Tag: muscle

“You got hot!”

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Believe it or not, the changes in your physical appearance only represent a small percentage of the positive effects that you experience from regular exercise and clean eating. More important than appearance is the improvement in your health, self-confidence, self-worth, self-esteem, and a shift to a more positive mindset in general.

However, it does feel REALLY good to run into someone that you knew before you lost the weight and hear them say how great you look. Getting that positive feedback from someone who actually knew you when you were heavier really reinforces all of the hard work that you put in to lose the weight in the first place. You will then be motivated to continue on with whatever it was that you were doing to lose weight!

Click Here if you’re ready to maximize your weight loss potential and commit to a program!

Which body type do you prefer?

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Personally I am aiming for my own version of C! Tons of muscle definition, less body fat, but not too much muscle. This is my own personal view on what I want MY body to look like.

Every body is different and has different capabilities, so it is okay to visualize a certain goal, but you should not get caught up in looking exactly like that goal body type. Everyone can achieve great results and get fit bodies if they work hard with their workouts and in the kitchen, but your body type may give you a bit of a different look than the one for which you were aiming.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these body types. These women all look great, and it is just a matter of personal preference. As women we need to support one another, not try to bring each other down. For example, I would not like to have as much muscle as the woman in photo D. That is something that she worked her butt off to accomplish, and it is something that she can be proud of.

Whatever your goal may be, just remember that everyone has their own personal preference for how they want to look. Someone else might want to look like the woman in photo d, and just because I personally would not like that on myself doesn’t mean that I respect her decision any less. Or maybe your preference is to look like the woman in photo b – others who prefer to look like a c or d should respect that personal choice.

As long as you are happy with your body, you shouldn’t allow the opinions of others to dictate your personal choice. Don’t change your goal based on what other people think! Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter. At the end of the day, just be yourself!

Click Here if you would like to make me your FREE Team Beachbody coach. I would love to work with you throughout your health and fitness journey!

Why you should NOT weigh yourself daily

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Hey everyone, I want you all to take a look at this photo. That is a block of muscle versus the exact same amount of weight in fat. Even though they both weigh the same, you will see that the fat is twice as big (or more!) as the block of muscle. Honestly, you need to get the number on the scale out of your mind and not let that drive you crazy! I know from experience that doing that can be hard, but when it comes to fitness you need to know that muscle is denser than fat.

You can be shrinking in size as you put on muscle while your weight stays the same! Muscle burns through fat even after your workout, so you can be burning fat even as you sleep if you have been putting on muscle. What is important to know is that you could stay the same on the scale for a week or so, or just drop down by 1 pound, even though you are working out regularly. This can be super discouraging for people, because you expect to see changes fast! Changes ARE happening though, it just takes some time for you to notice. You need to lay the groundwork first by working out regularly and building up muscle. Once you’ve done that, you will gain momentum and your progress will start to really show!

This is why I usually tell my clients to focus on photos as a judge of progress instead of weight, because the photos don’t lie. Measurements can also be good to determine if you’re losing inches. It is good to weigh yourself once a week or every couple of weeks, but don’t fall into the trap of trying to weigh yourself every day. Our weight fluctuates throughout the day and from one day to the next, so if you get into the habit of weighing yourself every day you will likely get discouraged. Instead space it out some and do it once in a while so that you are more likely to have some positive results to note.

Click Here if you would like to start putting on some muscle definition and tone up to help your body burn more fat. I have a couple of programs that have been specifically designed for this purpose, and I am sure we could find one that would be perfect for your individual goals and needs. Once you’ve created your FREE account you can click the Contact Your Coach button and we can discuss options :)

Will weight training make women bulky?

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The answer to this questions is plain and simple – HECK to the NO.

I don’t know how many times I have heard a woman say that they don’t want to do any weight training because they don’t want to get bulky or huge. Either that, or their significant other has discouraged them from lifting weights because THEY don’t want their girlfriend to get big and bulky. Well, first of all, if you’re in a relationship like that – you should probably get out of it. I am sorry, but if someone tries to tell me not to do certain workouts because I *might* end up with a certain body type, I would kick them to the curb in a heartbeat and say “See ya, don’t let the door hit you on the a$$ on the way out :)” That to me sounds like a toxic relationship, and you do not need that kind of negativity in your life.

Furthermore, the claim is just plain wrong to begin with! We, as women, simply do not produce nearly enough testosterone to allow us to get huge like some of the male bodybuilders that you see. You won’t get bulky from weight training unless you actually are TRYING to do so! Even the women who are actively trying to get huge muscles through bodybuilding and lifting heavy weights do not get nearly as big as the guys in most cases.

The bottom line with weight training is the more muscle that you build, the more fat you will burn! Muscle has the ability to continue burning fat long after your workout has finished, so the more muscle you create the better. I personally know a lot of ladies that lift weights both through Beachbody and simply through personal connections with ladies that enjoy competing in the fitness competitions, and none of the ladies that I know have gotten huge or bulky.

When women put on muscle, it helps to lean us out and gives us a nice toned and strong appearance. In May of 2015 it will be two years since I started lifting weights when I began P90X. I have not gotten huge or bulky, and you won’t either! Leave those misconceptions behind and just give it a try for a month or two. If you find you’re getting “bulky”, just stop! But I am pretty much 99.9% sure that you won’t. Instead, you’ll get some pretty awesome results and you’ll be happy that you didn’t listen to all of those people telling you to avoid something truly great!

Click Here if you are ready to give this a try, and I can help you find something that will work well for you and your individual goals.

Are fad diets any good?

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Doing super restrictive diets, like many of the fad diets out there claiming to help you lose weight fast, is not a good idea at all! Sure, you will most likely lose some weight, but chances are as soon as you go back to eating normally you will gain it all back. What you lose with fad diets is the water weight, which comes back as soon as you get back to your normal eating habits. You WILL NOT maintain that weight loss, so what is the point in picking a diet that is not sustainable long-term? What is even more important to note is that it is simply NOT HEALTHY.

Instead, find a variety of healthy foods and meals that you enjoy, and then create a new healthy lifestyle around those foods! Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself of junk food 100% of the time either. It is important to have a cheat meal every once in a while to not only help you stay on track, but also because it revs up your metabolism. As long as you don’t completely pig out and you eat in moderation, one cheat meal is not going to hurt you every now and then – it can actually be beneficial! If you deprive yourself entirely of things you crave for a long time, there is a higher risk of going on a binge at some point. If you plan out your cheat meal and use it as a reward for progress, you will curb those cravings for a while and help yourself continue moving forward. 

Furthermore, you can still have “cheat” meals without it entirely being a cheat. For example, when I crave junk sometimes I will have a plate of nachos made with organic nachos, salsa, and cheese. If your kryptonite is chips, try cooking some homemade popcorn and just melting a bit of real butter to put on top with some sea salt. I also like having homemade pizza every now and then, and I just measure out my toppings so that I know how many calories I am consuming and I can organize the rest of my day around it. 

You need to remember that one bad day is not going to make you gain a bunch of weight. That works both ways though, because one GOOD day is also not going to make you LOSE a bunch of weight. Results will come over time, and with effort.

Click Here if you would like to be coached by me, and added to my private Health and Fitness group.

Cycle of chest hair

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I actually would like to add an image to this cycle for the fitness guys! The next step brings the guy back to the beginning with a bare chest.

Since I started going down this path with Beachbody to get fit and healthy, I have come into contact with a lot of people who have success stories already. Many of them are men, and I have noticed a pattern when looking at before and after pictures: they almost always seem to have bare chests once they have reached their goals.

Now I wonder, is this because of a girlfriend, or just personal preference? Anyone wanna put in their two cents on this? I am genuinely curious! haha

Don’t strive to be SKINNY

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Sometimes I get responses to my invitations saying “No thanks, I’m already skinny”.

Well, let me tell you, it’s not always about getting skinny! I don’t want to be “skinny”, I want to be FIT and HEALTHY. You should never strive to JUST be skinny. There are even “skinny” people who have fat on their bodies and cellulite, and all of that unwanted stuff.

In addition, I have talked with countless “skinny” people who also have body image issues. People that are naturally super thin have these issues with their bodies just like those who are overweight, they just have issues with different things. For example, I can think of a couple of people right off the bat who have admitted that they can’t stand the fact that their butt is so flat that it doesn’t fill out their jeans. There is also that “thigh gap” goal circulating, but I know multiple people who HAVE that gap naturally and they can’t stand it.

My point is this: Strive to get fit, strive to be healthy, and strive to be toned. You can do it, and I can help you!

Click Here if you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone to change your life for the better.