Cindy’s Top Fitness Tips; Part 2

    

     1.      Be Strong. There are going to be enablers around you 24 /7, trying to wreck your healthy eating habits and your workouts. You’ll hear, “Just take a bite, it won’t hurt you.” YES, IT WILL. “Skip a workout and let’s go grab dinner.” But that dinner will still be there AFTER A WORKOUT! Holiday times are the worst. Misery loves company and if everyone is eating bad foods and feeling guilty they want you to do the same. You need to refrain and have self-control to make the right choices during these times. 

    2.      Set realistic goals. You did not put the weight on overnight, so don’t expect it to come off overnight. Slow and steady wins the race. Make small goals every week and work hard to achieve them. 

    3.      Journal. There are many online nutrition journals where you can log your food daily or simply get a notebook and keep a daily log. There are even apps on smart phones for your convenience now. I think you make better choices when you write down everything you eat and drink. I feel most people don’t realize how quickly the calories add up. This helps you become more aware of what you are putting into your mouth. 

    4.      Get moving! You must have a good exercise program that will keep your heart rate elevated for the duration of your workout. My workout consists of 30 to 45 minutes a day, 6 to 7 times a week of cardio and exercise that consist of using my own body weight of up to 5 lb. dumbbells. With having rheumatoid arthritis, the cardio helps keep my joints nice and loose through the day and the light weight exercise keep my bones strong and help in building muscle tone. 

    5.      Attitude! If you don’t have this one down, you will not reach any goal that you set for yourself. Your attitude will MAKE OR BREAK YOU! A positive attitude will take you further than you can imagine.

Workout On The Go

Do you find traveling for work or long hours at the office are throwing off your workout routine? We understand that hitting the gym for a full workout is impossible at times, so we’re providing three workouts you can do from your home or hotel room—yoga, dance cardio, and cardio strength training.  Don’t let your schedule sidetrack your health. 

10 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

As Promised by the Fat to Fit Radio Show...

10 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

1. "Healthy Foods"

Every major chain restaurant has adopted a "healthy foods menu" it has confused the average person trying to change his or her eating habits for the better. It's easy to think that choosing a salad over a steak is the better option. However, when that salad is loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and heavy dressing, it can rival any high calorie food on the menu. When choosing a salad option, choose to hold the dressing on the side and be sure that you don't request all the trimmings that can easily take your low calorie food into high calorie, high fat territory.

2. Skipping Meals

If you skip too many meals, over time your body begins to hold on to every calorie you consume. In short, your body begins to hoard and store the calories you put in because it is convinced that you may be going into starvation mode otherwise. Eat more small meals throughout the day. Instead of one or two large meals, eat five or six small meals that consist mainly of fruits, veggies, and protein.

3. Being Cold
If you're anemic you can't help being a bit chilly most of the time. But, when you are chronically cold, you run the risk of wanting foods that are warm, soothing and hearty to help warm you. However, most of those hearty foods are also high in calories. This is an easy fix. First, find the real reason for your constant cold condition. If you're anemic, see if you need to supplement your iron intake. If that's not the case, then layer up. Carry a sweater and make sure you dress for the weather. If you live in a colder climate, add a workout to your normal routine and eat more calories in the form of a high protein snack.

4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
When you don't establish a regular sleeping pattern, your body is sent into a hormone wreck. Your leptin levels, which reduce appetite, are lowered and your ghrelin levels, which increase appetite, are raised. The result? Your lack of sleep contributes to overeating and indulging, when all you really need is more sleep. Go to bed 30 to 45 minutes before you normally would and continue building more sleep into your nightly routine.

5. Eating Too Fast

Eating too fast is a major culprit in over-eating. Once you begin eating, you need at least 15 to 20 minutes to begin to process food and feel somewhat full. Scarfing down a meal in under six minutes may have been a great thing for frat guys to brag about in college, but it has no place in the food habits of the healthy.Take time to savor your food and slow down. Be sure to enjoy a meal away from the computer or television to ensure you reasonably pace yourself.

6. Munching In Front Of A Screen

Regardless if it's a computer or television screen, when you are distracted by what's being shown it's easy to lose track of how much you are eating. Sit at the dinner table and allot a decent amount of time (usually 30 minutes will do) for your meal.

7. Using Large Plates

Using large plates are a recipe for disaster on your diet. The problem with large plates is that most people feel the urge to fill those plates with food. Larger plates means larger portions and larger portions mean more calories and more chances to over-eat. Use a medium to small size plate for all your meals. You'll consume less calories and your eyes won't notice the difference

8. Scale Back

When you weigh yourself daily or worse, several times a day, you create an environment where you are constantly in turmoil over every fluctuation you see. While it is helpful to maintain your weight with some monitoring, constant monitoring is more harmful than helpful. Set a day and time to weigh yourself and stick to it. Know that your weight will change throughout the day so weighing yourself at the same time weekly, will give you more accurate and comparable results.

9. Stress

Some people respond to stress by eating less and others respond by eating more. Either way, stress is a surefire derail to your healthy habits. Cortisol is raised when you're stressed and that can lead your blood pressure and sugar levels to become out-of-whack. Once that happens, the chances of over-eating increase. Indulge in things that help you relax. Reading, listening to soothing music and yoga are excellent ways to de-stress after a long day.

10. Your Friends

When you hang out with people, do you tend to eat more? Do you eat different types of foods? Monitor your eating habits when your environment changes and notice if you're the type of person who's eating habits change dramatically with the company that you keep. Don't turn into a recluse in order to keep to your diet. Do choose your foods wisely and, when possible, bring your own food to

dinner parties—share your healthy and delicious dishes.

Never give up on your weight loss journey! Stay dedicated, motivated, and follow these tips to help you along the way! 

Allen, Jaylin. "10 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight." ACTIVE.com. Jaylin Allen, 7 July 2015. Web. 23 July 2015.

Typical Fitness Questions

As Promised By The Fat To Fit Radio Show...

Typical Fitness Questions 

Q: What Is the Best Way to Lose Fat?

Exercise moderately. Nutrition is everything. Gradually cut back on all bad fats while strategically cutting back on carbohydrates. Do more of HIIT Training, weight training, and do a range of aerobic activities. It is also important to stay hydrated and drink at least a gallon of water per day.

  Q: Is it better to work out upper body or lower body first?

Lower body usually involves cardio- which makes you tired. Cardio will wear you out if you do it first, making you lazier and more prone to injury during your upper body session. You can also split up your workout doing upper body one day and lower body the next.

Q: Do I Need to Take Dietary Supplements?

If you don’t eat a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, you may not be getting all the micro nutrients your body needs. A multivitamin or supplement may be able to help.

Q: How many calories do I REALLY need?
To maintain weight, It's based on your age, activity level, and the BMI (body-mass index) of 21.5 for women and 22.5 for men.
To lose weight -- about 1 pound a week -- reduce total calories by 500 a day.
To gain weight, add 500 calories per day for each pound you want to gain per week.

Q: What Is the Difference Between Weight Machines and Free Weights?
Both machines and free weights can be part of a good resistance training routine it really depends on preference/goal. Free-weights for example are Dumbells, Barbells, Medicine Balls, etc. Free weights, with their extreme versatility are the ultimate tool for both structural and functional goals. However, machines will isolate a muscle better than free weights will.

Q: Why Are My Muscles Sore After a Workout?

Otherwise known as delayed onset muscle soreness. When muscles are repeatedly stretched and stressed, small microtears occur within the muscle fibers, usually leading to inflammation. In the days following a tough workout, the body starts rebuilding itself by creating new, stronger muscle fiber to compensate for the damage (making it better, stronger, faster). And so the soreness we perceive is caused by inflammation within the muscle during this rebuilding cycle. Soreness is a natural effect of exercise and a sign muscles are benefiting from all that hard work.

Q: How Do I Get Rid of These Flabby Arms?

Building strong biceps, triceps and shoulders will give you muscle definition and rid you of flabby arms. Try to dedicate 10 minutes a day to an arm exercise routine and remember to stretch both before and after you exercise to avoid injury and tight muscles. Try a combination of bicep curls, bent over rows, tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses and plank holds.

Q: How Often Should I Work Out?

If you want to get in great shape go to the gym and train hard six days per week. If you can only workout 2-3 days due to a hectic schedule is still better than 0. Prioritizing your time and goals is important to making gains and seeing results.It is always easier to make time for what is important to you than it is to make excuses. All you need is 30 minutes a day for a good workout.

Q: What is Whey Protein good for?

Weight Loss, Assists in increasing in muscle mass, Assist in cancer treatment, Increase in glutathione levels (your body’s main water-based anti-oxidant), Decrease in triglycerides, Decrease in total cholesterol while increasing HDL (good cholesterol), Increase in immune system function, Increase in power in sports, Decreased recovery time and symptoms of over-training.



"Whey Protein Benefits, Risks, & Top Picks - BuiltLean." BuiltLeancom Whey Protein Benefits Risks Top Picks Comments. N.p., 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

"How Many Calories Do You Need to Lose Weight, Maintain Weight, and Gain Weight." WebMD. WebMD, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.