Tag Archives: weight loss tips

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! :*

 

Why we crave unhealthy/junk food? And what can we do about it!

Posted in Nutrition Tips by

PhotoGrid_1393584280165Hey everybody! Welcome back!

Today I have an article for you on how to stop craving unhealthy food, and how to eliminate them from your diet.

We all want to feel and look great, that’s probably why you are reading my blog, because you want to learn how to improve your physical self. I think a huge portion of feeling and looking good is being comfortable in your own skin and being the best person in the best shape that you can be.

Heaving a healthy and strong body it comes down to 2 things: what you eat, and how much physical activity are you doing.

It’s just that simple, there are no magic pills there are no short-cuts, you just have to eat the write things, and exercise, to have a beautiful toned body.

We know that junk food is unhealthy. Most of us know that poor nutrition is related to heart problems, high blood pressure, and a lots of other health problems. But if it’s so bad for us, why do we keep doing it?

Why We Crave Junk Food so much?

According to Steven Witherly, a food scientist who has spent the last 20 years studying what makes certain foods more addictive (and tasty) than others, when you eat tasty food, there are two factors that make the experience pleasurable.

  1. There is the sensation of eating the food. This includes what it tastes like (salty, sweet etc.), what it smells like, and how it feels in your mouth. This sensation is called “orosensation”—it is super  important.
  1. The second factor is the actual macronutrient makeup of the food—the blend of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that it contains. In the case of junk food, food manufacturers are looking for a perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that excites your brain and gets you coming back for more.

There are a range of factors that scientists and food manufacturers use to make food more addictive.

Memories of Past Eating Experiences 

When you eat something tasty (biscuits, chocolate cream, cakes or a bag of potato chips), your brain registers that feeling. The next time you see that food, smell that food, or even read about that food, your brain starts remember the memories and responses that came when you ate it. These memories can actually cause physical responses like salivation and create the “mouth-watering” craving that you get when thinking about your favourite foods.

Food companies are spending millions of dollars to design foods with addictive sensations.

Rapid Food Meltdown

Foods that rapidly vanish or “melt in your mouth” signal to your brain that you’re not eating as much as you actually are. In other words, these foods literally tell your brain that you’re not full, even though you’re eating a lot of calories. The result: you tend to overeat. If something melts down quickly, your brain thinks that there are no calories in it . . . you can just keep eating it forever.

Dynamic Contrast

Dynamic contrast refers to a combination of different sensations in the same food. Foods with dynamic contrast, for example crunch followed by something soft or creamy and full of taste. This rule applies to a variety of our favorite food structures—the caramelized top of a creme brulee, a slice of pizza, or an Oreo cookie.

 How to stop craving junk food?

The good news is that the research shows that the less junk food you eat, the less you crave it.  If you can find ways to gradually eat healthier, you’ll start to experience the cravings of junk food less and less.

Here are some strategies that can help you:

  1. Remove temptation

Just get rid of it, and remove all temptation from your home. To keep yourself from buying more, never go to the grocery store while hungry. When you have only healthy foods to eat, you’ll make healthy choices. When you do get a craving, it’ll be too much bother to go to the store for a candy bar.

  1. Healthy substitutes are a must!

If you are struggling with a craving and have to have it, try something of the same consistency or in the same food group that is a much HEALTHIER option! If you crave chocolate try to eat a small piece of dark chocolate (80-90 % cocoa), if you crave ice cream, make yourself a banana/ strawberry smoothie, you can switch your salty nuts to raw nuts, your salty, greasy popcorn to a home-made popcorn with just a little olive oil, switch your French fries to oven baked sweet potatoes and the list could go on.

  1. Avoid Boredom

Keep yourself active and busy, so you’re not always thinking about just food. There is a lot more to do than eat.

  1. Drink plenty of water!

You know I always repeat this, but it is so so important! The water intake recommended does NOT include the water you receive from food or coffee. If you feel thirsty, this means you are already dehydrated – and dehydration can often be confused with hunger. Keep always in sight a large jug of lemon favored water, chilled herbal tea if you don’t like plain water. If it’s in front of you, you’ll drink it.

  1. Reward Yourself!

Permit yourself a treat from time to time, as you establish new habits. Just be sure a treat is exactly that, just a small taste! One or two cookies, not an entire bag. If you think you cannot stop at two pieces, purchase a small package, so that is all there is. A “cheat-day” is a day in which you are permitted to have such a treat. It does not mean you can cheat all day long!

So, these are my tips for today; I really hope you can pick out the essence of the things I wrote down. We know that everybody is different; some people have faster metabolisms than others, and therefore might not be affected so much by food physically. However, food also affects us mentally. When we have proper functioning cells, we start feeling better, happier & more energized than if they were malnourished.

I hope you find this article helpful, please feel free to comment and send me your feedback.

Have a great day, and see u very 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! :*

Detox Drink for Cleansing & Weight Loss

Posted in Nutrition Tips, Recipes by

IMAG4432fffHey guys!

Today I have for you a great detox drink, that is not just healthy and refreshing but it tastes amazing!

Detoxing with various beverages is a great way to help give your body the nutrients it’s really craving, and can give your digestive system a break from having to break down and digest food. The liver is the most important detoxifying organ in the body, so it only makes sense to drink fruits and vegetables to help it function at its best.

Here one of my favourite detox drink recipes that can be incorporated into any detox program you’re following, or just enjoyed for their health benefits.

finbbalI juiced together:

  • 2 carrots
  • half on orange
  • half an apple
  • 1 pomegranate
  • a piece of beetroot
  • a little piece of celery
  • a little piece of ginger

And that’s it! 🙂

 

It is important to drink these kind of drinks first thing in the morning on an empty stomach!

Have a nice day everybody, enjoy your drinks! 

 

Benefits of eating yogurt

Posted in Nutrition Tips by

yogurt finalHey everybody! 

Did you know that yogurt it makes the list of one of the healthiest foods to eat? It’s important to note that the KIND of yogurt makes all the difference (keep reading below to find out what you should look for).

Here are 3 Benefits of Eating Yogurt:

1)      Yogurt contains probiotics (“good” bacteria also know as live active cultures) that help create a healthy environment which promotes digestion, increases immunity, fights against Candida (“bad” bacteria) overgrowth, and strengthens the immune system.

2)      Yogurt increases your immunity and protects against disease. A recent study found that daily yogurt consumption had a stimulating effect on cellular immunity in healthy young women. Yogurt helps maintain good gut flora and helps prevent all kinds of diseases, especially chronic degenerative ones, by controlling inflammation and increasing antibodies and anticancer cells.

3)      Yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, potassium, B vitamins, and selenium. Those who are lactose intolerant can often enjoy yogurt with no problems due to the live cultures present in yogurt which break down lactose. Now, you’re probably wondering what kind of yogurt you should buy… Well, these benefits only apply to yogurts with the “Live and Active Cultures” (LAC) seal! This means the yogurt contains at least 100 million cultures per gram of yogurt at the time of manufacture and after pasteurization. Also, look for PLAIN yogurt, which has only two ingredients: live cultures and milk (whole, low-fat, or skim). The longer the list of ingredients, the less nutritional value it has (Source: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS). As for the type (Bulgarian, Greek, Lassi, Kefir, Goat, Sheep) of yogurt, it really depends on your own preference so choose accordingly based on the guidelines above.

Now that you know what to look for, go out there and buy some yogurt! 🙂

Have a great day! See you tomorrow 🙂

New workout video

Posted in Abs workout, Workout video by

Hello everybody!

Today I have a new workout video for you, which I filmed in Croatia on the beach.

Try to do 15-20 repetitions of each exercise than repeat the circuit one more time. In this video I show you only the moves and the proper form for each exercise.

You can do this at home, in the gym or on the beach as I did 🙂

Remember one thing, abs are made in kitchen, so pay attention on what are you eating and of course on your portions too. You can do 100 of abs exercises if your diet is not clean you will not get any results.

Have a great day, see you soon! :* 

Why are people not loosing weight?

Posted in Fitness Tips, Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips by

beaaaa (1)Some of you guys are always  asking yourself why are you not loosing any weight, although you are going to the gym on a regular basis, you are eating write…. what is going on?!

So I’m telling you what might be the problem here…

Some of my friends are telling me they are eating right and healthy, but when I see what  are they eating…. I’m like OMG what are you doing. Since when frappuccino, ice cream, pasta and soda are eating right?

So the first problem could be…that you don’t have the knowledge about what eating right actually means. Although I think most of you guys who are fallowing me I believe you have the knowledge, but if you feel the need to know more about these things, nutrition, fitness, exercise weight loss there is a huge amount of information on the internet, that really everybody can learn. There are lots of healthy recipes, diet plans, and nutritional information for free, anything you want to know just Google it guys.

The other problem that you are not loosing any weight could be the consistency. You may have the knowledge, but you are not consistent with your diet with your exercises.

On the other hand, maybe you are consistent with your workouts, you go every day to the gym, but you are doing the same exercises, using the same machines and not pushing yourself to your limits. You have to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself every single time, if you want to see amazing results. Everything is up to you!

It is so important for you to want to change your body, your lifestyle; you have to believe in it. If you don’t want it enough you won’t make it. There is a good quote on this topic “If you want something you’ve never had, than do something you’ve never done.”

Don’t compare yourself to others! Sometimes I see some fitness trainers, who are totally out of shape…so you may ask how this trainer can help me. Why can he help himself?  So it is important to inspire people, and inspire yourself in the first place. You are your own competition, never try  to be like someone else, just look in the mirror, and try to be better than you were yesterday. Maybe these things sound like cliché but I hope you all understand the essence of these things I’m talking about  🙂

So guys, please be consistent with everything you do. Your workouts, your diet/ eating habits, always be informed, always try to learn new things. And really if you have any questions please feel free to ask me and I try my best to answer you all.

Have an amazing day!