It seems everyone wants to know how to lose a lot of weight FAST! Usually the person asking the question has a big event coming up, such as a wedding or party, coming up in the next few weeks. However, what people tend to lose sight of, is that getting to a point where you are 20 or more pounds overweight didn’t happen overnight, and losing it successfully cannot happen overnight either.

Unfortunately the truth is that there’s no quick fix answer, substantial weight loss IS absolutely possible, but it takes dedication, discipline and effort. Heck, if there was a quick fix, gyms would be out of business and we’d all look like a bunch of fitness models. Most people simply aren’t prepared physically, mentally, or emotionally. They end up discouraged and giving up.

Fact: 95% of people who start off with a huge, unrealistic weight loss goal are going to be very disappointed. They end up burning out very quickly in terms of both energy and motivation. No matter how much you think you want it, you’re simply not going to lose 20 pounds of fat and get “six pack” abs in the next 3 weeks. Sorry… but it’s the truth!

I have a different approach to these questions: how about starting off with 3 pounds? Just three measly pounds. This is a very realistic short-term weight loss goal for just about everyone. Plus, losing 3 pounds of body fat and toning your muscles just a little through proper exercise can have a big impact on the way you look and feel.

If you do it right, losing those initial 3 lbs can propel your motivation to go after much bigger weight loss success. You’ll learn what it takes to lose weight the right way. Plus, if you use the healthy fat-burning techniques below, you’ll end up with a boosted metabolism (not to mention boosted self-confidence) and some contagious momentum to kickstart your journey to a leaner, fitter body!

Sound good? Here we go…

5 Steps to Lose 3 Pounds Fast

1. “FOCUS” on your Goal. Every day spend some time mentally visualizing yourself losing weight, being confidant, and feeling fantastic. Have a clear image of what you want in mind at all times, you may even put your goal image on the fridge or buy an outfit you will wear when you hit your target. In a busy world, spending some dedicated time each day to focus on your goal will bring you that much closer to achieving it.

2. Invigorate your Energy. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night to help springboard your energy throughout the day. Avoid soda, sweets and other junk foods, snack on healthy/low calorie options every 2-3 hours and drinking about 2 litres of pure water per day. I like to start each day with a big glass of water and, a few minutes of light, refreshing exercise such as push-ups or jumping jacks.

3. Eliminate ‘Highly-Processed’ White’s. Stop eating all highly-processed “white” carbs and you could easily lose 3 pounds in a couple of weeks… without doing anything else! The worst — and most common — white carb foods are white sugars and white flours (e.g. white bread, pasta, etc.). Other white foods you may want to avoid include white potatoes and white rice, as these are starches that are easily converted into sugar once you eat them. There are so many delicious healthy options, you will hardly feel you are missing out, and after a while you won’t even crave them (especially when you start realizing how good you look and feel)!

4. Eat your Protein and Veggies. The “perfect” meal for fast fat loss is one that contains a lean protein, raw or lightly cooked vegetables (especially the leafy green ones- think broccoli, brussel sprouts and spinach), a serving of beans or legumes (no sugar added), and some good fats (e.g. from olive oil or avocado). No sugars, bad fats, bad starches, fried foods, or processed carbohydrates. Most, if not all, of your daily calories should come from lean proteins, oily fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds, raw fruit, and healthy fats. Limit, or at least cycle, your intake of starchy carbs (grains, rice, potatoes, etc.). You’ll spike your metabolism and you’ll be losing pounds every day!

5. Do short, effective workouts. Don’t spend hours every day jogging mundanely on a treadmill. Instead, do a short, intense workout every other day or so. Combine strength training with HIIT (high-intensity interval training cardio). Do full-body workouts and keep them to under 40 minutes in length(for more workout examples see XXXX). Exercising like this will help you lose those 3 pounds in a very short amount of time, while also toning your muscles in a way that will make it look like you’ve lost much more than just three lbs!

That’s it. Follow the proven steps above and you’ll lose 3 pounds fast. Possibly a whole lot more. Just focus on that simple, highly-attainable goal. The rest will soon follow!

Notice we didn’t say “How to see immediate effects from your exercise,” because you can’t really do that. But you can “get immediate results.” All too often, though, we get so consumed with seeing the physical changes that we tend to overlook all the other equally important benefits that you can literally get right away!

Get Over Appearance. It’s no secret that appearance is a big part of most of our motivation to keep exercising – heck, there’s a reason workout videos of super-fit instructors are so motivating! – but appearance can’t be everything. We need to focus on other stuff too – especially since it normally takes a couple of months before you start to see real results from your exercise. So, even though appearance is an amazing motivator, it’s not the motivator you want to be constantly drawing from when first starting out.

Feel The Immediate Effects. Especially in the early stages of a workout routine, focus on the results you can see immediately. Pay attention to the psychological benefits (like stress and anxiety reduction), enjoy your better mood, increased self-esteemand that post-workout high (which we think beats any mani/pedi!). You’ll also have more energy throughout the day, sleep more restfully and enjoy the fresh air too! Plus, you’ll get a free daily dose of Vitamin D (and it’s free!).

Get Outside & Exercise Your Mind. When you exercise outdoors, your mind becomes aware of the changing scenery. Whether you use the road, the boardwalk or a winding path, your mind has to focus differently than it would on a machine going nowhere.

Next time you need motivation, step away from the scale and look far from the mirror… and just head back to this article

Impress friends with this fancy (but simple) roller skating trick!

1. Stand in your inline skates with your feet about shoulders-width apart.
2. Squat down and bend forward so that your torso is at about a 45-degree angle with the ground.
3. Bend your legs so that your knees and toes are pointing inward.
4. Push your body backward with the front part of your feet. You will then begin to move backward.
5. Pull your heels together as you roll backward.
6. Turn your legs again so that your feet and knees are pointing inward. You will want to do this almost immediately after pulling your heels together.
7. Repeat Steps 4 through 6 to continue to move backward.

The REAL TRUTH behind the DIET SODA

I really hate articles by health fanatics that put a damper on anything remotely tasty and pleasureful in your diet, we do have to live a little right? And I know many of us health conscious people find guilty pleasure in our uber sweet diet-sodas. However, deep down we know that all the chemicals in there can’t be that great for us, but hey it’s our vice.
I myself used to have quite the diet-coke addiction, and I used to justify with all sorts of reasons. The bottom line was that I felt it was just a calorie-less drink, how bad could it be? Well, the latest research I found may be enough to ‘can’ your addiction.

Here’s the news: Two new studies (yes that’s right, two!), have found that diet soda drinks (with artificial sweeteners, think Splenda) may actually cause weight gain and put you at a severely heightened risk of diabetes.

From ScienceDaily:

“The researchers compared long-term change in waist circumference for diet soda users versus non-users in all follow-up periods. The results were adjusted for waist circumference, diabetes status, leisure-time physical activity level, neighborhood of residence, age and smoking status at the beginning of each interval, as well as sex, ethnicity and years of education.

Diet soft drink users, as a group, experienced 70 percent greater increases in waist circumference compared with non-users. Frequent users, who said they consumed two or more diet sodas a day, experienced waist circumference increases that were 500 percent greater than those of non-users.

Could the brown color of the soda itself actually be dangerous too?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that the stuff that gives the soda its brownness—the “caramel coloring”—might possibly be carcinogenic. The group is petitioning the FDA to ban the coloring or at least put warning labels on the cans, saying that 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole—two chemicals produced during the processing of soda—have been linked with lung, liver and thyroid cancer in lab mice.

And these are just the main things that stood out to me in the article!

So What to DO?

Substitute! My advice is not to subsist on water alone, but try some pellegrino with lemons, limes, strawberries, raspberries, or any other fruit. Even a splash of fruit just or fruit nectar makes it taste delicious! It may take some getting used to, but I think in the long run, it’s one of the easier substitutes with benefits that far outweigh the sacrifice.
You want to nourish your body as best you can, so that you feel better and look better from the inside out!

Need a Workout that Works?? The 400 Challenge

If you are like us, you are likely very tired of hearing about and/or reading about zillions of workouts claiming to do this and that and not quite sure what to believe or try first.
We used to run 60+ miles a week, and THAT worked! But that was our job at the time, and in the real world, who has time for 60 miles a week?? And second, not everyone’s body is made to run that amount of volume, we know first-hand how it breaks the body down….

You can’t go ‘all out’ everyday (this would not be realistic or effective), but it is important to get in 2-3 hard, intense workouts a week. My philosophy is simple, I have mimicked my running training, and supplemented the 2-3 hard track workouts I used to do, with intense dynamic workouts that incorporate high interval cardio, plyometrics and strength training. After years of studying every possible technique, this is what I have found to truly WORK!

Below is a challenging but truly effective workout. If this is your first time, getting through the whole thing may not be possible, but that’s why it’s a challenge. I guarantee, you keep at it and stick with our workouts, keeping this one in the mix every week and soon you will be conquering it (and your body will reflect this new fitness level).

Happy Sweating!

The 400 Challenge — How far Can you Make it?

10 Push-Ups
10 Burpee Jacks
10 Scissor Abs
10 Wall Squats

Performs 10 rounds of 10 reps of each exercise for a total of 100 each for a challenging and painful workout!

BEST 20 Minute Workout - TABATA PROTOCOL = HUGE Calorie Burn  I have put together 20 minutes cardio workout that consists of 4 different exercises. It is in Tabata style but with a slightly lower level of intensity and will be targeting the whole body for an all-out incredible workout.

The idea here: quick, painful, and truly effective. In just 20 minutes you will put your metabolism into overdrive for the rest of the day, burn tons of calories, tone up the whole body and get you to your ‘fittest you’ !

This cardio workout is basically high intensity interval training (HIIT) based on Tabata protocol. Tabata protocol was created by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan.

So What Is Tabata? 4 minutes of near max exertion effort which consists of 8 rounds 20 seconds max effort + 10 seconds rest. Those 4 minutes a day are worth the equivalent to more than an hour of normal ‘endurance’ style cardio. It’s now used by professional athletes and many top trainers are saying that its possible to shed 7% — 10% bodyfat within a month if you do this workout 4 times per week.

The intensity of the Tabata Protocol might be dangerous to anyone with heart disease. So be wise, and get physician clearance before you try this workout. You can still get incredible results with the Tabata Protocol while going at your own safe pace. It will also allow you to do more than just one exercise.

I hope you will enjoy the benefits of this workout

Round 1:Jumping Lunges (8 rounds of 20 second intense effort + 10seconds rest)

1 min rest

Round 2: Knee Push-Ups (8 rounds of 20 second intense effort + 10seconds rest)

1 min rest

Round 3: Mountain Climbers (8 rounds of 20 second intense effort + 10seconds rest)

1 min rest

Round 4: Scissor Crunches (8 rounds of 20 second intense effort + 10seconds rest)

FYI: Sometimes you just won’t be able to make it the whole time and have to slow down or sit out some of the sets. If you just can’t make it through the whole round, that’s OK! You are still getting the benefits of this cardio workout and the more you do it, the stronger you will get. Just do your personal best — don’t get discouraged, the key is sticking with it!

Intense sweat workout!

My Body. My Biography.

Ahhh the butt, doesn’t everyone long to have that ‘perfect behind’? Are you happy with your butt? Most of us aren’t. We think they’re too big, too small, too giggly, too saggy…and on and on. However, your ‘imperfect butt’ is not something you have to settle on, there are many simple things you can do to improve your backside and help you achieve buns of steel.
While cardio and diet are the keys to dropping excess weight and toning everything up, there are many exercises you can do to specifically address your hips, butt and thighs. In this article I have selected the Top Five Exercises that really work!

1. SQUATS

Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your hips, butt and thighs. There are many different types of squats; from standing squats to dumbbell squats to wall squats with a ball, it is really a matter of personal preference and resources.
I recommend starting with a basic squat (this is something you can do anywhere):
Stand with feet hip-width apart and squat, keeping back straight, abs in and knees behind your toes. Let your butt lightly touch a chair and squeeze butt to stand up.
Hold each squat for 5 seconds and repeat 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Add weights for more intensity.

2. LUNGES

Lunges are a great exercise because they work so many muscles at the same time. On the front leg, you’ll work your glutes and hamstrings and, on the back leg, you’ll work your quads and calves. What’s nice about lunges is that there are different options to choose from.

Reverse lunges
Front lunges
Walking lunges
Side-to-Side Lunges
Wheel lunges (front, side, reverse)
You can also elevate the back foot on a step or platform to really challenge both legs. This is a great move for the glutes and thighs.
At home, I recommend walking lunges:
To begin a walking lunge stand upright (add weights in your hands for more intensity). Now take a lunge forward while never letting your knee go ‘over’ your toe. Once at the bottom of the lunge (leg bent at 90 degree angle), push off with the back foot and then approach the standing position. Repeat with the other leg. Make sure to breath out on the way up and breathe in on the actual lunge.

3. STEP UPS

Step ups are my personal favorite – as I have found them to dramatically improve my running strength, speed and magically tone up the butt and thighs.
For step ups, you simply step one foot onto a platform (such as a bench or step) and drive the other leg straight up so that it forms a 90 degree angle.
The other key to making this move work is to put all your weight on the stepping leg. In other words, lower down gently, barely touching the toes of the other leg to the ground. You’ll really feel this when you take it slow and concentrate on the working leg.

4. HIP EXTENSIONS

I like squats, lunges and step-ups because they work multiple muscle groups at once, however, the hip extension is one of the best exercises for targeting the butt and lower back.

For this move, lay on your side, holding abs tight and lift the top leg up and slightly back, leading with your heel (toe pointed down). Lift very slowly and hold at the top for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 6-10 times for 2-3 sets. Your butt should be burning by the 2nd or 3rd set (I know mine does)!

5. ONE-LEGGED DEADLIFTS

Deadlifts are very effective for your hamstrings, glutes and lower back, but form is crucial – skip this exercise if you have any back problems!

To begin, take the one leg back a little bit, lightly resting on the toe. With weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips and lower the weights as low as your flexibility allows. Keep your back flat and focus on keeping your abs contracted to protect the back. Squeeze the glutes of the working leg to raise back up. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

By practicing this series 2 times a week, you can expect to see some effective results – no fancy gym or personal trainer needed.

Enjoy!

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Future website (and believe me, I saw it, it’s gonna be amazing!): workouts, fitness and beauty tips, talk shows, videos…

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And you, what are your projects? :)

Zico water and…me!

There are SO many different diets, trends, allergies out there, that it’s hard to find a good meal or snack that satisfies all people AND is low calorie, filling AND TASTY! This is my favourite healthy snack, check this out!

In our summer vacation series we’ve covered how to still fit in those workouts while out traveling and we’ve also shared that it’s okay to sometimes take a break from regimented workouts, but it’s a good idea to still make that time an active rest. This time we’ll talk about the big F word. No, not that one: Food.