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If you've been following me for some time now you'll know that I'm really against sugar…but I'm going to come right out and say that if you stop eating sugar then you'll lose significantly more fat than you are right now.

You can eat healthy as a horse, work out like a maniac but if you've got a sweet tooth than you won't achieve the results you want and you'll also be unhealthy and more susceptible for health problems.

But I know cutting out sugar can be one of the hardest things that may come with training especially when it comes time to have a cheat meal and all you can think about is slamming the most sugary thing in front of you.

If you can gradually start getting rid of the sugar intake than you'll lose fat. PERIOD.

You'll also find yourself with more energy and feeling better than you ever have before.

Try taking a 21 day sugar detox where you'll take in absolutely no sugar during that time and see how you feel and see how you look after those 21 days are up. I guarantee you'll be feeling 10x's better and looking way sexier.

I'm a big fan of Dr. Mercola and what he has to say on nutrition and I wanted to share a little video he has that will change the way you look at sugar. And if it doesn't change the way you look at it the first time than keep watching it until it does!

WATCH THIS VIDEO UNTIL IT GET INGRAINED IN YOUR BRAIN.

Pretty gross right?

Well that's the way you really have to look at it. When we think of sugar we think it's this magical unicorn that tastes sweet and makes us feel good.

But with the amount of sugar we're taking in today we're doing more damage than good.

When people say that I make them feel bad about eating sugar than I tell them I don't feel bad at all. To me it's like somebody lighting up a cigarette right in front of me.

Here's a more scientific video that gives us details on why sugar is make us fat…

Try to watch all the videos in the series as it will change the way you eat and take care of your body.

Another thing I want to get off my chest is the amount of sugar that is in everyday products that we take in half-hazardly.

Vitamin water & Gatorade both have a ton of sugar in them & I personally don't recommend them to anybody. In fact, we should only be drinking beverages that have ZERO calories in them (water, green tea, etc.)

The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar every year and this is one of the biggest reasons why American's are so overweight and unhealthy. Please take care of yourself and if you really want to look your best than cut out the sugar.

Please share any of your stories or experiences with sugar or what you've gotten out of this blog post…

Hey hope you had a great weekend and if you're like a lot of people then you're probably not looking forward to Mondays.

I thought I would lighten it up a little bit today so we can start the week off with some laughter.

It's pretty darn crazy to see the things that come out on TV and the worse part is that we all fall for it!

The videos below are hilarious examples of horrible fitness gadgets that do nothing but put a hole in your pocket and take up space in your home.

Watch the videos below to see what I'm talking about…

Last March I completed my the full 26.2 mile Napa Valley Marathon and being my first marathon the training was intense.

I think marathons are a great way to get motivated towards training but I don't think it's a great long-term way of burning fat and looking great.

If you see a lot of big time marathon runners you'll notice that they look like they haven't eaten in weeks and they're bodies aren't very attractive. Read this post to learn more about this.

Since I live in the Napa Valley I thought it would be great to have home field advantage for my first (and maybe my last) marathon and it didn't disappoint.

I got first got inspired to train for the Napa Valley Marathon after my Mom passed away the previous summer from battling cancer and really needed an outlet and a change in my training.

A marathon seemed ideal and it totally pushed me to my limits and got me out of my training "comfort zone."

Maybe I should've done the half marathon (13.2 miles) before doing the full thing but I'm a big believer in the saying, "go big or go home."

I can still feel my legs aching after I crossed the finish line at Vintage High School and it felt like somebody had dipped my legs in gasoline and lit them on fire. It was hard walking the rest of the day but tomorrow I was ready to go back to work.

But I have to tell you it was all worth it when I crossed the finish line and the feeling of accomplishment you have is indescribable. While body is beat up but you have such a high from crossing the finish line that you can't help but smile and feel great about yourself.

I'm not doing the marathon this year but that doesn't mean I'm gone for good. Maybe I'll take my game up to the next level and go for a triathlon!

Some tips I would give to those runners wanting to run the Napa Valley Marathon or any marathon for that matter would be to…

1. Start your training AT LEAST 3 months before the actual marathon and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending up to 6 months for those who aren't very active and out of shape.

2. Have a battle plan with your training, do some 20 mile runs every other week to give your body a taste of what a REAL long run feels like. Also be sure to start tapering off your runs in the last couple weeks before the big day.

3. Have an amazing support team behind you. If you don't have any friends then join a local Team In Training program to help inspire you and to raise money for those who need it.

4. Make sure you're taking care of your body. Many first time runners get plagued with injuries from all the impact of running. Make sure you're doing some resistance training, getting enough rest and eating the right stuff with ample amounts of calories.

5. HAVE FUN. This is what it's really all about! Motivate a friend to join you in training for the marathon and join that Team In Training program. Whatever it takes for you to have a good time and to inspire others to lead an active life will be the best thing you get out of doing a marathon.

Please share your marathon stories too or if you want to know more on how to get started for your first marathon!

Getting rid of your belly fat can be one of the most frustrating parts of your body transformation.  In this post I'm giving you a great workout circuit that will show you how to really hit your abdominals hard and burn away your stubborn belly fat.

I like to call it the Chub Blaster 4000!

A lot of people are lost when it comes to losing area around their belly fat but this stuff is great for getting rid of it.

Now you can't just do this workout and expect it to work miracles, it's just a way to increase your results so you can get what you're looking for faster than the normal process.  This exercise circuit should be done with a great nutrition and training program.

I would also recommend trying to de-stress your life as much as possible.  This can be a lot harder than it sounds as bad stress can have some bad results on the body and fat gain.

Stress releases a hormone called cortisol which is our "fight or flight" hormone which stores body fat in the areas that are really troubled for weight gain such as the midsection, as well as the hips and thighs.

So kick back and read a nice book every once in a while, do your meditations and give yourself a little bit of quiet time everyday.  It won't just heal your mind but will also burn your belly fat.

Here's the complete workout:

A1:  Cable Woodchoppers (3×10/side)

A2:  Bicycle & Rotates (3×24)

A3:  Ball Squirms (3×12)

Don't get discouraged just yet.  Even I, Trainer Josh, can still fall for the occasional supplement that is all the rage.  I remember back when I was in high school and was trying to build muscle, I looked long and hard for the best supplements on the planet to help me do just that.

Unfortunately I was looking for a quick fix and it took me a while before I realized how much I was wasting my hard earned money.  I asked around on the internet and friends what they recommended and even went into the local GNC shop for their input.

Long story short, I left the building with a bottle of "Ripped Fuel." The first time I took them I went to the gym thinking I finally had the secret weapon that would take me past everybody else and put me into another level.  But soon after the placebo effect wore off I realized I had just sunk $30 down the drain.

And since the last 10 years I've slowly discovered what really worked and what was worth occasionally giving my money to and what was a complete waste of my dough.

What supplements I recommend to my clients is another story completely.  Now I'm a big believer in choosing the right course of action when it comes to achieving your weight loss goals and getting too focused on supplements can derail your journey and can set yourself up for long term failure.

There is a double edge sword that comes with taking any supplement that actually might just work.  Even if the supplement does give you results you can only take it for so long before you run out or you get sick of paying up every month for it.  And your body will eventually become used to what your taking and you'll have to take more and more to get the same results you used to get.

Also don't forget how badly we get ripped off by the companies that sell us these supplements, it takes them only a few dollars to actually make them and through clever and seductive marketing suck us into buying their stuff for $60+ bucks.   Watch the video below from the movie "Bigger Faster Stronger" to see what I'm talking about (I also recommend watching that movie too, it gives a great inside look on American culture and the desire to be the biggest baddest mofo's on the planet).

Ok, so what supplements do I do recommend?  Well the only supplement that I actually do recommend people take are all naturally and scientifically researched to give results.  Some of them include green tea, omega-3 fish oil, coconut oil, Green Vibrance and a gender specific multi-vitamin.

Even taking all of those together can become a bit much.  To get the best long-term weight loss results you will want to stick to a healthy and kickass nutrition plan as well as having a damn good workout plan that has you pushing yourself in every workout.

I just opened my coaching program for those looking for something that will really work and those looking for great results.  Click here to learn more about my web-based coaching program.