EstimatedEst. Read Time: 7 minutes

sugar substitutesYou may have read my post last week about sugar, its addictive qualities, and its effects on metabolism, entitled, “Spike, Crash and Burn: How Even a Little Sugar Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss and Workouts”.  Blood sugar and its effect on metabolism is an extremely important piece of the weight loss and fitness puzzle.  As I explained, the spikes and crashes that sugar creates in our bodies can cause our metabolism to go into survival mode.  These energy ups and downs send signals to our body that we don’t have a consistent source of energy to keep us moving.  The body interprets this is a need to conserve energy, so it begins storing fat instead of burning it.  In this survival mode, we may find ourselves working out regularly and not losing weight at all.

You may be thinking, “No problem, I’ll just replace sugar with artificial sweeteners!”  But, do these products have consequences for our health?  What about our weight loss goals?

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EstimatedEst. Read Time: 4 minutes

slim thighs and buttHey Ladies…

I wanted to take pull you away from what I’m sure has been yet another busy Saturday juggling roles of mom, carpool captain, cook, wife or girlfriend (among many other titles I’m sure!)…to share with you a quick SuXXess Story, as I like to call them, that has me really impressed and inspired!  It proves not only what is possible with the right training program but it’s going to also dispel one of the biggest myths that we women have been forced to believe comes as a “side effect” of working out!

 Let me explain.

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EstimatedEst. Read Time: 4 minutes

Most of us have experienced this, perhaps the only unfortunate side of weight loss.  Where’s the first place the weight comes off?  Our boobs!  Why, why, why can’t it come from our butts, thighs and bellies first!!!  That would certainly be nice…but it’s not how our biology works.  Add to this the inevitable effects of gravity as we age are our ‘girls’ just aren’t looking as perky as they once did.

Our ‘twin peaks’ are largely made up of adipose fat tissue, which in itself doesn’t contain any muscle.  Since they are one of the highest fat-content body parts, they lose weight sooner and the effects of this weight loss are more noticeable.

For eons women have been trying to figure out what it takes to lift and increase volume in the bust area.  Remember the gimmicky “We must, we must, we must increase our bust” machine in Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?”   Or, the products Uncle Rico tried to sell to poor Starla in Napolean Dynamite?

Well, thankfully there are some good old fashioned strength exercises we can use to help to ‘bust’ through the effects of boob-loss and gravity.

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EstimatedEst. Read Time: 7 minutes

eating for fitnessWhether you’re embarking on a brand new fitness plan or planning to take it up a notch in your current plan, it’s important to consume the right fuel.  I’ve been evangelizing lately on the importance of fueling your body because I’ve seen too many women restricting their calories too much.  They are not getting enough nutrients, nor are they fueling their workouts adequately to get the most benefit from all of their hard work!

If you want to see a real difference in your energy levels and waistline, give some of these weight loss superfoods a try.  These nutritional champions actually taste good and fill you up.  This is healthy food you can look forward to eating!

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EstimatedEst. Read Time: 6 minutes

30 minutes of exerciseIf you’re anything like most women, you probably think that ‘more is better’ when it comes to exercise.  The more hours you spend in the gym, the more calories you’ll burn and the greater results you’re likely to see, right?

Do you try to do 2 hours in the gym whenever you can so you can lose weight and get fit faster?  Is this the only way you’ve ever been able to slim down?  Stick with what works, right!  Right???

Do you even sometimes feel guilty if you don’t spend more than an hour at the gym?  Feel like anything LESS than an hour isn’t a real workout?

Is more really better?  The answer is NO.  Quality versus quantity is the name of the game, and when it comes to exercise, quality equals intensity!

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