mortiz097

The last ten pounds can be a struggle. The scale stops budging and frustration has taken over. The stress of it all is putting the adrenal glands into overdrive. A cortisol rush is the last thing your body needs when trying to lose the last ten pounds . Studies show chronic stress can hinder your ability to lose weight. Plateaus Are Normal Plateaus are normal for all of us living a healthy lifestyle . Many don't realize food intake and exercise programming require constant review and change. If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal.  Remain positive and progressive with your fitness regardless of what the scale says. Many factors are at play when the body stops showing results. Usually, a simple review and program change are all that's required to gets things moving again.  Things to consider:  Are you eating enough ? The body knows when it's not getting enough fuel. If you restrict too many calories, your body will refuse to give up any fat stor...

Achieving fitness results the right way will require good nutrition. Although exercise is important, nutrition does play the largest role in getting fit and maintaining your health. Eating Right is Easy Eating right for results isn't complicated as many people believe. This line of thinking has much to do with fitness products and supplements marketed as the only way to lose weight, get fit, and increase muscle size. Wrong! Let's put these myths aside and take a simple look at what really is required nutritionally. Food Journals: It may be helpful to use a food journal for a short time until you have adopted how to eat right. Food journals are shown to keep you on track and enable you to repeat healthy weeks. This part may sound like a burden to start, but it really is quite simple. Forget about charting calories, grams, weighing food, etc. for now and probably won't be necessary later. Keep your journal simple and you will enjoy the process of learning. As long as you...

To this day I dislike being called skinny. I have had my share of teasing as a kid and even into adulthood. Body shaming goes both ways in this life. Love Yourself What's important is loving yourself right where you are while working toward your goals . It wasn't until discovering how to build curves with resistance training that my life changed for the better. I was blessed with my Dad's genetics and thankful, but it has been a challenge to put on weight including muscle. I'm also constantly hungry and seem to burn up energy faster than the average person. I turn to healthy carbs to fuel my body and feel good throughout the day. I can feel lightheaded if I go too long without eating, especially carbs. Some of the carbs I eat on a regular basis include: oats quinoa seeded whole grain bread whole grain tortillas sweet and white potatoes brown rice veggies and fruits 100% juice (pomegranate, green juice) Metabolism and Gains My metabolism seems to work faster than I can f...

It's essential to begin your journey of getting fit with a realistic mindset. Do you struggle in this area? Learning how to set realistic fitness goals will be the start of a successful program and adopting a healthy lifestyle . Take it Slow Many of us can jump too far ahead wanting instant results. Unrealistic expectations can derail how you feel about yourself and your fitness program. The goal is to avoid frustration and maintain a positive outlook. Part of being successful with your program is learning to slow down and allow yourself to be a beginner. This will take being patient and trusting the process. If you have reached your goals and fallen back into unhealthy habits, this is for you as well. Recovering from injury will also require being patient with you. Stay Consistent Fitness takes time and consistent effort. Achieving your goals is a life-long progressive program. We are always a work in progress. The following tips on how to set realistic fitness goals will be helpf...

Many of you have heard of meal prepping to achieve fitness goals, but do you really know what it means? What is Meal Prepping? Meal prepping is one of the most popular ways to stay on track with eating right. It does take planning, time, and cooking healthy. It's not a diet and quite the opposite. It means having plenty of nutrient-dense foods ready to fuel your body and achieve fitness goals. It also includes cooking in bulk and separating out meals to eat during the week. Results Require Good Nutrition Nutrition remains the primary ingredient to achieving your fitness goals. Eating right is also how you maintain a healthy body. No amount of exercise is going to make up for an unhealthy diet. Getting fit the right way takes a balance of eating right and exercise. This is where meal prepping gives you a definite edge up to reaching goals and adopting a healthy lifestyle. I highly recommend re-reading my Blog post on Cleaning Up Your Nutrition for Results  as a great compliment to t...

We have all experienced lack of motivation and it's actually normal during our fitness journey. Nothing goes perfectly and results can take longer than we thought.  When results are slower than expected, frustration can feel overwhelming. Staying motivated can be difficult during this time. Our feelings can move past frustration straight into pissed off and angry.  Motivation vs. Discipline Lack of motivation causes many of us to consider giving up. We doubt our efforts and think nothing will work. You may even return to old unhealthy habits. Before the negative mental game  stops you completely, consider using discipline instead of motivation . When you struggle, it will be discipline carrying you to the finish line and beyond. Discipline means doing the work anyway even when you don't feel like it. Discipline Works The truth is we're all working toward the same fitness goal but at differing rates of progress. Health is a process of small steps taken over time tha...