life in the fast lane

muffintop-less:

I know sometimes it’s easy to slip into unhealthy eating habits. A lot of people get discouraged by their unhealthy choices and weight gain. Here are a few tips I recommend to get your diet back to healthy!

• Start right away, don’t “wait for Monday”.
• Plan out healthy meals ahead of time.
• Get a good workout in (in the morning if you can to start your day off well!)
• Drink lots of water!
• Do NOT starve yourself to make up for overeating.
• Don’t fall into thinking “well I might as well eat that ice cream since I already ate those chips” or something along those lines! 
• Remind yourself of how far you have come.
• Stay positive.
• Be patient. 

muffintop-less:

My tips on making a healthy, fitness transformation:

• Set realistic goals… both small (ie. drink a gallon of water everyday), medium (ie. lose a pound a week) and major ones (compete in a bikini competition). “Perfection” is not a realistic goal.. aim to be the best YOU, you can be.. not “perfect” and not exactly like someone else! =)
• Get rid of the junk food! Make your own meals from wholesome lean proteins, veggies, fruits and healthy fats. No soda, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, white breads and pastas, fruit juice, sugary cereal, fast food or packaged, processed crap.
• While you’re at it.. cut out the alcohol. It shuts down your metabolism, promotes fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue. (lovely eh?)
• Plan ahead… prepare your meals and workouts in advance, always keep workout clothes, a water bottle and protein powder with a shaker cup in your car so you never have an excuse not to hit the gym. “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail”.
• Stay positive… setbacks will happen, don’t let your mistakes define you! You’re only a failure if you quit. Rid yourself of negativity (including the people who try to belittle your healthy dreams and goals).
• Track your progress… take before pictures and weekly progress pictures.
• Also, keep a journal of everything you eat and of all your workouts (including how many reps, sets and weight for each workout).
• Be patient… losing weight and getting fit takes time!
• Make a motivational posterboard of quotes, pictures, anything that will remind you of your goals and keep it where you can see it!
• Ask questions.. don’t be afraid of looking dumb! I asked millions of them when I first started (and still do sometimes!) In fact, the first person I ever asked was an NPC Fitness Competitor!!! And guess what? She answered every single one of my questions, and we have continued to stay in touch! Believe in yourself, believe you can do it. “The best way to predict your future, is to create it”.

muffintop-less:

Whey Helps You Get Lean

“I teach a college class in exercise physiology at a private university in south Florida. The questions I get are often quite illuminating. Perhaps the topic that engenders more falsehoods is dietary protein. When students realize that only protein and fat are essential (i.e. you need them in your diet because your body can’t make them), whereas carbohydrate is not, the incredulity on their young faces is apparent. And when I mention that protein can actually help them lose weight and bodyfat, a collective nod fills the room. Show me the beef!

A recent study shed light on the amazing effect of supplementing with protein. Scientists compared using a higher-protein supplement vs. a conventional carbohydrate on body composition and physical function in older women during weight loss. Thirty-one overweight or obese women were given a low-calorie diet (1,400 calories—15 percent protein, 65 percent carbs, 30 percent fat) along with either a 25-gram protein supplement or an isocaloric maltodextrin treatment twice a day for six months. Imagine finding out a half year later that, oh, by the way, you’ve been sucking down more sugar than a cotton candy festival.

Results: The protein group lost 8 percent of bodyweight while the carb group lost 4.1 percent. In terms of thigh volume changes, the protein group gained 5.8 percent more muscle and lost 3.8 percent more subcutaneous fat. The researchers concluded that “a higher protein intake during caloric restriction maintains muscle relative to weight lost, which in turn enhances physical function in older women.” That said, if you want data on which protein to use, whey is the one protein that all of us should eat. It clearly stimulates muscle protein synthesis, defends the body against oxidative stress, plays a role in the immune response and, of course, is instrumental in improving body composition.

A recent study found that whey protein supplementation reduced the amount of fat stored in the liver of obese women. In fact, the stuff is medicinal as well as performance-enhancing! A dose of 20 to 40 grams of whey immediately postworkout is what this doctor orders.” -  Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

muffintop-less:

What it really takes to change:

• Dedication
• Concentration
• Evaluation
• Cooperation
• Affirmation
• Motivation

It is time for a self-intervention on ME. 

muffintop-less:

Plans-&-Workouts

For some intense and effective, at-home, workouts that are short, I recommend checking out bodyrocktv. You can google them, or subscribe to their youtube channel below: http://www.youtube.com/user/charliejames1975?feature=watch

If you are looking for something with more guide, which includes tips, meal plans, grocery lists, workouts, and supplementation, I highly recommend bodybuilding.com. The plans are customized for your gender, age and goals and are super easy to navigate and follow! Check out the link below to see the variety of customized plans you can choose from! http://www.bodybuilding.com/guides/

If you are unsure of how to do an exercise, or you are looking for new workouts and/or exercises, the website below has a GIANT database! Not only do they have a WIDE variety of exercises, they have how-to demonstrations for each one! http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

If you want workouts that pro fitness competitors use, which are already laid out, check out the following site: http://cutandjacked.com/articles/13

*I’ve been asked a lot lately about at-home workouts and what to eat/supplement with. I’ve posted a ton of pages on my blog (at the top in white) that cover all of these subjects. If you are curious about a particular subject (ie. nutrition, supplementation, training, motivation, eating disorders, etc.), go ahead and check those out! If something isn’t on there that you think should be, feel free to send me an ask telling me! The text above is one of the pages that I’m reposting so everyone knows it’s there! =)