Dont let Halloween candy get you off track

I have always had a soft spot for candy, especially around the holidays like Halloween. I often forget about my strict diet plan I kill myself over, all because I see a delicious carmello candy bar. It takes strong will power, good friends, and the power of a full length mirror to keep you on track.


I was happy to see that I am not the only one that struggles to stay faithful with my diet during this sweet filled holiday. The Record  posted a great article that lists different ways to keep on track with your nutrition plan while enjoying the holidays.


It is hard to imgine how much damage we are doing to oursaelves by eating one after another pieces of candies. "Those cute little fun-size candy bars seem harmless -- and they are, if you can limit your consumption. But that's easier said than done." says MedicineNet.com.


As much as I love candy.... which is a lot, I love seeing how much a transform my body through fitness and a strict diet plan. I hope you can find the same inspiration to keep yourselves on track and focused throught these few harsh holidays.




I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween.

Keep Sweating It!


Tina

Don't be scared your body will save you

I found a very interesting article in the Womens Health Magazine about what happens to our bodies when we get scared. I think it is facinating to see how much protection our body equipts us with when we feel threatened by something.  

In less than one-tenth of a second

Your eyes spot a snake (or your ears pick up on footsteps behind you in an alley) and shoot a signal to the amygdala, a bundle of brain cells that acts as the hard drive of human emotion. It instantly triggers the adrenal glands—and just like that, your adrenaline rush is on, lending you added strength and speed.

The amygdala then prompts the already-busy adrenal glands to churn out cortisol, a stress hormone. High levels of cortisol can impede insulin, causing a rise in blood sugar.

Within three seconds

Thanks to the adrenaline, you're breathing faster, your heart is racing, your appetite stalls , and you've started to sweat.
The cortisol has saturated your bloodstream and feeds back into the amygdala to boost the perception of danger. It also reinforces your memory of the initial fright, so you may feel a little jumpy for the next few days.

Within five seconds

The rest of your brain is now fully tuned in to the threat. Nerve cells start to release endorphins, morphinelike natural painkillers that can combat the effects of physical stress (just in case you get injured by the scary thing that's revved you up).

Your brain is also releasing dopamine, the neurotransmitter best known for ushering in a "feel good" sensation akin to what you'd get from some narcotics. Hence, that thrill-packed delight some people may feel while watching horror movies.
So when you are about to go into that halloween haunted house or are watching a scary movie at your friends house and start to get all these symptoms, now you know what you are experiencing and why. It is good to get scared every once in a while especially on halloween to excite your senses.

Keep Sweating it.

Tina

Dance the pounds away

I have been working out and fitness training ever since I was in high school and I have

tried many exercise programs to see what works better and is easy to stick with. I should probably 

told you that I love to dance, ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you I am always 

dancing or bobbing to the beat. With that said, I have discovered that the most

fun and effective workouts I do are in the form of ZUMBA which is a way

to workout through dancing. It is SO MUCH FUN I tell you and 

you can do it for hours. I decided to attach one of my favorite workout

clips foryou to see and hopefully enjoy in your home.

Lets Get Dancing!! 

I hope you  guys enjoyed the workout and had as much fun as I did!

Keep Sweating It!

Tina 

Lets Get Dancing!!!!

Worked out or worked over?

I remember seeing many women walking around with the Reebok sneakers that were designed to tone your butt and thigh muscles. I was always skeptical about the shoes because I could not believe that a pair of shoes would be working you out just by walking. I think I also never bought them because they were pretty pricey so I was not going to spend money on something I was not completely interested in.

I always look at fitness and nutrition news so I can across an article about Reebok and their sneakers. It was very interesting and a bit upsetting to find out how many people wasted their money on a hoax.

The New York Times article states the following: 

Those fancy Reebok sneakers that promise better legs and a better behind “with every step” may be just like every other sneaker, federal regulators said Wednesday, and Reebok International is liable for $25 million in customer refunds for making false claims about its EasyTone line.
“Consumers expected to get a workout, not to get worked over,” said David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.


Sales of toning footwear topped $1 billion last year. But in the first eight months of this year, sales were off 46 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, according to data from the NPD Group.“This is going to hurt,” said Michael Atmore, editorial director at Footwear News, a trade publication. “This comes at a time when the category is on the wane.”


“In order to avoid a protracted legal battle, Reebok has chosen to settle with the F.T.C.,” said Daniel Sarro, a company spokesman, in an e-mail.“We stand by our EasyTone technology,” he added. “We have received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers, and we remain committed to the further development of our EasyTone line of products.”
The shares for Adidas fell $1.35 euros ($1.83) to 47.86 euros ($64.89) on the Frankfurt exchange on Wednesday.

Reebok introduced the shoes and their “balance ball-inspired technology” in 2009 with a tantalizing proposition.Just wearing the sneakers, Reebok said, would tone and strengthen a customer’s legs 11 percent better than regular walking shoes and sculpt bottoms 28 percent better.
Toning sneakers are designed to create slight instability, forcing muscles to work harder and so become more shapely and strong. Reebok offered toning versions of running shoes and sandals, too. The company’s ads for the shoes featured the toned behinds of scantily clad women and promised attention-grabbing results.

Toning shoes became an instant sensation, with sales ballooning to $1.1 billion last year from $50 million in 2008, said Matt Powell, an analyst at SportsOneSource. Reebok sold fewer than one million pairs in 2009, but that rose to more than five million pairs in the United States alone the next year, most of which sold for $100 or more.


Reebok stopped using advertising that made the disputed health claims last year, and under the settlement, it is prohibited from making them again unless it can provide more robust scientific proof.

It just goes to show you that you cant try and find the easy way out to get a good workout. You can achieve your workout goals for free in the comfort of your home at your own pace if you are willing to put in the time and sweat.

You can visit the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/business/reebok-to-pay-in-settlement-over-health-claims.html?pagewanted=all

By ANDREW MARTIN and ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: September 28, 2011 

 

Keep Sweating It!


Tina

The truth comes out

I was reading up on a supplement that is suppose to be one of the hottest items on the market for fat burning. The product is called nitric oxide, and weight lifters are taking it to gain muscle and burn fat in a short period of time. After reading some articles I was under the impression that the product really worked, I was slightly mislead. 

In one of my classes, my professor became sidetracked and started talking about a pill he was taking while doing a weight lifting regimen.  He said it was called nitric oxide and it came in large silver circular sized pills. I asked him if he felt that the product worked and if he would recommend it to others and he said he is not sure he would tell others to take it.

The problem he faced while taking the pill was that after 6 weeks and working out and using the supplement, he got very sick in his stomach. Mind you, my professor does endless amounts of research about anything he has an interest in so he was surprised he did not read somewhere about this side effect. He went back to the GNC store that he bought the pills from and asked the clerk why he was getting sick if there was no warming on the bottle addressing this negative effect. The clerk told him that it is not listed because it doesn't happen to everyone but after 4 weeks you are suppose to stop taking the pills for about 2 weeks to let your body balance out the nutrient otherwise it will give you an upset stomach.

It just goes to show you that even if you do a large amount of research about some type of protein you want to start taking, you should find out if it works from someone who has first hand experience taking it.


I find that hard work and lots of sweat is the safest and easiest way to get fit.


Keep Sweating It!

Tina

Yoga: Something for everybody

People have a misconception about Yoga that it is for

older women that just want to learn how to relax, breathe, and are

unable do a hardcore fitness workout like a young athlete.

This is a completely wrong statement because Yoga works

yours entire body and firms your muscles.

Several benefits of yoga for athletes of all levels.

Three of the most notable effects of Yoga involve:
1. Core
Many of the poses and exercises in traditional Yoga are core-strengthening, which can give athletes of any sport an added advantage. Holding the positions in Yoga lead to increased strength in your abs, glutes, lower back, and other parts of the core. Yoga can also strengthen muscles ignored by your typical weight-lifting and workout regimens.
2. Breathing and Concentration
Breathing is obviously an enormous part of any sport or athletic endeavor, and Yoga can help athletes form and maintain the habit of deep, relaxed breathing. In turn, this kind of breathing can also improve concentration and "center" an athlete, reducing anxiety during a game or match.
3. Flexibility
For some sports, hard, intense training can leave out one important aspect: stretching and flexibility. Yoga can improve flexibility and range of motion in personal problem areas and generally tight muscles. Added flexibility allows athletes to reach their full potential in their sport.

In these three areas- and more- Yoga demonstrates that it has superb cross-training benefits, allowing you to complement and enhance your usual fitness routine. 

It is always good to change up your workout regimin to keep it from getting

boring and to not allow your muscles to conform to your regular workout.

Keep sweating it!

Tina

Time to de-Stress

                    There comes a time in each of our lives when we have so much work going on whether it be for school or for a job that we become overwhelmed with stress. It is often hard to make time for ourselves to just relax and do something we like to do for a change.

                    I know that my blog focuses around getting fit and staying healthy but if you think    about it, you cant be healthy or keep your energy up if your always stressed and wearing yourself out.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 In order for you to be a productive and happy life, you need to have a balance between work and free time. If you let yourself get too rapped up in all your responsibilities, you can get burned out. I know that everyone is on a budget these days, but that does not mean you cannot still pamper yourself. I found these easy ways to kick your feet back and get some TLC time for yourself.

1. Take a 5 minute coffee/tea break.

2. Listen to Music

3. Give yourself a manicure

4. Give yourself a facial

5. Read a great magazine

6. Drink a glass of wine

7. WORKOUT ****

8. Surf the net

9. Take a bath

10. Read a book

If you have been following my blog and keeping up with your fitness, then its about time you took a day off. If you cant make time to do a few of these things then please at least do one because it will be worth it. 

Keep it sweating!

Tina  

The 12 Best Foods to Get a Flat Belly

These foods should be a major part of your diet because they will allow your body to increase lean muscle mass and avoid storing fat. Try to create entire meals around these foods, to enable yourself to build strong and solid muscles.

Incorporate two or three of these foods into each of your three major meals and at least one of them into each of your three snacks.

Try to Diversify your food at every meal to get a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. 

   

 

1. A - Almonds and other nuts (with skins intact)
Superpowers Builds muscle, reduces cravings
Fights Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure

2. B - Beans and legumes
Superpowers Builds muscle, helps burn fat, regulates digestion
Fights Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

3. S - Spinach and other green vegetables
Superpowers Neutralizes free radicals, molecules that accelerate the aging process
Fights Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

4. D - Dairy products (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese)
Superpowers Builds strong bones, fires up weight loss
Fights Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

5. I - Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
Superpowers Boosts energy, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels
Fights Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

6. E - Eggs
Superpowers Builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity

7. T - Turkey and other lean meats
Superpowers Builds muscle, strengthens immune system
Fights Obesity, various diseases

8. P - Peanut butter
Superpowers Boosts testosterone, builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease

9. O - Olive oil
Superpowers Lowers cholesterol, boosts immune system
Fights Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

10. W - Whole-grain breads and cereals
Superpowers Prevents body from storing fat
Fights Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease

11. E - Extra-protein (whey) powder
Superpowers Builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity

12. R - Raspberries and other berries
Superpowers Protects heart; enhances eyesight; improves balance, coordination, and short-term memory; prevents cravings
Fights Heart disease, cancer, obesity

These delicious foods are great sources of fiber and protein that will help you fight fat. Snack on these and you will be chewing your way to a tight and toned stomach.

Keep Sweating it!

Tina

Celebrities Taking the Heat for Having Some Meat

I feel sorry for celebrities because in the public's eyes they are never normal. They are either too skinny, overweight, have too much cellulite, or look old. I guess its the price you pay for being in the limelight but does the public and medias perception of celebrities cause them to alter their bodies?

If I saw my picture on the cover of a magazine with the title saying " she is expecting" or "dangerously skinny" I would be severely offended. I think that people need to be more conscious of what they write or say about others because some people that are not secure with their bodies can take it to heart. 

Some of the celebrities that I have seen in the news lately for being too skinny are: 

Angelina Jolie

 Kate Bosworth

 Lindsey Lohan

And celebs that have been in the news for being too heavy:

Brittney Spears

Jessica Simpson

Hillary Duff

Many people on this list, once were on the Too Skinny List some time before.....

I think it is not fair when they media puts up a picture of a celebrity in their bikini and says they are too fat but then after they lose some weight they put up a new picture and say that that person in drastically losing weight and could be too skinny. It is true that some of the celebrities feel the pressure to lose weight in order to get the advertising campaign or to look good in their awards ceremony dress but for the most part, the reason they are celebrities is because they are beautiful people in their craft. It is not often that the paparazzi follow the not so good looking celebs so before they were famous they were already skinny and beautiful it just that now everyone knows them.

Lets face the facts that no ones will ever have the perfect body because we all have our own interpretations of what the perfect body is. We need to identify within ourselves the way we would like our own body to look like and then take into consideration what is healthy for ourselves and what is not. As long as you are healthy, you do not need to be 100 pounds with no butt or boobs. It is also important to have people in your life that are supportive and accepting of the way you are and do not discourage you for not looking like a supermodel.

Your weight does not define who your are. If you have a beautiful personality on the inside, it will shine through to the outside. 

Keep sweating it!

Tina

The "Heavy" about Fat

I commend everyone who has started the fall semester with a new diet plan. I know many people that have started all different diets and have already seen major weight loss. It takes a lot of determination to completely change your eating habits with the hopes of seeing immediate weight loss.The hard part about dieting is knowing what you should and should not cut out.  

Many people obtain false information about Fat and how and what kinds they should obtain.

The Main Misconception: All fats are unhealthy and you need to cut them out in order to lost weight. 

 False: There are good fats and bad fats and it is important to know the differences.  

GOOD FATS: Unsaturated fats help fight the very diseases that consuming excess fat was said to cause. Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and both types are thought to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils. These improve your hair, nails, and skin. 


 BAD FATS:

Saturated Fats: Bad fats are also known as saturated fats. These are known to clog arteries which are found in meat and dairy products. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats have been shown to directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It is best to stay away from these at as much as possible. 

 

So the moral of the story is that even though is sounds backwards, we have to eat a certain portion of fat in order to stay healthy.  Staying healthy is the main goal so stay focused and keep up the good work.

 Keep sweating it!

Tina