Friday 22 June 2012

The perfect timing

Work out patterns can be hard to jump into and create. Just be aware for the first 6 months you should be working out from 3-4 days for about 1-2 hours. After 6 months you can slow your workouts down by about 1 to 2 days depending on how successful it is going. However, consider working out 20- 30 more minutes each day you do workout if you decide to cut back on the days. This will increase your endurance and make up for what your body will be missing, and you wont even notice that extra couple minutes!

Working out is very hard to get into, you need the proper support and the drive to want to push yourself to extremes in which you have never reached before you. If you live with a couple people  (your family) then ask them to get into a new diet pattern with you so you don't have unhealthy foods tempting you as you try to make a life change. Also, ask if they would like to join you in a late night run or walk after dinner. These little steps will affect you for the better and they will help you improve your weight. If you live alone then your already one step ahead because you do not have anyone else to affect what is in your fridge or cupboards. Ask a friend or your girlfriend or boyfriend to join the gym with you, or a co ed sports team so you can push each other to always do better. Having someone there supporting you in your challenge will always make things easier and will allow you to feel driven.

Alway's remember that working out is not easy and it is not supposed to be, so don't feel shot down when thing's get really hard that is how it is supposed to be. Work hard and you will see the results you want. The hardest thing about changing your lifestyle is changing the food you eat and the amount you eat. You cannot alter or give up on your diet because this becomes the most important thing and even a week of eating right can affect your weight by even a few pounds, it can eliminate any bloating you may have and it can alter the way you think. It is a healthy move worth it all even if you didn't want to lose weight. Eating healthy is always the right thing to do.

Thursday 14 June 2012

work out plans

You need to choose the right work out for you. I would recommend a person trainer for at least one month if you have never really worked out before. It is hard to maintain a pattern if you have no clue what you are doing but the easiest and cheapest thing to do is go for a run!
Running not only makes you sweat but it makes your lungs stronger and healthier, it creates blood flow in your body and adds oxygen to your blood. There is nothing bad about running. If you have a dog well there are no excuses for you, take your dog for a long walk or a short run, or do both!

To lose fat and trim your body, a lot of reps on your arms and legs will trim the fat, little reps and a heavier weight will increase muscle. So depending on your body type and what you are trying to achieve you would use this as a guide.

Lose fat and trim body- less weight, a lot of reps
Gain Muscle- a lot of weight, little reps

This is true for anything you are doing whether it be leg raises, push ups, sit ups, crunches, lifting weights etc.

Another thing I recommend you do is a circuit. Circuit training is hard and fast. It will push you until you are finished and each exercise in the circuit can work a different part of your body but it is always fast enough to keep you sweating and breathing heavily.

remember: Losing weight is never easy, it will get easier for you as you go on and get used to the pattern, but it will never be easy. You must push yourself to 1. actually get up and go work out,  2. work out harder each time and finish each work out and 3. to do it every day.

Exercises for:

Core: Push ups, sit ups, crunches, lunges, burpees, abdominal twists with weight, running, jumping

Legs: burpees, lunges, running, weight lifts with legs, squats, leg raises

Butt: Leg raises, running, sprinting

Arms: Weight lifting, push ups

Entire body workout: Running, jogging, long fast- paced walk, sprinting, swimming, any sport for a good amount of time will also allow you to have fun but lose weight, boxing, kick boxing, Shayunta Yoga (hot Yoga).

At the end of each workout day, stretch your entire body. This will loosen your muscles and allow for weight loss to actually occur as well as decrease the chance of you having lactic acid build up. This is what makes your muscles so sore you feel like you cannot even walk!

My advise: No matter what you are doing, just make sure you are being consistent. Consistency is key to losing weight. You cannot work out once or twice a week and achieve your goal weight. You must be working out at least 4 times a week for about an hour to two hours.

Friday 8 June 2012

What to Eat?

There are different types of extremes you can do to lose weight during the year. you can go through a number of cleanses, and protein diets or you can do what i recommend and that is a quarterly cleanse to detox your system and clean out your digestive system. This rids your body of any toxins your body may have and it also helps reduce the fat and bloating in your stomach. Not only do cleanses do all that but they can taste wonderful. It is to your very own preference how you would like your juices but it is always good to include foods that are antioxidants or body cleansers such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, broccoli, kale, mint leaves, carrots etc. These fruits and vegetable all have a purpose towards the human body and they help with other little things like  fresh breath and brighter eyes or skin tone. After these cleanses which are recommended to proceed at least 7 - 10 days you continue with a diet that consists of a lot of protein, no fats and a lot of greens. steak, chicken, tuna and salmon are all great to eat because they consist of protein, these will increase your metabolism and make you feel full. Try to eliminate sauces to go on top especially with oils (as good as it makes it all taste, it really does not help). Low in fat yogurts, granola, a little bit of caffeine (1 cup- preferably black a day is perfect), whole wheat and a lot of fruits and vegetables will give you great taste and a healthy diet. Always eat more in the morning and less as the day goes on. The less you eat at night the better your sleep is, as well, it allows your body to break everything down throughout the day so you will have a regular bathroom pattern and slowly you will see the pounds shed off. There is a reason people say breakfast is the most important part of the day, it is because it is what fuels you to do your daily tasks and it kick starts your metabolism. Try not to ignore breakfast and compensate with a big dinner. Here is a diet you can start to use about 1-2 months before a big event such as a wedding:

Breakfast:
  1. Muesli with plain yogurt and honey or raisins, oatmeal and egg whites.
  2. A cup of milk or coffee with skim milk in it.
Lunch:
  1. A portion of meat (chicken, fish or red meat) with vegetables
Snacks:
  1. Some raw vegetables like cucumbers and carrots.
  2. A bit of dark chocolate 
  3. A spoonful of raw honey
Dinner:
  1. Only salad.
Reference: http://adrianalimadiet.com/


What i also recommend for over weight people is a cleanse diet consisting of: 

Breakfast:
1 grapefruit
1 Lemon
(juiced)
reference: Power juices super drinks, Steve meyerowitz
http:/kensingtonbooks.com

Lunch:
a Salad and or a chicken/ tuna/salmon

Dinner: 
Salad consisting of a lot of greens (spinach leaves, cucumbers, green peppers, kelp, garlic, add tofu)

Snacks: Would be very light and throughout the day to keep your metabolism up


I know dieting seems to be very hard, but it is not just dieting you need to do, it is a complete life change, once you are ready to this then you will lose exactly what you want in a good time frame. Eating heathy and right is just one thing you need to change, you also need to add an exercise plan which works right for you. This will allow you to have the body you want and to shed the pounds that hold you back from doing and wearing the things you love. 

Thursday 31 May 2012

Nutrition

What is emphasized in every diet plan is nutrition. Unfortunately, you can't eat everything and anything but you can still enjoy what you are eating. Nutrition is the sustenance and nourishment of foods that your body retains when consumed. Most berries are known as 'antioxidant fruits' that help remove the toxins from your body. Berries such as strawberries, raspberries and the most powerful-blueberries. All of these are delicious and good for you, so who says nutrition is boring and not enjoyable. It is key to keep your body full of fruits and vegetables so that you retain vitamins such as b and c, or even e and d. There is also iron in many vegetables that you can eat like spinach. It is very important to eat veggies with iron in it because it restores the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. If you are deficient in iron you become anemic and this will make working out a difficult task. You will feel lethargic majority of the time and the first thing that will come to your mind is SLEEP! you cannot work out when your sleeping!

Remember: If you are looking to lose weight, protein and a little bit of work out is needed.
Lot's of protein and no bad fats added is key! things like plain chicken, steak, tuna, fish, turkey with no gravy. These are all high in protein and will allow your metabolism to work work work! Also, keep in mind, it's not just about losing weight its maintaining your health. Give your body what it needs to survive (Vitamins, minerals, water, protein and grains. All these things assist in helping your body produce, reduce, digest and energize)

A great book to have, is "Power Juices Super Drinks" by Steve Meyerowitz.
It's a book that incorporates many different fruits and vegetables (common and exotic) into juices for different parts of your body like the mind. It creates juices that help with sleep issues, cramps, diet, acne etc.


** I am not a doctor, please contact your own health physician for personal questions or concerns**

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Attitude is key!



Have you ever felt like you will never hit your goal weight? Nothing that you try will or has ever worked? Well chances are you are probably doing it wrong! Weight loss is not as easy as snapping your fingers, it is a way of life, it is the process of changing your lifestyles (usually bad) to ones that will actually help manifest into something more positive. It is the attitudes you develop and the desire you have that will affect how successful your nutritional life and fitness systems will work. 


You must ask yourself, do you really want to do this? Do you have the time to fully commit? How will you change your schedule to revolve around your new way of living? Most importantly, you must know your desired weight and the exact difference of your current weight and your desired weight. This will give you the exact pounds you must lose to achieve your goal weight. An easy way to keep track of weight loss per week is make a schedule, track your weight each week and the difference from week to week. It may not seem like a lot at the time; maybe 3 pounds or even just 1 but this will all add up if you maintain a strong and consistent workout and eating pattern. Like I mentioned before, the key component to getting started is the desire and the feeling that you cannot go on any longer with the way you look or feel at your current state. It is almost as if you must hit rock bottom to get back up. This will give you the drive you need to succeed. If you do not believe you actually need to lose weight and be healthy, and you just want to go on a diet then you may hit a road block and be unsatisfied with the outcomes. You must have a solid attitude and a mind set that is not lazy. You must be driven and willing to go above and beyond expectations to reach a goal you have never obtained before. One of my favourite quotes especially if you were to relate it to fitness is:


 "To obtain what you have never had, you must do what you have never done."


 This is more than enough motivation for me, so i hope it can do the same for you! 


There are many components to a good fitness and health routine. These are components I will discuss in future blogs. These topics will be about nutrition and diet plans (healthy eating), fitness patterns and how work out schedules work, styles of work out, natural foods you can eat that are doctor recommended and i will also include personal stories that can hopefully uplift your spirits and allow you to see that fitness is not easy for anyone to adapt to. It is a work in progress and a life changing experience. I will also answer any questions for those who are curious and perhaps interested in this life changing experience.