2 Reasons YOU Should Strength Train To Lose Weight!

1.  The more muscle you have, the higher your base metabolism will be and the more calories you will burn even at rest. 
2.  Second reason is more important. Whenever you lose weight, you will lose some muscle along with the fat. If you don't exercise and do some strength training, up to 30% of the weight you lose can come from muscle loss, that isn't likely to be healthy over the long haul. 


Good strength and muscle tone are essential for functional living and health. You can hold your muscle loss down to 3-5% total weightloss with moderate strength training. 

Strength training helps to preserve bone density, balance, and many other important things. 


Strength train each muscle group at least twice a week--this really only takes about 30-45 minutes per workout. Better yet, try circuit training, where you lift weights without resting between sets. This method meets both cardio and strength requirements because you keep your heart rate elevated throughout your workout, increasing the amount of calories you burn per workout. 

Lifting Heavy is the Key to Weight Loss.  We know that losing fat involves increasing your metabolism. What you may not know is that muscle plays a huge role in raising metabolism. A pound of muscle burns about 10-20 calories a day while a pound of fat burns 5 calories. That means any growth in your muscle tissue is going to help you burn more calories all day long. In fact, strength training has all kinds of great effects on your body like:

3 Tips to Improve Your Posture

Establishing good posture habits involves more than just standing up straight. It means allowing your bones, ligaments and tendons (not your muscles) to support your body weight. When your muscles must bear your body weight and move it at the same time, they can't relax. Constricted muscles don't move freely or efficiently, causing pain and sometimes injury.

Postural alignment plays an important "support" role whenever your foot hits the ground. If your muscles have to support your body weight with each step, you'll tire more quickly. If you're bent at the waist, your lower back, quadriceps and neck muscles will be carrying your weight, which makes for inefficient running and post-workout soreness.

Focus your attention on the line your spine makes as it runs from the top of your head to the end of your tailbone. Return your attention to your spine as often as possible all day long, no matter what you're doing. Let it become a daily practice.

Don't run bent at the waist. Finishing a run with soreness in your lower back usually indicates you've been running bent at the waist. Instead, Chi Running encourages you to allow gravity to pull you forward by leaning slightly from the ankles, not the waist. Throughout your runs, make sure you're leaning from the ankles and not stressing your lower back muscles.

Engage your core by leveling your pelvis. Start by standing with your feet parallel and hip width apart. Imagine you have a string attached to the top of your head that is pulling you up, making you tall and straight. Drop your chin slightly and look straight ahead. Next, pull up on your pubic bone with your lower abdominal muscles while relaxing your glutes. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Doing this exercise throughout your day will strengthen your abs, allowing you to hold your posture straighter while running, swimming, sitting, standing, or even driving your car.

Practice initiating all movement from your core, the largest muscle group in your body, rather than the smaller muscles of your extremities.

The benefits of good posture are endless, and you can practice it anywhere, anytime. Whether you're running, sitting, or even sleeping, your whole body will thank you.

Weight lift to reach fitness goals and lose weight!

Strength training exercises are important for your good health, weight loss and fitness success.  Bottom line: If you do not use weight lifting exercise on a regular basis you simply will not reach your goals.

Your health is the most valuable asset you have…without it you'll inevitably spend everything you have, financially and emotionally, to get it back!


Strength training is important regardless of your age and becomes even more critical after age 30.

There are many ways that you can incorporate it into your life even if you think you can't.

Weight lifting on a repeated basis will help you to improve your physical appearance, fitness level and reduce your risk of health problems like heart disease.

Strength exercises on a regular basis will help you lose a lot of weight, a lot more than any cardio exercise ever could.

In addition, before doing any weight lifting, make sure you warm up your muscles properly. Don't do any weight lifting when your muscles are cold.

Warm up 5 to 10 minutes on a stationary bike, treadmill, etc. is sufficient.

You know that weight lifting is good for you, so make it a part of your every day routine. You can effectively exercise while keeping up with your other everyday-jobs.

When I’m out for a walk with my dogs, I find a bench or short wall and do push ups to fatigue, triceps dips and then repeat.

Strength training helps you lose weight, improves your health so you can live a longer and more productive life.  Be sure to include strength training exercises in your over-all exercise plan.


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How You Can Make Fitness and Nutrition a Lifestyle.

It's hard to admit this but, many years ago my diet consisted of diet coke and licorice or gummy bears.  I was in my 20’s and 30's and didn’t think a thing about it at the time.  Little did I know what my diet was doing do my bones, my major organs and my health.  

If only I could go back in time and start over with the knowledge I have now.

When I turned 40 (many years ago), I decided to make major lifestyle changes.  I've always loved to exercise, but never really thought too much about what I was eating.  I started teaching fitness in my 40's.
I stopped eating sugar, drinking soda pop, energy drinks, basically anything white, accept sea food.  I focus on what fuels my body for energy and nutrition.  Doing this will change your life and your children’s life.  Teach your children young the value of good nutrition.  Today. I make a conscious choice to eat a healthy diet.   I'm still teaching and love it.  

'How do you find the time to work out?' You don't: You make time. If you wait until you find time, you'll never work out.

If you are just starting to exercise, entering the world of fitness machines, exercise, diet and nutrition can be difficult.

After a few moments of peddling, your lungs gasp for air as the body screams, “What are you trying to do? Do you hate me?” Horror sets in as you realize how far your health has deteriorated. After only 20 minutes, you drive home to collapse on the sofa. Images from the gym haunt your mind: sculpted muscles and tanned, sleek bodies. “I could never look like that. This is me, so I might as well accept it.” Desperation calls for action. Staring wide-eyed at your vacuum cleaner, you consider Liposuction. But that’s just too radical.

Most people connect discipline with pain. It’s no fun forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do. But if you are achieving an important goal, discipline becomes much easier. An athlete training for the Olympics does not have a grinding battle with willpower every day. Although there are battles, it becomes easier as the routine becomes a lifestyle.

Discipline in changing your eating habits becomes easy when you are doing it and difficult when you are not. But with patience, the right attitude, and keeping your mind on the goal, discipline becomes second nature. You don’t have to force yourself. It just comes naturally. That is the way it should be.

To gain discipline, you have to face pain. The more you face it, the more you gain confidence and determination. It is an exhilarating high to run five miles after you’re conditioned to running. It hurts to start, but as your training progresses, there is a feeling of freedom and joy.

Facing Challenge

Challenge is exhilarating. We love competition for that reason. It challenges us to give our best.

We need challenge to grow. The greater the challenge, the greater the growth. That is why dreams are important; they bring us to the edge of challenge.

Decision Power

When you ate the donuts, you made a decision. They comforted you and led you down the path of sugar-coated, chocolate-dipped, cream-filled pleasures. When the alarm clock rang and you went back to sleep, you made a decision. When you ate another piece of pie, you made a decision. 

When you are laying on the couch watching TV instead of exercising, you made a decision. Each decision was a path, the easy road where you decided to give into your cravings, urges and laziness.

Most people make New Year’s resolutions. They decide to quit smoking, start exercising and lose weight. Four days later, they’re drowning in nicotine, pizza and reruns. Their resolution failed the test.

Where is the point where you have finally had enough and you make those resolute, I’ve-had-enough, never-go-back-again decisions? The ones that endure pain and stand the test of time. Those are the decisions that change our lives. We don’t argue with those decisions because we know the answer is, NO! They are resolute. Gandhi stood resolute and unbending before threats of pain, and freed India. That is the power of an unmovable, unshakable, unbending, uncompromising decision. 

It is the power that shakes empires and inspires millions.

Life-changing decisions don’t pop into our heads while watching TV. They are decisions that are made deep within us. You make hundreds of decisions each day. Most are decided by habit. Don’t do that. Make your decisions, conscious of the path on which they are taking you. Choose decisions that challenge and cause growth. Make the decisions that force change for the better.

How badly do you want to be free from food addiction?  Are you willing to face the ugly giant called hunger? You have the power to form life-changing decisions, but only if you are willing to face the challenges.

How to Stay Motivated to be Healthy and Fit.

Nothing is a better motivator than a positive attitude. 
If you feel good about yourself and your ability to accomplish things it will be much easier to make the choice to exercise when you may not feel quite up to it.  

Muscle burns fat…..that’s why starvation diets don’t work.  They depleat your body of escential muscle that will burn the calories we consume.

To be healthy and fit people "really know what to do" but it does take commitment and changing habits.  It does take a lot hard work and effort.  Great advice from NIKE 3 words  " Just DO IT."

If you find your workouts are hit-or-miss and that you give in to temptation a bit too easily, your weight loss may not be happening.   For exercise to work, you have to do it on a regular basis. Once your body adapts to your program, you then need to change it to keep your body challenged.   If you skip too many workouts, it's almost like starting all over every time.


Do you know anyone that has worked out for years and looks exactly the same?  They are pushing themselves day after day and not making any positive changes.  There is a reason for this, they may not be working hard enough, or they may be working too hard. 

One thing many people don't understand about exercise and weight loss is this: you have to work hard if you want to change the shape of your body. That means a balance of medium-high intensity cardio exercise along with challenging strength training workouts.   Our Diets are a key factor in weight loss.

Cardio
For weight loss, you'll need to get about 3-5 cardio workouts each week at a medium-high intensity for at least 30 minutes. If you're a beginner, it's best to start slow and work your way up but, if you're in good condition-challenging yourself with harder workouts is the best way to burn more calories.   Interval training is a good choice because studies show you continue to burn calories even after you've stopped exercising.

Strength Training In addition to your cardio workouts, you'll need to lift weights for all your muscle groups at least 2 non-consecutive days a week. And, by lifting weights, that means using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps.  For example, if you're doing 12 bicep curls, you need to use enough weight that you can only do 12 bicep curls and not one more. Most people don't lift enough weight to really challenge their muscles. If that sounds familiar, check out Weight Training 101 and my Workout Center to learn how to lift weights and get some workout ideas.


Sticking with exercise starts with finding a program you enjoy and that fits in with your lifestyle, goals and needs. That means being realistic about what you'll really accomplish each week rather than going by what you think you should be doing.  If you know you are not going to be consistent going to a fitness club, then learn what you can do out home out for a walk or jog and include strength training outdoors or in your home.

Some common reasons for plateaus include:

·                        Doing the same workouts over and over. Your body needs to be challenged to progress, so make sure you're changing some part of your program every 4-6 weeks.

·                        Not eating enough calories. If your body doesn't have enough fuel to sustain your level of activity, you can actually stop losing weight.

·                        Overtraining. If you exercise too much, the body sometimes responds by decreasing the amount of calories you burn during the rest of your day.

Healthy eating has to  become a lifestyle.  

Why Starvation and Yo Yo Dieting Doesn't Work!

STOP STARVATION AND YO YO DIETING

Here's why:
The body reacts to weight loss as if it were starving, in response, slows our metabolism.
When your metabolism slows, you burn fewer calories -- even at rest. So it makes it almost impossible to lose weight.


If you continue to take in fewer calories, you will either stop losing weight as quickly as you have been, or you'll stop losing weight altogether.


After starvation diets, eating under 1400 calorie per day diets, when you increase your calorie consumption, you may actually gain weight more quickly than you have in the past.  The most devastating effect of a very low calorie diet is the loss of muscle tissue. Once the starvation alarm is triggered, your body begins looking for ways to conserve energy. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Getting rid of it is the body's way of decreasing energy expenditure.

The solution is to increase your physical activity and eat 5 small nutritious meals a day. (Skip sugar, white flour and empty calories that don't fuel your body)


Doing so will counteract the metabolic slow down caused by reducing calories. A regular schedule of exercise raises not only your energy expenditure while you are exercising but also your resting energy expenditure -- the rate at which you burn calories even when the workout is over and you are resting.


With each repeated bout of dieting, your metabolism becomes less and less efficient and you can actually become progressively fatter while eating less food.

Why You Can't Skip Meals and Lose Weight!

The body reacts to weight loss as if it were starving,                 and in response, slows its metabolism.

When your metabolism slows, you burn fewer calories -- even at rest. So it makes it almost impossible to lose weight.


If you continue to take in fewer calories, you will either stop losing weight as quickly as you have been, or you'll stop losing weight altogether.


After starvation diets, eating under 1400 calorie per day diets, when you increase your calorie consumption, you may actually gain weight more quickly than you have in the past.


The solution is to increase your physical activity & eat 5 small nutritious meals a day. (Skip sugar, white flour and empty calories that don't fuel your body & help you to stay healthy)


Doing so will counteract the metabolic slow down caused by reducing calories. A regular schedule of exercise raises not only your energy expenditure while you are exercising but also your resting energy expenditure -- the rate at which you burn calories even when the workout is over and you are resting.