Tag Archives: burn fat

6 tips to get ready for the beach season

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wpid-img_20150419_110946.jpgHello my dear readers!

Finally summer is just around the corner and I think everybody wants to be in the best shape for the beach season. This time of the year everybody is looking for speed diets, magic pills, reading articles about how to get a six pack in 4 weeks. You may find lots of trendy diets online, but you really have to be consistent to obtain what you want.

I made a top 6 most important things you should follow to obtain the body you want for summer. So if you want to lose those extra kilos, just follow these steps

  1. Water

Drink at least 3 liters of water per day. Lots of times I hear from my clients that they are so busy they forget to drink water. Lack of water can lead us to headache, but it can also give us a feeling of hunger, although we are not hungry. We need water to control our hunger, helps our metabolism work well, helps digestion and gives us energy.

  1. Proteins in your diet

Proteins are not just in protein bars and protein powder.  Meats, fruits and vegetables also contain good quality protein, vitamins and minerals. We need all these to obtain that toned and healthy look. Our meat consumption should be around 100-110 grams of meat per meal. You should choose chicken breast, turkey breast and fish.

  1. Vegetables

We should eat at least 100- 150 grams/meal. Although you should pay attention to some vegetables like chickpeas, beans, potatoes, lentils and corn. They are higher in carbohydrate, so you should eat them after your workout or leave them out while you diet. Eat instead a lots of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, and eggplants. From all these vegetables you can make a wonderful dish.

  1. Carbohydrates

Don’t make the mistake of eliminating carbohydrates totally from your diet. Don’t be afraid of carbs, they speed up our metabolism, gives us energy and make us feel full. The point is to choose them right. Eat 30 grams/meal, 120 grams/day. Choose oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet and sweet potatoes.

  1. Healthy fats

These fats are a good source of fat that out body needs and also help us with weight loss. They help our brain function well and also have anti-inflammatory effect too. The best sources of good fats: olive oil, fish oil, nuts and nut butters, avocados and fish. We should eat around 15 grams of fats/meal.

  1. Fruits

Lots of people are surprised when I tell them about the sugar from the fruits. Unfortunately some of the fruits contain a very high amount of sugar. We should definitely not avoid fruits, but be careful with them.  You should eat them especially in the morning. You can eat some berries with your oatmeal, and an apple, grapefruit, kiwi or pineapple as a snack or after your workout.

+ 1 more tip

Everybody knows that a beautiful beach body can’t be obtained without exercising. If you really don’t have time to go to the gym, than try to do some workout at home.

Have a great day!

Beginners guide to the gym

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wpid-img_20150220_205558.jpgHello everybody!

When I say new to the gym, I refer to the people who want to be consistent in a gym, who want to make fitness a part of their lives and most important to make it a habit.

In my opinion before you get your gym membership you have to do a couple of things.

Here they are:

  1. Have a plan! The best option is to hire a personal trainer to make a personalized workout plan for you. You should have that plan printed out, and you should know how to do those exercises correctly.
  2. Get an outfit in which you feel comfortable. It doesn’t has to be super stylish. If you are a girl your sports bra should fit perfectly, not to tight or too loose. You should wear some leggings, and be shore they are not see-through and they fit well. And some comfortable shoes.
  3. 3. Headphones are super important. You go to the gym to work out and mind your own business. You should not care what other people think about you, or look at you. If it bothers you, get also a cool cap, I used to do that, so you will feel even more comfortable
  4. You need an arm band or waist band to put your phone in. Be super careful I see broken phones in the weight sections all the time!
  5. 5. Decide your muscle group split. The traditional way is: Back and biceps, chest and triceps, legs and shoulders, abs and cardio. You can split your workouts in other ways too, depending on your goals and the body parts you want to focus more.
  6. How many sets and reps you should do? Well for beginners I would suggest 4 exercise per muscle group so it’s like 4 exercises for biceps, 4 exercises for triceps…and so on. I would suggest 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
  7. Check your form! There are a lot of mirrors in every gym. Check yourself if you are doing them correctly and also to feel it in the body part you are training. If you train shoulders you should feel it in your shoulders and not in your biceps or something.
  8. Exercising should never hurt! You can feel the burn or that you are sore, but it is not ok to feel pain in your joints!
  9. Do not forget to Stretch! Stretching is super important especially after your workout. It helps lengthening your muscles, and helps your blood flow in those muscles, helping them to recover.
  10. Get a great playlist on your phone. Music can make such a big difference! Your favorite music will push you through your workout. If you don’t have a playlist you can find any kind of music on Spotify or what I like is Fit radio, they have a lot of playlists, different kind of music, so you can choose something you like for sure.

That’s it guys I hope I could help with these tips. Now go and get ready for a great workout!

Have a great day! :*

Swiss ball workout circuit

Posted in Abs workout, Fitness Tips, Legs workout, Workout video by

Hello my dears!

Today I have for you a super fun and effective workout with a swiss or fitness ball. It may seem easy but I’m telling you it’s not that easy. After 3 rounds you will feel your abs and your legs I promise.

Try it out, and have a great day!

Top reasons why your workout is NOT working

Posted in Fitness Tips by

bea_blHello everybody!

We all went through these little mistakes in our fitness journey, wanting to see results after the first day in the gym or having to big expectations. No matter how much we hope, workout results will never appear overnight. But there are a few things in your routine that you can change to speed up the time it takes to reach your goals. Read these tips below to find out why your work out is not working.

  1. You are not paying attention on your nutrition

Exercise is necessary, but if you’re not eating a healthy and nutritious diet, you could be setting yourself back. Even if you’re doing all the right exercise routines, nothing can out train a poor diet. Remember weight/fat-loss is 80% diet, and 20% exercise. So the next time you walk out of the gym, think twice of what you going to eat after!

  1. Miscounting Calories

We all love to watch the number under “Calories Burned” increase on the exercise machine at the gym, but you can’t rely on that number too much. Fitness machines are only estimating how many calories you have burned. This is because people burn calories and fat at different rates. When we see on the machines that we burned lots of calories, somehow we allow to ourselves to eat more, or eat not so healthy food, because already “burned” those calories.  So pay attention and don’t let your mind trick you!

  1. Not drinking enough water!

One of the most essential things you can do during your workout is hydrate! When you work out, your body is depleting nutrients while you sweat, so it is extremely important to replenish those nutrients by hydrating. Even though sports drinks may taste better, they are also filled with sugars. Water is always the best way to go!

  1. Doing The Same Fitness Routine

Try to change your workout routines! Not only does it give certain areas of your body a rest, but it also makes your work outs more fun and exciting. Try exercising with a partner or friend, so have someone to push you through your workout. Fitness classes are always a nice challenge. Try out something new like dance classes, jump classes or yoga, when you get tired from the weights room!

  1. Focusing On One Area

We all know about those girls who are doing just cardio, running/ walking on the treadmill, or guys with big upper body and slim legs, this is because they focus only on the same body parts. For best results, focus on exercises that target multiple parts of your body at once, like lunges or squats! If you are going to focus on one area per day, make sure you switch it up next time.

  1. You are doing too much cardio

Cardio is great for getting the blood flowing and burning calories, but TOO MUCH cardio won’t help you gain any definition. A good workout routine consists of a combination between strength, resistance, cardio, and flexibility training. Incorporating workout routines that involve weights, and using your own body weight, can help tone muscles and give definition. This is how you achieve a lean and sculpted body.

  1. Not Getting Enough Sleep

One of the most important things to remember is your body needs rest. Even if you can’t sleep 8 hours per night, try to get as much as possible. Resting is especially important after a hard workout, to ensure your muscles have enough time to repair, and for your body to replenish energy. Recovery also speeds up your metabolism, and is absolutely essential for great results!

Hope you will pay more attention next time you work out.

Have a great weekend! :*

How to Choose the Best Personal Trainer for You

Posted in Fitness Tips by

wpid-img_4834.jpg 

Hello everybody!

I am back with you again after a long brake. I wrote an article about some little guiding points which can help you to choose the best personal trainer for you.

If you want to lose weight, get healthy and/or build muscle, hiring a personal trainer can be a step in the right direction. A good trainer can help you set up a program that meets your goals and teach you the best way to exercise. 

Personal trainers are not just for Hollywood stars and the “rich and famous” anymore! Your personal trainer will motivate you, keep you on track and make sure your workouts are safe, enjoyable and effective.
Finding and choosing a trainer can be a little confusing or difficult for some people so here are some guiding points that you should consider when choosing your trainer!
1. May sound a little superficial but your personal trainers physical appearence is one of the moust important things about his knowledge, motivation and hard work. If he or she is not able to do it for him/herself why whould he do it for you?
2. Education! A personal trainer should be certified through a reputable personal training organization. The more education your trainer has, the better your workouts will be.
3. Experience. Make sure your trainer has experience, especially in relation to your goals. For example, if you’re a bodybuilder, you want someone knowledgeable in that exact area.
4. Nutrition. Your trainer must have a knowlegde about nutrition. We all know exercise without a healthy diet will not do the work. They are strongly linked together.
5. A good listener. A good trainer will listen closely to what you say and make sure he understands your goals.
6. Tracking progress: A good trainer will regularly assess your progress and change things if necessary.training styles
7. A good trainer should respect his/her job, should be informed about the new fitness trends, training styles machines etc.
8. Needs to be a good motivator! Most of the clients needs that little push from the trainer, when they feel a little lazy or without motivation.

So these are my thouths on this subject, I hope you enjoyed it (I know I made a few personal trainers very “happy” with this article)

See you very soon! :*

Top 10 tips for loosing fat

Posted in Fitness Tips, Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips by

fatloss720pxHello everybody! 

One of the most common questions I get from my clients, is how to lose overall body fat, especially belly fat.So here are my best tips for YOU!

  1. Switch to single ingredient foods

This tip will help you improve the quality of your diet. Why? Because eating what nature gave us (vegetables, legumes, meat, nuts and fruits) you will cut out all the processed, unhealthy foods that can quickly put a stop to weight loss! Single ingredient foods in their most natural state will contain the most nutrition to help keep your body healthy throughout the weight-loss process.

  1. Increase your protein intake

A higher protein intake is the next step to seeing results in loosing fat. For every one of your daily meals make sure you include foods that contain high quality proteins (poultry, eggs, protein powders, red meat, fish). Protein-rich foods not only will calm your hunger, but they also have a higher thermogenic effect as well. So, for every 100 calories you eat, your body will burn about 20-30 % of those calories off simply breaking down the food. This means you net fewer calories overall. Protein also helps reduce the chance of muscle mass loss, which is so important in maintaining a fast metabolism long-term.

  1. Eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index!

Glycemic Index (GI) is the rate at which a carbohydrate contained in a food is converted into glucose (simple sugar) and enters into the bloodstream.

So, the higher the GI of a carbohydrate the faster it enters the bloodstream, the lower its GI the slower it enters the bloodstream. So, the lower the glycemic index of a food, the lower the insulin secretion and the less likely the tendency of a carbohydrate to be converted into fats. High glycemic index foods (e.g.: white bread, white pasta, white rice, puffed rice cakes, corn, carrots, etc.) are responsible for a shorter satiety feeling and excessive food intake on the following meal. Consume instead low GI foods like: barley, quinoa, rolled oats, lentils, beans, chickpeas, berries, apples.

  1. Perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training

When most people think of cardio, they think of long, boring jogs, or endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical. I’ve got good news for you: there’s a method of cardio that takes much less time and is far superior to jogging to help you burn fat. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and aerobically with cardio. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, there’s also an after burn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.

  1. Drink one glass of water before each meal

A great technique to try if you struggle to cut back on your food intake is to simply drink one glass of water before each meal.

This serves multiple purposes:

Staying well-hydrated makes sure your metabolism runs at top speeds.

The water will fill you up, therefore prompting you to take in fewer calories during the meal.

It’s refreshing and can help combat food cravings, making it easier to choose healthier foods for your meal.

Add a slice of lemon to your water glass and you’ll often find that the taste you had for whichever food you desired has passed.

  1. Go grilled, steamed, or baked.

Do you eat a lot of fried foods?  If so, start grilling, baking or steaming your food instead.  It may take a little getting used to, but eventually you’ll come to enjoy how much lighter and tastier the food is when it’s not loaded with fat.

  1. Clean your house of junk food, sweets, cadies, chocolate bars

If food you shouldn’t be eating exists in your fridge, cupboards, or freezers, you will give in at some point or another. You may think you have willpower of steel, but believe me we all have those crashes, and we are very tempted to give in. So if those foods are not in your house, you have more chances not too eat them at all!

  1. Supplement your diet with calcium

Scientific research found that calcium intake increases fat loss! In detail, researchers found that supplemental calcium (800mg/day) or high dietary intake of calcium (1200mg/day) promoted a greater fat loss (38-64%) compared to subjects on a low calcium diet (500mg/day).

  1. Eat Fat

Yes, you heard me! It takes fat to burn fat. Like I said in previous articles, it’s sugar that gets you fat, not fat. Good fats include foods rich in Omega 3′s, like salmon, avocados & nuts. These foods are full of nutrients that help keep you satiated throughout the day.

      10. Sleep

If you want to work late at night, think again. When your biorhythms are off, you end up eating more. When you’re tired you produce more ghrelin, which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing sleep can also alter your hormone production, affecting your cortisol levels that cause insulin sensitivity, prime reasons for belly fat! Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do for your body shaping goals.

So here they are, my best tips for loosing fat! Hope you enjoyed! See you soon! :*

 

7 things that slow down your metabolism

Posted in Fitness Tips, Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips by

sittingAccording to the dictionary, metabolism is a chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that is necessary for the maintenance of life.

We all know people who can eat all day and not gain a single pound. These people have good — or fast — metabolisms. Then there are the people that have one unhealthy meal and have to run for a week straight to burn it all off. These are people that tend to have a slower metabolic rate.

The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. And just like there are ways to speed it up—by working out, for instance—certain habits can also slow it down.

Metabolic rate is also affected by several factors including age, weight, and genetics.

If losing weight is your goal, avoid these metabolism-slowing mistakes:

1. Eating too late in the morning

Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do for weight loss since it causes your metabolism to slow down. When you don’t eat, the brain sends a message to the rest of the body to conserve energy, signaling it to hold onto the stored fat that you’re trying to get rid of. Eating within an hour of waking sparks the metabolic process called thermo genesis that turns the food you eat into energy. So choose a high-protein breakfast. Make sure to eat throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels since any drops can cause the body to burn muscle for fuel.

2. Not eating enough

It is important to snack often and never miss a main meal. As stated before, getting your body in a proper eating schedule is critical for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Also, when you skip out on meals, your body puts itself into “starvation mode”, which slows your metabolic rate to conserve any of the energy it has. This is why people who try to lose weight by not eating don’t have very much success.

3. Not exercising

Research shows that you continue burning calories up to 24 hours after working out, and studies also show that morning exercises burn more calories than those who work out during other times of the day. If you’re planning on exercising anyway, for maximum calorie burn, your best bet is to get it done in the a.m. Include high intensity cardio intervals

4. Sitting Too Long

It takes only 20 minutes in any fixed position to inhibit your metabolism, according to Carrie Schmitz, an ergonomic research manager. A new study has discovered that sitting for long periods increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and death regardless of physical activity.

5. Dehydration

All of your body’s cellular processes, including metabolism, depend on water. If you’re dehydrated, you could burn up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers.

6. A Weird Eating Schedule

Researchers suspect that eating at the same times every day trains the body to burn more calories between meals. So eat frequent, consistently sized meals.

7. Not getting enough sleep

People who sleep less move less the next day, which means they burn fewer calories. Sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy your body uses at rest. Stay away from alcohol, fatty foods, coffee and chocolate at least 2 hours before bedtime.

So here are 7 things that you should avoid, if you want to loose weight, or if you just want to maintain your healthy weight.

Everybody can fall out of the wagon once or twice, by not sleeping enough or, sitting to much at the office because of work. So just try to compensate it, if you are sitting all day, you really need to work out after the office hours. I really think I am blessed with a great metabolism, I can eat a lot 🙂 BUT I also work out 5 times a week, and I try to eat healthy!

 Have a nice day my dears! :*

How to get back in shape after the winter holidays

Posted in Fitness Tips, Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips, Workout video by

Hello my dear readers!

I want to wish you again a very Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true, I really can’t wish you more than this! 🙂

I hope everybody is ok, in a good health full of positivity and energy!

Christmas and New Years are by far the best holidays of the year! You eat and drink lots, you get gifts, and you have tons of fun. For most, the last thing on our minds is putting on weight. Once all the festivities are over however, getting back physically to where you were before the holiday period can be a difficult task.

So, please!!!! Don’t feel guilty about the over indulging- you have to let your self go some time. If you’ve put a little weight on, don’t worry! Be positive and go hard!

I was on vacation for 2 weeks, so for me today is the first work day of the year! I really love the holidays, staying all days with friends, sleeping till noon, travelling, but somehow I’m glad to be back on track!

Today I am going to write about a very common subject that you guys and my clients and friends ask me all the time. How to get back in shape after the Christmas holiday?

Here are some tips that will help you get that little excess fat off you in no time. 🙂

Drink lots of water!

Drinking large quantities of alcohol is bad for your health. Alcohol contains many calories and also causes dehydration. To make up for your holiday alcohol consumption, drink plenty of water. Your skin, kidneys and many others organs will benefit. What’s more, drinking water makes you feel fuller:  if you drink more, you will eat less!

Drinking more water flushes out excess sodium to help you quickly de-bloat, and it get things moving in your digestive system. Aim for 2 to 2.5 litres a day (about 8 to 10 cups).

Start Eating on Schedule

Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and eat again every 3 to 5 hours. Starting your day with a healthy meal and enjoying evenly spaced meals will maximize your metabolism; regulate your blood sugar and insulin levels. Please DON’T starve yourself because it won’t get you anywhere! Eating too little forces your body to switch into conservation mode and burn fewer calories. Under eating can cause your body to break down muscle mass for fuel, which also causes a metabolic slow down. Eating enough and at regular times is key.

Cut back on carbs, but DON’T cut them out completely!

Eliminating carbs completely can force your body to burn protein for fuel instead of using it to support and maintain your calorie-burning muscle. So instead of cutting carbs out, just cut back.

So replace the refined carbs with veggies and complex carbs! Refined carbs like white rice, white bread, sugar, pasta) will get stored in your body as fat if you do not use them as energy right away! For example instead of eating beef with white rice you should choose broccoli instead of rice.

Get plenty of sleep, relax, and don’t forget to exercise

It’s time to get back on track. Treat yourself to a good night’s sleep. You’ll feel rested and have more energy to take on the new challenges of the New Year. Avoid unnecessary stress and find ways to relax (yoga, meditation or just going out to the movies!). Gradually start to exercise again. Physical activity will bring balance and energy back into your life.

Do some cardio!

Running, bicycling, walking, swimming…anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time is what will really start melting away at those extra pounds. Circuit training and high intensity training is also great because it can involve lighter weights but keeps you constantly moving.

Be consistent!

If physical fitness is a lifestyle it has to be just as important as brushing your teeth every morning.  You will have days where you are tired, worked late at the office but these are not reasons to stop with your program.  It’s all about mindset; do not give yourself a way out.

Never Quit!

It’s just that simple.  Never, ever, under any circumstance quit.  It’s not an option!!!  Success is your only possible outcome.

 So these are my 7 simple tips to get back in shape! Hope you enjoyed it, now let’s get started!!!

 Have a great day everybody! :*

Quick butt toning home workout video

Posted in Butt& thighs, Workout video by

 

Hello everybody!

If you don’t have time or the mood to go to the gym, but you want to tone up your legs and butt a little, this workout is for you!

Just pay attention to your form, be sure to make all the moves nice and controlled. You are not just lifting your leg, pay attention to squeeze your muscles all the time. Do all these exercises in a raw without any pause on one leg then stretch a little and go on the other leg. Try to do between 15 and 20 repetitions of each movement. Believe me at the end of the workout you will feel it 🙂

Have a great day! :*

The Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

Posted in Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips by

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The Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

In this post I will write about some common weight loss mistakes. Some people just don’t understand how come they exercise almost daily, eat right/clean most of the time and they still won’t lose weight.

The nr. 1 mistake and the most common is skipping breakfast! If you don’t eat in the first hour after you wake up, when your body needs energy and nutrients, your body is going to eat away your muscle tissue. Besides that, eating breakfast can also kick-start your metabolism. You send your body a signal that you’re not starving, so it starts burning fat—even when you’re just doing normal activities. You should know, the more muscle you have the more fat you burn even when you are not working out!

The nr.2 reason is stress! Doesn’t matter that you are stressed at work, or you are stressed about your weight loss, or emotional stress, you need to know that when your body is releasing a lot of stress hormone and you are stressed out, your body is not in a fat burning mode.

The nr. 3 mistake is to lose sleep. It is very important for our body to rest. When you don’t get between seven and nine hours of rest, your body produces more of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, and that means you will be eating more on the next day, and you will crave high fat food.

Mistake nr. 4 is going on a low fat or no fat diet! Our body needs fat to function properly, to make things like brain cells, all of the cellular membranes of every cell of our body contain a layer of fat. It is important that we incorporate good and healthy fat in our diet. For example: avocados, nuts and seeds, fish.

The nr. 5 mistake is that people forget about liquid calories. We all love those caramel lattes and those nice fruity cocktails, or even a margarita.  You should know these drinks are loaded with sugar and can pack up to 300-400 calories!

Mistake nr. 6 is consuming artificial sweeteners. Studies suggest that fake, zero-calorie sweeteners cause more weight gain compared to real sugar—possibly because they confuse your digestive system, compromising your ability to burn calories and actually increasing food cravings.

Mistake nr.7 is eating in front of the TV. Once someone has repeatedly eaten a food in a particular environment, their brain comes to associate the food with the environment. This is when people before their favorite TV show make popcorn, French fries, tortilla chips. Watching a TV show or a movie, you are not paying attention on how much you eat, so you can easily overeat.

Mistake nr.8 is the fact that people choose a specific diet. These diets may work, but as soon as you are going back to your old eating habits and lifestyle all that weight is going to come back. It is important to make some little sustainable changes in your lifestyle that can help you lose weight. You should make these changes little by little, and the most important thing is to hold on to it, to make it a lifestyle not a diet!

Mistake nr. 9 is that people do not drink enough water. Water is so important for us. Flushes out all the toxins from our body, speeds up the metabolism and helps us losing weight. Drink as much water as possible, especially on empty stomach in the morning and after your workout.

Mistake nr.10 is having a negative defeatist attitude. If you think there is no way that you are going to succeed this time, lose the weight and keep it off, then you will be right!