Weights and Shakes

Merry Christmas! Regardless if you don't celebrate this holiday I hope that you have a blessed day! 

Due to my indecisiveness and lack of creativity I dealt with when creating my blog, I have finally set on a name for my domain - Woohoo! So we are going with 'Weights and Shakes' after spending sleepless nights lying in bed trying to think, think, think, and..... nothing..... For me, when I first started out in a gym setting, working out was kind of intimidating because I didn't want to look stupid or as if I didn't know what I was doing (especially with all those guys in the free weight area!). When I began looking for a trainer of my own, I wanted someone who could tell me all there was about free weights - it was kind of an obsession, and if we've worked out together you know, it still kind of is.... I love the feel of the weights in my hands and being able to be creative with my exercises to obtain the results I want. I also LOVE it when I see someone mimicking the exercise I was just doing or stopping and asking me questions. Replication is the biggest compliment. 

I believe that proper supplementation is also key to obtaining results and can also play a key role in muscle recovery. Diet is going to be the biggest factor in getting the results you want - and supplements are something to enhance workouts, as well as, to assist in results and recovery. Drinking a protein shake after working out will help your muscles heal after getting a great muscle tear in the weight room. I am also a big fan of amino acids - which again are the building blocks for muscle and aide in recovery. I admit I love to be sore after a workout, but I don't like to be sore for too long. There are a lot of different proteins and supplements available so it's finding the ones that work best for you and your fitness goals. No matter what a salesman may recommend in the supplement shop, always take a look at the ingredients and nutritional labels. Keep in mind, we do want to trust their professional opinion and pick their brains, but at the end of the day they are running a business. So they may recommend something that might not be the most expensive, but it could be the most profitable for their company.

Make sure you know what you are putting into your body and what effects it may have. You can also check reviews online just to make sure. Investigation is not a bad thing. 

Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live. So make it the best place!

If you are what you eat..... Why Not be Super?

Did you know.... that the majority of your results are going to come from what you eat? Changes in diet are typically the hardest to make, but they are the most rewarding. If you are going to do it, why not do it right? It's also extremely hard to make choices in nutrition based on what the media says, the fad diets, etc etc. I will admit, that I love reading diet books - it's a guilty pleasure - but do I follow them? No. It's not about "dieting" "loosing 10 lbs in 10 days" or whatever the case may be. It is a LIFESTYLE change. That is one of the reasons I am extremely impartial to the HCG diet. This diet makes someone starve themselves while taking the drops, and with such a low caloric intake, they are not able to do any extra activities or exercise. Resistance training is SO important I can't even come up with a list of all the benefits that come with it, but here are a few: strengthens your bones, doing resistance training will strengthen your bones and help prevent Osteoporosis. Also, resistance training helps increase lean muscle mass. This will not only give you the desired "toned" appearance you may be looking for, but increasing your body's amount of muscle will also increase your metabolism dramatically. Who doesn't want to burn more calories faster? (**Insert cricket noises here**)

 

Have you ever read the book "Eat This Not That" - again, I had to check it out. However, I recall something about referring readers to get a Whopper VS a Big Mac (or vice versa) but the case in the matter is, if you are trying to get healthy and work on your body - you shouldn't be eating fast food! Period. Plus, what really caught my attention in the book was it didn't recall any references or list any of the nutrition information that is typically listed on foods. If you want to know what your eating, you should know EVERYTHING in it. 

Here's a little bit more positive talk on what will help you with your nutrition selections..Here are a list of Superfoods and  how they will change your life.

* Wild Salmon - the omega-3 fatty acids contained in this wild fish will assist your body in fighting body fat more efficiently. Salmon is loaded with healthy fats as well as protein packed that will assist your body in building muscle and assist in burning fat rather than storing it. 

* Quinoa -  this super grain is a complete protein that contains all of the essential amino acids that are needed to aid in muscle growth and recovery.

* Lentils - Legumes/lentils are a rich in resistance starch. They contain tons of fiber and may encourage fat burning and the shrinking of fat cells.

* Olive Oil - a healthy monounsaturated (good) fat is contained in olive oil. This healthy fat helps people burn fat rather than storing it.

* Eggs - there way too many benefits of eating eggs than I could possibly list in this blog, but here are a few reasons to not skip eggs with breakfast. Eggs contain 6 grams of high quality protein and 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Most of it's vitamins and nutrients are found in the yolks.

* Sweet Potatoes - this is also a resistance starch that heats up your fat burning furnace! They also help the peptide hormone that aides in telling your body that it is full and to stop eating.

* Kiwi - contains 84 milligrams of vitamin C, which is more than a days quota. Vitamin C helps form canitine, which is a compound that transports fat in cell mitochondria, where it will be burned for energy during exercise. 

 

There are many more superfoods that will help you achieve success in obtaining the results you desire! When choosing food products, also limit the amount of ingredients that are listed on the package - the fewer the better - and also make sure to avoid the ingredients you cannot pronounce. :) 

The Journey to a Healthier and Happier Life

Does your fitness journey resemble the dotted trail of the child on Family Circus? Ups and downs, yo-yo dieting, trying to find the magic pill that will give you the results you desire overnight... does this all sound familiar? Healthy living and getting the fitness results you desire is a lifestyle change, it’s not an overnight process. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it and it is possible. It takes 21 days to form a habit, and when you begin to not only feel better physically, but begin to physically get the results you desire, it won’t be difficult to keep going. The hardest part will be getting started, and deciding that you are worth the time, energy, blood, sweat and tears to get the results that you want.

For me, fitness and working out has always been extremely important part of my life. I've had times where I've worked out and worked my ass off and yet couldn't see the results I was looking for. It didn't make sense to me. I worked out 5 days a week, read fitness books and magazines, etc etc etc. What I didn't realize then what I do now, is those suggestions I was taking from the books and magazines I read worked for those individuals; however, they weren't working for me. Every BODY is different. We all tick a different way, and in fitness and health somethings will work for some people and for others it won't. So, at this point of revelation I found a trainer and asked for help. Years afterward, I mustered up the courage to get over myself - just because I am a woman doesn't mean that people won't take me serious - and get certified to help others and change their lives through fitness.

If you have fitness goals, need a little inspiration and someone to hold you accountable - I'm your gal! In starting my new blog and fitness page, I hope to spread a wealth of knowledge that will help you be successful in your own fitness journey.