You want to lose weight? Omaur Bliss says cook at home

Local fitness expert Omaur Bliss, a regular on the Fox 9 "Buzz," learned a lot during this interview.

The founder of Bliss Full Fit, a company dedicated to improving health and wellness behaviors, was an awful good sport during our video shoot. For more of the congenial personal and group fitness trainer, yoga instructor and DJ, plan to attend his Feb. 11 wine and wellness event, a partnership with Amusée Wine, at Create Catering from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at amuseewine.com and Bliss can be contacted at omaurblissfit.com.

Q: Have women started asking what exercise they need to do for what was being called the hottest new trend in skin, which is apparently underboob? Haven't you seen Lady Gaga showing off underboob? It's a weird thing.

A: Yeah. Underboob? I don't get a lot of asks for underboob. [Laughs] There are some ladies who ask for a lot more ab work. Because of that ab work [he's shaking his head] you're going to have a nice underboob [pause; head shake] shelf? There was a whole thing of side boob. But underboob? It used to be no boob and now … [laugh]

Q: What is your body mass index?

A: My BMI? What's fun is that my BMI says I'm overweight. What body mass index doesn't account for is extra muscle mass. So if you have little more muscle because of lifting heavier weights, you might register as "overweight."

Q: Let's measure those biceps, right now.

A: Oh, god. [He flexes as I measure] I didn't do enough bicep curls this morning. [16 at midsection; number was blurred by my camera.] I've never had my midsection measure [on camera]. Ohh, too many burritos!

Q: Maybe it's just me, but I find it annoying when super skinny people who never had weight issues tell us how to exercise?

A: [Laughing] Wow. That's a loaded question. You know what? If you love exercising and sharing something. Awesome. If you are talking to people because you are thin, that doesn't necessarily mean you're fit. Just because one person looks skinny doesn't mean they can lift 50 pounds. Just like if one person is heavy it doesn't mean they are weak and frail. No one pays a guitarist who never played the guitar. I started fitness because it helped me change my weight. I had self-confidence issues and going down this path helped me feel better about myself and I just naturally wanted to share it. But if you are doing it just to be the next Instagram star, then come on, man.

Q: Dr. Phil has done a fitness book and lot of people don't think he looks super fit.

A: What is he talking about in fitness? I'm going to tell you how to lift weights with your mind. Your feelings.

Q: What foods do you wish had no calories?

A: Tacos, burritos, but cheat foods if I could get away with eating it: pizza and burgers.

Q: What is yoga odor?

A: Oooh. This is a hard one to describe. If you take a lot of heated yoga, it feels like the jungle in there, right? Sweat seeps into clothing and mats and if you don't regularly wash it with anti-funk stuff, be it baking soda or household white vinegar or Tide with the odor-removing stuff, it basically becomes that bomb. That person in yoga who may have lost that sense of smell and they don't realize they haven't washed their clothing regularly and it's a combination of feet, other unmentionable body parts and gallons of old sweat — it does not smell good. It's a real thing. If you don't clean your clothes probably you're going to have to throw them away or burn them. Also don't leave that stuff in plastic bags for a week. A week from now there's going to be a minor civilization living on that figuring out our technology. [He laughed because that's a good joke.] You have to get rid of it.

Q: Do you cook?

A: I like to cook. This is one big tip I would like to give. If you want to lose weight, eat out less. You know what you cooked, right? You know how much oil, butter you put it in because to make it taste that wonderful in a restaurant it takes a lot of stuff that may not be the best for you all the time.

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Jason Show." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count.