It seems every winter we use the excuse of the cold weather to keep us from exercising and instead we eat all those “comfort foods”. Are you one of these people? I used to be much worse than I am now. If you “bulked up” this winter and are looking for ways to get rid of it, I am here today to give you some ideas.

First and foremost you have to eat like you are your “Goal Size”. What I mean by that is if you are a size 14 and your goal is a size 10, you must eat like a size 10 and be more active. You have to live like you are that size 10 and make the correct food choices.

To obtain smaller abs crunches alone will not do it. Keep in mind, your abdominals are actually comprised of three major muscles: the rectus abdominis, the obliques, and the transverse abdominis. Each muscle has its own function and thus specific ways to target it. They are divided into external and internal muscle groups, and reside on both sides of your midsection. Both sets of obliques have the same two main functions: torso lateral flexion, which is bending the upper half of your body side to side, and torso rotation, which is twisting your upper body away from your torso. The obliques are used in any movement in which your torso bends laterally or twists.

Cardio is a major component in losing fat on your abs. I have also found that exercises using BodyLastic bands are amazing. I started using them 4 weeks ago and the transformation is amazing. I highly recommend getting these bands and using their free exercise classes. Click here for more information.

If you still are thinking, “I probably won’t use them when I buy it. I need someone to push me”…I can help you there too. My partner Melissa Bierman and I, Beverly Monical, have a WebTV Fat Loss Show starting March 29th. Check it out here and join us for the accountability you need to meet your goals.
You can check out a couple of testimonials here too.

Now that you are a regular exerciser,it’s time to bring the hammer down again! Why, you ask? Your body is getting just a little too accustomed to the workload that originally taxed it to the max. To see continual results, you have to keep challenging your body.

Once you’ve been exercising for several weeks, it’s safe and good to increase your intensity, and I recommend working out at about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. I recommend that you monitor your intensity. To do this first calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 if you’re a woman, or 226 if you’re a man.

Once you’ve calculated your 85 percent rate, you can keep yourself at the right intensity by taking your own pulse throughout your workout. The quickest way is to count the beats for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10. You should check your pulse every 10 minutes or so.

Sometimes during weight training your heart rate will jump above that 85 percent mark, which is fine. If you’re using weights, just make sure that your heart rate doesn’t drop below 75 percent of your max for the duration of the workout.

I hope this information is helpful. Remember to make exercise a part of your daily activity and you will be thrilled at the results. More muscle = faster metabolism.
Have a Wonderful Day!
Beverly

Let’s talk about stress and what it can do. When you have stress, your body releases certain “fight-or-flight” stress hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands: cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. When you first get stressed, these hormones kick into gear. Norepinephrine tells your body to stop producing insulin so that you can have plenty of fast-acting blood glucose ready. Epinephrine will relax the muscles in your stomach and intestines and decrease blood flow to these organs. Once the stress has passed, cortisol tells the body to stop producing these hormones and to go back to digesting regularly. It’s normal for your cortisol levels to go up and down throughout the day, but when you are chronically stressed your cortisol level goes up — and stays there.

When your stress and cortisol levels are high, the body actually resists weight loss. It makes your body thinks times are hard and you might starve, so it hoards the fat you eat or have present on your body. Cortisol tends to take fat from healthier areas, like your butt and hips, and move it to your abdomen which has more cortisol receptors. That’s not fair! In the process, it turns once–healthy peripheral fat into unhealthy visceral fat (the fat in your abdomen that surrounds your organs) that increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. This belly fat then leads to more cortisol because it has higher concentrations of an enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol. The more belly fat you have, the more active cortisol will be converted by these enzymes. Another vicious cycle created by visceral fat.

So what if you have belly fat? Lose the fat by following the best nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support you in times of stress, like the ones in my program. When you limit your caffeine to 200 milligrams a day, avoid simple carbs, processed foods, and refined grains, and get plenty of high-quality protein, in addition to de-stressing yourself, you’ll automatically help your body keep your stress hormones, especially cortisol, lower. It’s a day by day choice you’ll have to make, but the results will be worth. Think how good it will be when you are as healthy on the inside as you look on the outside.

I recommend you check out my other website, TotalWellness TV.

1. It decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as the development of hypertension.
2. It helps prevent Type 2 diabetes.
3. It protects you from developing certain types of cancer.
4. It helps prevent osteoporosis and aids in maintaining healthy bones.
5. It helps prevent arthritis and aids in maintaining healthy joints.
6. It slows down the overall aging process.
7. It improves your mood and reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
8. It increases energy and mental alertness.
9. It improves digestion.
10.It gives you restful sleep.
11. It helps prevent colds and flu.
12. It alleviates pain.

And the favorite reason among overweight and obese people….

It promotes weight loss and decreases appetite.

So Get Moving!!!!

1. Modify Your Food Intake- Eat less calories!!! Eat every three to three and one half hours during the day. Keeping your metabolism burning is important. Compare your metabolism to a fire. As long as you keep adding wood it continues to burn. Stop feeding it wood and WHAT HAPPENS????? It burns out! Same with your metabolism.
Keep those ghrelin levels low!
2. Increase your activity level- Crucial for maintaining as well as losing. 30 minutes to an hour everyday!
3. Eat Breakfast EVERYDAY- Breakfast boosts your metabolic rate which helps with burning calories. Studies have shown those that skip breakfast regularly are more prone to be overweight.
4. Measure your waist and forget the scales- WHAT???? Yes, you want to Lose Fat which will result in a smaller you! Isn’t that a good thing. Muscle weighs more than fat so IF you are working out(like you should) you will gain muscle and lose inches. YEA!!!! THE SCALE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!
5. Stay consistent with your eating- “Successful Eaters” don’t let holidays of special occasions give them an excuse to over eat. You have to be aware when you are losing ground….
6. Control portion size and the environment- Identify and get rid of ALL the irresistible foods from your environment. Does a smoker that is trying to quit leave a pack of cigarettes around, NO!
Put away the LARGE dinner plates and start using a 9″ plate. Smaller portions that look larger to your “Minds Eye”. IT WORKS!
7. Be accountable to SOMEONE- That means being held in check with others. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) did a study and the results prove that every successful eater should be a part of a diet group.

Where you you line up with these 7 Habits of “Successful Losers“?

Do you want an accountability partner or group? Go to www.totalwellnesstv.com . Apply today to be part of my WebTV Show. Melissa and I will help you meet your goals IF you are willing to follow the plan.

To Your Health!

Beverlymonical

Muscle weighs more than fat so that could be why the scales show you gained. Always go by the way your clothes fit or measure yourself. Lost inches means lost fat which is wonderful!!!