Exercise Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

June 12, 2018October 15, 2020

Surmounting a Weight Loss Plateau

If you’re on a journey to lose weight, you may be facing, soon will face, or have faced the following scenario: You lose weight and inches steadily for several weeks, and then the numbers start decreasing more slowly–or not at all. Your diet and exercise habits haven’t changed–you’re doing exactly what you did when you started you losing so much weight in the first place–but, for some reason, it doesn’t seem to be working anymore. You’ve hit the infamous “weight loss plateau.” This is a frustrating and discouraging phenomenon, but you shouldn’t let it bump you off-course. Experts have discerned the reasons we hit plateaus and the methods to push past them.

Causes

Understanding why we plateau out like this is essential in strategizing how to overcome said plateau. The basic rule of weight loss is that calories in needs to be less than calories burned. We stall when that number balances out. The major reason we stop burning so many calories is that lighter bodies have slower metabolisms and require fewer calories in order to function. So congrats! This means you’ve already lost a lot of weight. Additionally, if you’ve been exercising regularly, then your body has adapted to the workout. The more you do a particular routine, and the stronger you become, the more the body does it efficiently, which means it expends fewer calories.

Diet

It may be time to readjust your diet. Assess the past month or so, and be honest with yourself. Have you gotten a little lax with your portions? Have you been portioning at all, or have you just been eyeballing your food? Maybe you switched from cheeseburgers to smoothies and salads, and that led to a dramatic shift in the beginning. However, it may be the time to go a step further and analyze what exactly is in those salads and smoothies and see where you can cut even more calories. Cutting as few as 100 or 200 calories a day will make a big difference. (That’s 700 to 1400 calories over the whole week.) Mayo Clinic recommends never going below 1200 calories a day, though. If you eat too little, you get hungry, which can contribute to overeating and binging.

Certain foods are especially useful in weight loss. First of all, make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need so that you don’t get exhausted. Exhaustion can lead to slacking on your workout or overeating. Incorporate foods shown to help with weight loss. Some foods, like celery, actually have a negative-calorie intake! Fiber-rich foods will make you feel fuller. Almonds are one of the best foods for weight loss, since they’re high in important amino acids. The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that eating almonds before a workout helps you burn more fats and carbohydrates.

If you’re still needing an extra boost, consider adding supplements to your diet. Take that multivitamin! If you use an effective supplement like Ephedra Diet Pills, which incorporate natural ingredients that give you energy and reduce sugar cravings, along with your diet and exercise routine, then you may get just the jump to help you back on your way.

Exercise

Outside of the gym, how active are you during a day? Americans spend, on average, 12 hours a day sitting! See what you can do to spend more time moving around. Studies show that standing doubles your calorie burn per minute. Why not switch to a standing desk? Park your car as far away from the office as you can. On your lunch break, take a walk around the block or climb a few flights of stairs.

Your workout may need finessing, as well. First of all, how consistently are you getting to the gym? While three days a week may have led to big results early on, it may be time to switch to five or six workouts a week. The recommendation is 30 minutes every day. And make sure your workout is balanced. Cardio burns a lot of calories while you’re doing it, but muscle mass increases your resting calorie burn. Also, bump it up a little–add more reps or weight, or do your aerobics for longer. Switch it up every now and then. As our bodies get used to a workout, they get more efficient with it. Consequently, putting your body through a new routine every once in a while will boost your calorie burn. Consistency is the most important thing, however, so ultimately you should stick to your plan.

Mindset

The good news is, keeping up your current habits will probably maintain your current weight, so keep going like you’re going, and you don’t have to worry too much about putting pounds back on.

And it may not be as dire as you think. For instance, remember that muscle weighs more than fat does. If you’ve been working out and getting stronger, you probably have more muscle mass than you originally did. If the number on the scale isn’t going down, try measuring your waist, buns, and thighs. Are they getting smaller?

Whatever you do, don’t let a stall make you fall. Think about all the work you’ve done already. You’re a healthier you as it is. You’re stronger, more nourished, and probably have more energy. If you’re really feeling discouraged, talk to your doctor or to a dietician, who will be able to give you personalized guidance. Whatever you do, don’t give up!

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June 3, 2018

How to Get Toned Fast: Best Exercises and Diet Tips

If your goal is to get toned fast, you’re in luck as a study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism proves that rapid weight loss can be as effective as slow weight- loss programs. This means that with the right diet, full of fat-burning foods and some specialized toning exercises you can get toned by the time your summer vacation rolls along. If you use a smart muscle toning plan, you’ll see results within as little as one week and they’ll only get better from there.

Diet and Exercises You Need to Get Toned Fast

Fast Fat Burning Diet Tips

The most important thing you need to understand is that severely cutting your calories is a bad idea if you want to get your body look toned. To achieve this, you’ll need to work out a lot, and this will require energy. To make sure that you get sufficient nutrition, consider using a well-balanced 14-day diet plan for weight loss.

You can enhance the effects of this diet by including foods that naturally boost fat burning. This includes:

Eggs
Nuts (and natural nut butter)
Poultry
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Berries
Grapefruits
Avocados
Fatty fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel)
Chili peppers
Dark leafy greens

Drink lots of green tea as it also helps weight loss and is a potent antioxidant, which benefits your general wellbeing.

If you want to cut your calories wisely, consider intermittent fasting. Health magazine explains how different studies prove its efficiency for fast but long-term weight loss. You can use one of the safest types of fasting, meaning an early dinner and no eating policy after a certain time, to burn off some fat fast and enhance the efficiency of your exercise. Just be sure to plan your workouts during daytime when you can replenish your energy with a meal.

Best Exercises to Get Toned Fast

Be prepared to work out hard if you want to get your muscles toned. The most effective exercises for this are cardio, aerobics, and weight lifting. In case your current fitness levels are low or you suffer from any chronic health condition, consult your doctor and seek professional help in designing a safe workout routine.

If you are in good health, these are the exercises that will help you get toned fast:

Squats of any type are great for toning your legs. To get your arms toned at the same time use dumbbells and press your arms up over your shoulders ten times while squatting.
Great for toning your butt, thighs, and abs, all types of lunges should be practiced every day. Make your movements sharp and precise to achieve maximum efficiency. Do about 10-15 reps of forward and side lunges (each) but also try crossover lunges. During this exercise, twist your torso when lowering your body. This should look like a cross between a lunge and curtsey.
Plank is the best exercise if you want to get toned fast or at all. High, low, and side planks must be included into your daily routine. You don’t even need to do anything in this position, just hold your plank from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. When your stamina improves, you can add more moves, like touching your elbows with the knee while in a high plank or moving from low to high position to tone your arms and core.

When working out to get toned fast, listen to your body and increase the number of reps as you get used to the current workload.

More on Exercise and health:
Fitness Tips: Every Program Needs Strength Training
Diet and Nutrition Tips When You Want To Build Muscle
Fitness for Women — Bench Press for The Perfect Body!

May 19, 2018

Tips To Tone Your Belly And Flaunt Those Killer Abs In Style

Don’t we all wish to have washboard abs like our favorite tinseltown stars to rock the bikini as we stroll down the beach and make heads turn on the way? But availing the same requires considerable hard work as you combine smart exercising, eating the right foods and ensuring proper digestion, which in turn removes bloating. You can follow the tips mentioned below if you wish to have a flat stomach by toning up in the right manner.

Tummy Toning

For getting the desired flat midsection, you need to match the right nutrients apart from sweating it out in the gym. Doing just 100 crunches every day won’t be of much help unless you combine the same with different exercises which come in unison to melt body fat. Lifting of weight aids in the building of body muscle which in turn enhances the rate of metabolism coupled with faster fat burning. This is why you should add some weight to all of your workout programs without having to worry about your torso bulking up on doing the same. A High Intensity Interval Training has evolved in to one of the most effective means of shredding fat which in turn can lead to a flat tummy. Following the HIIT circuit is very easy as you can carry on with your existing exercises by simply increasing its level of intensity. Try to indulge in minimal rest between two sets of exercises. The best attribute of HIIT is that you can target any particular body part with this exercise. By creating HIIT circuits involving cardiovascular, core and resistance training in a single workout, you can speed up your metabolism which ultimately paves the way for effective burning of body fat.

Eating It Right

For reaping the benefits out of all the hard work that you are engaging in the gym, it is imperative to get proper nutrients into your system. Feeling of lethargy and tiredness has also been associated with a poor diet which damages metabolism in the process. Thus, a well-balanced diet is mandatory for getting nutrients into your system. If you feel that deprivation and starvation can roll the balls in your favor, then you are absolutely mistaken. Refined carbs are the first thing you need to stay away from as they spike up your levels of insulin which is infamous for hindering the fat burning process of our body. Refined carbs are found in food such as crackers, pasta, white bread, white rice and sugar which need to be replaced with healthy complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, vegetables, quinoa and brown rice. You can make use of nature way mct oil extracted from coconut oil to help your body in producing energy which can be of great help as you take up regular physical activity.

Getting Rid Of Bloating

Nothing can be more uncomfortable than a swollen tummy which is usually associated with making poor food choices and improper digestion. Other reasons might be drinking carbonated drinks, eating too quickly or overeating. You can get rid of the same by having herbal teas, taking probiotics and drinking apple cider vinegar.

So, follow these tips to get the dream figure which can surely turn up the envy meter of your friends and families alike.

More good reading about healthy tips on weight loss:
5 Important Qualities of a Good Weight Loss Plan
5 Diet Tips On Weight Loss Women Should Know
Its Never To Late To Learn About the Ketogenic Diet

May 10, 2018October 15, 2020

Fitness Tips: Every Program Needs Strength Training

Fitness is crucial in a human life. Because most people now understand its importance, fitness programs are becoming more useful. One expert who sells steroids like dianabol explained that following your fitness program is the way to go.

For those with no idea of what one should look like, it is advisable that they ask a fitness consultant because fitness programs differ depending on the goal. Some are good at increasing muscles and strength while others focus on weight loss. However, experts have now revealed that strength training is needed in every program to make the body stable and able to endure what is to come. Here are more details regarding fitness and strength training. What Is Strength Training?

The main focus of strength workouts is to bring the body into a position where it can endure and persevere. This happens when the muscular contraction occurs across the whole body part. In today’s fitness world, there are numerous exercises that one can incorporate into her or his program for the strength of the body. It all depends on what people prefer or what they want to achieve.

What Is the Importance of Strength Training?

The first importance of strength training in any program is the preservation of muscle mass. Whether you are losing weight, toning or building muscles, retaining a maximum amount of muscle is very crucial. Another good thing about incorporating this is improving the protein synthesis, which is all a bodybuilder, athlete or any other serious fitness fan wants. This enhances your muscle growth, and the end results are better. That said, some of the best strength training includes the following exercises.

Wide Grip Overhand Pull-Up

This is considered to be an advanced level of strength training. However, anyone can start it gradually and get the same results when done well. Most experts will recommend over five sets of the exercise and that each set has only 3 reps. When the right procedure is followed and consistency maintained, you can rest assured of getting the best results especially on the arms, shoulders and the stomach area.

Flat Barbell Bench Press

If you have been at the gym before, you have probably seen most people run to do the barbell bench press. They are the popular strength training exercises most people know. They allow people to use different weights depending on what is appropriate for them. As a beginner, you can start with a low weight and gradually add more after every week until you reach the maximum or as recommended by your fitness trainer.

Dumbbell Squats

Instead of doing the ordinary squats, which rely on the body, you can add some dumbbells for more resistance. Ensure that the legs are slightly apart and the spine is vertical to increase efficiency. Since squats are tough, experts do recommend sets with about 10 to 15 reps before you pause and proceed to another set.

Conclusion

As seen from these highlights, one cannot engage in a fitness program without strength training. What matters more is how well you perform the exercises and how they get incorporated into the strength training.
Related:
7 Strength Building Strategies That Will Never Fade Out
5 Tips For Getting in Shape For The Summer