Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

Finally Take Control of Your Stress Eating

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With such a busy schedule most of us face a multitude of stressful situations. With long hours at work or simply running a household, we often turn to food to soothe away the annoyances of problematic days. Let’s face it; after a full day of dropping off and picking up the kids, getting reports in on time, and battling traffic just in time to have 5 minutes of relaxation, nothing sounds better than our favorite snacks.

“After all that I deserve something delicious” sounds like an extremely prevalent mantra. Don’t get me wrong indulgence on occasion can boost anyone’s spirit! Our parents have enforced this our entire lives with one of the most famous parenting lines “You need to finish all your vegetables, and then you can have dessert!” In the attempt to teach the importance of a healthier diet, our parents have equated “comfort” and “reward” with food.

stressful

If you are good you get a reward, dessert, and feel comforted, unfortunately, this and number of other food-rewarding situations have perpetually influenced what, when, and why we eat. Now as adults with increasingly stressful lives what do we all do to comfort ourselves? That’s right; all too often, we turn to food to relieve stress. And it’s not usually so-called “healthy” and low-calorie foods we want. We want rich, creamy, salty, fattening, “comfort” foods.

However, before you start blaming good old mom and dad, there is scientific evidence that most of us who eat in response to stress are simply falling victim to heightened biochemical responses to comfort food. Those who are dieting, for example, tend to have lower levels of serotonin in their brains, that reported “low” feeling; experiencing a high-fat, high sugar, high calorie “sugar rush” raises serotonin levels, and can actually leave individuals susceptible to physical cravings for comfort foods.

This type of behavior is a self-supported physical addiction to certain foods. That is, some individuals may actually have a propensity to overeat in the same way someone addicted to smoking needs a cigarette in order to stay feeling “normal.”

What happens with stress eating?

For many people, the normal response to stress actually involved a shutting down of the appetite. However, in today’s fast-paced lifestyles, when we don’t get enough sleep and are under too much stress, this raises cortisol levels, which in turn raises our desires for fatty, salty, sweet foods that are not good for us. Unfortunately, this is a cycle that just won’t quit.

The response to stress, and the aftermath

When we’re stressed, we are more inclined to feast upon refined carbohydrate, fat, salty, sweet foods that are devoid of nutritional value, and for some people these types of foods are as addictive as nicotine. Because when you eat these foods your brain is flooded with serotonin however, this “feel good” rush of does not last long. Soon after stuffing our faces, guilt sets in and we feel terrible that we have consumed these empty calories that collect on our waistline, exactly where we don’t want them. Sometimes, the guilt and weight gain can lead to a poor body image, which can only exacerbate our stress and comfort food consumption. Again, another empty cycle of addiction that only leads you to feel pretty terrible about yourself.

Solution?

Your solution begins with a change in attitude. Realize that stress eating is a form of addictive behavior and that simple “willpower” is usually not enough to change it for long. You are going to have to work on changing your lifestyle, and it may very well be that you’ll experience very real “withdrawal” symptoms when you quit eating your junk food, much like a cigarette addict experiences when he or she quits smoking. It can be very, very uncomfortable to go through this withdrawal, but it is necessary to begin breaking away from stress eating.

Therefore, the solution to resolving your stress eating issues is something that has to happen on several levels. First of all, realize that stress eating isn’t just about willpower. If you know this, you can help assuage guilt you have about “giving in” to temptation. If you know it’s not just about your willpower or lack thereof, you can quit feeling so badly about yourself and maybe let that go as a past behavior that doesn’t have to continue.

The second part of the solution to resolving stress eating issues is that you have to find other, healthier ways to deal with the stress. For example, when you feel tempted to eat in response to stress, stop. Ask yourself if you’re feeling stressed, and if the answer is yes, do something else. Take a walk outside and breathe in the cool air or pick up the phone and call your best friend. Do whatever you have to do to distract yourself from the feeling that you want to eat just because you’re feeling stressed.

Old addictions are hard to break and you are going to have cravings for your comfort foods for quite some time until your body quits expecting them. And it should be noted that it may very well be possible for you to occasionally have a bite or two of your comfort foods just because you want them, for example as a treat once or twice a week. What you can never return to again is a mindless binge on your old favorites as you once did.

What’s important to note, too, is that as your stress levels decrease, you are less likely to reach for your old standby comfort foods to satisfy you. In the event you do get the urge to “munch,” and if you can’t stop it, opt for healthy choices like raw cut veggies (celery, carrots, snap peas, green pepper) or a healthy choice like air popped popcorn.

One final note: If you do fall off the wagon and have a “stress eating binge” on comfort foods, don’t let that stop you from climbing right back on the next day and continuing with your new and healthier lifestyle. Let it go and move on to the next day; your new healthier lifestyle will make you feel so much better you won’t want your “comfort food” except as an occasional treat before long.

Easy Six Pack Training with a Stability Ball

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The exercises looked simple, but if you’re looking for a good six pack abs workout, using a stability ball to intensify your routine is tough to beat! The whole concept behind these balls is that regardless of the exercise you are doing, having to keep the ball stable causes total engagement of core and back muscles at all times. You can expect to get a six pack quicker than normal if you implement the exercises I will be going over into your six pack training routine.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, or don’t remember them, stability balls are large balls. They come in three sizes and the diameters are based on height. To do your six pack training session, pick a ball that you feel comfortable using (which should go without saying). People up to about 5’2″ tall should consider using the smaller sized (45 cm) stability balls, 5’3″ up to about 5’8″ may want to opt for the medium sized balls (55cm), and anyone over 5’8″ should use the larger sized ball (65cm).

six pack

Six Pack Abdominal Crunch

Of course you can do a crunch the old fashion way on the floor, but what fun is that? Instead, doing a crunch on the stability ball will dramatically improve your chances of being able to maximize your six pack training routine. To do this six pack training move on the ball simply follow the instructions here.

First, sit on the ball with your back straight and then move your feet forward two steps. This will place you in the position of leaning into the ball and balancing it with your body. Cross your arms over your chest and then tighten your abs. Next you want to crunch and here comes the important part. Hold and then slowly lower yourself back down onto the ball. To get maximum six pack training, I suggest performing three sets of these with 20 repetitions each.

Six Pack Training Back Extension

This is basically the reverse of a crunch, and it is a great way to strengthen your back muscles as well. To perform this exercise lay on the ball face down, with your hips at the top of the ball. You will have to spread your feet out some and use your toes to keep the ball from rolling. Place your hands on top of your head and then lift your torso up by contracting your back muscles. This will also cause you to fully engage your abs. Now you want to slowly lower back into the starting position and then repeat 20 times. I would do 3 sets of this exercise.

Six Pack Training Stability Ball Roll

This is a great exercise to use in your six pack training routine! I have found women find this exercise especially beneficial. What you need to do is start by kneeling in front of the ball and place your hands on top of it. Slowly roll the ball forward, away from you until your forearms are resting on the top. Hold this pose for a couple seconds (5-15, it depends on how easy this is for you) and then slowly roll the ball back towards you until you return to your starting position. If you do these correctly you will feel an automatic tightening of your abs as you perform both directions. Repeat 20 times per set for 3 sets.

Six Pack Training Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

I’ve seen these done in six pack training sessions on the floor without the ball, but to be honest, they’re far more effective on a stability ball. If you want to use these in your six pack training, you need to increase the intensity to more than the simple floor version. To do this exercise, lay on top of the ball with your toes and hands on the floor. Slowly raise one arm and the opposite leg until they are straight and level to the floor. Then repeat using the other arm and leg. Do 40 of these (20 each side) and repeat twice more for a total of three sets. This six pack training set also works your back, glutes and quads.

As you can now tell, using a stability ball for six pack training is extremely beneficial if you want to get a six pack faster. If you don’t have a stability ball, many places sell them for around $20.00. Make sure that you have an air pump handy, but don’t pump them up fully. You will want a little bit of ‘give’ to the ball for your six pack training. Make sure to keep away these from pets and children as, while they are pretty rugged, these stability balls can be punctured by sharp objects. Regarding six pack training, these are some of the best moves out there.

The trick to using a stability ball for six pack training is to do each move slowly and completely (which you should be doing regardless to protect your form). These exercises really cannot be rushed as you will lose your balance and fall off or injury yourself through poor form. I did a bunch of these last night and although my dogs thought I was crazy, it was one of my better six pack training workouts this week.

Why Should You Choose a Fitness Program

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When choosing a fitness program, one should consider the effectiveness of it, their ability to maintain the program, their ability also to stick to a strict regimen and the type of program to choose. Many persons choose a fitness program which can cater to their specific needs; there are persons who need to lose weight in different parts of their bodies as each body has a different shape, or body type. Fat deposits are no respecters of persons and will be on any part of the body which is not being exercised.

There are some who choose programs which will cater to losing fat in their legs, thighs, arms, a vast majority choose to lose weight on their abdomen. Persons have realized that it is almost impossible to stick to a fitness program which incorporates diet and exercise, without the strictest of discipline.

fitness program

Assessing your body mass index or BMI is something persons need to do before choosing a fitness program, or they can get a program which is able to asses it for them. Your BMI gives an indication of where you are with your body weight and where you should be. There is a chart on the internet which tells you the correct weight for your height. Armed with this information your search for a fitness program should be easier. A doctor should also be consulted before undertaking any fitness program.

Even though weight loss in not the only reason persons should require a fitness program, but to live a healthy life, many persons opt to visit a gym or to find a fitness expert to cater to their weight loss needs. They are of the opinion that a fitness expert will more likely get them to stick to their fitness regimen. Persons who opt to go through the internet to find a program are more liable to “fall off the weight loss wagon” than those who have actual persons around them helping them and encouraging them.

Weight loss is largely dependent on the fitness level of each person. Going to a gym can produce results, but not if the diet is the same as before the gym. Weight gain is almost inevitable if a strict diet is not followed along with the exercise needed to gain or maintain the desired body weight.

Bodybuilding is also a form of workout which targets the muscles, the abdomen and the thighs and included in this program is also the recommendation of a strict diet. Fitness programs can be found on the internet and covers many aspects of fitness such as, work out, exercise, weight gain, bodybuilding, weight training, workout routines weight loss and how to get the best out of your gym.

Weight loss is one of the key areas which are catered to by a fitness program; persons are now more concerned about their weight and trying to lose some. Being obese is not a good thing and this can lead to many illnesses and complications for the persons who are.

Fitness programs should be introduced as a way of life, many person are not knowledgeable as to how to live a healthy life, how to incorporate diet and exercise into a fitness program. Routine exercise is also a good way to lose weight as the more you exercise, the more weight you will lose if you stick to a diet low in fat and which is also fiber rich.

The trick to successful weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis. Running, walking, swimming, jogging and aerobic exercise are also introduced into the fitness routine along with a proper diet, which is important in achieving your goal of being fit and healthy, or weight loss, whichever is your aim.

6 Tips to Cope with Stress Eating

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Stress eating can lead you to depend heavily on comfort foods; foods that are laden with calories, sugar and salt. Stress eating therefore leads to sudden weight gains and health problems. Also, stress eating is addictive and once a person is used to munching their way through stress, they find it difficult to stop.

Here are some effective tips to cope with stress eating:

Stress eating

Understand your problem

This is the first tip. Stress eating is often mistaken for needful eating because stress saps you of energy, makes you feel listless and empty. Therefore, victims have to develop a super sensitive antenna to detect stress eating and recognize it for what it is.

Relax

People turn to comfort foods during stress so they can help the body unwind and get some comfort. It is more productive to look for healthy ways of de-stressing. Deep breathing, yoga, music or exercises can help you relax.

Postpone

Postpone the act of eating for 10-20 minutes. Actual hunger tolerates delay. By postponing the act of eating, you can control the urge to eat junk food. Besides, postponing the urge may get rid of the food craving altogether. This is one of the most effective tips to fight stress eating.

Exercise

Daily exercise is a natural stress fighter. More importantly, it can help you overcome the bad effects of stress eating. Exercise need not be rigorous. Even light exercise will do. But commit to 15-20 minutes of exercise every day.

Portion control

If you are used to stress eating, there may be times when you cannot deny yourself the pleasure of food. In such cases, simply indulge yourself. But, instead of gobbling the entire cake, eat a thin sliver. Enjoy the taste and savor the flavor.

Try, try, try again

Don’t give up on yourself. It is not as hard as it seems. Small steps will lead you to success ultimately. Slowly but surely, you will succeed in breaking the unholy nexus between mood and food!

7 Advanced Stability Ball Workouts to Strengthen Your Core

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A stability ball can be one of the best tools that will help you in strengthening your body. Many people like to use a stability ball to train their core muscles and improve balance and coordination. Here in this article, I will show you many exercises that you can use in your stability ball workouts. Some of these moves can be tough and may require some previous experience in using the ball.

When you are using these exercises in your stability ball workouts, it is recommended that for your first try, you hold onto a wall or hold onto something stable to help you learn the movement. Also, as part of your stability ball workouts, you should perform 1-3 sets consisting of 10-15 reps for each of these exercises.

stability ball

Stability Ball Workouts #1: Ball Twist

  1. Get yourself into a push up position, except that your feet will be laying on either side of the ball. You should turn your ankles so that they are hugging the ball.
  2. While keeping your body straight and hands directly under your shoulders, slowly twist the ball to the right.
  3. Then repeat by twisting it to the left.

Keep in mind that your shoulders and back should be leveled during this exercise; don’t let your body sag in the middle.

Stability Ball Workouts #2: Butt Lift

  1. Sit next to the ball with your glutes (butt) on the ground. Your head, neck, and shoulders should be supported by the ball, and your knees will be bent.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until your body is forming a a straight line; your knees will be bent at a 90° angle. (you will basically look like a bridge)
  3. Hold that position for 3-5 seconds, then lower your body and repeat.

Stability Ball Workouts #3: Back Extension

  1. Lay on top of the ball, face down. Position the ball under your hips & abs. You can leave your knees straight or bent (but your feet should be touching the ground). Keep your hands behind yourself.
  2. To do the movement, you are going to try to slowly roll the ball. You should lift your chest off the ball and bring your shoulders up until your entire body forms a straight line.
  3. Lower your body and repeat

Stability Ball Workouts #4: Hip Extension

  1. Lie down on the ground, with your feet on top of the stability ball. Relax yourself.
  2. Using your abs, lift your hips off of the ground (squeeze the glutes) until your body is forming a straight line.
  3. If you would like to make this more challenging, lift your hips up and then lift one leg off of the ball. Hold for a second, and then lower your body. Repeat by lifting your other leg off of the ball.

Stability Ball Workouts #5: Ball Rotation

  1. Lie down on top of the ball, with the ball positioned underneath your shoulders. Keep your arms extended over your chest, with your palms together.
  2. Position your body to form a straight line (you will look like a bridge).
  3. Tighten your glutes and abs, then slowly twist your body towards the right. While you are doing that, move your arms downwards so that they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Come back up and repeat by moving your body to the other side.

Be sure to not fall off your ball by rolling too far! Use your abs to twist your body!

Stability Ball Workouts #6: Ab Roll

This exercise should not be done if you have back problems!

  1. Kneel down on your knees with the ball placed in front of you. Put the ball in front of you. Then place your arms on top of the stability ball, with your arms parallel to each other.
  2. Tighten your torso and slowly roll the ball forward. You should roll the ball forward as much as you can without arching/straining your back.
  3. Squeeze your abs and slowly bring the ball and body back to its start position.

Stability Ball Workouts #7: Ball Balance

  1. Lie face down on top of the ball. Place the stability ball in between your abs and hips. Keep your hands on the floor, and your legs straight (your legs will be off of the ground & they will be parallel to the ground).
  2. Hold this position for 20-35 seconds, while keeping your body straight.
  3. While you are doing step 2, you will take your left arm and slowly raise it off of the ground. You will now only have 1 arm to support you.
  4. Keep your arm up for about 3-5 seconds, then repeat it by lifting your other arm of the ground.
    While you are doing steps 3 & 4, do your best to maintain balance; don’t roll off of the ball or collapse! Maintain a straight body!

With these 7 advanced exercises, you’ll have an amazing stability ball workouts that will give you a strong core within no time. Work your body often and maintain a good diet and you’ll have that great looking body you’ve always wanted.

Top 3 Fitness Program Mistakes

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Prior to beginning a fitness program you should have the greatest intention of succeeding beyond your wildest dreams. The challenges arise when most exercise program participants, unfortunately, fail to see progress, and do not reach their goals.

Most often fitness training program participants get easily frustrated, and eventually give up on their quest towards reaching their wellness goals. Patience dwindle, and hope quickly fades away. The heartbreak generally occurs as a result of three core fitness program mistakes. If these mistakes are avoided, then workout program success probability increases dramatically.

program

Avoid these 3 most common workout program mistakes.

1. Not devising, and following a clear cut plan.

If you fail to intelligently plan your workout program prior to starting a routine, then you are more likely to not succeed. It is very important to devise a custom fitness program that is tailored toward your specific needs, and desires.

When I say create a workout plan it involves writing out your specific goals, and scheduling your gym time on your calendar. You will ultimately know exactly when your workouts will occur, what specifically you will do, and for how long you will workout. These variables are fully planned out prior to beginning your health fitness program.

Success is all about recognizing what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and taking action as dictated in your exercise plan.

The bottom line is don’t start a workout program unless you have a focused plan in place.

2. Not incorporating the necessary fitness components.

Unfortunately, most people who do not have an exercise routine in place, prior to entering the gym, fail to incorporate all the necessary components for success to occur.

People who wish to lose body fat tend to focus only on cardiovascular exercise, and fail to compliment it with strength training. The result is a short circuit in progress. Why not use the best possible formula to accomplish your specific goals? Yes, it ultimately comes back to your fitness exercise program planning.

Strength training, cardiovascular, and flexibility exercises are the three main components of any fitness program. Depending upon your specific goals, it is necessary to place emphasis on each of these components differently. Remember, workout goals vary from person to person, just as some people wish to lose fat, others desire to increase muscle.

Make sure your fitness plan has accounted for these three variables.

3. Not working hard enough.

Getting excellent exercise program results takes work! If you don’t push yourself, then the results witnessed will be slim to none. I always recommend for my fitness training clients to work up a sweat during a workout session. The sweat factor is a good gauge of exercise intensity. Of course, a smart exercise program participant will progressively increase intensity over time.

Along with not working out hard enough, consistency is a mandatory variable in order to reach your fitness program goals. Once again, it all goes back to your initial plan. You will know exactly when you are working out, each week, because the exercise time will be scheduled on your calendar. Planning ahead is everything.

My intention in writing this article is to help you succeed on your workout plan. Doing so is just a matter of avoiding these top 3 fitness program pitfalls. You can succeed!

Avoid Stress Eating with These Dieters Tips

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Wondering how stress affects your resolve to lose weight? A new survey finds that if you’re a frequent dieter, you’re more likely to indulge in stress eating. What’s more, those who indulge during stressful times tend to pig out on calorie filled, fat laden junk foods.

Researchers suggested some dieters tips, including indulging in the occasional slice of cake might just make you less likely to binge on cake during a stressful time.

dieters tips

The thing is, if you’re always dieting, you might just give up when you’re feeling stressed – eating what you want, when you want it. It’s human nature, after all, to want to feel good, or avoid feeling bad. Food does this for many of us, and over time the association of food with love and good feelings grows so strong that it fuels cravings for years to come. Soon it feels unnatural not to eat as a response to stress.

Chronic stress keeps the body’s natural systems on high alert, ramping up the production of stress hormone cortisol, and one of the responses to long term stress is to search out very pleasurable foods… high energy choices with lots of fat and sugar. These foods help your body maintain its reserves and cope, and eventually dampen down the output of the stress system.

Earlier research has found that stress does cause biological as well as psychological changes that impact the kind of foods we crave and what we eat.

To understand more about food consumption and stress, the research team recruited 158 adult subjects to complete a question survey that uncovered some interesting things about stress eating.

Everyone in the survey who ate under stress also reported that they chose foods that were more calorific and were higher in fat, salt, carbs and sugar during these times.

Other findings of the survey include…

  • Just 20% of respondents said they followed the same eating pattern whether stressed or not, about 40% ate less when stressed, 40% ate more.

  • Stress overeaters had a much higher chance of being on a diet lasting at least 2 weeks, and yet they had wider waistlines, bigger hips and were heavier, on average, compared with those who didn’t eat under stress.

  • Stress overeaters eat even unhealthier foods than those who don’t eat when stressed… the overeaters under stress preferred chocolate, candy or another sweets when stressed.

  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, 40% of people who eat less under stress craved fruits, veggies and cheese during a stressful time.

In the long run, when it comes to stress eating and your weight loss goals, one of the best dieters tips is to figure how to manage the inevitable upheaval and tension with things other than food… exercise, deep breathing, a walk outside, time with a pet… whatever works for you.

It also helps to make the effort to learn about your feelings and what might be triggering them. Negative emotions, despite what you’ve been told, or told yourself, aren’t bad. They’re simply giving you a message that something isn’t right… what’s stressing you out or what needs to change. Ignoring the problem only makes things worse.

Training with Stability Balls

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Stability balls are also known as gym balls, Exercise balls, Fit balls, Balance balls, Flex balls, Stretch balls, Yoga balls, Pilate’s balls, Ballast balls or Swiss balls. They are a product that has been around in the fitness industry for many years.

History tells us that the balls were originally used for Physical Therapy and rehabilitation purposes and from here they were seen as a piece of apparatus that could assist people with Strength Training, Flexibility and Core work.

stability balls

Stability Balls: Versatile

The Stability ball is very versatile and also highly portable so it can be used in the gym, for training in the park or taken to someone’s home. It doubles as a bench, where the client can either sit upright doing their weights or body weight exercises, or lying down doing back chest or arms work. In comparison to buying a bench which is far heavier to transport or lift the ball is less than a quarter of the cost.

A bench allows you to isolate or support the body weight where as the ball focuses on the balance and Stability challenge more. It isolates a part of the muscle group and focuses on strengthening the muscles around the contact point, whereas with a flat back there is no possibility to work on a section of the back or arch the back in any way.

When using a bench for abdominal work again there are limitations when it comes to lever length and positioning of the body, but when you use the stability ball your options include the wall, side lying position, lower abdominal work or crunches.

Improve Your Posture With Stability Balls

The stability ball is also widely recognized as a tool to promote good posture and can be seen in many work places as a substitute for chairs. The ball helps alleviate slouching that is most common in chairs and makes the person sit more upright. For people with lower back problems it also allows shifting of weight to distribute less pressure on the spine.

In the fitness industry, professionals continually came up with more uses of the ball and two of these areas are power work and sports conditioning.

Due to heavy weights being used in the exercises, some stability balls were exploding under the excess load and this led to some injuries. So the stability ball companies developed new balls that had a minimum standard of breaking under load. Most balls and insurance companies require a loading figure or Anti- burst rating of around 350kgs.

So when buying a ball, check that you buy the right size for your use and also the right strength rating. Prices will vary.

BOSU Balance Trainer

BOSU have a new Stability ball on the market called the BOSU Ballast Ball.

The ball has weight inside (shot or sand based) which is used as Ballast or counter weight. You can lift it, shift it, or shake it, depending on how you move the ball and how fast. It was again originally developed for rehabilitation and is a great tool for shoulder work, and core stability.

Its next major use is as a normal stability ball that allows you to do all the exercises you would on them, but with the versatility of the added weight you can combine single strength and movement exercises such as a squat and jump press into a sports specific move.

The added advantage of this ball is that it will not move or roll away from you. This also eliminates the need to anchor your feet on or against a wall in a lot of stability training exercises.

4 Time Saving Physical Fitness Program Tips

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When it comes to your physical fitness program, wouldn’t it be nice to save valuable time, and still benefit the same, or enjoy even better workout results?

Let’s face it, in today’s society, time is the ultimate asset. There is generally never enough time in the day to complete all the tasks you want, including your workout routine. One of the biggest challenges people have in achieving health fitness success is having the time to do it. As a fitness training consultant, I always hear the excuse of I don’t have time to exercise.

fitness program

Therefore, the best case fitness training program would be one that saves you valuable time, and delivers as good, or even better exercise program results. Who has time to waste these days on a time consuming, ineffective fitness plan?

So here is what I recommend you do to speed up your physical fitness program time. Follow these 4 simple time saving exercise routine tips, and watch your time in the gym shrink to a manageable level. By decreasing your time in the gym, there is an excellent chance that you will be able to keep your fitness exercise program commitment of consistency, and never ending improvement.

1. Be workout prepared, and focused.

Prior to starting your fitness program, you must be totally clear on what exactly you are going to do prior to entering the gym. You should be not only physical fitness program clear, but completely focused throughout your fitness exercise program session.

Working out prepared means knowing exactly what exercises, what order, how many reps you are shooting for, and how long you will spend working out. I recommend writing all of this important data down in your exercise journal prior to walking into the gym.

As far as the best fitness program focus, avoid talking to people during your workout. Stop reading the newspaper between exercise sets. Leave the cell phone in the car. Have a backup plan for exercises when machines are busy.
When you begin your physical fitness program you are laser focused on what you will accomplish. This workout approach will not only save you time, but deliver you much better results.

2. Follow a properly structured, backed by science, fitness plan to help get better results in much less time.

Please understand, not all fitness training programs are created equal! As a matter of fact, most are severely flawed, and not backed by sound exercise physiology principles. It is important to be on a fitness routine that is both effective, and very time efficient.

3. Increase your exercise intensity.

In your new time saving workout routine, you will want to progressively increase your exercise intensity. This little strategy will instantly deliver you fitness training program success in less time. When it comes to results, increasing the exercise intensity delivers more bang for the fitness buck.

For your cardiovascular fitness plan use the HIIT (high intensity interval training) method of training. It will deliver better physical fitness program results in less time.

Use HIT (high intensity training) for your strength training fitness plan. HIT is where you train to momentary muscle failure, and progressively increase resistance over time, driving up the intensity of exercise. Incorporating this workout method will surely equal better results in less time.

4. Schedule your exercise program time.

In order to be as efficient, and effective as possible, schedule your workout program time on your calendar. Be specific, like Tuesday from 3:30 to 3:50 you will do strength training, and from 3:50 to 4:10 you are doing cardiovascular work. At 4:10 you are to be finished, and out of the gym. Stick to your exercise time schedule. Once again, this tip comes down to smart planning prior to entering the gym.

Follow these 4 time saving physical fitness program tips! Doing so will not only save you a ton of time, but get you better workout results along the way. Enjoy your new found free time!

Tips to Stress Eating

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Stress is one of the most common causes of overeating and weight gain. Can you relate? Your day gets busy, life feels overwhelming, and you find yourself (without much thought) inhaling a sugary fatty “treat” because you think it’s going to make you feel better – and it does for about a minute. Maybe you turn to junk food to “boost energy” or to help you deal with your feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger, or sadness. All the while you’re gaining weight and feeling worse instead of better.

As much as you want to stop stress eating, it’s hard to control because (ironically) it happens when you’re stressed. It’s not enough to just tell yourself not to do it. In fact, trying NOT to stress eat can actually intensify stress and make you want to eat more. It is possible however, to break the cycle of stress – stress eating – more stress with the right plan.

Wonderfully Fit PT

A plan to successfully control stress eating is not just about food. In fact, it doesn’t start with food at all. A few non-food strategies and a bit of practice can make a huge difference. It takes persistence and creative ways to calm and successfully soothe yourself. The goal is to rewire your brain to identify certain non-eating behaviors as comforting, and to use those behaviors when things start to feel stressful. These three stress busting strategies can help you to calm down and take control.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 1: Be Aware and Take Care

Much of stress eating is so unconscious that it happens automatically and you may not even realize it. Before you can make changes in your behavior, you need to be aware of what you are doing. Keeping a journal can help. Write down where and when you stress eat. Was it during work or late at night when you are alone? Do you notice any patterns? Try to determine whether or not you were physically hungry. At first you may be journaling after the fact, but eventually you’re awareness will increase and you will catch yourself before you stress eat. This is the goal; and then you can decide to NOT stress eat and do something else to cope.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 2: Stop – N – Swap

If you remove stress eating from your life, you have to replace it with something. Write down a concrete list of all the healthy, non-food related activities that give you a quick pick-me-up on a tough day. Here a few simple examples.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 3: Practice Yourself Calm

In addition to the techniques mentioned above there are many other ways to calm yourself without eating, such as journaling, meditation, connecting with others, distraction, guided imagery, aroma therapy and other ways to pamper your senses. Try out these techniques when you aren’t craving food so you know exactly what to do before you really need them.

Now, let’s talk about a few stress-busting foods. There are certain foods that have calming properties based on how their specific nutrients are used by the body. Here are a few you can try:

Tea. Green, black, and white teas are packed with flavonoids; natural antioxidants that may help blood vessels relax and lower blood pressure. If you are sensitive to caffeine, go for decaffeinated varieties. And be sure not to add sugar or an artificial sweetener to your tea. Dark chocolate, red peppers, citrus fruits and berries are other flavonoid-rich foods.

Dark green vegetables. Veggies such as broccoli, spinach, kale and other greens are high in B vitamins, which can help fight anxiety. Research suggests people with low levels of these vitamins are more likely to have depression than those with normal levels.

Nuts. Almonds and cashews are rich sources of magnesium, a mineral involved in production of serotonin – a chemical produced by the body to help it relax. Like dark green veggies, nuts are high in B vitamins. They are also packed with healthy fat and some protein to reduce cravings and keep hunger at bay.