By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
Have you tried everything under the sun to get a flat stomach, only to come up disappointed? Have you fallen prey to all the gimmicks, fad diets and shameless infomercials promising you that elusive flat stomach that you desire?
Well fret no more, I’m going to let you in on the two ‘secrets’ that will help you shed unwanted fat and reveal your toned, flat stomach once and for all.
The first secret for a flat stomach is eating supportively. While this doesn’t seem like a secret at all, most women get this wrong in spite of their best – but misguided – efforts. Women have fallen prey to low-fat, low-carb, Hollywood, grapefruit, South Beach and every other over hyped diet that marketers can dream up, all in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds. But eating supportively is isn’t about dieting or deprivation; it’s about moderation and balance. While cutting carbs or fats out of your nutrition plan might give you a temporary loss of a couple of pounds, it’s typically followed by a drop in metabolism and a weight gain of more than you lost in the first place once you go back to your old eating habits.
So what is eating supportively? Eating supportively is having protein and carbohydrates at every meal. It’s grazing on 4-6 meals or snack each day instead of missing meals and then gorging yourself. It’s enjoying a healthy breakfast and not drinking your calories. But most of all, eating supportively is enjoying the foods you love in moderation instead of in excess.
If eating supportively is the first secret to a flat stomach, then what’s the second? The second flat stomach secret is resistance training. Unfortunately, just as fad diets have stood in the path of women achieving the flat stomachs they so desired, so have the myths of spot reduction and cardio being the best method for fat loss. Late night infomercials have long promoted gadgets that promised to spot reduce those trouble spots that women struggle with and sucked us in with testimonials from fitness models that undoubtedly picked up a nifty paycheck for endorsing their wares. But spot reduction is a myth. Think about it – have you ever met someone with a flat stomach and fat arms? Didn’t think so. If spot reduction was possible then undoubtedly one of these happy customers would have toned and tightened their stomach, yet kept their flabby arms.
The other myth that has led women astray is the belief that cardio is the best solution for fat loss. Treadmill manufacturers have sold the virtues of the ‘fat burning zone’ and led us to believe that we could plod along on a treadmill watching Oprah and before long a flat stomach would be ours. These two myths have diverted us from the path of what really does work – resistance training. Resistance training is a flat stomach’s best friend because not only does an effective resistance training session burn plenty of calories while you’re doing it, but it keeps you’re metabolism revved long after you’re done. One recent study showed that you’re metabolism would stay elevated for over 36 hours after a resistance training session.
Try to get that out of an aerobics class.
And there’s another benefit of resistance training when it comes to getting a flat stomach. The lean muscle that you gain will raise you’re resting metabolic rate and help you burn more fat all day long, each and every day.
There you have it, two ‘secrets’ that are guaranteed to boost your metabolism and give you that flat stomach you’ve been longing for. So ditch the diet books and the aerobics classes and start eating supportively and resistance training. Before long that flat stomach will finally be yours.
About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy – Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to www.FitYummyMummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: “The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.”
Technorati Tags: Pregnancy Weight Loss
One of the most dreaded aspects of pregnancy is stretch marks. Stretch marks are lines that appear over the belly and sometimes on the breasts, hips, or buttocks during pregnancy. They mean the skin has been stressed by stretching. Between 75 and 90% of pregnant women develop stretch marks. Stretch marks can appear red, pink, purple, reddish-brown or brown, depending on your skin color. If you are pregnant with multiples, your chances are higher for developing marks due to the extreme stretching your skin goes through.
The chances that you’ll develop stretch marks during pregnancy depend on many things. If your mother or sister developed them, chances are that you will too. Genetics are thought to play a part in whether a woman gets stretch marks or not. It also depends on how much weight you gain and how quickly you gain it.
There are a few things you can try to prevent them, though if you are genetically predisposed, they may show up anyway. Luckily, all the things you can do to prevent stretch marks are also good for you and the baby, so they will be beneficial no matter what.
Eat sensibly. A nutritious, varied diet will provide everything you and your baby needs without adding excess weight. The recommended amount of weight gain for the average pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. A good diet not only makes a healthy baby, it keeps your skin strong and healthy. If your baby grows steadily, your skin may be able to keep pace without damage.
Massage your belly. This increases the circulation in your skin, which may be helpful in preventing stretch marks. It feels good, too.
Be sure you drink enough water. Soda, coffee and other beverage choices are not as wholesome as plain water. You need to keep your body hydrated to make sure your blood volume can expand enough for a healthy pregnancy, and a fully hydrated body is critical to skin health.
Take your prenatal vitamins. They will make sure you get the nutrients that may be missing from your diet. This will keep you, your baby and your skin as healthy as possible.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Begin in early pregnancy and continue through postpartum. Shea butter is a natural moisturizer that has been proven to have healing qualities. Some herbal oils are also very beneficial to the skin. Find one you like and use it liberally. This will support the skin and possibly reduce your chances of developing stretch marks.
Take care of yourself after the baby is born, too. You lose a lot of weight very quickly when the baby is born. The baby, the placenta, the amniotic fluid and other bodily fluids that are lost during birth add up to a substantial amount. Make sure you get enough rest and nutritious foods to support your body through this dramatic change.
Even if you still get stretch marks, they will fade with time. You might want to consider them a badge of motherhood. Wear them proudly.
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Technorati Tags: Pregnancy, Stretch Marks
By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your fat loss won’t happen that way either. Don’t expect to start eating perfectly and exercising religiously tomorrow. Instead set yourself up for success by implementing at least one supportive habit per week. Make an effort to adopt the premise of “progress, not perfection.” By developing awareness that improvement is measured by your daily progress, you can save yourself a lot of grief and frustration from the beginning. Focusing on small, positive steps in everything you do is a vital component to change. It starts you moving in the right direction and the momentum of your amazing, transforming results will soon follow. With time, commitment and a willingness to continue to take those small steps, failure is not an option.
How to do it: Be mindful of the fact that you didn’t gain it overnight so you’re not going to lose it overnight. A safe and effective fat loss program will yield 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss a week, not 10. As you begin your weight loss journey, aim for 2-3 small improvements each week. Build up to eating more supportively and moving a little more than yesterday. These small changes will add up to big improvements over time.
Beware of supplements and “quick fixes” that promise accelerated fat loss. Instead, plan on losing fat weight slowly. Sure we all want instant results, but it’s impossible to undo a years of inactivity and poor nutrition overnight.
Instead of only looking at the big picture, try to break it down into smaller bites. Set one-month goals, three-month goals, six-month goals and even yearly goals. Carry over each previous goal to make sure that you aren’t stopping one to achieve another. Make sure goals are achievable and realistic and what you truly want. A half-hearted desire will produce half-hearted results.
Remember, life happens and we must face the challenges. Sometimes that means not getting to exercise or eat properly. The difference is we get it. We make it a point to view each situation, each setback as an opportunity to LEARN and ASK, “What could I do differently next time?” Then it becomes a matter of getting back on track as soon as possible. Leave the excuses and blame behind and forget about beating ourselves up – we’re only human. Strive to do a little better today than you did the day before. The key is to stay consistent, focused and take daily action. Make goals meaningful. Our minds cannot differentiate between achieving an enormous goal or a miniscule goal it only perceives success or failure. If you set a goal that is impossible to fail you’ll only be setting yourself up for tremendous victory.
Don’t be too rigid. Telling your self that you HAVE to workout for a set time to feel a sense of completion is ill fated. If you set out to workout for 30 minutes and you only get in 20, you’ll more apt to be disappointed regardless of how hard you worked. If you simply set a goal to go to the gym at least 2-3 days a week and complete your resistance training and cardio you’ll perceive yourself as a winner.
An additional goal idea: Have you ever wanted to participate in a race or sport that you’ve never had the endurance for? Then use that as a goal! When the end justifies the means it’s easier to make it through the rough spots. It’s a win-win situation if you are able to achieve a want and a need simultaneously!
About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy – Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to www.FitYummyMummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: “The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.”
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Technorati Tags: baby fat loss, Pregnancy Weight Loss
Fit Yummy Mummy Review
By Anne Marie Nielson
www.FitYummyMummy.com
What Is It?
This lifestyle program for busy moms is a comprehensive guide to what’s arguably the most widespread, challenging and frustrating issue faced by moms today: how to get their pre-baby body back. For almost all mothers the changes their bodies incur during pregnancy coupled with the countless responsibilities that motherhood bring spell trouble for regaining their pre-pregnancy figure.
There is no shortage of fitness, diet and fat loss products on the market today. You can find a veritable library of conflicting arguments almost anywhere you choose to seek information on the subject of fitness for women, whether it’s online, at your local library, through contact with personal trainers, or through the (less reputable but nevertheless very common) ranks of wannabe experts: aka, those frustrating people with no qualifications and no practical experience but are self professed experts because they read the last issue of Shape magazine.
What Sets This Product Apart?
After months of frustration spent wading through the mass of conflicting information on fitness and fat loss, it was with a mixture of joy and near-tearful relief that I stumbled across “Fit Yummy Mummy”, by Holly Rigsby. As the title suggests, this product is specifically for moms wanting to get fit. Literally all aspects of losing fat and getting fit are covered – and the best part is that it is written specifically for busy moms. The material is presented in a manner both chatty and educational – it’s kind of like having a friendly conversation with a close friend that happens to be a fitness expert (with the added benefit of being able to refresh your understanding of the matter at any given time, simply by scrolling back to the relevant section!)
The tone of the book presents a welcome contrast to the other fitness products so freely available elsewhere on the Net: it’s friendly, understanding of the unique situations moms face, informative, and above all, commonsensical. No unrealistic recommendations, 2 hour workouts, or zero-carb diets here: it doesn’t take long to see that this lady knows what she’s talking about when it comes to mom’s lifestyles (and did I mention she’s a mom too?)
What’s Actually Included?
There’s a quick section on getting started and goal setting along with some morale-boosting advice on how to stay on track throughout the program, and then it’s straight into an action plan to get you started on the path to burning baby fat and getting your body back.
The Supportive Nutrition Plan is next – this is particularly helpful! Every conceivable nutrition issue is covered, from how often you should eat to what you should keep in your pantry. And on top of that, it includes a ‘Create a Menu Planner’ to guide you in creating every meal to support your success.
Next, the Fit Yummy Mummy fat loss workouts are covered, but not without easy to follow explanations of the why’s and the how’s for every part of the workout program. The workout plan even offers four different formats that you can plug into your lifestyle, something not found in any of the cookie cutter fat loss programs on the market. My favorite part of the workout section is that regardless of your exercise (or lack of exercise) background, there is a workout designed specifically for you. And no matter what you fitness level is, none of the workout programs require more than 90 minutes a week.
Finally, there’s a section called the Busy Mom’s Fat Loss Companion crammed with easy to use tools and resources like a goal setting sheet, fitness journal, exercise descriptions and even a ready made grocery list. The author has figured out every excuse and obstacle busy moms have and addressed them all.
Just Because It’s Detailed Doesn’t Mean It’s Confusing
Sound overwhelming? It’s actually very user-friendly. Not only is this e-book packed with sound practical advice and the whole thing is laid out in a very logical and easy-to-understand format, but it comes with a Quick Start Guide to make sure you start acting (and seeing results) fast. The tone of Fit Yummy Mummy light and non-threatening (no scientific terminology here!) and it proceeds in a logical manner from step to step, with plenty of photos and descriptions to ensure that you are doing everything right.
Troubleshooting
In my opinion, one of the best parts: a follow up e-mail coaching series from the author that keeps you on track, gives you daily fitness tips and even healthy recipes. While most moms have the best of intentions, staying on track is tough. This follow up e-mail coaching series is the perfect solution.
The Verdict
Regaining their pre-pregnancy body is a daunting task for most moms, but the author’s personal experience and hands on work with over 250 moms is pretty reassuring; and she certainly knows how to break it down for even the most exercise illiterate. In addition to the main features detailed above, there are plenty of valuable extras included to make getting your pre-baby body back as easy as possible: checklists, do’s and don’ts, printable workout sheets, even ready to follow meal plans!
All in all, two thumbs up from me: when the information on hand is as detailed, easy to absorb, and – above all – reliable as , you really can’t go wrong.
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Visit our section Pregnancy Week by Week here!
Technorati Tags: lose baby fat, Pregnancy Weight Loss
By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
“Activity is not Achievement”
Does the solution really lie in doing more cardio?
Thanksgiving marked the start of a 6-week period where we are bombarded with strategies to burn off the dreaded holiday weight gain..
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The more active you are, the more calories you burn, right? Sure, but how much time do you have? If “moving more” is THE solution, are you ready to make the time to add in the extra activity?
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Eat a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream = 450 calories. Misleading Solution – Brisk Walking, to burn 3-5.7 calories per minute. So do you have 80 to 150 extra minutes just to burn this one indulgence off? What about all the other treats you plan to indulge in over the holidays?
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Do you want to Maintain or Achieve?
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”So go ahead and indulge, just plan on some extra time on the treadmill, and you will be back to your pre-holiday weight.”
This is a quote that is floating around out there! Yes, there is a difference between maintaining your weight over the holidays vs. not going overboard, gaining weight only to end up working your butt off to get back to where you started – if that.
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Extended periods of cardio offer little return for the precious time you invest. Beating the holiday bulge is more than how many calories you burn during a workout. Rather, the solution lies in increasing and maintaining lean muscle through short burst exercise.
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Cardio does nothing to increase muscle and in come cases actually breaks down your muscle! Unlike traditional cardio, short burst exercise will boost your metabolism and increase the number of calories your burn 24-7, essentially making your body work for you!
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Do not abandon the basic principles of Fat Loss during the holidays. Working longer and harder will not get you faster results. Stop wasting your time with hours of traditional cardio.
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Your Holiday Fat Loss Solution lies in moderation and Short Burst Resistance Training and Intervals. With as little as 90 minutes a week, you can lose up to 2 pounds of fat. Practice a bit of balance and moderation and your results will be even greater! Why wait? Start the New Year at least 10 pounds lighter!
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Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of www.FitYummyMummy.com. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom’s to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness. Don’t miss her Free Report: Top 5 Busy Mom Metabolism Boosters.
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Technorati Tags: Pregnancy Exercise, Pregnancy Weight Loss
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