice improvement. However, my range of motion was still quite limited. That’s when Winter Garden Yoga sent out [a series of special offers] – one being an FMS package.

Sheree and Brian worked together to find a solution for Sheree's chronic shoulder pain.

"Brian and I had had a discussion earlier where I explained why arthritis couldn't be cured and no amount of exercising was going to help, and he explained why the right combination of exercises just might help. 

"I decided to give it a shot and start the New Year off right. I purchased the FMS package and met with Brian for our first session on Jan. 2. One week after our first session I had not noticed any change so he came up with another plan. Between our second session and last (which was today - Feb. 8) I have gained back 95% of my mobility and am thrilled.

"He worked out the right combination of exercises for me and now a short exercise program each morning is part of my normal routine. During the month of January I was out on travel twice, and these techniques became part of my routine in the hotel room also. 

"I am now able to fully participate in power yoga again, and as I was unloading the dishwasher before class this morning I realized that this was another pain-free chore that was a problem for me just one month ago. 

"Thanks Brian! You are the best!"

What’s the most effective way to get results?

The answer may surprise you

As Winter Garden’s most sought after fat loss specialist, I have the honor of helping 100s maybe 1000s of people achieve their goals each year.  Because of so much interaction with so many different types of people (and personalities), I can honestly say that I know what works and most importantly, what doesn’t work.

The fundamentals of success

At Winter Garden Yoga, we offer customized packages for each of our VIPs. We know that a cookie cutter approach will always fail. Yes, we all know that we need to exercise. Yes, we all know that we need to eat right. Yes, those are the fundamentals. But how much of which will get the greatest results for you?

That’s where the expertise comes in.

Your personalized plan

The first step is to sit down and have a consultation with a soon-to-be-VIP. Our experts can make intelligent decisions and offer advice based on what we've learned from our client and their goals. The next step is to formulate an action plan for exercise and nutrition. The final step is to implement the plan.

Easy, right?

Yes, it is absolutely positively that easy. That is until the VIP gets to thinking…”hmmm… if Brian said to walk for 20 minutes, I should probably run for 30 minutes. Better yet… I’ll put on a backpack that weighs 35 pounds! Even better… I’ll cut my calories in half and double my yoga classes so that I can get better results even quicker!”

And down the rabbit hole we go…

More is just more

I’ve experienced this a thousand times and without exception, this type of thinking ends badly. The client will get burned out, won’t see the quick results they were working so hard to achieve, may or may not get injured, and will ultimately drop everything because “It doesn’t work.” This is the sad case of ‘more’.

The thought process is that “If I do more_________________, I’ll get quicker _____________________.” 

Nothing could be further from the truth. And it all has to do with the law of diminishing returns.

  

It’s the law

Here’s how my mother explained the law of diminishing return to me: “Imagine eating a hamburger. That first one will be absolutely delicious and you’ll enjoy it a lot. Now, you immediately have a second hamburger and it is a little less delicious and less enjoyable. So by the time you get to the fourth or fifth hamburger, you don’t want any more hamburgers.”

It’s the same thing with fitness. Just because you do more does not mean that you will get more in return.

The secret

The most effective way to get results and keep them comes in two parts.

Number one: Follow the instructions.

Number two: Slow and steady wins the race… always!

Following the instructions is one of WGY’s VIP Success Principles for a reason: you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You’ve come to experts for advice. You’ve invested in that advice. Now follow it. It’s that simple.

Slow and steady always wins because we cannot keep up a rabbit’s pace forever. Every single intelligent, elite athlete in the world cycles their workouts. That means throughout the year they will keep the intensity relatively low, gradually increase the intensity, and peak for a competition [Peaking for a competition most often happens maybe once or twice a year].  Immediately after the competition, the athlete will go right back to square one and begin again.

This applies to you, too. Take your time.

It’s up to you

When you take your time and commit to six or 12 months to achieve your health and fitness goals:

•  You will be in the ranks of world class athletes
•  You will have results that last
•  You will create a new lifestyle
•   You will be less likely to get injured
•    You will become unstoppable

So there you have it, the most effective way to get results and more significantly, how to keep them.

Why wait another day?

If you have the desire to make positive changes in your life and you believe that Winter Garden Yoga can help you. I invite you to contact us or call us for a free, no obligation consultation. 

You have nothing to lose because your results are guaranteed. Be among the 100s who have lost weight, gained strength, gotten toned, and reclaimed their lives. Call or contact ustoday!