Weight Loss Tip 1 – Keep it simple.
The more food we combine together in one meal, generally, the more calories we pack on. Also, the body operates the best on breaking down a small handful of ingredients, rather than processed foods, which may contain 30+.
Weight Loss Tip 2 – Find Your Exercise.
So many people skip out on exercise because they don’t fall into the typical “gym” routine, nor do they like running on a treadmill staring at the wall for 45 minutes. What I recommend is to find an activity that you like and go with it. Even if its ping pong, or dancing… it will be better than no activity at all.
Weight Loss Tip 3 – Love Yourself.
You may be wondering how this is a fat loss Weight Loss Tip. I believe that our external body is a different reflection of our internal. So, they more centered, grounded, at peace and full of love we are, the more apt we will be to take care of ourselves and put our health first.
Weight Loss Tip 4 – Resistance Training.
Women must incorporate resistance training into their exercise routine. I think this is a well-respected fact now days, but I still hear my female clients talk about how they do not want to get bulky.
First of all, women are not bio-mechanically engineered to carry large amounts of muscle, nor are they hormonally or chemically engineered to build large amounts of muscle. That is not to say that women cannot build muscle. In fact most women build muscle just as easily as men just not at the same rate or size.
Why is this important? Simple. One (1) pound of muscle requires up to 50 calories per day at rest to be sustained. That means that if you added just two (2) pounds of muscle you would burn an additional 36,500 calories per year doing nothing other than maintaining that muscle. That is the equivalent of 10 pounds of body fat! And let’s not forget that muscle is more dense than fat, which means that one pound of muscle is significantly smaller than one pound of fat.
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 5 – Increase Workout Intensity.
From my experience, and I think this is a forgone conclusion, my female clients have a much higher pain tolerance than men. But more often than not women, in general, tend to shy away from high intensity resistance training and opt for the slow boring cardio routines. Those cardio routines are actually hampering your fat burning abilities.
You see, long, slow cardio does nothing to build or maintain muscle mass, which we know from my previous Weight Loss Tip is highly important. So “cardio” in the traditional sense of the word actually slows down metabolism. So, women need to increase the loads at which they resistance train, the explosiveness and intensity at which they train, and decrease the amount of time between work sets to get maximum fat loss from a workout routine.
Weight Loss Tip 6 – Eat More Protein.
I see this more than anything else. Women don’t get enough protein. This is important for several reasons, but since were talking about fat loss the metabolic rate is the most important factor for seeing long-term results. Protein needs to be consumed with each meal.
Protein requires much more work (energy) by the body to be processed or digested. So when you combine a protein with a carbohydrate the effect of that carb on bodies blood sugar is diminished. This will keep insulin, the fat storing hormone, at minimal levels and allow the fat burning hormone, lipase, to be secreted during high intensity workouts so that you get the maximum fat burning response from a workout.
Plus, protein is essential for the bodies recovery. And the faster the body recovers, the sooner you can get back to those sweat drenching, fat blasting workouts!
Weight Loss Tip 7 – Although breakfast is important – it DOES NOT have to be eaten first thing in the morning.
I don’t eat breakfast until 10 or 11 am. And it wasn’t until I started doing this that I found it MUCH easier to keep my body fat down in the zone were I feel and look my best. The women who adopt this ‘meal shifting’ tactic love it because it helps them reduce calories and burn more fat by reducing the ‘daily window’ of calorie consumption.
Weight Loss Tip 8 – It’s ok to go 4 hours between meals.
I know this may go against some things you’ve heard – such as – “You need to eat every 2 hours or your metabolism will shut down.” … but the truth is – your metabolism will not shut down. This is some kind of old ‘gym myth’ – and just isn’t true. Think about it – you are not a machine that needs food every 2 hours, around the clock. The human body is much more intelligent and efficient than that.
Weight Loss Tip 9 – Believe it or not – you don’t have to keep “changing your workouts to shock your body – and stay lean, etc…”
That’s another bull$#!t ‘gym myth’ that simply isnt true. There are women who can find a program that works for them, delivers great results – and they can stick with that program forever – maybe with some minor variations. That’s it.
Weight Loss Tip 10 – Schedule.
Before you can begin with the x’s and o’s of what your exercise program and meal plan will look like – take a hard look at your day to day and week to week schedule to determine, with as much certainty as possible, when and where all of this can realistically take place. Great intentions of a 5-6 day workout week can quickly melt away once you try to input it into your life…and yes life can get in the way. Begin with what you KNOW you can do (even if it’s 1-2x per week) consistently and then add to it once you become successful.
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 11 – Preparation.
Nothing can get in the way of a workout more than forgetting your clothes and no realizing it until you are on the way to the gym. Prepare everything. Prepare your clothes, your workout regime, and especially your food.
An easy way to ensure your snacks and meals are healthy for the next day is to prepare the day or night before. Cook enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Plan every meal and set them aside so when your day starts the next morning what you reach for is what you have prepared and not the kids snacks or anything else that will undermine your efforts.
Weight Loss Tip 12 – Relative Intensity.
During strength training and or aerobic activity use use a scale of 1-10. With 1 being easy and 10 being impossible, raise your workout intensity to a 7-8. This will ALWAYS work because it is dependent on how YOU feel that day, that hour, that minute and that second.
An 8 for a 24 year old executive with no kids will appear very different than that of a 48 year old mother of 3 (all under 13 yrs.) with part time job, but their relative intensity is the same. There are many factors involved with how a workout will feel on a day to day basis including sleep, stress, food, over all health etc. Using a relative intensity will ensure you work hard enough to reach your fat loss goals and keep that weight off for good.
Weight Loss Tip 13 – Who Cares What You Weigh!
This is the biggest mistake I see women make. They begin drastically reducing the amount of calories they eat and end up damaging their metabolisms; all so they can see numbers on the scale go down. I’m not exactly sure how it became such an epidemic, but worrying about your weight is like an addiction. Women will hop on the scale several times a day to see if they lost or gained weight and it is considered normal behavior.
The truth is drastically reducing your caloric intake causes you to lose precious lean body mass (muscle) and lower your metabolic rate. You will find after you are done dieting that you have lost some weight but as soon as you stop dieting, you will gain back all, if not more, of the weight you lost. What you really lost is body water and muscle.
Find a good calorie calculator and find out what your calorie intake should be based on your weight. In most cases, women will discover they have been under eating, which is just as fattening as overeating.
Your goal should be to gain as much lean muscle as you can based on your genetics, age and determination. The more lean body mass you have on your body, the more calories your body burns at rest and you will develop that lean, toned body you’ve always wanted.
Weight Loss Tip 14 – Throw Around Some Iron.
I LOVE kettlebell training. Not only is it great for building fat burning muscle, it’s perfect for timed crunched women. You can complete a strength training and cardio workout in only 20 minutes with one piece of equipment. No need to join a gym, push around numerous machines or hop on a boring treadmill.
I encourage you to look in your area for an RKC through DragonDoor.com and learn how to use one correctly. You will be amazed at how strong and lean you become. Kettlebells have become very popular with celebrities and professional athletes.
Weight Loss Tip 15 – Keep it a Secret.
When you are getting started on your road to a leaner, fitter body, don’t tell anyone except your immediate family (husband and children). Don’t even tell your best friend. For some reason, as soon as people outside your family know you’re on a diet, they become determined to sabotage you.
Co-workers start bringing in donuts every morning, friends come by with your favorite chocolate cake, your mom starts making all your favorite foods and your brother starts in with the jokes.
Begin implementing changes to your lifestyle without making any announcements. Friends and family will begin seeing the outward changes and start asking questions. Just tell them you’re making some healthier choices. You may be surprised at how supportive they become and may decide to join you.
Weight Loss Tip 16 – Mondays a Must.
Everyone dreads Mondays after the weekend. The day that begins the work week. To start your workout regimen for the week, you MUST workout on Monday. That in itself will pay you huge dividends towards taking care of your body.
It may not sound all that profounding, but try it. Plan your Monday on Sunday and do whatever it takes to get your workout in. That’s it. Just workout. Because you see, after your workout, you will feel better, and
be more opt to changing everything around you to reflect a healthy and fit lifestyle because you took care of yourself.
Take a calendar and your goal is to make sure you get all your Mondays marked off for the month. Obviously, you will want to get as many X’s on the calendar for the week, but what you begin to notice is that, because you just began with marking X’s no Mondays, it will help you to mark X’s on the rest of the days of the week. Leading to burning more fat and building lean muscle.
Weight Loss Tip 17 – Momentum.
Have you ever noticed a train, when it begins to move, it moves slowly? Then as it continues to move it moves faster and faster, creating momentum and it becomes a strong force to deal with or stop? Well, your body can become that very strong force as well when given the chance of momentum.
When you start your workout or nutrition program, you may feel different in terms of having more energy and feeling stronger before you start to really notice any changes in your body. But, if you keep it up, that creates momentum, which will lead to a healthier and active lifestyle. This approach plays off with marking X’s on your calendar. My next Weight Loss Tip will help you keep this momentum going.
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 18 – Attitude.
We’ve all heard it before; attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference. Nothing can be further from the truth. Everything begins with your attitude. If you have a negative attitude, everything you do will reflect that. Poor nutrition habits and missed or lack of intense workouts.
Before you begin to change your body, you must change your thoughts and that is having a great attitude towards yourself and everything you do. Say, you see a celebrity’s body you wish to have. How do you feel about her?
Besides the attitude of envying her, use that fuel and turn it to a positive and say, I am going to have a body just like her. Find a cute photo of your want to have that body celebrity and post it where you can see it all the times to help you stay focused on working towards your goal of changing your body.
Now, you may or may not accomplish having a body exactly like hers, but the point is, it changes your attitude in a positive way to drive you to have a better body.
If you were to take the alphabet and attach a number to each letter, starting with the letter A would be 1, letter B would be 2, letter C would be 3 and so forth. Now, let’s take the word ATTITUDE. A is 1 + T is 20, and add up all the letters of the word ATTITUDE…what do you think it adds up to?
It adds up to 100. What does that tell you?
That your ATTITUDE will determine 100% of your RESULTS!
Weight Loss Tip 19 – Get Clear Before You Do Anything Else.
The first step in becoming a Gym Superstar (GS) is have a clear cut vision of the end result body you are going after. Trying to ‘lose a few pounds’ is a thing of the past for you. You now go after specific goals and then make adjustments after reaching them. If you want to be a size 4 then that’s your goal and you are locked in to exactly when you want to reach that goal by.
If you want to get a low body fat percentage then that’s what you’re going after like there’s no tomorrow. Gym Superstars understand that just going to the gym to get in better shape might get them some results, but it will never get them the GS body.
Weight Loss Tip 20 – Light Weight Isn’t In Your Vocabulary.
The fact remains that women think that if they lift a light weight a lot of times that they’ll get ‘toned’. But anybody with any common sense understands that is one of the dumbest things you can do if you want to burn fat and get sexy.
To get the lean, athletic look means full body lifts (including power lifts, in my opinion) coupled with some heavy “I mean business” kind of weight.
Here’s a few GS ’secrets’ that you need to apply today to get the GS body as fast as possible.
- Learn how to clean, dead lift, and squat properly.
- Work between a 3-8 rep range and go to about 24-28 reps total per big exercise.
- Lift the weight as fast (and safely) as possible (you have to get all the Fast-twitch muscle fibers involved to get the ultimate effects).
- The lifting part (concentric) is the fast part, the eccentric or coming down part is controlled but not slow.
Weight Loss Tip 21 – Run…Until You Can’t.
If you want to lose a ton of fat and get a sexy stomach then you need to sprint. The absolute best way to do this is by running literally as fast as you can for as long as you can (I mean running for you life fast), recover (for about 45-60…try to keep walking too), and then repeat.
This is the super advanced version of interval training. You might throw up, you might not. You probably will get a little dizzy, but that just means your doing it right. And if your sprint is longer then 20 seconds then you’re not running hard enough.
Do a proper warm-up and then you give until you can’t give anymore. The first time you try it you may be only able to do 3-4 intervals. I would generally say that you are in elite status if you can get to double digits.
All the above sounds very intense, and that’s because it is extremely intense and challenging to not only your body but your mentality. And that’s also why you will only be doing it ONCE a week. Mix in two regular interval sessions throughout the week.
Weight Loss Tip 22 – Specific Goals Make Us Work Harder.
As moms we have too much on our MOM plate. We are constantly working hard to keep all the balls in the air and we are good at making maps for our kids and significant others to make sure they are where they need to be when.
Studies have shown that specific goals not only work in juggling life’s challenges but specifically result in better performance. Daily I write out goals in a little notebook, and one thing is very consistent about my personal goals. They almost always start with a goal that is “me” specific. As a mom of four I need to take care of a lot but if I am not strong and healthy the rest doesn’t fall into line.
Next week Monday start your goals notebook and write out goals you want to achieve during the week. My advice, start out with specific fitness goals so you get “me” time in your week. Be specific, like the number of workouts per week and the amount of time engaging in cardiovascular exercise, and so forth. Then, go get it done. Planning fitness in your busy week will ultimately help you achieve your fat loss and fitness goals.
Weight Loss Tip 23 – Motivate Yourself to Drink More Water.
I have four kids and with four kids come the need for coffee in the morning. I not only need it, I want it, love it and can’t wait for it. Guess what? I use this need, want and love to make myself do something that is very important to do in the morning.
Drink water. I do not allow myself coffee until I drink 24 ounces of water. After I feed my body the 24 ounces of water I reward myself with coffee! What a reward. The reward system is a great one to do with mom’s who like to have play groups with wine. Have that glass of wine but not before you drink your 24 ounces of water.
Water helps your metabolism, helps your skin and ultimately helps you to stay lean when complimented with a clean diet. Best yet – just drink water and forget the coffee and wine
Most women set themselves up for failure. A lifestyle of clean eating in my opinion is not 100% clean. You need to understand that a clean diet cannot realistically be 100% of the time if it is a lifestyle and not a diet. Some women find success in the 100% of the time but typically that is when they are on a diet and a diet is something you start and stop. A lifestyle is something you do forever. Be realistic and don’t set yourself up for failure.
Weight Loss Tip 24 – Plan To Cheat.
Look at your week each Sunday and night and plan when you will most likely have to cheat. This past week I knew that on Tuesday night I was going to go out with girlfriend for dinner so I planned to cheat. I looked forward to splurging with a glass of wine and enjoyed every minute of my night with the girls.
The next morning I worked hard and was right back to my clean diet. No guilt, no worries, no feeling of failure just all in my weekly plan. Plan, plan, plan and you will see positive results.
Weight Loss Tip 25 – You Must Understand Portion Sizes.
I was watching a weight loss dietary supplement commercial the other day where a cartoon man and a woman go on a diet. The cartoon woman in the commercial was griping about the fact that her husband cut out junk food and lost a ton of weight while she cut out junk food and only lost a few pounds.
Well I hate to sound too hard on this frustrated dieter, but if you are eating the same amount of food as your husband, you’re not going to lose much weight. Cut the portion sizes down and watch the inches fall off. Protein should be about the size of your palm and carbs should be about the size of your fist.
Weight Loss Tip 26 – You must concentrate on large muscle exercises.
I couldn’t tell you how many times I walk around a gym and see a woman who I know is trying to lose body fat standing in front of a mirror doing 5 pound curls for 25 repetitions.
If you want to lose weight, focus on very large movements that work the biggest muscles in your body. Exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups and trunk rotational exercises give you by far the best results in the quickest time.
Weight Loss Tip 27 – You must focus on your mindset.
I was reading a study the other day about people that only set a fat loss goal and strictly focus on “losing” usually don’t have a great chance of success reaching their goals. You are much more likely to reach a goal where you are trying to attain a flatter stomach or some other goal such as that.
For example, when you set out to eat more fruits and vegetables, you’re going to be better off than trying to cut out bad foods from your diet. Give yourself a positive mindset by changing your goals from something where you are trying to “lose” to something you are trying to “win”.
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 28 – Get rid of your boxed, frozen foods from Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers.
These are loaded with preservatives and sodium and are devoid of nutrients. They are good for portion control, so you can get a good idea of what size portions you should be eating.
But they just contain too much junk that you shouldn’t be putting in your body. You should be making your own single ingredient meals, such as salmon with lemon pepper, a sweet potato with almond butter and a salad which you can load with plenty of fresh, delicious vegetables.
Weight Loss Tip 29 – Don’t be on a restrictive low calorie diet.
A lot of diets have you eating 1000-1200 calories every single day. If you eat the same number of calories every day, your body will get used to this and you’ll reach a plateau. Similar to having variety in your workouts, you need variety in your diet so you can continue to see results. Also, as you lose weight, your body doesn’t need as much food.
Most people on restrictive calorie diets eat the same amount of food every day – even as they lose weight. One way to change up your diet so your body continues to see results is to stagger your carbohydrate intake.
One day you can eat fruits, vegetables and good complex carbs like sweet potatoes and oatmeal, along with lean protein and the next day you would get your carbs from fruits and vegetables only (continuing to eat lean protein). Cycle your diet back and forth in this fashion for better results.
Weight Loss Tip 30 – Curb your cravings.
A lot of women having cravings such as chocolate, and these cravings often come about because you are stressed. So work on managing your stress better which will help to curb some of your cravings.
Here’s on technique to help you. When you’re presented a stressful situation, recognize it, so you can manage it. Take 5-10 minutes and lie down on your back in a quiet area, if possible or sit quietly. You simply want to focus on each muscle group beginning with your feet and completely relax them while taking deep breaths.
Continue to relax each muscle group working your way up the front of your body towards your head, and going down the back of your body towards your feet. It’s very relaxing, can help you manage your stress better and consequently manage your emotional eating.
Weight Loss Tip 31 – Become a Weight Lifter.
I know, I know. You have a fear of becoming big and bulky if you lift too much weight. I’m here to crush that myth because it is preventing you and other women around the world from building the sexy, athletic bodies of your dreams. Like The People’s Fit Coach, Sincere Hogan says “That’s crap!”
Understand, to get big and bulky you have to lift very heavy weight, eat like a cow and probably stick some illegal hormones in your body. If you don’t plan on doing any of that, then come along on this ride with me.
You must incorporate resistance training into your workouts. Adding resistance to your training will increase the lean muscle in your body, which will increase your daily metabolism, which leads to more fat loss. It really is a beautiful thing.
So, how do you know how much resistance to add?
General rule: You should be able to perform 10-12 repetitions of whatever exercise you are doing. When you get to get to your last rep, you should feel like you could only perform one more if you had to. For some this will mean just using your bodyweight until you get stronger. For others, this will mean adding outside resistance such as dumbbells and medicine balls, etc.
Weight Loss Tip 32 – Become a Carb Earner.
First off, I’m not a fan of low carb diets. They leave you lethargic, with a complete lack of energy and eventually, feeling brain dead.
- Carbohydrates are your bodies #1 energy source. Don’t ever give them up…just earn them.
- Here’s a very simple but highly effective nutrition break down for you:
- Eat every 2-3 hours starting with breakfast every single day
- Every meal should contain a lean protein, vegetable (fibrous carbs.) and a fruit.
- All other carbohydrates other than vegetables can only be “earned” twice a day.
- Early in the morning with breakfast (ex. oatmeal, English muffins) or no more than 60 minutes after a tough workout.
- Drink 100 oz. of water every day staring as soon as you wake up.
- Stick to this 90 percent of the time and allow yourself a 10 percent window to treat yourself. Just remember to treat and then get right back to the plan.
Weight Loss Tip 33 – Become a Scale Hater.
If fat loss is your goal then the scale is a liar. Why do I say that? Here’s the thing. Fat loss and weight loss are completely different. Completely. The common thing that you hear is this: Muscle weighs more that fat. Who ever is still saying this, please stop it.
A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weight…a pound.
Here’s the big difference. A pound of muscles take up far less space than a pound of fat does. I’m telling you this because I want you to understand; if you are on an effective lean muscle building exercise program while eating a clean diet you will put your body in a position to lose fat and gain muscle.
Now, if you are losing fat but gaining lean muscle the number on the scale may not budge a lick but you will be losing inches and beginning to like that way your body is taking shape. Your clothes will begin to lay on your body a little different. Your energy is going to hold you up throughout the day due to a jacked up metabolism. These are the things that happen with effective fat loss.
So, I all but beg you to stay off the scale and listen to your body.
Weight Loss Tip 34 – Acceptance and Responsibility.
Ok so I was a little sneaky there and got 2 in 1. What do I mean by Acceptance? If you have 20 pounds of Fat you need to lose… you first NEED to accept it. Accept the fact that you are overweight and not just overweight but FAT. You need to give yourself enough emotional drive to want to change and by putting a little salt onto the wound it will help drive you to achieve your goals. It’s not about judging or labeling; it is about accepting and preparing you for incredible change.
Once you have accepted this, you then need to understand that YOU are responsible for change and for your success. Not Marci Lall, not Adam Toohey, not Jenny Craig… but you. At the end of the day it is you who will be doing the work to achieve your goals. You do the grocery shopping, you do the cooking, and you do the eating.
You MUST understand that YOU are the source. We can help guide you to the right path, you need to come to the party and do the work. It is a fundamental key to success and consistency.
Weight Loss Tip 35 – Planning or Setting a Deadline.
Once you have taken the steps as discussed in Weight Loss Tip 1, you will then need to have a plan, or set a deadline (otherwise known as a goal) You see, too many ladies are looking to “flatten their stomach” or “lose the love handles” Now there is certainly nothing wrong with this.
I do wonder though if these types of goals will move you emotionally and really get you going on the path to success. What if you were to schedule a Photo Shoot in 12 weeks?
Would that get you up and moving your butt? Almost all ladies I have worked with would love to be part of a photo shoot. Not for ego purposes or for public viewing, but for themselves. Just to experience what it is like to have a hair stylist, a makeup artist, a photographer all doing your bidding and getting you to look Hot, Sexy and Beautiful.
Now THAT is a Goal to work towards. Losing the love handles or flattening the stomach will be formalities if you set that kind of deadline.
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 36 – Flexibility.
Make no mistake ladies, there will be times during your Fat Loss Journey that you will fall off the wagon. You will have a day when emotions get the better of you and you have a cookie, or three. There will be days when you “feel fat” and there will be days when you feel like you are getting nowhere.
This is really all part of the process. Understand that Flexibility is a critical weapon to have in your arsenal. Too many times have I seen my girls beat themselves up over the smallest of indiscretions. Now hear this: It is OK if you make a mistake. All you need do is re focus and get back on the wagon.
Over time, your resolve will become stronger provided you are doing the right thing more often than not. Allow yourself that 10 or 15% of the time to slip up or have your favorite creamy pasta. Fat Loss and Lifestyle reform is a journey. Life is a journey and both will throw obstacles in your way. You will always have a slip up every now and again.
Remember that you are human, you have flaws, you make mistakes and that is fine. Stress and worry will produce hormones that inhibit your progress thereby preventing you from achieving your success. So remember to be flexible (not too flexible of course).
Weight Loss Tip 37 – Feelings.
Pay attention to how you FEEL when you are thinking about your body. You have to FEEL what it is you want (the “perfect” body) and WHY that is so important to you. The stronger and more certain you can feel about it, the more likely you are to find your way around obstacles in your path.
Weight Loss Tip 38 – Actions.
Taking it to the next level, BE that person NOW. The difference between WISHING and BEING is that as long as you wish for something it will stay a wish. But when you chose to BE, only then you can become that kind of person for whom healthy living is not an obstacle but a preferred lifestyle. Practice a high level of self-care (uplifting music, movies, indulgent long steamy baths).
Weight Loss Tip 39 – Thoughts.
Notice the interplay: Guard your thoughts because they influence your feelings, which in turn influence your actions. You have a choice. Control your surroundings or be controlled by them!
Choose which people, TV programs, websites etc. you interact with. The goal is to remain in an optimal positive state of mind at all times because a healthy body demands a healthy mind!
Weight Loss Tip 40 – Shop the Perimeter.
When you go grocery shopping, try to buy most of your items from the outside perimeter of the store. This is where you will find fresh produce, dairy, meats and grains. Try to select a good variety of fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy or non-dairy items, lean meats (including poultry) and fish and whole grain breads and cereals.
Do your best to avoid processed foods, which often contain artificial flavours, colours, chemicals and trans fats or other additives that are not going to do your body any good. Shopping when you are hungry is also a no-no! It is much better to hit the grocery store on a full stomach so you are more likely to avoid temptations.
Weight Loss Tip 41 – Incorporate Full Body Strength Exercises.
We have heard about the benefits of strength training for a number of years. Cardio workouts are important but strength training will really effect changes in your body. You can actually combine the best of both worlds by using full body strength exercises.
As opposed to working one muscle group in isolation, training mulWeight Loss Tiple muscle groups in a functional way will get more muscle involved and ultimately decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass. By doing exercises that incorporate both your upper and lower body, your heart rate is going to remain elevated during your workout and will mean a higher caloric burn.
Try simple exercises like a parallel squat with an overhead shoulder press or lunges with bicep curls. A trainer can easily set you up on a program that will take advantage of the benefits of full body strength exercises.
Weight Loss Tip 42 – Fat Loss is a marathon, not a sprint!
Don’t get sucked into anything promising ‘too good to be true’ results – even if they do deliver in the short term you will certainly be worse off than when you started soon afterwards. The long term is what counts, and while you can get quick results, you must make sure you do it in a way that is sustainable in the long term. This means making changes to your habits and lifestyle.
When you are on a fat loss phase, you will of course be stricter with yourself, but maintenance is often considered to be the hardest part – you have to keep with your new good habits otherwise you will end up back to square one, or worse! Consistency is vital – don’t over think things and just keep going. Little by little even the smallest things add up to fantastic results.
Weight Loss Tip 43 – Work on improving your health in ways you ENJOY.
Healthy food can be delicious and exercise can be fun, it’s up to you to try to find ways to make sure you are enjoying the journey as well as the incredible results you will get.
Of course you do need to give things a chance – you may not be converted to a new food or exercise style straight away but it is important not to dismiss things out of hand, particularly when advised by a professional who knows how best to get the results you are after. But on the other hand, if you really can’t get into a eating a certain food or performing a certain type of exercise then you should find something else you do!
Otherwise you may end up giving it up altogether which is no good, or you will reach your goals then revert back to old habits. A fitness professional is a great investment, even if just initially, as we are well trained to help you find ways you can achieve results in ways that suit you as an individual and meet your own unique needs. A trainer or coach can also help you get over the initial stages of doubt when trying new things, and of course make sure you are doing everything correctly.
Weight Loss Tip 44 – Social Support may be the ‘missing link’ you are looking for to achieve fat loss success.
Do you have a diet and exercise plan that you know will work, but find you are struggling to find the motivation to really put it into action?
Firstly, you need to make sure you have decided what you want to achieve, the exact results you are after, and make sure that you truly want the results enough to put the plan into action. If you are still struggling it may simply be that you need someone else to be accountable to, reminding you of your goals and reason why. Many women get far better results when they join a group – having other people around with similar goals is extremely powerful.
They will be going through the same struggles as you are, and by keeping in contact when you have your moments of self-doubt you can keep each other inspired to stay on track. Online social networks are becoming increasingly popular, as you don’t even need to live in the same country!
Group Fitness or ‘bootcamps’ are also becoming more and more popular – my clients love the accountability, competition and camaraderie they get from attending my group sessions. Exercising with friends, and making new friends, means you can be social while improving your health and losing body fat – it really does make things fun – certainly a lot more fun than plodding away on a treadmill in the gym!
Weight Loss Tip 45 – Exercise regularly and be consistent over the long term.
Even if you miss a week or two don’t let it turn into a month or six! Working out even just twice per week every week beats training 5 days a week for a month then following it up by doing nothing for weeks. Invest in a professional (certified personal trainer) to gain knowledge and make the most of your efforts.
Your workouts need to include resistance and cardiovascular training, regular stretching, plus appropriate periods of rest and recovery. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn and the more efficient your body is at burning fat. If you want to speed up your metabolism and burn calories rapidly even just sitting on the couch, make exercise a priority!
Weight Loss Pro-Tip:
Weight Loss Tip 46 – Use the 80/20 rule when making food choices.
It’s unrealistic to believe you can completely eliminate all your favourite “sinful foods” forever. Imagine saying goodbye, you’re dead to me, to your most cherished sweet treat, creamy pasta dish, or crunchy kettle chips.
The 80/20 rule works because 80% of the food choices you make are healthy choices (fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins) and the remaining 20% is dedicated to treats that are less healthy. Use this rule for each individual meal, each day, week, and month to master it and implement it successfully.
Weight Loss Tip 47 – Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
The body is made up of 60% water and those reserves need to replenish frequently. Water performs many functions that benefit the body and several are directly related to fat burning. Overeating often results from dehydration as your body can misinterpret thirst for hunger.
Dehydration also causes bloating when the body stores water as a survival technique. Storing water restricts the function of other water dependent processes such as waste removal. Not much of an explanation is needed to understand how hindering the removal of toxins from the body is bad in so many ways.
Weight Loss Tip 48 – Beat Fat with Breakfast.
No matter how tempted you are to skip, you must start each and every day with a high fiber, quality protein breakfast. Not only will breakfast supercharge your metabolism and inject you with lasting energy, but doing so will also keep you satisfied and naturally fight cravings.
Weight Loss Tip 49 – Decrease The Time; Increase The Intensity.
Long, drawn out cardio sessions offer little return for the precious time you invest. Burning the stubborn fat is more than simply how many calories you burn during a single workout.
Rather, the solution lies in shorter, more-intense short burst intervals. Not only will you save time and boost your energy levels, you will also preserve lean muscle, which keeps your metabolism humming and will make you look tight and lean as you reach your goals.
Weight Loss Tip 50 – Resistance Training is Required.
How do you unleash the most powerful fat burner around? Resistance training! Increase the amount of lean muscle and you create a thriving fat burning metabolism. The best part? You can do this in just 15 minutes per day, three times per week, using only bodyweight and dumbbell exercises right at home.
A recent study in a medical journal reported resistance training can boost metabolism by 10% and increase post-exercise fat burning by 100%! That’s double your fat burning just from resistance training – so ignore those experts who say “only cardio burns fat”. Resistance training is the fastest way to reshape your body.
Weight Loss Tip 51 – Consistency.
Weight Loss Tip 52 – Consistency.
Weight Loss Tip 53 – Consistency.
The key to no matter what diet or meal plan you are on for Fat loss is CONSISTENCY!
If you don’t stick to it and give it at least a few months , it will never work.
Americans generally want to have some sort of A. D. H.D when it comes to diets.
If the diet doesn’t show dramatic results in a week or a few days, they…
- Quit the program.
- Don’t get any results.
- Say it doesn’t work.
- Watch trendy media.
- Then they go onto the next fad diet.
Hold yourself responsible and accountable for what you put in your mouth.
