Nutrition
Eating for health and eating for weight loss are not always the same! A common question is “I eat right/healthy, but I can’t lose weight, why?” Here's the answer:
Some foods that you consider healthy, such as trail mix, granola, or smoothies, may be full of sugars or fats. Although deemed “healthy”, these types of foods can actually be bad for your weight loss. Even if the sugars and fats come from "natural" sources found in the food and not added, they can still affect the body like regular sugars and fats can. Which means they can still cause weight gain and energy spikes.
Another problem is that because a food is thought of as "organic" or “healthy”, you might eat too large of a serving, not realizing the calorie content. Trail mix can quickly add up in calories for what seems like a small serving!
The basics of fat loss eating are simple: the majority of the intake should be comprised of nature's foods: protein, fibrous carbs (veggies) and grains. Nutrient dense foods that are high in fiber and quality sources of protein and fat are the fat loss foods that also create a healthy body! Smaller portions though out the day is best for weight loss, as is knowing the true content of your food in terms of calories, fats and sugars.
Training
Fitness Mistake #2: Too many Crunches for Abs
If you can do more than 10-15 crunches, especially if on the stability ball, then you aren't doing them right and might be wasting your time! Spending time doing tons of crunches is not how you get abdominal definition!
Crunches need to be done with proper form, using the abdominal muscles to lift your upper body. When you actually isolate your abdominal muscles for a crunch, you can't do nearly as many as when lifting your body then crunching or squeezing your abs.
The abdominals are also deep complex muscles with various functions. They require more than just crunches alone. The good news is that it doesn't take long to do ab exercises as long as you are doing them right!
Let's talk a little about the four major muscles involved in training the abdominal area. The rectus abdominus is mainly worked by crunches. But there is also the internal obliques, external obliques, and transverse abdominis to consider when training.
To obtain a leaner midsection, you need to work these three deeper muscles. Since these muscles support the core and thus, good posture, you can see immediate results with the leaner look that a tall posture provides!
You change up your workouts for other muscles, do it for the abs too! Every few weeks, focus more on the exercises for the obliques and/or transverse abdominis. Such exercises include: the plank, side plank and their variations. Mix it up for a tighter middle!
Motivation
Be good to yourself! When you reach a milestone or have a success, reward yourself-but not with food. A new clothing article or accessory, a massage, a relaxing walk in a park or at a beach (not a workout!), some new lotions from a Bath & Body store, a bubble bath, a manicure or pedicure or both!
Another important way to maintain motivation and be good to yourself is to associate success with things you can control. You learn about this in-depth in the FitnessMakeover Control dvd workshop. Things you cannot control include: the rate of your fat loss (sorry, your body controls that one!) or when the scale will change. For consistent motivation, focus on things you can control such as your food selection-make the right choices, avoiding junk foods, or you workouts-doing them when you schedule, not blowing them off!
Congratulate and reward yourself for a week of good behaviors! This type of reward system, rather than focusing on the outcome, will help you stay motivated and on your way to achieving your goals!
Link to the show: Fit 072 Crunches, rewards and fat loss foods!
Link to the: Get Fit Center
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