Don't Skip Meals

Especially don't skip Breakfast!  I'm sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  IT IS!!!!  Eat a big healthy breakfast as early as possible.  It will give you more energy, lead you to make healthier choices during the day, and keep you feeling full so you eat less later on.

Eat frequently throughout the day.  Eat every 2-3 hours.  I aim for at least 5x.  That means 3 meals and 2 snacks.  This helps give you steady energy, avoids hunger pangs and keeps our blood sugar level stable so we don't crash and become tired and also keeps us happy.

Skipping meals does not mean you will lose calories.  It will only trigger cravings and lead to you over indulging in something later on.  Skipping meals only puts our body in starvation mode leading it to think it is never going to get fed again.  Be careful with this because it will only cause your body to hang on to food the next time it is fed and store it away.  Skipping meals also forces your body to slow down your metabolism which means slow weight loss.  Who would have thought you need to eat and eat a lot to lose weight?!?  Eat all the right healthy foods and trust the process!

Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine

Exercise should be a regular part of your day, not something you just throw in where it happens to work out right then and there.  It should be something you make time for like- meals, sleep, kids, work, school......set aside a set time for exercise!

Pencil it in on your calendar just like you would any other important appointment.  You will find that exercising at the same time and on the same days each week will help you stay on track.  It will become easier and it just becomes apart of your life.  Consider scheduling your exercise like an appointment.  EX: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 6AM you have an appointment at the gym.  Usually we are not late to appointments, you don't miss them, and you don't schedule things in its place.  

For myself, I find early morning 6AM workouts to be the best fit for me and my family.  I am usually home before the kids wake up and my husband then goes to work.  This way my workout is over and done and I don't have it lingering in the back of mind all day.  I don't have to worry about sitters, daycare, husband running late, I get to avoid the evening gym crowd and it just sets a positive vibe for the remainder of my day.    

New Years Fitness Tips

Choose goals that are attainable.  Don't say I'm going to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.  Although that can  be done but it's not a very healthy route to take.  1-2 pounds per week is ideal, which would be about 10 pounds lost in 3 months.  If you have not been working out- Don't go to the gym and over do it on day one.  You will be left sore and miserable.  Ease into fitness.  If your new, plan to exercise for 30 minutes 2-3 days a week, and gradually increase as the weeks go by.  Set goals for the week or month. Not too far out there that it seems impossible.

When trying to eat healthier, make small changes.  Aim for glasses of water per day, prepare one new healthy recipe each week for the month of January, replace one can of Diet Coke with water somewhere in your day, eat a piece of fruit per day, add veggies with 1-2 meals in your day.  Increase these changes as they become part of your daily routine and make them a habit.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS FULL BODY WORKOUT

Use heavy weights and move quickly from one exercise to the next and you will not need added cardio at the end of this workout. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

XOXO

All I Want For Christmas.....

And some Cellucor BCAAs in every flavor, Cellucor Whey Protein Powder in every flavor, and some Brooks Ghost 6 Running Shoes!!!  This is seriously what my Xmas list looks like...... #FITNESSADDICT

Biceps and Triceps

BICEPS & TRICEPS

Tips to grow a BOOTY!

I see a lot of pins on Pinterest from women regarding exercises to build a butt.....

How To Firm Your Butt-

Sculpt Your Glutes-

How To Make a Bubble Butt-

Help My Pancake Butt-

Booty Blaster-

Ultimate Butt Workout-

Tighten Up Your Glutes-

I know you have all seen them.  It must be one area that we all wish we could tighten up.  Ever since I have gotten into weight training and seen the changes some exercises really can do for our glutes, I really can say they work.  I use to love to run and run for long distances.  I still love to run but I just don't make it my main source of exercise like I used to.  I noticed when I did run a lot that I lost my butt and it was flat.  When I started to do moves that really engage your lower body is when I noticed my butt get fuller and lift.  Lifting for lower body also made cellulite on my butt and legs appear less!  Yep, cellulite....I have it.  

First of all we must understand that our quads, glutes, lower back, etc., when combined are a very strong group of muscles even if you have never trained them before in your life.  They support the weight of your body every single day, all day long.

The BEST exercises for your butt are:

SQUATS- OF ALL KINDS
 DEADLIFTS AND STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFTS

WALKING LUNGES W/ WEIGHT

STEP UPS W/ WEIGHT

GLUTE BRIDGES W/ WEIGHT

There are several other exercises you can do but doing just these exercises I listed at least 2 times a week will give you AMAZING results!  Your lower body can handle a lot.  So 2 times a week is not too much.  You WILL get results by living out of your comfort zone and getting in that squat rack 2x a week.

HOW YOU POSITION YOUR FEET:
When you squat, pointing your toes at certain angles will target different areas of your lower body.  Squatting with your feet shoulder width or slightly wider and your toes are pointing at 10 and 2 will focus more on the glutes.  Squatting with feet shoulder width and toes straight ahead will focus more on the outer part of your quads.

You can do all the body weight squats, kickbacks,  donkey kicks until you turn into a donkey!!! Without using weights, you will not stimulate your glutes enough to make them change/grow.  Your lower body already gets weightless work all day.  Walking, picking stuff up, getting in and out of your car, walking up stairs, standing etc....You have to add weights/resistance to cause stress on your muscles if you want them to change.  Stop waisting your time doing 25+ reps using no weights.  You are doing great endurance training with weightless exercises but trust me, weightless exercises are not changing your shape.  Add some weight when you do these exercises and I promise you will see a change!