Pain and pleasure are the guides you use to make decisions in your daily life. So says self-help, motivational guru Tony Robbins. How true is this for you and your goals in performance, strength, and/or body composition? I would venture to say it is very true.

When you are dieting, what do you envision? What do you think about? For some they view their diets as complete self-deprivation and torture. This is all they think about. Diet is associated with pain and suffering. In the paradigm of pain and pleasure, as I call it, these people view their diets within the spectrum of pain. Unless you are some sort of masochist, this is a quick path to failure. If the path to your goals is seen in a painful light, more often than not, it will utterly fail.

What about people that succeed in dieting? Usually these people envision great benefits that will come from the diet. For a bodybuilder it maybe walking up to get the first place trophy at a contest, for a college student it might be having the best body at spring break in Panama City, and for a fat guy he may just envision himself talking to pretty girls with confidence. These things all operate within the pleasure paradigm. All these are examples of people who choose to focus on the positive results of their desired outcomes, instead of the painful part of the process of getting there. It is on you, where is your focus? If you want to succeed, it is clear to see how your focus should be directed.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo concluded that obese men have lower levels of testosterone and lower levels of biologically-active free testosterone. Testosterone levels decrease with age, but this process is exacerbated in obese men.

Obesity increases risk factors linked to low testosterone levels such as sleep apnea, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Excessive adipose tissue, particularly in the stomach area, interferes with hormones that control the reproductive system and decrease sperm quality. (Diabetes Care May 2010)

A healthy diet, strength training and a proper workout regimen improve body composition and may help increase testosterone levels. If you are not motivated to train, studies like this one could probably change your mind.

Follow this link to read more on this research

Okay, you're ready to lose the bulge, love handles, or spare tire but you need energy, strength and you need to function in the real world. Here are a few tips that anyone can follow without having to be on an elite athlete's regimen of "cutting agents."

First and foremost, the body must be able to control blood sugar levels in order to metabolize and utilize stored body fat for fuel. The biggest roadblock for people is that the same energy source they use everyday in the form of carbohydrates also inhibits their ability to shred down those unwanted fat cells. Okay, Okay, you may be thinking, "Great, another low carb diet." You are probably thinking you will have no energy, no strength, and no life. Well my friends, I have a big surprise for you, you can have your energy and lose fat.

Here are a few things you can do to keep the body energized and while carb depleting the body.

• MCT oil
  Medium Chain Tryglycerides enable the body to maintain a steady energy level while maintaining a lower blood glucose level, which will help with your fat loss goals.
• Greens
  Phytonutrient power packed foods such as spinach and broccoli not only help the body with vitamins and minerals, but they also help alkalize the body, which helps balance out and maintain a minimum acidity level which tends to result on high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Powder sources are available as well for those needing additional nutrients, which they may be lacking from their food intake.
• CLA
  This has been a powerhouse tool in aiding in fat loss and muscle retention for many years. A great source for CLA in your diet would include grass fed beef and eggs. Grass fed meats have been shown to have between 300-500% more CLA than their traditional beef counterparts. CLA not only helps in fat loss and muscle retention, but it can also aid in immune health.
• Glutamine
  This amino acid is great for muscle glycogen retention, immune strength, and overall anabolic benefits. A minimum of 10 grams a day will dramatically help in energy levels and muscle mass retention.

These simple additions to your low carbohydrate program will not only aid in fat loss, but they will also increase your overall well-being and better health.