Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

5 Powerful Strategies For a Rapid Weight Loss Diet Plan

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Losing weight sounds simple but very rarely is. The trouble is that we all want to lose it quickly but underestimate just how long it can take to actually get lean. For a lot of people this a big reason why any diet plan fails as expectations are too high and when people don’t start seeing amazing results quickly they soon give up and the old habits start to return and before we know it we are back to where we started.

If this sounds like you then here a 5 important factors that you must follow if you are going to have any success with a rapid weight loss diet. Always remember weight loss should be approached with a long-term plan but with the occasional quick fix to get you in peak condition for events, holidays or any other occasion where looking your best is important.

weight

1.Eat Less

I cannot stress this point enough. If you want to lose weight and lose it quickly then you have to burn off more calories than you consume. Now you can do this with extra activity but this is time consuming and takes a huge amount of effort. A more simple way is just to eat less. Any rapid diet plan that is successful regardless of what you are eating is one where you are eating fewer calories than your basic metabolic rate. There are many such diet plans out there you just need to research the one most suited to you and your lifestyle.

2.Perform High Intensity Exercise

High intensity whether it is cardio or resistance training is how you should approach all your workouts. This works better than traditional ‘steady cardio’ workouts for 2 reasons. First high intensity intervals and resistance circuit type training burn more calories than ‘normal cardio’ can. Second they build and tone muscle, which keeps your metabolism up.

3.Get Support

This is one of the most important factors too losing weight but is very rarely considered. Trying to lose weight on your own can be very tough with many people feeling isolated from family and friends as they try to maintain their diets. I would advise to try and encourage other people you know to start with you and make it clear to family and friends how important losing weight is too you and that you need their support. Once you have people in the same position as you and supporting your goals it will keep you more motivated and less likely to miss workouts or cheat on your nutrition. A lot of people hide their weight loss plans in case they don’t see them through and look like a failure but I think by telling everybody what you plan to do it shows that this time you really do intend to get the job done.

4.Eat more Fruits And Vegetables

Yes you have heard or read this a million times but are you really doing it? It is a very simple strategy but highly effective. Having more vegetables especially in your diet will make a big difference as they don’t contain many calories but will fill you up quite quickly. If your not sure about this just try for one week to eat only vegetables and protein for every meal obviously making sure it is within your daily calorie allowance and see what happens.

5.Set Goals and deadlines

Setting goals and deadlines is a very powerful tool to losing weight but one that most people fail to do. I prefer to set short goals on a daily and weekly basis. These include targets to be hit in my workouts or only eating certain foods all week. As you build up your list of goals you have accomplished you will increase confidence and momentum towards your overall long-term weight loss goal.

I also try to have a deadline of maybe a month or up to 3 months. I think longer than this can overwhelm people and they don’t feel attainable. Deadlines are very powerful especially when they come in the form of some event, holiday or other important occasion. For example I have yet too train a bride to be who didn’t hit their weight loss goal for their big day. Events like that are incredible motivators and create the correct mindset for weight loss.

It is the same for film stars. The reason that all of these top stars look great on film is not that they are somehow different too us mere mortals. It is because they are completely focused because they have a deadline that must be reached. This means they don’t miss workouts; they train like demons and out of the gym they watch their diet and lead an appropriate lifestyle.

If you can put any or all of these 5 strategies into effect then you will have very effective rapid weight loss diet plan and be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals in record time.

Finding the Motivation to Start Working Out Again

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What do you do when you lose your momentum and can’t bring yourself to do your workouts? Recently I was asked if the honest admission that you are getting overweight could be the “jump start” that gets you going?

My answer? Yes, indeed, this would probably do it, although the real trick is to make this honest admission at a time wherein it is possible for you to do a workout.

momentum

In other words, say you get out of bed not having worked out for several weeks. Or for several months. Then say, as you shower, you experience the early morning clarity of a shower talk. You know. The kinds of talks you have with yourself wherein you process the urges to better yourself still ringing in your head from sleep.

During this pep talk with yourself then, say you hear your mental mind telling you how much you want to get back to your fitness routine. Of course, then you might hear your physical mind saying, ugh, I know. I should, but . . . blah, blah, blah. After which your mental mind chimes in with, “where would I possibly find the time to workout anyway.” Body / mind connection at it’s finest, eh?

On the other hand, these kinds of mind / body arguments can often be the momentum-building spring boards which can return you to a healthy mind / body life. Not only to a healthy fitness plan mind you, but also to just about any segment of life wherein you’ve lost your momentum. Education. Time with your kids. Hobbies. Whatever. All can be helped by a positive shower talk.

My point here is though that if you have this shower talk with yourself and then go directly from your shower to a workout, you may indeed succeed. Yes, your mind will tell you, you are crazy. However, if it works, don’t fix it. Just do it.

The thing to keep in mind then is to “strike while the iron is hot.” And this is true for all things, but especially true for attempts to regain momentum in stressful activities such as working out.

 

Life Coaching Tips For Better Sleep

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Are you someone who finds it very difficult to fall asleep at night? Then you need not worry as you are not the only one, for there are millions of such people who suffer from sleep deprivation. Life coaches believe that for an individual to function properly in life, it is essential to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed.

However, this may seem easier said than done for many. Sleep problems are caused by many factors, most of which are related to our habits and schedules and therefore the simplest solution for better sleep is to change those habits or schedules that cause the problem.

sleep

Here are some important tips to ensure better sleep that from a life coach:

1. Inculcating better habits during the day

Sleep deprivation is largely caused due to unhealthy habits being followed during the day. Life coaching experts believe that if you follow certain practical advice during the day, then it is possible to get better sleep in the night. These include exercising regularly during the day as this helps promote better sleep. Moreover, where possible it is better to avoid napping towards the end of the day as this can disrupt the body’s sleeping pattern. Apart from this, certain changes in lifestyle such as reducing the amount of alcohol or caffeine consumed during the day will help promote better sleep at night.

2. Creating a conducive atmosphere for sleeping

Factors in your bedroom, such as the bed size, its quality, size of the room, ambiance in the room, can affect your sleep ability and quality. By making certain minor changes in your room, life coaches believe that it is possible to create an atmosphere that is conducive to sleep. Your bed should be large enough to hold you completely as well as comfortable enough to lull you into a calm sleep. Similarly, the noise levels in the room, if kept low can also help in better sleep. Proper ventilation and darkening of the room also helps. Lastly, many people tend to watch television while in bed, which could lead to a disruption in their quality of sleep.

3. Prepare well for sleeping

Maintaining a proper schedule is advantageous in all aspects of life, be it your career or even your sleeping pattern. Life coaches suggest that those people who maintain regular times for sleeping and waking up are more inclined towards better sleep, than those who follow irregular patterns. Setting a bedtime routine is another simple way to ensure better sleep. Similarly, they also opine that it is best to avoid foods that disrupt your sleep, especially when you are nearing bedtime. Doing some yoga or meditating or listening to some soft music or reading or even having a bath before bed, all help in relaxing the body and induce sleep.

4. Avoid worries and tensions before sleeping

The human mind is filled with worries and stresses about the future, this could be career related, relationship issues and so on. This constant worry leads to lack of sleep. Business coaches suggest that instilling feelings of confidence can actually help overcome such worries. Self confidence will lead to taking action which gives people a sense of being more in control and eventually leads to achievement, which in turn can help to diminish worries. Many life coaches suggest that for better sleep it is important to stop worrying and start taking charge of your life.

5. Awakening in between and getting back to sleep

There are many people who have a tendency to get up in the middle of the night and then have difficulty going back to bed. If this happens, then it is best to stay calm and focused; if possible, going back to bed and using some relaxing techniques will help soothe your body and make it relax. Most people watch television during such times, without realizing that they are actually causing more harm than doing good; it is advisable to avoid such activities, which will cause the mind to become more active than relaxed.

Following the above mentioned techniques on a regular basis, it is possible to induce sleep and ensure proper rest. With better sleep, people tend to find they feel better, are more energized and focused and are able to achieve more with less effort in their day. Although we cannot always have a proper night’s sleep, it is worth making an effort as often as possible to have a very good night’s sleep.

How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscles?

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When it comes to body building, proteins for building muscles is one of the most misunderstood concepts. Also, it is not enough knowing what proteins and how much to have, it is also necessary to understand when to have the proteins to gain maximum benefits from your diet.

Proteins are one of the most important components for muscle repair and muscle building. However, you need to have the right combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat to build good muscles.

muscles

There are different TYPES of protein which are metabolized differently by the body.

  • Protein from Meat and Eggs
  • Protein from Grains
  • Whey Protein

It is not just about the nutrient that you take that accounts for muscle building, it is equally important when you take them. If you get your nutrient timing wrong, your body could end up storing the protein as fat instead of muscles. The body can metabolize whey proteins much faster than the ones from grains, meat and eggs.

Immediately after an intense workout the muscle glycogen stores would have got depleted. Whey protein, which is easily broken down by the body is good to have immediately after the workout. Also, coupled with whey proteins, you need to take carbohydrates that produce glucose with high Glycemic Index. This glucose will trigger an insulin response which has the property of driving the broken down calories to be stored as muscle glycogen.

How much protein your should have per day is very relative. The general rule of the thumb is that you can have 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. During the muscle recovery time much after your workout, you can have other proteins from grains, meat, eggs etc. This will be metabolized and absorbed much slower by the body aiding muscle recovery.

Right combination of protein, carbohydrates and fats taken at the right time with the right exercise workout routines is vital to muscle building. If you get this combination right, you will be able to build muscles and have a very good physique without too much effort. If you get this wrong, you will be left only with pain and frustration along with no gain of muscles.

10 Great Cardio Routine Makeover to Get Lean Fast!

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If you have been a follower of my site for quite sometime now, you already have an idea that I am not a cardio fan. Cardio machines have their share of advantages and disadvantages. However, I learned that people can get very different result than what they expect if they do not use machines properly.

For instance, I have witnessed saddlebags on many who have used machines the wrong way: nobody want to see that on their body.

cardio

If you still weigh the same months after you start doing cardio routines, you must be thinking that you are doing your routines inappropriately. You are right!

If this is the case, this is the perfect time to give your cardio routines a different mix before you ask a fitness expert for help to shed those fats. I have listed below things that can help you on your cardio routines:

1. Combine high and low intensity cardio.

There is no need for long sessions of low-intensity cardio if your goal is only to shed those fats away. You will hear a lot of fitness gurus telling you that you can burn those fats easily when you do low-intensity cardio. Yes, you will burn those fats when you do the 40 up to 90 minutes cardio session though it will not have a big effect on your metabolism.

However, doing slow steady cardio sessions will have fat-storing hormonal effects on you. Additionally, your body will get used to it after 6 months storing some extra body fats preparing your body for the next round of cardio sessions.

2. Introduce (true) interval training.

If doing exercise has become a daily routine to you, then you know the term “interval training” – varying high intensity workouts with lower intensity sessions. This is great since it gives you more endurance to do harder routines in a short period. Additionally, it keeps your energy twice higher when you perform high intensity cardio.

Moreover, your metabolism will develop if the resistance on the routine is high enough. The only issue you would most probably experience is your lack of determination to push yourself more. You can spend a minimum of 20 minutes for effective interval training.

You need to make sure that by the time you reach the high intensity, you have to push yourself so hard that you almost feel like you are going to collapse while you are getting near the time you set for your routine. Ways to recover are either to standstill or just stay relaxed and take it slow. If you still feel the same before and after the workout, then your routine is not yet enough.

Lastly, there should be variations on your routines. You can try two different routines in a minute or a 45 seconds hard routine with 30 seconds dedicated for recovery. Routine variations will play an important role if your want to see your desired results.

3. Try some sprints.

Did you ever wonder how is the body built of a sprinter differs from a marathon runner? Sure, there is a big difference. When we think of sprinter, we think of them spending more time running but they are also into bikes or doing cross training for both.

Though interval training may improve either or both speed and resistance, sprint is based solely on speed. They are done for a specific distance on given period that is followed by a complete rest.

4. And a few hills.

Hills are a great way to develop those lean muscles on your gluts and legs and to increase your metabolism as well. While some cardio will not have a long-lasting effect on your metabolism, using hills for your cardio routine will. This is definitely the best approach to cardio training. You can change the inclination setting of your treadmill to at least 8 or go to a handy hill in a local park near your place.

You can get started with a simple brisk walk and as your body get along with the routine, you can combine it with other training like a light running. If you like pushing yourself more, you can integrate training or sprint based training while on hill for up to 20 minutes instead of just doing a simple light running. This is a kind of workout that your body will find hard to recover the first few times you do it.

5. Combine cardio to other training routines.

Have you ever thought of combining your cardio routines with other training that you are doing? If you are a busy person or feeling stressed, doing cardio routines alone can activate a stress hormone reaction to your body that builds more storage. If you are not stressed and you did a cardio more than you are required to do it, it will also have the same hormonal effect on you.

So, when can you consider cardio training as excess? This is doing cardio anything more than 2-3 minutes in a week and longer than the average 20-minutes per routine. You can forget about this rule if you are training for endurance event, as some experts will say that weight training is better in this kind of event than cardio. Real training is a kind of training that our bodies were designed to do. It can include bending, squatting, twisting, lunging, pushing and pulling some kind of heavy objects.

6. Focus on your workout to see results.

Some people’s minds drift away while doing their workout on a cardio machine while their bodies just go through the motion. If you are serious on spending some time on the gym, then you have to focus more.

At times, you might feel like it is just right to follow the speed of the cardio machine, that is fine. However, if you do this all the time, you are not serious enough on your training. In this case, you have to make a choice – push yourself to train to see those results or just stay at home and relax.

7. Mix it up in the great outdoors.

Doing cardio routines may include using some sort of equipment. Sometimes, however, the best workouts that you can do are the ones that includes spontaneous activity or some casual or organized sport.

If the routines that you are doing in the gym are no longer a challenge to you, it is high time for you to hit the outdoors. You can join a Frisbee game, try rock climbing or tag along with your friends that play a certain sport. You can also try new ideas that you can start doing with your friends!

8. Turn your weight session into cardio.

This is my most preferred cardio training. Since I learned how much more weight training that truly works is effective for keeping my clients and myself lean, I have looked for more ways to improve it. This is the reason why I love circuit training. This saves you a lot of time, helps to tone your body, and you will see those sweats coming out of your body as it never did before.

Lastly, it takes care of cardio training without having to use cardio machines. It is very simple – you can choose 3-8 weight training exercises (bigger movements is more effective compared to isolated ones) and do it again, one set of each. Take time to recover for 90 seconds and then repeat it 3-5 times. A break is optional, that is if, you want to keep pushing yourself more on this routine. You will see that this routine really works.

9. Use your upper body.

Your legs also need breaks. On the other hand, if you have been accustomed to heavy training, then it is high time of doing something more than performing the traditional cardio training. You can do some upper body cardio. I would recommend rowing machine. You will know how effective this machine the moment you used it.

Spending just 5 minutes on the rowing machine will really get your heart pumping faster. I like using the rower for some sprint training or for interval training – 100 meters flat out and then followed by at most 200 to give your body some time to get used to this routine. However, if you really want to see some lasting results, a shorter and harder combination will be a better option.

10. Just stop.

What if you were told to cut out cardio training altogether? This may not be for the long term but only for a couple of weeks. You might start to think of doing a very different routine than what you are doing before. This is fine. Everybody deserves a break. In most cases, people notice that by the time they cut out their cardio routines, their performance improved on some other areas.

You may hear others that when they are doing weight training, they are not giving their 100% on it so that they can save some of their energy for cardio. I have been a cardio queen for years but this did not stop me from improving my training by trying out some other routines and ‘no’ is not an option here. I would advise at least 2-4 weeks of cutting out your cardio routine each year for maximum results.

The choice is yours. In the meantime, try to get started by doing all the things I have mentioned here and I mean right away. I can guarantee you that you would be able to see the result in just a week or two and the visual results will soon follow.

10 Tips For Better Sleep

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Tired of waking up and feeling like dragging yourself out of bed? Despite sleeping 8 hours or more, why would you still feel like you didn’t get enough rest at all? It’s because you aren’t getting quality restful sleep. When you wake up and still feel that you aren’t well rested, you need to do something about getting the kind of sleep you deserve.

Here are 10 helpful tips that can help you sleep better and wake up fresh in the morning.

sleeping

1. Spend more time away from any lit up screen.

You will have to cut down your time watching TV, looking at a computer screen or anything digital that emits light before your bedtime. Your exposure to the lights and the flickering screen stimulates the brain much more so and makes it more alert such that you won’t be getting a full rest. This means people who watch more electronic media before bedtime get lower quality sleep than those who don’t.

2. Exercise regularly.

You have probably heard this advice for many other reasons. The best time to do this would be in the morning or sometime in the day but not at night. Spending time doing some exercise actually helps you fall asleep faster. When done at night, the reverse effect happens. Exerting some physical energy throughout the day should be enough to make your body seek rest at night.

3. Eat the right food at the right time.

That’s right. You don’t just eat according to your whims. Some food can make you sleepy at the wrong time of day and make you real perky at night. The old advice on eating a heavy breakfast and lighter meals throughout the day is pretty true. When you stuff yourself with carbs at lunch, you can’t help but feel droopy in the afternoon and start to wake up later in the day. Does this sound familiar? Avoid too much starchy food at noon and caffeinated drinks at night. Instead, opt for healthier alternatives.

4. Take power naps.

This isn’t taking a 1 hour nap or simply dozing off as needed. Take time off to catch a quick nap and recharge for the rest of the day. When you don’t feel too tired at night, you won’t feel restless in bed. Naps also prevent you from sleeping long hours in the afternoon. This helps you keep a healthy wake-sleep cycle so your body clock wouldn’t be disrupted.

5. Wake yourself up gently.

You don’t deserve to wake up so suddenly by the loud buzz of the alarm clock. Set at least two alarms and use a gentler sound on the first one. It could be your favorite music. It’ll make you come back to consciousness enough to remember there’s another alarm a minute or so after so you have time to wake yourself fully. You can set alarms like this on most cell phones nowadays so you won’t have to keep one too many alarm clocks in your room.

6. Keep a consistent sleep schedule.

Go to bed at about the same time every day. This helps your body stick to a consistent wake-sleep cycle. It’s part of a good sleeping habit as you don’t have to strain your body so much on adapting to new sleep schedules. Habits are hard to change so it is better that you stick to a sleeping habit that works best for you.

7. Sleep on a comfortable bed with nice comfy pillows.

To get that quality sleep, you need to feel very relaxed and be able to sleep disruption free. If you have pets around or share your bed, make sure there’s enough room for you to sleep comfortably in. You need space to sleep in a very comfortable position so you won’t wake up feeling achy in some parts or tired. Try to avoid circumstances that may cause you to wake in the middle of the night.

8. Keep a relaxing pre-bedtime routine.

This could be drinking a glass of milk or chamomile tea, reading a bit, or listening to soothing music. This helps in telling your body that it’s time to unwind and sleep. This helps your mind relax and remove any stimulating thoughts that could be preventing you from sleeping right away no matter how tired your body feels. It never is a good idea to force yourself to sleep when you are tense as your sleep would not be as sound as you would like it to be and you won’t be getting the kind of rest you really need to rejuvenate.

9. Sleep mostly at night.

Although power naps are good, avoid taking longer naps as these could steal some hours of sleep from you at night. Our body generally needs a certain solid hours of sleep and not increments of it to feel well rested and be able to recuperate from the demands of the day.

10. Keep your bedroom as relaxing a space as it should be for your sleep.

It’s generally a better idea to use another space for work, study, or even watching TV. Studies show that it isn’t really good to be reading in bed either. Keep your bed an exclusive place for relaxing and not some space where you do any work. It would be easier for you to block out thoughts that prevent you from sleeping when you settle on a space that don’t remind you of these thoughts.

Foods For Exercise

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When trying to eat right for exercise or sports, it can be difficult to choose the foods that will be best for your body. Some people can find it difficult to determine which foods will give them healthy, sustained energy and which foods they should avoid when playing sports or exercising.

To start, you can begin by understanding that the foods we eat can be divided into three categories:

foods

  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fats.

Carbohydrates are the primary source that the body uses for energy. Carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen, but too many carbohydrates and the body begins to store the excess as fat. Carbohydrates are either simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates, like fruit or energy drinks, are quickly converted into energy for the body, while complex carbohydrates, like pasta, take long for the body to process.

Protein is used as building blocks in the body’s cells and helps make bones, tendons, and other important aspects of the body. And because protein is not easily stored in the body, it is important to consume protein on a regular basis.

Fat is important because it provide cushioning for the body and is critical in some processes, but when the body consumes too many calories it starts storing fat, which can lead to health problems.

When participating in a sport or an exercise program, it is important to consume adequate amounts of food that will supply your body with the energy it needs. Carbohydrates will give your body most of the energy it requires. Carbohydrates, stored as glycogen, easily convert into energy for your activities and can provide both short spurts of energy and sustained energy. Protein is important to consume so your body can perform necessary functions. Most important, however, is to abstain for foods that are high in fat.

Meditation for Better Sleep

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Meditation is a great tool for better sleep and there are many different ways to meditate. You might think that meditation is all about the mind but this is not so.

People who have practiced sport and dance know that physical meditation is a part of a successful exercise program.

Meditation

It is important to learn how to relax the body and this knowledge can truly help you when you need to sleep well. To begin with you should find a sleep meditation which fits your personality. You can try a local Yoga class. Check that it includes techniques for meditation. This type of class will usually be able to supply you with audio help to continue your meditation at home.

You can also get help with meditation by borrowing a CD from your library. Just pop the CD into your stereo and then let yourself drift off to sleep with help of the meditation. If you already are familiar with physical techniques to relax you might enjoy special mind projections like The Little Workers Meditation. This type of meditation is easily available online for free.

The best thing about meditation for sleep is that it helps you clear your mind while letting your body relax. This is why you will sleep good and wake up refreshed and ready to start a new day of thought processes. In fact, some find it quite enough to just run through the events of the day in their minds before they go to sleep. It clears out the thoughts of the day and make room for the rest of the night. If you are tired and not sleeping well you should definitely give some type of sleep meditation a try!

Best Protein for Weight Loss and Healthy Living

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Macronutrients are the major nutrients required by the human body. There are three types of macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In this article we will answer the questions:

What is protein?

protein

Why do we need protein?

What is the best protein for weight loss or for all around healthy living?

Protein is a necessary part of our diet. Protein is part of every cell in the body. It makes up the building blocks for our hormones and neurotransmitters. It is needed for muscle health, growth and recovery. A diet lacking in protein will result in illness and breakdown of the body.

Protein breaks down through the process of digestion into amino acids. There are a total of 20 amino acids. 12 of the amino acids can be made from carbohydrates, fats and other acids in your body. The other 8 amino acids are known as essential amino acids and you MUST get them from the food you eat – your body can’t make them.

Symptoms of a lack of protein and therefore a lack of essential amino acids can include:

  • muscle loss
  • hair loss
  • depressed immune system
  • low energy
  • decreased bone strength

There are two categories of proteins. Complete proteins provide all 20 amino acids. When you eat a complete protein the body can absorb 85-99% of the protein. Examples of complete proteins are beef, poultry, fish, milk cheese and yogurt. Sources for vegetarians include soy, hemp, tempeh and seitah. Incomplete proteins lack a variety of amino acids. These are plant-based proteins. Combining incomplete proteins can give you all 20 amino acids. Unfortunately, not all of it is digestible so the body cannot absorb as much of this type of protein.

How much protein should I eat?

According to Jonathan Bailor of The Calorie Myth: How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better, “It’s important to aim for a minimum serving of about 30 grams of protein at least 3 times a day. When we eat 30 grams or more of protein it provides enough leucine to rebuild our muscle tissue. Without adequate levels of leucine we risk losing muscle tissue. 100 – 200 grams of protein a day is needed depending on your body’s needs. A smaller sedentary person needs less protein than the person who is actively bodybuilding.

Best Protein for Weight Loss and Healthy Living

The following are high quality sources of complete protein:

  • Grass-fed, organic beef – Grass-fed beef is cleaner, healthier and more flavorful than beef that is grain fed or grain finished.
  • Pastured chickens – this meat is rich in essential fatty acids and is a great source of protein. This can include any type of pastured poultry or wild game.
  • Pastured eggs – provides Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Omega-3, Vitamin E and Beta Carotene in higher levels than store-bought eggs.
  • Wild salmon is rich in Omega-3 and is a nutritious source of fat and protein.
  • Other seafood – protein in fish and shellfish is very easy to digest and the amino acids are more bioavailable (easier to absorb and use). Rich dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.

For those that enjoy that sort of thing – reptiles and amphibians are good protein sources and provide vitamins and minerals.

  • Greek yogurt – avoid yogurts with added sugars.
  • Shellfish – clams, oysters, mussels, snails – rich in iron, zinc, selenium, iodine omega 3, proteins.
  • Whey protein isolate – high protein concentration, good if you cannot get enough protein with whole foods.
  • Liver (from grass-fed or pastured animals) – a rich source of protein that also provides vitamin A, copper, choline, and B vitamins.

So eat your protein and enjoy eating real food! Stay tuned for future articles on fats and carbohydrates.

How Much Cardio Should You Do To Lose Weight?

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In this article we’ll talk about how much cardio to lose weight and how this effects your diet and other workouts. Losing weight can be surprisingly simple. When it comes down to it it’s all about the amount of calories in vs. the amount of calories out.

Whenever trying to lose weight, much of your focus should be on your diet. Assuming you are eating few enough calories, the next step is to focus on your cardio training.

cardio

Cardio is probably the most effective type of exercise to do when your main goal is weight loss. And of course, Visual Impact Cardio is the most effective cardio you can do. The reason that cardio is so effective for for weight loss is because you can perform these types of workouts for quite a long time and by doing so you will burn quite a few calories. What not all realize though, is that the answer to how much cardio you do depends also upon the type of cardio you do.

We are going to look at two different types of cardio that can be used to lose weight.

When done correctly, you can use a combination of these two to burn an ideal amount of fat and calories. Here is a 1/2 – 1 hour cardio workout that will not only burn calories, but they will mostly be from fat.

  • 5 – 10 minutes warm up
  • 10 – 20 minutes of HIIT
  • 20 – 30 minutes traditional cardio

Why This Cardio Workout For Weight Loss?

So, why should you do this workout instead of a full hour of traditional cardio? By doing cardio with this structure you will end up burning much for fat. How so? It all starts with the HIIT portion.

By starting your cardio workout with some form of high intensity interval training you force your body to release fatty acids into the blood stream. HIIT is what releases the free fatty acids from your bloodstream by creating a higher level of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). So why not do only HIIT and burn more fat?

Here is an illustration of the effects from doing HIIT cardio: HIIT Cardio

Effects of Doing HIIT Cardio

Looks good, right? The problem with this is that HIIT is not ideal for using those fatty acids after they get released. After your cardio workout is done many of the released fatty acids will return back into your blood stream.

This is where the traditional cardio comes into play. Here is an illustration of the effects from doing steady state cardio after your HIIT cardio:

By strategically doing traditional cardio directly after your HIIT workout you burn all (maybe not all, but a lot) of the released fatty acids. This is how you can limit how much cardio to lose weight.

How Often Should You Do This Cardio?

The truth is that you may need to workout somewhat frequently. Even though you can cut the time of your cardio sessions down by doing HIIT along with a traditional style of cardio, you still need to do these often.

Depending upon how much weight you need to lose, you should do a cardio session like this anywhere from 3-5 times every week for maximum weight loss.