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(via prettyandfit)
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(via prettyandfit)
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(via prettyandfit)
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(via prettyandfit)
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(via wastedmodels)
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girl crush
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(via chicgarden)
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I think a lot of people tend to get WEIGHT loss and FAT loss confused. Those who come to me asking how to lose WEIGHT.. often mean FAT when they talk about “losing”. Losing WEIGHT is simple, losing FAT is a little trickier.
Weight loss comes down to calories in versus calories out (you need to be consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain itself). Whereas fat loss comes from eating the RIGHT foods in a caloric deficit and training correctly. (This does NOT mean you have to starve yourself or workout for hours!) It’s important to control blood sugar when trying to lose body fat, so frequent small meals and avoiding simple carbs and junk food will help with that.
Tips for losing fat, not muscle:
- Eat clean in a slight caloric deficit (don’t starve)
- Eat frequent small meals (controls hunger and blood sugar)
- Have a lean protein source at each meal (but don’t forget about your veggies and healthy fats)
- Avoid simple carbs (except post-workout) and other junk food
- Strength train (lift weights! Don’t be afraid to go heavy girls)
- Do intense HIIT cardio, not long marathon cardio (excessive cardio burns muscle)
Remember, the more muscle on your frame, the faster your metabolism will be, and the more calories you will burn in a day without any extra effort. So losing WEIGHT (muscle & fat) is not ideal. Losing FAT is! Starving and excessive cardio will result in muscle loss.. so avoid these things when trying to lose fat! =)
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Learn to Love the Weight Room with These Tips
Are you a fan of your gym’s weight room? While some people love it, others are either too intimidated or embarrassed to exercise alongside those six-pack-sporting gym goers who seem to have it all under control. But being scared of the weight room is no reason to stay away. Here are four ways you can get over your apprehension and learn to love working out with weights at the gym.
- Go with a friend: If you’re intimidated by the weight room, bringing your workout buddy with you can help you feel more comfortable. Plus, your buddy can help spot any form issues or teach you new exercises, and it can be fun to learn exercises together if she’s also new to weight training.
- Ask someone for help: Feeling embarrassed often comes from feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing, so arm yourself with knowledge before you hit the weight room (it’s also important so you don’t injure yourself). Ask someone who works at the gym to help show you around so you can ask them any questions. Sign up for a personal-training session to increase your confidence, making you even more comfortable in the weight room. If you do, make sure that you ask questions along the way to fully understand the exercises your trainer is teaching you so you can replicate them on your own time.
- Know what you want to do: The key to getting in and getting out without feeling lost is to have a plan before you get there. Which muscles will you be working on? Do you need a bench? Which size weights are you using? How many reps of each will you do? Figure out what your workout will be before you go; try this total-body circuit workout with weights to start.
- Tune everyone out: In the end, there’s no reason to care what people think in the weight room. Even if you’re worried what the completely ripped guy next to you thinks of your simple bicep curls, it can help to remember this: no one is really noticing what you are doing. Just like you, your fellow gym goers are there to pay attention to their own performance, not to people watch; fill your iPod with your favorite exercise playlists, grab your workout plan, and focus on your own moves.
-FitSugar
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No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.
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“Will protein powder make me gain weight? I don’t want to get bulky!”
The only thing that could make you gain weight and “get bulky” is eating more calories than your body needs to maintain itself. It doesn’t matter where those calories come from (fruit, vegetables, meat, protein powder, peanut butter, dog food, whatever..) eating more calories than your body needs to maintain itself will result in weight gain.
Protein actually has the highest thermic effect of the macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. In other words, protein takes more calories to burn through digestion than carbs or fats. Easily digested, absorbed and metabolized, fats have a thermic effect of 3 percent. You’ll burn only 3 calories processing 100 calories of fat. Fruit and fibrous vegetables have a thermic effect of around 20 percent and proteins require the most effort, burning 30 percent of their caloric value. (This does not mean you should avoid healthy fats, fruits and veggies).
Studies have found that individuals who combine diets with leucine rich protein foods, like whey protein, and exercise have more lean muscle tissue and they lose more body fat. Their metabolic rate increases and they naturally burn more calories each day. Protein powder helps build and maintain lean muscle, giving that “tone” look and permanently speeding up your metabolism. In addition, whey protein can help you feel fuller longer! =) -
My body is like a canvas. Motivation is my brush. I can control every curve and make no excuses. I turn heads and hold my head high. I have no bad angles. I am confident in every light. I break limitations. Quitting is not an option, because in the gym, I am never alone.
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Nothing can bring you peace but yourself - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders an absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense - Emerson <3
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Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too =)
