Why Women Should Lift Weights

If you walked into your local gym right now, what would you see?  In what area of the gym would you see the most men?  How about for women?  In most cases, you would go straight to the back weight benches and see a plethora of men lifting weights and doing what men do.  To find the women, you would look towards the cardio machines and wahh-laaa!  There we are, running or doing the elliptical, aiming to burn as many calories as possible.

Why don’t more women venture over to the weight machines area and bang out a few sets?  I have asked many a woman the very same question, only to hear a variation of the same answer:  “I don’t want to get bulky”.

MYTH:  Weight training will make me look too muscular like a man.

FACT:  It is extremely rare for a woman to achieve enough muscle mass to look like Vin Diesel.  This is because women lack testosterone.  You would need supplements, injections, and ALOT of time and hard work to look like him.  The fact is, muscle can accentuate your womanly figure in ALL of the RIGHT places.

MYTH:  All I need is cardio to lose weight.  Weight training makes you gain weight.

FACT:  While cardio is a great way of burning calories and fat, adding a strength training regimen into your workout routine will burn even more calories and help you keep the weight off in the long run. The trick is achieving a balance.   Plus, do you know how hard it is to put on 5 lbs of muscle?  Pretty damn hard.

Now that we’ve gotten the myths out of the way, we can talk about the benefits of weight training.  There are many benefits to lifting weights, but here are a few of the most noteworthy:

1.       Muscle burns calories!  The more muscle you have, the more calories you body will burn at rest (i.e. sleeping, watching TV).  It increases your metabolism, and promotes weight loss.  Some studies have shown a 15% increase in calories burned per day!  Who wouldn’t want to burn more calories?  This alone should sell you.  Seriously.

2.       Muscle fights gravity!  We all know what happens as we age.  Gravity slowly pulls our “assets” towards the ground, and things start SAGGING.  We also lose muscle mass (3 – 5% per decade, after the age of 30).  Good muscle tone will help keep things pointing in the right direction.

3.       Muscle improves posture!  Bad posture, both seated and standing, can have some pretty bad effects on your health.  Tension headaches and chronic back pain are just a few of the health issues associated with having bad posture.  Weight training strengthens muscles you need for better posture.

Still not convinced?  Watch this video!

What They DON'T Tell You About Protein Powder

Protein powder is a good way to feed your muscles the protein and amino acids they need to rebuild after a weight lifting workout.  There are a number of types of protein powder out there, such as whey, casein, soy (the "type" is based on the source of the protein, such as cow's milk versus soybeans).  This can make choosing a protein powder a seemingly daunting task.  And even when you settle on the type, you still have a zillion brands to choose from!  There are different flavors, and some are mixed with different supplements, and this can also complicate your decision. 

Despite all of these variations, MOST (not all) protein powders have one thing in common:  they contain artificial sweeteners!  

Here is the thing.  Anything that is sweet but low in calories and carbohydrates is more than likely sweetened with an artificial sweetener such as aspartame, sucralose, or acesulfame potassium.  I personally try to stay clear of all artificial sweeteners (and sugars for that matter).  Studies have shown that artifical sweeteners actually behave as toxins in your body and can lead to water retention and fat retention in those trouble areas.  Recent researchers have also challenged the safety of artificial sweetener consumption, especially in large quantities. 

Have you ever looked at the list of ingredients on the back of your protein powder bottle?  The first time I did this, I realized I had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DRINKING!  Personally, I opt for 100% whey protein powder after a lifting workout for optimal muscle recovery.  Although the bottle of protein powder I had said "100% Whey", there were a bunch of added ingredients I had never heard of.  This prompted me to begin a long search for an all-natural (truly) 100% whey protein powder.  And it took a while, and a bit of research.

As a result of my search, I found Optimum Nutrition's Natural 100% Whey Gold Standard protein powder!  This protein powder contains no artifical flavors or sweeteners, and is truly the purest brand of whey protein I have come across to date.  Love it!  And since it is free of additional additives, it is also low on calories (one scoop yields 24 grams of protein and is only 130 kcals!)  It can be purchased at Vitamin Shoppe, or on their website:  http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/natural-100-whey-gold-standard-p-202.html



Know what you are putting in your body! 

Why You Should Consider Morning Workouts

I absolutely LOVE working out in the morning! Yes, there are days I would rather sleep in. No, it isn't always easy to drag myself out of the bed. BUT, I never regret it. Here's why...

1. It gets my metabolism going - Exercise burns calories - during and after you workout. By starting the day with exercise, you are revving up your metabolism early in the day.
2. It helps keep me focused - I have found that I am far more likely to make healthy eating choices when I start the day with a workout. If I'm waking up early (4:30 for me), it should absolutely count! Bad eating choices during the day will cancel out my hard work, so I make better choices!
3. There are fewer excuses first thing in the morning - By the end of the day, we can all come up with a million excuses why we shouldn't exercise. :-) In the morning, there are simply fewer.

So what if you honestly can't get your workout complete in the morning? Well here are a few tips to help you reap the same benefits.

1. Do a short morning workout. When I don't have time to workout in the morning (or if I hit snooze too many times to make it to the gym), I do a 5-10 minute workout just to get my day going. I'll throw in stuff like jumping jacks, jogging in place, squats, sit-ups, burpees, mountain climbers, etc
2. Split your workout.  Some days I do my cardio or my lifting in the morning & then do the other half after work. Or if it's a day when I am trying to get a lot of cardio in - I'll do half in the morning & half later.
3. Don't commit to it EVERY day! Be realistic! Waking up early every day might not be realistic for you. If that's the case, just commit to 2 or 3 days per week & stick to it.

But in all fairness, the best time to work out is whenever you will actually do it!

 It's different for everyone! 

When do you workout? Why? 

My Favorite Fitness App!

My Lose It! app is one of the keys to my fitness. Based on my current weight and fitness goals, Lose It! calculates my daily caloric goal. I track everything I eat and the calories I burn during my workouts to see my net each day and week. And since I'm a bodybuilder at heart, I can also track my protein/fats/carbs ratio as well.

Eating a Healthy Breakfast on the Road

To my roadies out there, you know how challenging it can be to keep up a good nutrition routine while travelling.  One of my biggest challenges personally is breakfast.  Now, I buy into the stigma that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Not only does it jump start your metabolism after a night of fasting, but it gets your nutrition on the right track for the rest of the day (if you do it right).  While at home, I typically go for Cheerios and milk with a banana, or egg whites and peanut butter toast, or even a yummy smoothie.  But on the road, I can't exactly pack a blender or cook eggs (well... I COULD, but who has time for that).  So, I am forced to grab something on the road. 

Keeping affordability and convenience in mind, here are some of my top on-the-road, convenient breakfast options...

1. McDonalds:  If you think about CONVENIENCE, McDonalds is certainly at the top of the list.  Sadly though, most of the breakfast items on their menu are fatty, high in sodium and full of empty calories.  But eating a healthy breakfast at McDonalds is possible.  Here is what I would opt for:
• Option #1 (Total Calories = 410 kcals)
• Oatmeal w/o brown sugar (260 kcals)
• Fruit 'n Yogurt parfait (150 kcals)
• Option #2 (Total Calories = 350 kcals)
• Egg McMuffin (300 kcals)
• Apple slices (50 kcals)
2. Gas Station:  No, I'm not crazy!  With a delicate eye (or my help), you will notice there are a few hidden gems that can help you keep the caloric intake and carbohydrates down, but nutrition and protein up:
• Option #1 (Total Calories = 385 kcals)
• Belvita Breakfast Cookies (230 kcals)
• Hard-boiled eggs - 2 pack (155 kcals)
• Option #2 (Total Calories = 320 kcals)
• Hard-boiled eggs - 2 pack (155 kcals)
• Banana (105 kcals)
• String Cheese (60 kcals)
• Option #3 (Total Calories = 280 kcals)
• Green Machine Naked Juice (280 kcals)
3. Subway:  If there are not alot of breakfast options, Subway is a good choice as well.  If you want something hot, there are plently of options here.  I won't list them out, but anything on FLATBREAD WITH EGG WHITES is a safe bet in the 200 - 300 calorie range.  I add apple slices to it as well, to ensure I am satisfied.

There are other options as well.  The most important thing is to know and be conscious of what you are putting in your body.  GL!