This Woman Went To The Gym For A 100 Days

This short video is well worth the time to sit and watch, this lady is a true inspiration to everyone trying to loose weight. She decided she wanted to change her life, so she set her self a realistic goal and went for it! What she achieved in a 100 days is fantastic and totally proves that anything is possible if you just have the right mental attitude. Watch the video, set yourself a goal and then just do what she did, GO FOR IT!






You simply can't have enough motivational material around you as you start your weight loss journey, take copies to work, in your car, at home and even take them to bed! If you keep inspired you will keep achieving your goals, if you lose inspiration then it becomes very difficult. 

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How Yoga Changes Your Body, Starting The Day You Begin

The Eastern practice of yoga has become a modern-day symbol of peace, serenity and well-being in the West. More than 20 million Americans practice yoga, according to the 2012 Yoga in America study, with practitioners spending more than $10 billion a year on yoga-related products and classes.

The mind-body practice is frequently touted for its ability to reduce stress and boost well-being, but it also offers wide-ranging physical health benefits that rival other forms of exercise. While the scientific research on yoga's health benefits is still young, here's what we know so far about its potential effects on the body.

 View the infographic below for more detailed information.

Infographic by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post

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Total Body Weight Loss Workout & Weight Loss Motivation

We thought this workout looked good, as it can be done by both men and women at home with minimum equipment.  We would advise sitting down to watch the video first to familiarise yourself with the exercises and to get a feel for the difficulty level of the routine.  Remember, don't be put off if it appears too advanced for you, the beauty of these videos is that you can work at your own pace and advance to the level of the instructor.  No-one is expecting you to press play and immediately pick up on the pace and follow the routine, it's a step by step process, which you can conduct in the privacy of your own home. 

Try the routine and record your results in your visualisation book for 4 weeks, we would advise exercising just 3 times per week to begin with and build up as you become more comfortable with the program.  If this is your fist time exercising please seek medical advise before attempting any type of exercise program.  Have fun and enjoy it.  

This statement rings true every time we read it, 3 months is a short period of time and with some personal discipline and self motivation you can make a big difference to how you look and feel. Organise your self, set realistic mini goals, research the subject and make informed choices and there is nothing to stop you from changing your life. Involve family and friends to help keep you motivated and for personal support should you need it. Training or dieting is always easier if you have a partner or buddy to compete against and to help drive you towards your final goal.

                                                                           





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The 14 Best Things To Eat After A Workout

Eggs

Protein and carbs are the two keys to a good post-workout meal. Eggs have the former covered. At just 70 calories each, eggs pack 6.3 grams of protein and are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Also, don’t let the Rockymovies fool you; raw eggs have no advantages over cooked ones. In fact, cooking eggs allows your body to absorb almost twice the amount of protein.

Get 12 easy egg recipes here.

Quinoa

For your dose of carbs, brown rice is fine, but it can’t compete with all the vitamins and nutrients found in quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”). It also contains far more protein and fibre than brown rice, and requires less time to prepare.

Get 32 fun quinoa recipes here.

Orange Juice

Instead of a Gatorade, grab a glass of OJ. In addition to vitamin C, you’ll also get significantly more potassium than you would from popular sports drinks, which are generally intended for use during extended exercise, not after. Potassium is an important electrolyte that helps the body restore its fluid levels. 

Orange juice also works well for protein shakes.

Kefir

Kefir, a fermented milk drink made from pro-biotic bacteria, has been growing in popularity, and rightfully so. Just one cup of kefir contains 11–14 grams of “complete proteins,” which don’t occur naturally in the body. Dairy proteins are especially helpful for maintaining lean muscle mass and speeding up weight loss. While its tangy flavour may take some getting used to, it mixes well with fruit, cereal and whey protein.

Get a recipe for a banana-kefir smoothie here.

Bananas

Bananas are high in the “good” kinds of carbs you need after a workout. These fast-acting carbs will help restore your body’s levels of glycogen, which helps rebuild damaged muscles. And they provide lots of wonderful potassium.

Salmon

Not only will you get a large dose of protein, but the anti-inflammatory omega-3’s found in salmon will help rebuild your muscles and increase performance.

Get this recipe here.

Blueberries

These little guys give your body a huge antioxidant boost. In fact, studies show that blueberries can triple your rate of recovery after intense workouts.

Whole-Grain Pita & Hummus

This is a great meat-free option that’s also very easy to prepare. Made from chickpeas, hummus contains both protein and carbs, and the slow-release carbs from the pita will keep energy levels up after a tough workout

.

Get this recipe for parsley hummus here.

Dried Fruit & Nuts

If you’re crunched for time, a handful or two of this snack delivers a quick protein and carbs fix. Soy nuts are especially helpful for building muscle; a half cup contains 34 grams of protein.

 Pineapple

Pineapples contain bromelain, a natural anti-inflammatory that’s been proven to heal bruises, sprains, and swelling. They’re also high in vitamin C, a key component in repairing tissue.

Sweet Potatoes

Along with a healthy dose of carbs, sweet potatoes contain a variety of vitamins and nutrients, particularly vitamins B6, C, D, magnesium, and potassium.

Get a recipe for garlic-and-thyme-roasted sweet potatoes here.

Kiwi

Kiwis pack huge amounts of vitamin C and potassium into a tiny serving. They’re also an excellent source of antioxidants, which help combat muscle soreness. Bonus tip: Don’t throw out the skin; it’s full of even more nutrients.

Water

This one may seem obvious, but failure to hydrate properly is a common exercising mistake. To feel great and stay energized, you should replace every pound lost during a workout with 2–3 glasses of water.

Important: 

Eat Something

Your body uses a lot of energy during a workout. If you don’t replenish it within an hour or two after finishing, your muscles won’t properly recover, and all your hard work could go to waste. Even a small fistful of food within 15 minutes of working outgoes a long way.

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Ultimate Motivation

1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
7. Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.
8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
10. Forums. Do the monthly challenge on the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
11. Rewards. If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning.
12. Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!
13. Being attractive. That’s always a good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct language.
14. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
15. Stress relief. Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.
16. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this post was written in my head as I exercised.
17. A workout partner. Best thing I’ve done.
18. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
19. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.
20. An exercise log/graph. For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a week and you’ll see what I mean.
21. Your before picture. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
22. A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
23. The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired.
24. Living long enough to see your grandkids … and play with them.
25. The scale. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist.

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Don't Just Diet – Exercise to Lose Weight, Too

What you eat is only one part of the weight-loss equation. Diet alone might help you drop pounds, but you'll have trouble keeping them off if you don't exercise. And that's not to mention the added benefits you'll miss out on, from improved mood, to better sleep, to disease prevention. "The exercise has to be there," says Jim White, a registered dietitian and personal trainer certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, most or all days of the week. Typically, 30 minutes a day offers disease-prevention benefits, while 60 minutes helps with weight maintenance. Working out for 90 minutes a day helps on both fronts – and melts additional pounds. Regular exercise also cuts the risk of heart disease and diabetes, improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels, promotes better sleep, and builds healthy bones, muscles and joints.

Consider these highlights of exercise research published in 2013:

• A team of Harvard University researchers analysed data from six large studies that focused on the leisure activities and body mass index of more than 650,000 people older than 40 who were followed for 10 years. They found that those who clocked 75 minutes of brisk walking each week – which translates to about 11 minutes a day – lived 1.8 years longer than those who didn't exercise at all. And those who got 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, or 22 minutes a day, gained 3.4 years. The findings were released in November 2013.

• Among stroke patients, exercise was a more effective treatment than drugs, according to a study published in BMJ in October 2013. And for those who had suffered a heart attack, exercise after the incident was as effective as drugs in preventing early deaths.

• Pregnant women who exercise as little as 20 minutes three times a week can boost their babies' brain activity. So say researchers at the University of Montreal, who presented their findings in November at the Neuroscience 2013 conference. Researchers tracked two groups of women: those who were given an exercise regimen, and those who were not. They recorded the newborns' brain activity levels at 8 to 12 days of life and found that the babies of mothers who exercised had more fully developed brains compared to babies whose mothers didn't work out.

• Only one in five adults in the U.S., or 20%, meet the government's recommendations for the amount of weekly aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. That's according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in May 2013. Researchers found that, nationwide, about 50 percent of adults get the recommended amounts of aerobic activity – 150 minutes a week, if you're working out at a moderate-intensity – and about 30 percent engage in the recommended muscle-strengthening activity.

Diets

Some diets offer specific exercise routines. For example, Jenny Craig members get programs tailored to their individual fitness level. The Spark Solution diet, mapped out in a book by the same name, provides daily workouts for the first two weeks, along with roughly 40 pages devoted to fitness, including photos to show how certain exercises should be performed, a workout "menu" with the number of calories various workouts burn and other practical fitness guidance. And while the Flat Belly diet doesn't require exercise, the book does outline an optional plan, including workout descriptions, intensity and duration. It recommends cardio exercise to burn calories and shed fat; strength training to build muscle and boost metabolism; and core-focused exercises to tone and tighten the midsection.

Still, other diets provide less guidance, doing no more than suggesting, yes, you should exercise. If that's the case, remember that physical activity need not be drudgery. Take a Zumba dance class, go hiking, jump rope or bounce on a trampoline. Try kayaking, Pilates or swimming; vigorous household chores and yard work count, too. (Washing your car for an hour will burn 204 calories, according to caloriecount.com; vacuuming burns 238 in the same amount of time.) For the best conditioning, switch up your routine every 12 weeks, including frequency, intensity and type. And avoid an all-or-nothing mentality: It's better to take a 30-minute walk five times a week than to run half a marathon on just one day.

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