News and Rants (slightly informative)

You know that diet and exercise are important when it comes to creating your best body, but you may be overlooking other techniques for getting into the best shape. Even while stuck at home! Try out the following 13 simple habits and watch as your body transforms. 1. Eat a Smart Breakfast. Most people load up on carbohydrates and simple sugars for breakfast. Cereal, pastries, smoothies, and juice are all poor choices when it comes to starting your day off right. Center your breakfast around protein and healthy fat, and you’ll have the energy for hours. Try a protein shake, eggs, lean breakfast meat, or a handful of nuts. 2. Get More Sleep. If you’re not getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night then you could use more sleep. This is especially true if you’ve reached a plateau with weight loss. Give your body the 8 hours of sleep each night and make weight loss easier. 3. Just Do It. If you’re really ready to achieve your best body ever, then dig down dee...

When the social distancing mandate is lifted and we all emerge from our homes, you’re going to notice that many people put on weight during this stressful time. And it’s hard to blame them. Because fitness is  hard. It’s hard when life is normal, let alone when the world is on lockdown causing our stress to steadily rise and tempting us to turn to comfort food. Every day we have choices to make, and these choices take us closer to a fit and lean body or farther from a fit and lean body. Exercise or NO Exercise? Lace-up your shoes and take a run or do a bodyweight workout instead of getting extra sleep, watching TV or doing whatever else it is that you’d rather be doing. Do this 3-5 times each week for 30-60 minutes. OR Spend your spare time being as sedentary as possible. The less that you use your muscles, the more aches, pains and mobility limitations you’ll experience. Oh, and if you’re consuming more calories than your natural metabolism burns then you’ll s...

You’re stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic with Netflix and comfort foods causing you a huge amount of temptation. Not to mention the stress of this uncertain time making it easy to resort to stress eating… The fact is that after this quarantine you’re either going to be in worse shape – having gained many at-home pounds, OR you could use this extra time off to make visible progress towards your best body ever. Here are  12 Steps to Getting Lean while in Quarantine: Step One: Do Some Burpees.  Can burpees safely be performed at home? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your morning and evening routines to burn extra calories and tighten your core. Here’s how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to the squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead. Step Two: Reduce Sodium.  Did you know that salt cau...

Oops, You’ve relapsed Is this you? Have you relapsed into your old unhealthy habits? The sad truth is that nearly everyone who started off 2020 with strong fitness goals has by now given up. I sincerely hope that this is not you. This is the cycle that happens when you relapse into your old unhealthy habits, and here’s how to pick yourself back up: 1) First You Fall Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn-out process. You may fall out of exercise slowly as a result of health problems or other various life issues that spring up and monopolize your time. Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that’ll get you off the wagon. Once you’re off the real damage begins. 2) Second You Surrender There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. It may be a dramatic moment when you decide to eat anything you want, ...

Spring has arrived, bringing with it the promise of warm weather to come. You know what happens when the weather warms up? People put on bathing suits. Are you ready to bare it all on the beach? If not, no worries, there is still time. Follow these 12 steps to get your abs beach ready: Step One: Do Some Burpees.  Can burpees really help flatten your abs? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your workouts to burn extra calories and tighten your core. Here's how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to the squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead. Step Two: Reduce Sodium.  Did you know that salt causes water retention? Puffy skin is not going to make your abs look great in a bathing suit! Take the time to pay attention to the sodium content of your food. Limit salt intake by not eating packaged foods and by putti...

Before you start a new diet, answer these five questions to see if it will help you lose fat. Fat Loss Question 1: Does it make you hungry all day every day? When you’re on a diet, it’s normal to feel the occasional tinge of hunger. Much of those light hunger pangs, however, should be done away with by drinking a glass of water. And if you stay busy enough with life in general, you ought to be able to ignore some other hunger. But if your diet has you feeling hungry at all times, you’re not going to last long. To avoid falling into the pit of hungry despair, go with a diet that lets you eat protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Also, as stated above, drink plenty of water to avoid confusing hunger with thirst. Fat Loss Question 2: Does it force you to drop food groups? A healthy diet is one that incorporates appropriate amounts of food from each food group. When a diet cuts an entire food group from your eating options, you’re going to have a hard time surviving your...

1. Breakfast pastry: muffins, doughnuts, bear claws, and croissants sure taste good with coffee, but all those refined carbs are going to cause unwanted weight gain. But you knew that, right? 2. Granola Bars: Watch out for the breakfast bars that claim to give you fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Check the number of carbs and sugars on the back of the label - most contain the same sugar as a pastry. That is probably what makes them taste so good (and why you should avoid them like the plague) 3. Cereal: here's another popular breakfast item that has tons of sugar lurking beneath its surface. I think the concept of a "healthy" cereal is one of the BIGGEST lies perpetrated by the health food industry. Carbs upon carbs. 4. Drive-Thru Breakfast Sandwich: Oh please. Don't even think about heading to the drive-thru for a quick breakfast sandwich. You are much better off grabbing a...