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WHY do you want to lose weight? Is it just to get in those “Apple Bottom” jeans; That cruise coming up this summer? Or is it because it will allow you to have the stamina to get through your day without being tired or better yet so that you can run and plan with your children without passing out from exhaustion!
Your motivation to lose weight should not be a short term fix, but long term solutions were the end result is a Healthier, Happier YOU – both inside and out!
The following are 8 steps that you can follow in order to GET FIT and STAY FIT – For LIFE:
- Just What the Doctor Ordered
- Get a complete physical and discuss any issues that you may be having with your family physician prior to starting any nutritional or exercise program.
- Changing Your Mind
- Are you mentally ready to change your lifestyle? What you are about to embark on “IS NOT A DIET”, it’s a lifestyle change – it’s a decision that you are making to change your life and the lives of your family and friends.
- Change your mind from those old habits and start anew. If you “keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you get!”
- Spring Clean Your Body – Now that you’ve gotten the green light from the doc’, you’ve dusted off your sneakers and fitness clothes and you’ve made up your mind that its time to change something’s lets take a look inside to see if it’s ready!
- Cleansing - We are exposed to a number of toxins everyday - pollution, pesticides and food preservatives, side effects from medications, and chemicals in our water. All of these elements can leave toxins in the body that can contribute to a slower metabolism, a weak
 immunity system, weight gain, chronic pain, tiredness and stress.
- Cleansing can be categorized into 2 categories: Dietary and Supplements.
- Dietary - Just changing your diet from processed foods, high amounts of dairy, excess sugars and adding more fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to your diet can help you remove waste buildup in the body which can give you more vitality, relieve pain, and allergy symptoms.
- Supplements – Some people need to supplement their dietary cleansing with a Supplement because their bodies are not properly eliminating waste on its own! You ask how I know this. I’m glad you asked:
- A baby eats several times/day and each time they eat – they have a bowel movement. Why? Because their system is pure and has not been filled with processed foods, sugar, sodas, etc! As you grow older, most of you only eat 2 or 3 times per day (I’m really pushing this number!) and you only have a bowel movement 1 time/day and most once or twice every other day. So you continue to eat, but you don’t go to the bathroom – SO WHERE IS THIS FOOD STORED? My thoughts exactly – YUK!
- Get the old stuff out so that the good food can work for your good!
- I recommend that you follow Muscular Nutritionﾒs Xtreme 7 Day Cleanse Pack along with the Suggested Meal Plan. It can help can help regulate healthy bowel movements and handle your concerns about the buildup of toxins in your digestive system. It’s a safe and natural way to restore your bodies own natural balance in just seven (7) days.
- GOYGM
- Get of Your Gluteus Maximus!
- Exercise (Cardio and Resistance Training)
- Resistance Training (Weights or Bands) - To increase your muscles mass and to accelerate your fat loss, you need to train with weights.
- Cardio Training - Cardio training helps your stamina and endurance and weight training helps build your muscles and strengthens bones. It not only helps to burn fat and calories during the actual time you are exercising, but it also elevates your metabolism for hours afterwards.
- I get this statement all the time from women: I don’t want to lift weight because it will make me look like a man? 8-) We as women have very little of the hormone testosterone so we won’t bulk up like a man.
- Did you know that MUSCLE helps to burn the fat? Replacing fat with LEAN MUSCLE is the ticket to a healthier you!
- Pure and Natural
- Can you say H2O?
- This will be short and sweet – you have to drink water! Water flushes out the toxins in your body and it helps to keep the body cool! Nothing can replace water, but water! You can add some fresh lemon to your water to give it some flavor, but don’t get hooked on the flavored waters as your MAIN source of hydration. How much water? This varies from person to person, but at a bare minimal 64 oz/day = ½ gallon. Most people that I know, including myself consume 1 gallon of water/day!
- Triple E’s
- Eat, Eat, Eat
- Are you eating at least 5 times/day?
- If the answer is NO, then you are slowing your metabolism down which will result in you not losing weight. DO NOT starve yourself! You have to feed the body in order for the body to lose weight!
- Eat More Protein
- Protein helps to build and repair muscle, and it also aids in increasing your metabolism and enhancing your immune system. To promote maximum muscle growth and repair, you should try to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Some good sources of protein are lean meats, egg whites, and Muscular Whey Protein.
- In Addition To …
- Supplements – Supplements are the “in addition to” items: Multi-Vitamins, Protein Powders, Thermogenics, Green Foods, etc. Most of us aren’t getting the proper nutrients that we need through our food because we are not eating the right types of food OR we are not eating enough of the right types of food. Supplements are used to add to your daily meal plans to ensure that we are getting all of the nutrients that we need in order to be healthier.
- Supplements should NEVER take the place of eating a healthy, balanced diet nor should they replace your cardio and resistance training.
- Get some R&R
- Rest and Relaxation
- The average adult needs approximately 7-8 hours of sleep each night to function properly. Some people may be able to function on less, some may need more.
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – IT’S SMARTER THAN YOU!
- Getting enough rest is imperative to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. When you don’t relax and get enough sleep you are putting yourself at risk for illness and side effects such as weak immune systems, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings.
A healthy diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, plenty of water, along with cardio and resistance training coupled with Rest and Relaxation will have you on your way to a healthier you in 2008 and beyond! Remember: A New Year Starts With You!
Tracy Smith, a Natural Figure Competitor has competed on the local, national, and international level as a competitor since 2005. Recently she has launched FitnessThreads.com – a Fitness Apparel and Nutritional Supplement website for both competitors and fitness enthusiasts’ alike!
www.MsMuscular.com
www.FitnessThreads.com
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